Food Not Bombs: Connecting Compassionate Movements for 30 Years

by Stephanie Ernst

categories: Activism and Actions, Oppression Connections, Vegan

Published July 23, 2009 @ 07:58AM PT

To the list of things I'm terribly embarrassed to admit, add that I didn't realize until sometime in the last year that Food Not Bombs, founded in 1980, beyond being a generally peaceful, nonviolence-promoting, social justice-focused grassroots movement, is also a vegan movement. Over the years, I heard the name of the group periodically and saw info on events or meetings, but clearly, I never looked into it much. But now I know, and of course, I was excited to see Keith McHenry, co-founder of the movement, at AR2009.

My first encounter with him was alongside Deb of Invisible Voices at the Food Not Bombs table in the exhibit hall, and I have to admit--I was enamored with him right away. You know how some people just exude goodness? He's like that. Anyway, I also hadn't heard about one of Food Not Bombs' latest projects: Since July 4, they have been baking bread in a solar oven (and then sharing it) in front of the White House every day, in a campaign titled "The Change We Knead Now: Bake Bread for World Peace." The campaign is calling on Obama to do the following (you can sign the online version of the petition here):

• Implement universal government-paid (single-payer) health care for all
• Free federal prisoner Leonard Peltier by executive order today
• Make solar energy collectors available for every house
• Create a system of passenger trains connecting every city
• Implement organic gardening classes in every school
• Call for a global ceasefire

Ambitious? Yes. But the movement is nothing if not ambitious and committed and full of good ideas. A bit of history:

Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegan and vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Each independent group also serves free meals at protests and other events. The San Francisco chapter has been arrested over 1,000 times in government's effort to silence its protest against the city's anti-homeless policies. Amnesty International states it will adopt those Food Not Bombs volunteers that are convicted as "Prisoners of Conscience" and will work for their unconditional release. Even though we are dedicated to nonviolence Food Not Bombs activists in the United States have been under investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Pentagon and other intelligence agencies. A number of Food Not Bombs volunteers have been arrested on terrorism charges.

Food Not Bombs is often the first to provide food and supplies to the survivors of disasters. During the first three days after the 1989 Earthquake, Food Not Bombs was the only organization in San Francisco providing hot meals to the survivors. Food Not Bombs was also the first to provide hot meals to the rescue workers responding to September 11th World Trade Center attacks. Food Not Bombs volunteers were among the first to provide food and help to the survivors of the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Our volunteers organized a national collection program and delivered bus and truckloads of food and supplies to the gulf region. We were one of the only organizations sharing daily meals in New Orleans after Katrina. Food Not Bombs is now preparing for the economic crash organizing Food Not Lawns community gardens, housing the homeless with Homes Not Jails, organizing additional meals each week and starting new Food Not Bombs chapters.

It's impossible not to be impressed, isn't it? Later in the weekend, McHenry gave an energetic plenary speech on the Food Not Bombs movement and its activities and milestones (and its position that a philosophy of nonviolence includes nonviolence toward animals) as its 30-year anniversary approaches, and when he concluded, the crowd's standing ovation came immediately.

Check here to see if there's a Food Not Bombs chapter near you. Or if you don't find one there, and you're interested in starting one in your community, see these tips. Check out the video below on the San Francisco chapter: