Monsanto weedkiller & GM Maize associated with fatal health problems

Thanks to GM Watch for getting this out...

"The first animal feeding trial studying the lifetime effects of exposure to Roundup tolerant GM maize, and Roundup, the world's best-selling weedkiller, shows that levels currently considered safe can cause tumours and multiple organ damage and lead to premature death in laboratory rats, according to research published online today by the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology."

The full article from GM Watch: click here  
You tube video (The Grocer Channel): click here


Note, 'halal' meat (unless organic) comes from livestock potentially fed GM produce. Muslim communities need to be thinking (and acting) more holistically.

"If People Are Unable to Imagine a Positive Future, They Won’t Create It": Emergence Summit: Sept 2012

"And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God.." [Qur'an 3:103] 

Whatever changes are taking place in the world, the universal heart will be forever present. Can we tune in, to its beat? For its beat is the source of navigation as we traverse waters whether turbulent or still.

Thanks to working within lovely WIN, I have been invited and agreed to participate in what sounds like a kind of ecopilgrimage(!) through Wales this Sept (2012): camping, trekking along lesser travelled routes (partly in silence), and creating with activists, visionaries and artists who recognise that with climate change, peak oil, economic collapse and so on.. humanity has taken a wrong turn. 

 We intend to imagine together the future we do want. The Summit will culminate at the Centre for Alternative Technology for a weekend conference.

More about the Emergence Summit is here: http://www.emergence-uk.org/

Below is a six minute video about the idea and how it evolved.

I've been told that the summit will be filmed and daily highlights will be uploaded. It will be possible to follow the Summit on twitter and facebook. The Emergence website should have more info (soon!).

I am also happy to be contacted to speak to groups about the experience. I can be contacted through WIN.

A Lot To Do

I keep wondering how I'm going to put into words the way that I feel about my attempt to change my ways this Ramadan. It's not easy to admit the shameful truth that I've realised I need to do a lot to transform myself and truly move away from consumerism and towards community, sharing and simplicity.

All thanks to God I have benefited from Ramadan as a time to reconnect with a childlike dependence upon God and with a strong desire to please Him. However, I have also seen how much my immature desires to buy things and to have things have taken precedence in my decisions even when I've consciously tried to move away from consumerism. For example, for Eid I chose to move towards community, sharing and simplicity within my household with a shared Eid present for my children, made from sustainably managed wood. But why didn't I move away from consumerism and choose a family activity or trip?

I have become aware of how strong my desire is to cling to my consumer habits and I find it ugly. I feel tempted to ignore my knowledge of it. As if that will make it go away. I'm surely going to have to be more mature than that if I'm going to really move towards simplicity, sharing and community! It's not easy to look ahead to a journey of failures. To transform I'm going to have to try and to fail and to keep trying, time and time again, God willing.

I'm so tempted to conclude this neatly. But since that satisfaction may well lead me to round off my thoughts impatiently and make immature intentions, I'll just stop writing and keeping thinking, God willing.

Running Great Workshops (Oxford) 21-23 Sep 2012

A great opportunity from our friends at Seeds for Change. Note the deadline (Sun 19th Aug).

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RUNNING GREAT WORKSHOPS, OXFORD

 
Fri 21- Sun 23rd September 2012
Oxford

Friday 21st (7-10pm) Saturday 22nd (10-6pm) Sunday 23rd (10-4pm)

Learning from each another is a building block of successful social movements. By sharing our skills and knowledge we make our groups stronger and healthier.

This weekend course will help you develop the skills and confidence to design and facilitate engaging, participatory and fun workshops. From guerilla gardening to writing a press release, from mass catering to working in affinity groups, if you have a skill that social movements need, come to this workshop to learn how to share it. If you're a grassroots activist and you'd like to run workshops to help others learn, this is for you.

 

In the workshop you will get the chance to:

* develop skills and confidence to facilitate good learning
* understand how people learn and design a workshop plan
* prepare and facilitate a short workshop session and receive constructive feedback from other participants & the workshop facilitators.

 

 The workshop is free for grassroots activists. If you're coming from a funded organisation, places cost from £125. Food will be vegan and will cost £20 for the weekend, if you can afford it. We can provide crash space for those who need it.

Places are limited to a maximum of 16 participants. There is an application process and the deadline for applications is Sunday 19th August.

 If you want to find out more or for an application form please contact  oxford AT seedsforchange.org.uk  or call 01865 403134. Please forward the email onto your contacts.

Hannah, Richard & Kathryn
Seeds for Change Oxford
01865 403134
www.seedsforchange.org.uk

Impatience

In my endeavour to reform my consumer-driven ways this Ramadan, I have been using a model I know for activating repentance: knowledge – state – action. I began with the knowledge that I have too much stuff, and that I am wasting it by keeping it from being used by someone else …

I decided to clear out some clothes and children's things that had been so little-used it was clear they were surplus to our needs, and to take them to a charity shop. I've been so grateful that charity shops have offered me things at prices I can afford. And I cherished giving locally. So I lovingly ironed the clothes, investing my time and effort into the act of giving, and hoping to ensure I did not cause anyone a burden due to my donations. I made sure I included items I was very fond of. And soon, off they all went to the charity shop.

Continuing to sort through my cupboards, I discovered a play pen which I used to decorate as a play house for my children. Impatience begged me to take the redundant item to a charity shop as soon as possible. To have shared it as conveniently as possibly. I hesitated. I used to go to charity shops every week. I was delighted to be re-using second-hand things and not wasting. But actually, I made a habit of buying. Realising this about myself, giving the play pen to a charity shop felt like feeding the habit I was trying to break. Couldn't I give the play pen away locally in a way that builds community face-to-face and without charge? I considered Freecycle, but felt too impatient to await a response. So I posted the play pen on a local women's yahoo group, saying it was on its way to a charity shop unless wanted. Thank God, a reply arrived promptly. It was from a mother who had offered to lend me children's clothes. We arranged for her to come around. We swapped things, and she and I chatted while our children played together.

No thanks to my impatience, I have made some headway moving away from my over-consumption of unnecessary things and towards swapping, rather than selling and buying, and towards strengthening friendships. I have gained some experiential knowledge of myself, regarding where I am with my intentions to move away from consumerism and towards simplicity, sharing and community. I am feeling the discomfort of my changing state, thank God. I've started planning our 'Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan and I recognise myself wanting to hold on to making decisions that involve buying things, and resisting simpler alternatives that spring from me thinking about moving away from consumerism. Recognition feels like an achievement.

My impatience and consumer habits almost undermined me even starting to make a shift in my behaviour this Ramadan (for which I made intention, and discussed in my previous blog). Recognising that I am struggling seems to present me with an enormous opportunity to change myself and to change my heart. God willing I hope to continue an inner transition that enables me to move towards a new and better pattern of action, for myself and for society. What better time than Ramadan to slow down and reflect and ask God to change my heart?

Follow WIN's 'Ramadan Bites' on Facebook

Ramadan Kareem!

 

Ramadan is an ideal time to reflect on our own internal state, as well as that of the world. 

 

As we enter Ramadan, at WIN, using facebook (yes, we know it's evil!) we will meditate on WIN's core strands (Earth & Comunity, Deep Democracy, Climate Justice, Whole Economics) to share reflections drawn out from each. 

 

We hope this exercise will offer something for us all, whatever form our relationship with Ramadan takes. We also hope you might share something of yourself as feels right for you.

 

To follow WIN on Facebook>> click here  

 

Moving And Shifting This Ramadan

I am not fasting this Ramadan. Over the past few years I have often not fasted, due to the blessings of babies. Consequently, in my endeavours to move closer to Allah during this month, I have retained, rather than given up, my dependence upon food and plentiful drink during daylight.

I used to practice a Lenten fast, for which I did not abstain from eating and drinking from dawn til dusk, but rather I temporarily gave up particular consumer practices over a six week period. For my last Lenten fast, I chose to give up a few key things that I felt mastered how I planned and enjoyed my daily structure. Having let go of them, I shifted easily into devoting more time, thought and love to activity which nurtured my sense of spiritual well being and my sense of being able to be useful for good in this world.

For me, it has been easier to make shifts in my living habits and patterns when I've given up tangible things. So this year for Ramadan, I want to use Ramadan as a focal period for giving up consumer things that consume me spiritually and are destructive to myself and others, and for moving towards my true needs for spiritual wellness and for being constructive to a better world. My intention is to be guided by the transformative approach behind Wisdom in Nature's, Fast for the Planet. http://fastfortheplanet.net/

I have chosen to focus upon two movements from the concept of Fast for the Planet: 'to move away from our collective submission to consumerism'; and 'to move towards simplicity, sharing, and community building.' So, if Allah wills it so, I'll keep you up to date with how I act upon these intentions.

Wishing you the blessings of Ramadan,

Elizabeth

Willowbrook Farm Open Day Barbecue Iftar: Sat 28th July 2012

WIN is delighted to highlight this Ramadan event at Willowbrook Organic Farm (see below). We've thoroughly enjoyed supporting the farm and organising outings to Willowbrook over the years. WIN Reps are also intending to participate in the gathering below - we hope to also have copies of our popular Islam & Climate booklet on hand for anyone interested at the gathering (Suggested donation £1.50 ea to help cover costs). With the climate already changing before our eyes, it is vital that we reflect on the state of things, and how we can actualise our responsibility in a constructive and enjoyable way.

 

Ramadan is an ideal time to reflect on our own internal state as well as the state of the world. This booklet offers insights and direction towards a more wholesome way of living and connecting with our fellow beings, on this beautiful planet. The images and text creatively articulate a message that can easily be understood and shared with others. We hope to have plenty of copies for those who would like to do this. The booklet is also available on pdf via our website.

The event notice now follows>> 

Willowbrook Farm Open Day Barbecue Iftar

Date: Sat 28th July 2012

Time: from around 6pm

Venue:  Willowbrook Farm, Hampton Gay, Oxfordshire , OX5 2QQ

 

Willowbrook Farm is an organic farm in Oxfordshire run by a Muslim family. 

Bookings are open to attend a Ramadan open day barbecue iftar at the farm. 

If you are interested in attending please email Willowbrook farm directly for details. Please book early so they can confirm numbers.

7.15   pm    Welcome to farm and guided tour taking in the vegetable garden, poultry, geese, turkeys and sheep and woodland.
7.45   pm    Free time to wander around farm.
8.15   pm    Open air music by the Birmingham based band "Silk Road"
9.00   pm    Break fast and open air maghreb prayers
9.30   pm    Iftaar with additional spiritual music by Adam Radwan
10.30 pm    Close


The cost for the entire programme including food is:

Children aged 1-3 Free
Children aged 4-10 £12
Adults £20

Camping: This is an option as long as it is self-contained. Please contact/email the farm directly if you need more info.

More info/bookings: willowbrookorganicfarm AT gmail.com  ;
website: http://www.willowbrookorganic.org/   

Beyond Expectation: Participating in a Radical Food Movement Event (Food Sovereignty)

Greater than Expectations

This was not my first event on food justice - I had been to dozens. Yet, this one Sunday in July, coming out of Chingford station, walking through woodland that happened to be slippery, slopey and still, I weaved my way to Organiclea, a workers food growing cooperative on the edge of London, to attend a food justice event that went far beyond expectation. Organised by the food sovereignty movement, the gathering exuded warmth, embraced a participative ethos that helped draw out inspiration and wisdom, and produced many moments of humour - it felt a bit like coming 'home'. 

The event was attended by around 100 people - drawing fresh-faced participants, with gentle natures, and who seemed to have vision along with a maturity that enabled them to be good listeners. Whether I expected it, or not (as was the case!), this was a special gathering.


Introducing Food Sovereignty..

Image via: www.theprisma.co.uk

The aim of this event was to further develop the Food Sovereignty Movement - For those who are new to the term (and I too am learning), "food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems". The movement emerged through mobilisations of small-scale farmers around the world and its ethos can be captured in six pillars: It..

• focuses on food for people
• values food providers
• localises food systems
• puts control locally
• builds knowledge and skills
• & works with nature

(Conveniently(!), these pillars have a strong resonance with several of WIN's s core strands: in particular with earth & community, a deep democracy, climate justice, and engaged surrender.)

Beyond theory: Embodying the pillars

Although the above pillars theoretically articulate a set of principles, it was uplifting to experientially know that this event was an embodiment of them. Much of the delicious food we were served was produced locally and in season, there were plenty of opportunities to share ideas and knowledge, the event was facilitated with awareness and humour, and we were in a food growing project managed through cooperative principles.    


Ideas from small groups

To give an example of one of the sessions on the first day,through sub groups we considered, 'What needed to change?'

After a storming of ideas, a range of discussion and a gathering of the threads that were emerging, our group of around six came up with three key strands: as to 'what needs to change':
1) TIME: the fact that the dominant economic system has a monopoly on people's time;
2)  LAND: The dominant structures restrict (through costs and policies) peoples access to land - in our small group discussion, we also touched on the fact that so much of income can go into paying for a roof over our heads (which feeds into point 1); and
3) VISION: We need more people to have the vision to create an alternative reality: more sharing of skills, knowledge and stories.

This was a two day event and due to pre-existing commitments I attended the first day only - on the second, there were sessions on co-developing actions and strategies.



Leaving Affected..

Through the day, I met some people whom I already knew - people from Brighton, from Earth Activist Training & permaculture, and anti-GM Food campaigning; I heard stories of how people had left the usual 9-5 treadmill, had lessened their expenditures (I spoke with two people who lived on a boat and one in a truck), and had stepped into a place of greater freedom and possibility; I felt affected by the presence of such wonderful people; I prayed zuhr (Islamic midday body-prayer) in a massive greenhouse between rows of edibles, and I left feeling exhilarated, inspired, and looking forward to sharing my experience with and beyond WIN, and excited as to what comes next for myself and grassroots activism, as the juice of this movement expands and spills into the wider consciousness and strands of activism in the UK, Europe and the world.

© Muzammal Hussain