We're moving...

This blog is officially changing spaces. Please click here for the new and improved Krishna Consciousness & Ecological Awareness Blog!

Feed the World Week

A Call for Action!

October 15-21 will mark the annual observance of Feed the World Week (FWW). During this week, Food for Life volunteers and concerned vegetarians in over 60 countries will serve out more than 5 million karma-free vegetarian meals to the world!

Objectives

1. Feed the World Week is based on a simple principle: For one week, the world should experience a wholesome, nonviolent diet, and thus pave the way for a peaceful and prosperous world.
   
   
2. Feed the World Week is an open community event to show how food when prepared and distributed with love, has the power to unite and heal the world.
   
   
3. Feed the World Week is a call for action: for the world to move away from animal agriculture—the greatest cause of environmental destruction and the principle reason why there is so much hunger in the world today. Most non-vegetarians are unaware that more than 70% of the world’s grain production is fed to livestock destined for slaughterhouses. That same grain could feed humans. Every year, millions of children in the developing world die from hunger, alongside fields of fodder destined for the West’s livestock.

In an attempt to correct this imbalance of the earth’s resources, Food for Life volunteers daily distribute over 800,000 karma-free meals to the needy of the world!

During Feed the World Week, we share vegetarian food in remembrance of the world’s 1.3 billion hungry. The fact is, if Americans reduced their meat consumption by 10 percent, enough grains would be saved to feed sixty million people!

For more info, check out the Food For Life website.

COWS RISE UP!

Bovines Across the Nation Unite in Call for Access to Organic Pasture, Eradication of Synthetic Hormones and a Better Day for Bovine Sisters

"The Resistance, My Sisters, Begins Now," Spokescow Proclaims

OPEN PASTURES ACROSS THE NATION (June 04, 2007)—Cows Have the Right to Be Cows. Cows Have the Right to Graze. Cows Have the Right to Clean Air. Cows Have the Right to Dignity and Joy.

These are just a few of the rights cows nationwide are presenting as part of their agreed-upon "Bovine Bill of Rights"—a historic document found at http://www.cowsunite.org/ that is the centerpiece of "Cows Unite," a movement unveiling afoot in which a strong affiliation of cows in pastures coast-to-coast have created to help humans understand the importance of organic dairy, decent treatment for cows and the critical role of family farmers.

Officially launching May 31, http://www.cowsunite.org/ will serve as the hub for all Cows Unite materials, gatherings, calls to action and activities. Currently, visitors can download the Bovine Bill of Rights, view two short films capturing the resistance in action and learn how they can become more involved.

In what began in recent years as a small but spreading murmuring among cows living on organic farms who were concerned about their sister bovines—coping with the effects of confinement, antibiotics, synthetic hormones and pesticides—Cows Unite has evolved in to a large-scale initiative to create change. "That change can only come from the support of conscientious milk-drinkers, and that’s why we’ve gone to mass media with our message," said one spokescow.

Cows Unite has already received support from a number of leaders in the sustainable food movement, including Organic Valley, Beyond Pesticides, Bioneers, Farm Aid, and Ecotrust. "We are most pleased with the support that our movement has received, since going public," said the spokescow. "Our sponsors provide powerful links to the humans needed to make our dream a reality."

To help the uprising rise higher, humans who get three others to sign up for the movement receive a variety of revolutionary cow paraphernalia, including a Cow Manifesto and a Holstein patterned "support ribbon" magnet demanding support for cows. Those who encourage even more to sign up have an opportunity to win a year’s supply of Organic Valley milk, an all expenses paid family weekend visit to an organic dairy farm, and more. Full details of activities are made available on the website for humans sympathetic to the cause.

"Stay tuned for more information," said the spokescow for Cows Unite, who wished not to have her identity disclosed. "It is time for action. It is time for organization. It is time to finally air our beefs about the way our bovine sisters are treated, about the air we breathe, the grass we eat, and the milk we produce.
"The resistance, my Sisters, begins now."

The Bovine Bill of RightsPeople, rise up and take back your milk! We are the bovine Sisters of Cows Unite. We’re ordinary cows, except we’ve got a few serious beefs:

• Cows have the right to be cows.Cows are not machines—we are equals in the interdependent circle of life. All our rights begin with this right.

• Cows have the right to graze.Turn us loose to graze in pastures free of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. We will take only what we need and we will refresh the soil. You will be happier for it, too. Our milk will be delicious and delightful. Promise.

• Cows have the right to just say no to drugs.The days of experimentation are over. Stop pushing the synthetic hormones and antibiotics! Organic is the right way for Sisters everywhere.

• Cows have the right to dignity and joy.When we are free to move about outdoors, it’s our best opportunity for dignity, health and joy—and a chance at joy should be the right of all living things. Even dogs.

• Cows have the right to decent help.Sure, us cows are the all-stars, but the time has come to say thanks to the little guys – the family farmers. We can’t do this alone. Fair pay for an honest day’s nurturing and care. It’s all we ask. Viva la Family Farm!

• Cows have the right to clean air.Nothing makes us breath easier than local customers. When you choose milk from pastures close by, you reduce trucking. It’s pretty nifty. Less air pollution, less fuel used, and support for your neighboring Farmers, all from one little milk choice.

Join us.The Sisters of Cows Unite need your human help. We ask that you consider our rights and talk to your family and friends about our basic needs. Join the resistance and follow the steps outlined below.

Choose organic milk from cows whose rights are upheld.
Sign up to receive your first assignment with coupons.
Tell your friends about www.cowsunite.org.

Thank you, Sister! Dunk in peace.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.10.4

TRANSLATION
by Srila Prabhupada

During the reign of Maharaja Yudhisthira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk.

PURPORT

The basic principle of economic development is centered on land and cows. The necessities of human society are food grains, fruits, milk, minerals, clothing, wood, etc. One requires all these items to fulfill the material needs of the body. Certainly one does not require flesh and fish or iron tools and machinery. During the regime of Maharaja Yudhisthira all over the world there were regulated rainfalls. Rainfalls are not in the control of the human being. The heavenly King Indradeva is the controller of rains, and he is the servant of the Lord. When the Lord is obeyed by the king and the people under the king's administration, there are regulated rains from the horizon, and these rains are the causes of all varieties of production on the land. Not only do regulated rains help ample production of grains and fruits, but when they combine with astronomical influences there is ample production of valuable stones and pearls. Grains and vegetables can sumptuously feed a man and animals, and a fatty cow delivers enough milk to supply a man sumptuously with vigor and vitality. If there is enough milk, enough grains, enough fruit, enough cotton, enough silk and enough jewels, then why do the people need cinemas, houses of prostitution, slaughterhouses, etc.? What is the need of an artificial luxurious life of cinema, cars, radio, flesh and hotels? Has this civilization produced anything but quarreling individually and nationally? Has this civilization enhanced the cause of equality and fraternity by sending thousands of men into a hellish factory and the war fields at the whims of a particular man?

It is said here that the cows used to moisten the pasturing land with milk because their milk bags were fatty and the animals were joyful. Do they not require, therefore, proper protection for a joyful life by being fed with a sufficient quantity of grass in the field? Why should men kill cows for their selfish purposes? Why should man not be satisfied with grains, fruits and milk, which, combined together, can produce hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes. Why are there slaughterhouses all over the world to kill innocent animals? Maharaja Pariksit grandson of Maharaja Yudhisthira while touring his vast kingdom, saw a black man attempting to kill a cow. The King at once arrested the butcher and chastised him sufficiently. Should not a king or executive head protect the lives of the poor animals who are unable to defend themselves? Is this humanity? Are not the animals of a country citizens also? Then why are they allowed to be butchered in organized slaughterhouses? Are these the signs of equality, fraternity and nonviolence?

Therefore, in contrast with the modern, advanced, civilized form of government, an autocracy like Maharaja Yudhisthira's is by far superior to a so-called democracy in which animals are killed and a man less than an animal is allowed to cast votes for another less-than-animal man.

We are all creatures of material nature. In the Bhagavad-gita is said that the Lord Himself is the seed-giving father and material nature is the mother of all living beings in all shapes. Thus mother material nature has enough foodstuff both for animals and for men, by the grace of the Father Almighty, Sri Krsna. The human being is the elder brother of all other living beings. He is endowed with intelligence more powerful than animals for realizing the course of nature and the indications of the Almighty Father. Human civilizations should depend on the production of material nature without artificially attempting economic development to turn the world into a chaos of artificial greed and power only for the purpose of artificial luxuries and sense gratification. This is but the life of dogs and hogs.

Physician's Commitee for Responsible Medicine

Ever wonder why cheeseburgers are so cheap? Or why school cafeterias still serve more meatloaf and hot dogs than fruits and vegetables? The answer may surprise you.

The Farm Bill, America's primary federal food
policy, keeps high-fat, cholesterol-laden pork,
beef, cheese, and other unhealthy animal
products cheap and widely available. That's
why I hope you'll take action today to help
spread the word about the Physician's
Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)'s
new hard-hitting Farm Bill commercial.

The Farm Bill doled out more than $70 billion in
food subsidy payments from 1995 to 2005,
and more than three-quarters of that money
went to producers of meat, sugar, oil, dairy,
alcohol, and feed crops used in meat production.
Fruit and vegetable farmers received less than
1 percent of government subsidies. To make
matters worse, the federal government
purchases Farm Bill surplus foods like cheese, milk, pork, and beef for distribution to food assistance
programs--including the National School Lunch Program.

As you may know, the House of representatives made only minor changes to the subsidy
system when it passed its version of the bill in July. Now that the Senate Agriculture
Committee is expected to begin marking up its version of the Farm Bill in October, PCRM
and other groups are calling for sweeping changes. PCRM has been calling attention to the
problem with a new television ad about the Farm Bill, which directs people to
StopChildhoodObesityNow.org. Our ad has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, The
Huffington Post, MSNBC.com, and many other media outlets. As the bill comes before
the Senate over the next month, I'll need your help to send a strong message about
reform. See how PCRM and other groups are calling sweeping changes.

Here's how you can help:

1.  Watch PCRM's new Farm Bill ad on YouTube.

2.  Support PCRM's efforts to reform the Farm Bill by making a donation now.
Donations from you and other concerned citizens will help PCRM air the Farm Bill ad
in even more media markets across the country and support our other activities to
make the Farm Bill healthier.

3.  Forward this e-mail and let others know why they should care about the Farm Bill, too.

4.  Call and e-mail your senators. Urge them to make healthy changes to the Farm Bill.

I'll be contacting you again in the next few weeks with more updates on the Farm
Bill and more details about how you can help as the bill moves through the Senate.
Thank you so much for your support and help in reforming the Farm Bill. As always,
please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Kyle Ash
Legislative Coordinator
kash@pcrm.org

BASIL- Bhaktivedanta Academy for Sustainable Integrated Living

BASIL is the academic wing of ISKCON Bangalore’s rural development programme, Eco-Agri Research Foundation (EARF). BASIL aims to present facts about the imminent danger to health and life that has been caused by consumption of poison in the name of food, it may demand safe food production,
that will make society healthy and disease free.

In order to facilitate these goals, BASIL is conducting training courses in Organic and Biodynamic farming Systems. This training will benefit Farmers, Corporate Sectors as well as laymen with knowledge of safe food and health choices. This Programme will also help the people to understand Holistic lifestyle and Simple living.

Forthcoming Training Programs:

Training programmes on 'organic and bio-dynamic farming systems'

Date : 4th to 9th October 2007(6 days) and October 31st to 3rd November 2007 (4 days)

Venue: at its facility on the outskirts of Mysore at Mahadevapura village.

The training programme is open to progressive farmers, agriculture professionals, students of plant world, ecology and eco-conscious consumers.

Participation certificate will be issued. Since there are only limited seats available for the training program, interested participants are requested to register at the earliest.
For registration and fee details contact,
Eco-Agri Research Foundation
Tele Fax: +91-821-2491016,
e-mail: info@basilacademy.in