food not bombs.

Ugh. There’s been several topics I’ve tried to write about, but keep getting stuck deleting and rewriting them. To save my poor brain, I’ll use an example that exemplifies a lot of my thoughts.

So, Food not Bombs. Yeah, sure, I’d heard the name. I figured they were a charity for a long time, and then, when I saw a brochure with some info in it, thought they were an idealist hippie vegan group.

Don’t worry. I know better now.

The name says it all, really, but Food Not Bombs isn’t your average run-of-the-mill war protest. The first group by that name started during a 1980 protest of the Seabrook nuclear power plant, where many people were using the slogan “Money For Food Not For Bombs”. Some people saw nuclear power as one very public face of our society’s militarism that was overtaking all government policies. FNB denounces so much money being spent on warfare and violence when not enough is done for the poor here. And hey, it’s a little hard to say no to a group of people promoting life over death.

But surely if there are people in America going hungry it’s because there’s not enough to go around? FNBers are convinced this is a lie of scarcity and have set out to convince others that America produces enough food to feed everyone and then some. Their website claims:

“in the average city, approximately 10% of all solid waste is food. This is an incredible total of 46 billion pounds nationally per year, or just under 200 pounds per person per year. Estimates indicate that only 4 billion pounds of food per year would be required to completely end hunger in America.”

To protest the waste and inequities produced by capitalism, they collect edible food, usually from supermarket dumpsters, and either send it to those oppressed by poverty, either in bulk to shelters and soup kitchens, or by preparing it themselves and serving it in the open to anyone who wants it. This is true equality — there are no hoops to jump through; you don’t have to prove you’re below a certain poverty level; you can be anyone from anywhere and share in the meal.

Besides promoting equality and, well, feeding the hungry over warfare, FNB highlights two others areas exploited by capitalism: the food industry and the environment. FNB is committed to serving only vegan foods, in part because spoiled veggies are easier to spot than spoiled meat, but also for a host of environmental reasons. Vegetarianism can feed more people on fewer resources. Supporting organic food encourages the development of non-genetically-enhanced (and therefore usually less nutritious and/or viable) and pesticide-free food. Supporting locally-grown food encourages local economy and weakens the hold of large agricultural corporations. Besides that, FNB obviously supports reuse of resources before they go to the landfills.

Aside from the awesome ethical stance FNBers take, I’m intrigued by the decentralized grassroots nature of the groups. Food Not Bombs makes a point of electing no leaders in any of its chapters. (In fact, calling them “chapters” is also misleading — these groups are not united by anything but name, an example of franchise activism where groups of individuals independently begin the same sort of movement under one name.) They consciously use consensus decision-making in a process where all must come to agreement before anything is decided. It takes longer than normal voting, but ensures that a tyranny of the majority doesn’t occur, and that all remain central and active participants in the group. They share the power of being involved too, and encourage any and all who are served to join them at any time.

These direct action and Do-It-Yourself (DIY for short) groups seem to me to be popping up more and more… or maybe it’s just that now I’ve gotten to a place in my life where I notice something more than my own four walls. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. No other form of organization seems as empowering nor as democratic (though I would say that in some cases, some sort of hierarchical arrangement is probably more practical).

I know that in most situations I still find myself deferring to someone, whether they’re an official leader or just the most charismatic and involved person in the group. In most groups where I’m encouraged to take initiative and bring something new, actually doing so will result in a “talk” (say, from a boss who has to explain why such-and-such is against companies policies) or it will tread into someone else’s territory (either that’s an area within their job description, or they’re just the one who has traditionally done similar projects. More often than not, I admit, I do nothing beyond what it expected of me, trying hard to live up to everyone’s various standards. Even in school clubs and organizations, where the rules are pretty relaxed, I find my brain so used to following orders that I can’t even think of a new direction to take the club’s interests. I add practically no value to the group besides nominally supporting them.

I find it uplifting to hear of people who have the courage to actually take the initiative, whether by feeding the homeless, starting a free bike repair shop, or even just learning a new skill. Maybe it’s time I got out of these four walls…

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