Friends...
If you can get the chance to take part in this very cool experience of starting a LPFM (low power FM radio project) and to see how community radio is done try very hard to go to Greenville, SC on June 8 - 10th for this event. Read please.....
Hello Friends and greetings from the Prometheus Radio Project!
Online registration is now up for our next fantastic barnraising in
Greenville, SC with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement:
http://www.prometheusradio.org/wmxp_registration.html
MXGM and Prometheus will come together with hundreds of regional
volunteers, June 8th-10th , to build an entire brand new low power FM
community radio station over the course of the weekend. This will be
Prometheus’ 11th community radio barnraising, and our first one in a long
time in the south! Come join us for a weekend filled with workshops on
radio programming, editing, field recording, fundraising, youth radio, to
name only a few.
Go here: http://www.prometheusradio.org/wmxp_registration.html
to register for the barnraising.
For updates: Check our website www.prometheusradio.org for updates on
housing, workshops, transportation, local hotels and restaurants, and
more.
Also to find out more about the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in
Greenville, visit :
http://www.african-american-institute.com
thanks,
Prometheus Radio Project
Siyade Gemechisa
Volunteer & Events Coordinator
www.prometheusradio.org
(215)727-9620 x505
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
World Fair Trade Day and Summer Plans
Hey there everyone....
Well, last Sat. 5/12 was World Fair Trade Day and I was able to attend the second celebration at a very cool vegan/vegetarian cafe, Dandelioncommunitea Cafe, in Orlando. Live music, poetry readings, many fair trade and locally (organic) product vendors were there. A Henna artist and massage therapist were there and all in all it was a fun day!!!
I am getting ready to close Serendipity Fair Trade for the summer starting this Sunday. I will be sorry not to be open, but last summer I had to close to work as a waitress (which I enjoyed but hard work...made me humble) to keep paying the rent on the shop....sooooo I thought I would take the time this summer to travel north and sell my goods at festivals and markets that would be friendly to my fair trade items. I also want to take some time to get more direction and education on being a more effective activist/organizer. One on one, the passion in my voice/words for fair trade, mass movement building, the urgency for getting involved in any way possible comes across, but in front of a group or crowd I get nervous.
So...here is my line-up so far...... Will be in DC the first week of June to attend two conferences. The first is the Fair Trade Federation conference (where my vendor & friend, Allen Joseph from Living Wage Co. will be also) and the second weekend is a really interesting one..."Taming the Giant Corporation" which will have a good number of well-known speakers over the 3 days...my favorite of which is Ralph Nader (still working as a consumer advocate to slay the corporate dragons...truly a national hero regardless of his record as a Presidential candidate).
I will fly to GA from there and at the end of the month will table my goods at the first ever US Social Forum (based on the same concept of the World Social Forum that counters the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland every Jan.) from June 27 thru 30th. If anyone is able to come up to Atlanta for it...do so...it is amazing...people and orgs. from all over the country will be there!!!
The second week of July I will travel back up to DC to live, train and work with the CODE PINK ladies! This will certainly be one of the highlights of my summer activism. I plan on taking some calculated risks to develop my leadership skills and take some courageous actions (don't worry....I won't do anything stupid). When I think of people like Cindy Sheehan who has given up one of her children for this idiotic, illegal and INSANE war and challenges those corrupt politicians like our very own Sen. Bill Nelson (who JUST sold out AGAIN to fund the war....forever I am sure...by voting with Rep. and against his own party...coward!!!) and Rep. Dave Weldon who couldn't come up with an original thought if he had to (to defend backing Bush in Iraq) I must have the courage of my convictions to do what is necessary to protect the lives of our service men and women and the very future of our society against my corrupt government. I am sure you understand.
After my second trip to DC I am not sure what is next...but be sure it will be EXCITING!!!!
I will be in the shop until this Sun. and will be around Melbourne until just before or just after Memorial Day. Keep in touch!!!! : )
PEACE !!!!
Well, last Sat. 5/12 was World Fair Trade Day and I was able to attend the second celebration at a very cool vegan/vegetarian cafe, Dandelioncommunitea Cafe, in Orlando. Live music, poetry readings, many fair trade and locally (organic) product vendors were there. A Henna artist and massage therapist were there and all in all it was a fun day!!!
I am getting ready to close Serendipity Fair Trade for the summer starting this Sunday. I will be sorry not to be open, but last summer I had to close to work as a waitress (which I enjoyed but hard work...made me humble) to keep paying the rent on the shop....sooooo I thought I would take the time this summer to travel north and sell my goods at festivals and markets that would be friendly to my fair trade items. I also want to take some time to get more direction and education on being a more effective activist/organizer. One on one, the passion in my voice/words for fair trade, mass movement building, the urgency for getting involved in any way possible comes across, but in front of a group or crowd I get nervous.
So...here is my line-up so far...... Will be in DC the first week of June to attend two conferences. The first is the Fair Trade Federation conference (where my vendor & friend, Allen Joseph from Living Wage Co. will be also) and the second weekend is a really interesting one..."Taming the Giant Corporation" which will have a good number of well-known speakers over the 3 days...my favorite of which is Ralph Nader (still working as a consumer advocate to slay the corporate dragons...truly a national hero regardless of his record as a Presidential candidate).
I will fly to GA from there and at the end of the month will table my goods at the first ever US Social Forum (based on the same concept of the World Social Forum that counters the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland every Jan.) from June 27 thru 30th. If anyone is able to come up to Atlanta for it...do so...it is amazing...people and orgs. from all over the country will be there!!!
The second week of July I will travel back up to DC to live, train and work with the CODE PINK ladies! This will certainly be one of the highlights of my summer activism. I plan on taking some calculated risks to develop my leadership skills and take some courageous actions (don't worry....I won't do anything stupid). When I think of people like Cindy Sheehan who has given up one of her children for this idiotic, illegal and INSANE war and challenges those corrupt politicians like our very own Sen. Bill Nelson (who JUST sold out AGAIN to fund the war....forever I am sure...by voting with Rep. and against his own party...coward!!!) and Rep. Dave Weldon who couldn't come up with an original thought if he had to (to defend backing Bush in Iraq) I must have the courage of my convictions to do what is necessary to protect the lives of our service men and women and the very future of our society against my corrupt government. I am sure you understand.
After my second trip to DC I am not sure what is next...but be sure it will be EXCITING!!!!
I will be in the shop until this Sun. and will be around Melbourne until just before or just after Memorial Day. Keep in touch!!!! : )
PEACE !!!!
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Amazing Coffee Conference !!!
Amazing Coffee Conference !!! Hi all !!! Wow....I have just had an amazing time at my first coffee conference in Long Beach, CA. The SCAA is the org that is holding its 25th coffee convention and the keynote speaker was David Robinson (son of baseball legend, Jackie Robinson) who owns a large coffee farm in Tanzania and organized a coffee cooperative with coffee farmers in his area. His speech was passionate, honest, and hopeful that the SCAA will seek to create special relationships with the farmers and encourage only the best quality coffee product that can lead to social and economic justice for all! David gave a big plug for "fair trade" but followed up with the statement that his cooperative opted to sell their coffee directly to buyers so they could start schools and give the $ to individual farmers rather than use profits to pay for certification for the fair trade branding. David felt that “fair trade” was widely accepted in Europe and the United States and therefore they would use all their profits to help their cooperative and David’s…. “Up Country” based in NY. I differed with David on his remark about fair trade having a solid platform for which to gain growing support and felt I needed to somehow talk with him and try to change his mind and seriously reconsider certifying their coffee with the fair trade logo. Yes, the immediate impact of de-funding community programs and investing in the certification program of “fair trade” has some short term struggling impacts, but when consumers become educated about equitable trading practices the long term benefits will make up for it.
After David’s eloquent and “feather-ruffling” speech (the board members of SCAA were stiffening their backs every time David used the term “social justice”) I waited until those who wanted to personally speak with him got their chance and I went up to him and introduced myself to him and thanked him for following in his father’s footsteps as a social justice advocate. I really admire David. I shared with David my thoughts on the fair trade movement in the USA and how still very unknown the concept is. Europe has been promoting FT since the 1950’s. We have only jumped on board in the late ‘90’s and I don’t believe it really took off nationwide until after the Seattle WTO protest in 1999. I made an impassioned plea to David to revisit the FT certification idea with his cooperative and informed him that FT commodities were recently under fire by the USDA to only allow the “organic” cert. on commodities from single-source farms (obviously poor coffee farmers need to form “cooperatives” to have any kind of selling power and having the organic stamp on their product which is recognized by wealthy consumers is crucial to help fair trade label be readily accepted). Major corporations like Star_ucks would like to see fair trade eliminated to keep their profits bloated, so getting “organic” standards to help with this endeavor certainly would help.
David was gracious in listening to me and considering what I was asking. I thanked him, shook his hand and wished him well. Never did I think the very next morning that I would have another “chance” encounter with him, but I did!
David was alone smoking a cigarette (he admits it is a terrible vice but one his still enjoys) looking over the railing from in front of the lovely glass convention center building onto the street. I slowly walked over and he smiled and greeted me. I was very glad to have had another opportunity to speak with him (alone this time) and engage in a more reflective yet casual way so that he could have another opportunity to get to know who I was…a seriously committed social justice activist…and why I am so passionate about the fair trade issue…to end global slavery. David was not familiar with the GMO food issue either and the new threat of the GM coffee bean being created by Nestle foods. This threat could directly impact David’s coffee plantation because the new bean called a “cologne bean” would be planted in Tanzania. All organic plant foods can become contaminated by GM plants therefore ending organic foods…PERIOD. I told David my coffee people from Sweetwater were at the convention and would rather have them explain the GM issue since they were better educated on this issue than I. I gave David the name of the film “The Corporation” and suggested he get this film and see it as it, in my opinion, correctly conveys how corporations operate and why they are a threat to both fair trade and organic foods and ultimately the social justice movement. I again praised David for being committed to quality coffee and social justice and hoped that we would meet again someday preferably in Tanzania.
I am on my way back to Melbourne after my nice break from my present reality. I am looking forward to opening up the shop this week until I close for the summer on May 20th. I hope you all will come by and see me…if only to just say hello before I go. : )
Namaste’
After David’s eloquent and “feather-ruffling” speech (the board members of SCAA were stiffening their backs every time David used the term “social justice”) I waited until those who wanted to personally speak with him got their chance and I went up to him and introduced myself to him and thanked him for following in his father’s footsteps as a social justice advocate. I really admire David. I shared with David my thoughts on the fair trade movement in the USA and how still very unknown the concept is. Europe has been promoting FT since the 1950’s. We have only jumped on board in the late ‘90’s and I don’t believe it really took off nationwide until after the Seattle WTO protest in 1999. I made an impassioned plea to David to revisit the FT certification idea with his cooperative and informed him that FT commodities were recently under fire by the USDA to only allow the “organic” cert. on commodities from single-source farms (obviously poor coffee farmers need to form “cooperatives” to have any kind of selling power and having the organic stamp on their product which is recognized by wealthy consumers is crucial to help fair trade label be readily accepted). Major corporations like Star_ucks would like to see fair trade eliminated to keep their profits bloated, so getting “organic” standards to help with this endeavor certainly would help.
David was gracious in listening to me and considering what I was asking. I thanked him, shook his hand and wished him well. Never did I think the very next morning that I would have another “chance” encounter with him, but I did!
David was alone smoking a cigarette (he admits it is a terrible vice but one his still enjoys) looking over the railing from in front of the lovely glass convention center building onto the street. I slowly walked over and he smiled and greeted me. I was very glad to have had another opportunity to speak with him (alone this time) and engage in a more reflective yet casual way so that he could have another opportunity to get to know who I was…a seriously committed social justice activist…and why I am so passionate about the fair trade issue…to end global slavery. David was not familiar with the GMO food issue either and the new threat of the GM coffee bean being created by Nestle foods. This threat could directly impact David’s coffee plantation because the new bean called a “cologne bean” would be planted in Tanzania. All organic plant foods can become contaminated by GM plants therefore ending organic foods…PERIOD. I told David my coffee people from Sweetwater were at the convention and would rather have them explain the GM issue since they were better educated on this issue than I. I gave David the name of the film “The Corporation” and suggested he get this film and see it as it, in my opinion, correctly conveys how corporations operate and why they are a threat to both fair trade and organic foods and ultimately the social justice movement. I again praised David for being committed to quality coffee and social justice and hoped that we would meet again someday preferably in Tanzania.
I am on my way back to Melbourne after my nice break from my present reality. I am looking forward to opening up the shop this week until I close for the summer on May 20th. I hope you all will come by and see me…if only to just say hello before I go. : )
Namaste’
Thursday, May 3, 2007
California Here I am
Well....I am out in chilly, partially cloudy southern CA...San Diego to be more accurate. I came out to visit my lapband doctor in Tijuana (cannot afford American doctors, nor do I want to risk my life at an American hospital....a friend told me another acquaintance he knew was killed by a catheter bursting a vessel in a hospital recently...one of many scary stories I have heard). I saw my doctor and had to have an "un-fill" to take fluid out of the band to let my stoma heal for a month and then come back out for a fill (band talk) due to my "not following band instructions" and not eating properly. I am very upset at myself and realize no one can cheat using this terrific weightloss device and I need to take my health more seriously! Ughhh!!
I will be driving to Long Beach on Fri and Sat to go to the Specialty Coffee Assoc. of America's annual convention. I will get to see my favorite coffee friends, Chris and Nora, from Sweetwater Organic Coffee Co. there and will get further educated about my FAVORITE beverage (yes, I prefer it over alcohol). The keynote speaker for the convention is David Robinson, the son of famed baseball player, Jackie Robinson. I am really excited about the convention!
Have a blissful day!!!!
I will be driving to Long Beach on Fri and Sat to go to the Specialty Coffee Assoc. of America's annual convention. I will get to see my favorite coffee friends, Chris and Nora, from Sweetwater Organic Coffee Co. there and will get further educated about my FAVORITE beverage (yes, I prefer it over alcohol). The keynote speaker for the convention is David Robinson, the son of famed baseball player, Jackie Robinson. I am really excited about the convention!
Have a blissful day!!!!
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