View allAll Photos Tagged nutritious!
A Bumble Bee feeding off a Sow-thistle flower found at the start of the trail leading to the Gillies Lake Conservation Area in the City of Timmins Northeastern Ontario Canada
Native to Europe
Common sow thistle is in the Compositae (Asteraceae) family. This is a nutritious plant that contains several minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and zinc) and vitamins ( A, B1, B2, B3, B6, & C). The leaves are also great to use as an antioxidant.
Earlier in the season this plant tastes nice. Leaves and flowers can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or used in soups, casseroles, etc.. The leaves contain vitamin C, protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Cook stems like asparagus. They taste better if the outer skin is removed. Young roots can be cooked as well.
Diversifying farming to include more nutritious and resilient crops such as millet and sorghum and protein-rich, soil fertility boosting legumes like chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnuts, can buffer communities against drought and malnutrition. Its key to increase demand via education, policy and access to ensure more communities grow and eat these foods.
Students enjoying a nutritious meal. At this ECD centre, teachers are provided training in the Science of ECD by AKF including how to create low cost and innovative learning materials and prepare nutritious meals.
healthy, natural, nutritious, environment-friendly, and just for all people...for all our basic needs...whether home-grown or community-grown...is the cause of a people's generosity with each other...in sharing and protecting the blessings of natural resources on Earth...
A cyclist takes a well earned drink at a local cycle race. Tipping his vessel upside down to take a drink of the nutritious contents.
Our Daily Challenge - UPSIDE DOWN
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Beans are cheap, nutritious, tasty and versatile. I always have canned beans on hand but dry beans are much less expensive, and you can find a wider variety of heirloom beans in dry form.
Anasazi beans, also called New Mexico Cave Beans, Appaloosa Beans or Jacobs Cattle Beans, are of clouded origin. One story is that archaeologists found a handful of beans at an 1,500 year old site site in a clay jar sealed with pine tar. Amazingly some of those beans germinated and you can eat them today. (Some people don't believe this story and think the beans have been in constant cultivation... you choose the story you want to believe :)
Anasazi beans are closely related to pinto beans and cook up just the same. I cooked mine in a crockpot in pork stock. I finished them off with a green chile sauce and some garlic powder. Bean soup is on the menu later this week.
Avocados are tasty and nutritious and very popular. This is despite 2 small avocados having a carbon footprint twice the size of a kilo of bananas. Our avocado obsession isn't very green after all.
Due to severe drought, diverse and nutritious food becomes scarce, therefore the WFP has been working to prepare for and address the current drought effects by supporting population to identify and reduce their vulnerabilities.
Julia Ramírez and Iraelia Rodríguez show the fresh fruits and vegetables that they produced, which are consumed at schools and local social protection programmes.
© WFP/Marianela González
Students enjoying a nutritious meal. At this ECD centre, teachers are provided training in the Science of ECD by AKF including how to create low cost and innovative learning materials and prepare nutritious meals.
Millet and Amaranth made into a nutritious bowl of warm cereal. The addition of dried fruits, honey and hazelnuts turned it into the most comforting breakfast. Recipe on foodobsessed.ca
Inside avocado fruits are fantastic health benefits👌! It has 11 carotenoids and powerful cancer-fighting antioxidants!
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However, did you know that most of these beneficial compounds are found in the dark green layer right up against the skin of the fruit⁉️
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⚠️ My tip of the day is: When you are peeling avocados make sure you do not remove this extremely nutrient dense dark green layer. Cut the ripe avocado into wedges and peel it as in the picture👆 making sure you keep as much of the dark green layer as possible❌🔪❌‼️
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To learn more about the amazing benefits of avocados check my old post: #mn_benefitsofavocado
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إن الأفوكادو غنية جداً بالمغذيات وهي جداً مفيدة للصحة👌وتحتوي على ١١نوع من الكروتينويات ومضادات أكسدة جداً فعالة في الحماية من مرض السرطان.
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ولكن هل كنت تعلم أن معظم هذه المغذيات المهمة تتواجد في الطبقة الخضراء الغامقة التي تأتي تحت القشرة مباشرةً؟
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⚠️ نصيحتي لك اليوم: عندما تقوم بتقشير الأفوكادو تأكد من عدم التخلص من هذه الطبقة التي لها فوائد لا تعد ولا تحصى. قطع الأفوكادو الناضجة إلى جوانح وقشّرها كما هو موضّح في الصورة 👆 مع الحرص على المحافظة على أكبر كمية من الطبقة الخضراء الغامقة قدر المستطاع❌🔪❌‼️
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لقراءة المزيد عن فوائد الأفوكادو اضغط على الهاشتاغ التالي: #ماسة_فوائد_الأفوكادو
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#avocado #healthy #superfood #food #tips #healthfacts #nutritious #instagood #likeforlike #follow #l4l #followme #healthychoices #cleaneating #eatclean #healthyliving #massasnutriclub #jeddah #ksa
#صحة #تغذية #أفوكادو #فاكهة #مغذيات #وقاية #لذيذ #جدة #السعودية
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Today pusley is treated as a weed, but it was once considered nutritious fare and a cousin to spinach, according to our Oxford English Dictionary. We keep it around as ground cover because it helps keep our sandy soil in place. And its leaves and flowers are rather tasty. After sampling the plant ourselves we've left it to nourish bees and other pollinators who visit our yard. And Sluggo here.
I think this is Leidyula floridana, the Florida Leatherleaf, one of three slug species native to the state (in addition to 11 species of slugs introduced from elsewhere). Slugs are in the Family Veronicellidae, Class Gastropoda. More slimy detail is in the large view (click the magnifying glass).
"Slugs have an important place in the ecosystem of the world," writes 15-year-old Shep, a winner in the American Museum of Natural History Young Naturalist Awards. His article, "The Slimy, Yet Special Slug," continues, "Most slugs are herbivores, eating fungi, lichens, green plants, shoots, roots, leaves, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Slugs are also known for being scavengers; eating decaying vegetation, animal feces, and carrion....Slugs are also important to humans in lesser known ways. Currently the slug is being studied at the University of Washington. The biochemical properties and cellular mechanisms of the slug's mucus are under investigation. Researchers at the University believe that learning more about slug mucus could help in treating or curing human deficiencies involving mucus." Cystic fibrosis, for example.
"Slugs are hermaphroditic," adds the University of Florida, "but often the sperm and ova in the gonads mature at different times (leading to male and female phases). Slugs commonly cross fertilize and may have elaborate courtship dances."
And then some. Brooke L.W. Miller, a doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is writing her thesis (with photos and videos) on the torrid sexual practices of the banana slug.
White (TMEB 693) cassava and yellow (I011368, TMS I011371, IITA TMS I070593, TMS I011412), Yellow cassava varieties contain Vitamin A. Therefore, more nutritious than white and enrich the nutrition of people. Photo by IITA. (file name: DSC_3786).
Healthy and nutritious homemade herbal pork noodle soup employing the use of #Benedictine D.O.M herbal liqueur.
Check out on the RECIPE at:
as a wife and as a cook because I had a new easy and delicious way of preparing food…Little did I realize how much this cooking would entice my husband, Narayan, who began to join me in the kitchen to prepare the meals. We would heat the homemade ghee in the pan and add the fragrant spices together. He would cut up the vegetables and we would flirt with each other as the aroma of the food filled our senses. I began to learn what a romantic and bonding experience it was to take the time to be with each other while cooking healthy life-giving food.
Because I worked a lot of late nights at the time, Narayan would go and visit our friends who were also cooking from the book. He would be so happy to be eating this food that he even offered to wash the dishes afterwards and he made them swear never to tell me because then I would want him to do it at home. Years later, my friends would laugh and tell me stories like these.
Samahria is coming out with a second book very soon. Last week, she invited me to her house and she took pictures of our meal for Flickr. Find out what else we had to eat that day by dropping by her site. She is new to Flickr and would love to share her recipes and pictures with you. Also she would love to hear about your experiences with “Romancing the Stove”.
To visit her Flickr site, go to…
Almond Berry Banana Yogurt Smoothie
Ingredients:
6 large strawberries
1 sliced banana
1 cup blueberries
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup almonds
Fitness, nutrition, wellness and living the good life
Capped with a Limoncello-spiked glaze!
Moist from homemade ricotta, zingy from the zest of four Meyer lemons (and 1/4 cup of their juice!) and even on the border of nutritious with spelt and quinoa flour, these muffins are a great mid-morning snack that can be fancied up with a swirl of frosting for dessert!
www.yummysmells.ca/2014/03/lemony-ricotta-muffins.html
Inspired by www.healthyfoodforliving.com/meyer-lemon-ricotta-muffins/
There's a great recipe for a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich inside, probably the closest thing to health food in the book.
And, no, I didn't buy the book...
ODT: "Begins with N," and "Book Title."
Canon S95
ISO 800
1/80 second
f2.5
Bring summer back with this delicious and highly nutritious green salad. It is extremely beneficial for the overall health, an energy booster and a nutrient powerhouse.
Recipe and nutritional information in the Appetizers category on my blog Vegan Magic.
Copyright © Adriana Chirea/vegan-magic.blogspot.com. All rights reserved. Please respect my Terms of Use.
The Fresh Food Fair had samples of free food that is nutritious for students to try. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services.
Education session on Nutrition, nutritious food and snacks, preparation of healthy meals.
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project, funded by USAID and implemented by Mercy Corps to cover 12 districts in Khatlon. The project is emphasizing nutrition using the 1000 days approach and Essential Nutrition Actions framework. This will include promotion of improved infant and young child feeding practices (breastfeeding, adequate maternal nutrition, and increased access to essential micronutrients) promotion of dietary diversity for the whole family, (fruits and vegetables) and animal source foods. This component will include capacity-building.
The second technical component focuses on improved family planning services and promoting increased demand for those services
The third component of the project will promote improved hygiene and sanitation through Essential Hygiene Actions, including provision of some sanitation infrastructure. Infrastructure will target schools including girl-friendly models.
To achieve adoption of improved nutrition, hygiene and health practices by community members, Mercy Corps will work at the community-level: volunteer Community Health Educators and Village Health Committees and Child-to-Child activities in schools.
Long time ago, when food is so scarce, smart human being have invented various kind of ways to preserve food for the time when no food at all. - www.justsimplyhealth.com
for the "Great Lord Borders." He's a Green iguana (Iguana iguana). Collard greens are a very nutritious diet for iguanas as the greens have the best high calcium and low phosphorus ratio. Photo by Frank.
Are you tired of boring sandwiches and salads for lunch? Do you want to spice up your meal with some crunchy and nutritious snacks? Then you should try lunch wraps with crispy insects! They are healthy, delicious and eco-friendly. Here are some reasons why:
- Insects are high in protein, iron, calcium and other essential nutrients. They can help you build muscle, strengthen bones and boost your immune system.
- Insects are low in fat, cholesterol and calories. They can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease.
- Insects are sustainable and ethical. They require less water, land and feed than livestock. They also produce less greenhouse gases and waste than animals.
- Insects are diverse and versatile. You can choose from a variety of species, flavors and textures. You can also cook them in different ways, such as frying, baking or roasting.
So what are you waiting for? Grab some tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa and your favorite insects and make yourself a tasty lunch wrap today. You'll be surprised by how good it tastes and how good it makes you feel!
Warning: Do not eat lunch wraps with insects. They may look crunchy and tasty, but they are not good for you. Insects can carry diseases, cause allergic reactions, and make you feel sick. Plus, they are gross and disgusting. Who wants to eat a bug when you can have a delicious sandwich or salad? Save yourself the trouble and avoid lunch wraps with insects at all costs.
Source: AI Text Generator
Education session on Nutrition, nutritious food and snacks, preparation of healthy meals.
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project, funded by USAID and implemented by Mercy Corps to cover 12 districts in Khatlon. The project is emphasizing nutrition using the 1000 days approach and Essential Nutrition Actions framework. This will include promotion of improved infant and young child feeding practices (breastfeeding, adequate maternal nutrition, and increased access to essential micronutrients) promotion of dietary diversity for the whole family, (fruits and vegetables) and animal source foods. This component will include capacity-building.
The second technical component focuses on improved family planning services and promoting increased demand for those services
The third component of the project will promote improved hygiene and sanitation through Essential Hygiene Actions, including provision of some sanitation infrastructure. Infrastructure will target schools including girl-friendly models.
To achieve adoption of improved nutrition, hygiene and health practices by community members, Mercy Corps will work at the community-level: volunteer Community Health Educators and Village Health Committees and Child-to-Child activities in schools.
One of our dinner parties
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This is a recipe that I've served dozens of times. It is nutritious, easy, offends no one, serves thousands. Heartily recommended.
You can leave ingredients out, add in ingredients that please you, and the recipe will salute you for this. It stretches in all directions. One of my best ones.
It doubles and triples easily for a large crowd.
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Vegetable-Bean Soup With Pistou
[French equivalent of Minestrone Soup]
Soup:
1 T. butter or margarine
1 T. oil
1 medium onion
2 large leeks, washed well and chopped
2 large carrots chopped
1 large potato peeled and diced
8 cups boiling water
1 tsp. salt, to taste
1/4 lb. fresh spinach or Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb. tomatoes, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. zucchini, halved lengthwise then sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups cooked small dried beans, such as navy, pea, small white or great northern [rinse if canned]
1/2 cup small soup macaroni
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Pistou:
3 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
In a large stockpot or 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven, heat the butter or margarine and oil and add the onion, leeks and carrots. Saute` the vegetables for 5 minutes, then add the potato, boiling water and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the soup, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pistou.
In a blender or food processor, process the garlic and basil, gradually adding the oil. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the Parmesan set the pistou aside. To the soup pot, add the spinach or Swiss chard, green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, cooked beans and macaroni. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the pasta is cooked [About 8 - 10 minutes]. Stir in half the pistou, saving the rest for table use. Season with additional salt and pepper. Mikes 10-12 serving.
Serve with salad and bread for a delicious light supper.
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Roshini is a very healthy child now. Her anganwadi or play school is very close to her house and she benefits a lot from nutritious meals and colourful playthings. Her mom Sujatha is now well equipped to take good care of her. Through world vision India’s HEARTH program she learnt how to make low cost yet nutritious food. What more she trains other women in her community to make nutritious food from cheap ingredients like drum stick leaves, spinach, grated carrots and beet roots. They also have a 5 year old son Paven Kumar who loves drawing, he proudly shows off his elaborate art work in the walls of his house. Penta Rao now has a vision for his family and his community- “My vision is that every one works in unity for community development. All the children must be educated, they should not realize what I realized when it is too late.”
25 years ago Penta Rao’s parents came from Orissa to an urban slum in Vizak in the hope of finding greener pastures. Like Penta Rao they too were daily wage labourers, and there is not much difference economically in the two generations. But there is a significant change of attitude and mindset. Penta Rao who has only studied till the 9th standard says, “I will make sure my children study till whatever level they want to study.” Penta Rao worked as a mason for INR 14 a day since his 9th standard. “I am ashamed to say that I am only a 9th pass, and I regret how my youth was filled with hard work” he says.
Penta rao has witnessed the transformation of his community since world vision India’s arrival 10 years ago. Their community was largely water logged with affluents from nearby factories stagnant in various parts of their colony. There were no taps and only one private borewell from which they had to borrow water. Penta rao says, “World vision constructed a drainage system and used land fill to stop water from stagnating.” About a 100 families have benefitted over the years from this. There is also a sophisticated ‘Reverse Osmosis system’ in place to provide the community with clean drinking water. The children are the biggest beneficiaries as the cases of water borne diseases have greatly dwindled over the year. “Since there are no mosquitos breeding in stagnant waters, my children can sleep in peace,” says a very thankful Penta Rao. But the biggest transformation has been within many of the families. The Vishakapatnam Area Development program works to improve the quality of life of 44 communities of Visakhapatnam towards self-reliance and sustainable development through education, good health and economic development initiatives.
The Fresh Food Fair had samples of free food that is nutritious for students to try. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services.
Female Red Crossbill
A fascinating finch of coniferous woodlands, the Red Crossbill forages on nutritious seeds in pine, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and spruce cones. Their specialized bills allow them to break into unopened cones, giving them an advantage over other finch species. Because conifers produce seeds unpredictably, Red Crossbills sometimes wander (or “irrupt”) far beyond their usual range. They nest wherever and whenever they find abundant food, sometimes even in winter. Several types of Red Crossbill exist; they each have different calls, feed on particular conifer species, and might represent distinct species.
More ID Info
image of range map for Red Crossbill
Year-round
Breeding
Migration
Nonbreeding
Range map provided by Birds of the World
Explore Maps
Find This Bird
Within their typical range, look and especially listen for Red Crossbills in coniferous forests. Their call notes are sharp and metallic, and the birds usually occur in chattering flocks near the tops of trees. In the morning, crossbills often come to the ground to consume grit along roadsides. Red Crossbills are nomadic, especially in winter, and in some years “irrupt” far south of their normal range. At these times they may show up in evergreen forests, planted evergreens, or at bird feeders. eBird reports can help you find recent, nearby sightings.
OTHER NAMES
Piquituerto Común (Spanish)
Bec-croisé des sapins (French)
Cool Facts
One of the great puzzles of bird classification is where to draw the line between species. Red Crossbills of the many “types” now described are especially puzzling because these birds do not conform well to the usual concepts of “species” and “subspecies.” Unlike many subspecies, the different types of Red Crossbills wander widely, sometimes joining up with other crossbill types. Even so, interbreeding between types appears to be very limited, suggesting that the types may be on their way to becoming full species.
The Red Crossbill is so dependent upon conifer seeds it even feeds them to its young. Consequently, it can breed anytime it finds a sufficiently large cone crop, even in the depths of winter.
A crossbill's odd bill shape helps it get into tightly closed cones. A bird's biting muscles are stronger than the muscles used to open the bill, so the Red Crossbill places the tips of its slightly open bill under a cone scale and bites down. The crossed tips of the bill push the scale up, exposing the seed inside.
The oldest recorded Red Crossbill was a male, and at least 8 years old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Idaho in 2014. He was banded in the same state in 2007.
Typha /ˈtaɪfə/ is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats.
These plants have many common names. They may be known in British English as bulrush, or reedmace, in American English as cattail, catninetail, punks, or corn dog grass, in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush, and in New Zealand as raupo. Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush, including some sedges in Scirpus and related genera.
The rhizomes are edible. Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests they were eaten in Europe 30,000 years ago.
ypha leaves are alternate and mostly basal on a simple, jointless stem that bears the flowering spikes. The plants are monoecious, with unisexual flowers that develop in dense racemes. The numerous male flowers form a narrow spike at the top of the vertical stem. Each male (staminate) flower is reduced to a pair of stamens and hairs, and withers once the pollen is shed. Large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, sausage-shaped spike on the stem below the male spike. In larger species this can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 1 to 4 centimetres (0.39 to 1.6 in) thick. The seeds are minute, 0.2 millimetres (0.0079 in) long, and attached to fine hairs. When ripe, the heads disintegrate into a cottony fluff from which the seeds disperse by wind.
Typha are often among the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud, with their abundant wind dispersed seeds. Buried seeds can survive in the soil for long periods of time. They germinate best with sunlight and fluctuating temperatures, which is typical of many wetland plants that regenerate on mud flats. The plants also spread by rhizomes, forming large, interconnected stands.
Typha are considered to be dominant competitors in wetlands in many areas, and they often exclude other plants with their dense canopy. In the bays of the Great Lakes, for example, they are among the most abundant wetland plants. Different species of cattails are adapted to different water depths.
Well-developed aerenchyma make the plants tolerant of submersion. Even the dead stalks are capable of transmitting oxygen to the rooting zone.
Although Typha are native wetland plants, they can be aggressive in their competition with other native species. They have been problematic in many regions in North America, from the Great Lakes to the Everglades. Native sedges are displaced and wet meadows shrink, likely as a response to altered hydrology of the wetlands and increased nutrient levels. An introduced or hybrid species may be contributing to the problem. Control is difficult. The most successful strategy appears to be mowing or burning to remove the aerenchymous stalks, followed by prolonged flooding. It may be more important to prevent invasion by preserving water level fluctuations, including periods of drought, and to maintain infertile conditions.
Typha are frequently eaten by wetland mammals such as muskrats, which may also use them to construct feeding platforms and dens. Birds use the seed hairs as nest lining.
The rushes are harvested and the leaves often dried for later use in chair seats. Re-wetted, the leaves are twisted and wrapped around the chair rungs to form a densely woven seat that is then stuffed (usually with the left over rush).
Many parts of the Typha plant are edible to humans. The starchy rhizomes are nutritious with a protein content comparable to that of maize or rice. They can be processed into a flour with 266 kcal per 100 grams. They are most often harvested from late autumn to early spring. They are fibrous, and the starch must be scraped or sucked from the tough fibers. Plants growing in polluted water can accumulate lead and pesticide residues in their rhizomes, and these should not be eaten.
The outer portion of young plants can be peeled and the heart can be eaten raw or boiled and eaten like asparagus. This food has been popular among the Cossacks in Russia, and has been called "Cossack asparagus". The leaf bases can be eaten raw or cooked, especially in late spring when they are young and tender. In early summer the sheath can be removed from the developing green flower spike, which can then be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob. In mid-summer when the male flowers are mature, the pollen can be collected and used as a flour supplement or thickener.
The seeds have a high linoleic acid content and can be used to feed cattle and chickens
Food Not Bombs - Logo *
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Food Not Bombs - San Francisco 2001 * (1)
www.flickr.com/photos/32401725@N00/5669874711
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Food Not Bombs - San Francisco 2001 * (2)
www.flickr.com/photos/32401725@N00/6287061108
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Food Not Bombs - Tacheles, Berlin, 2008 *
www.flickr.com/photos/sterneck/5685686749
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In the Cracks of the World - Photo-Reports
www.flickr.com/photos/sterneck/sets
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San Francisco Food Not Bombs
Vegetarian food to the masses!
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Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs
History
Formed in Boston in 1980 by activists involved in the anti-nuclear movement, Food Not Bombs has blossomed into a worldwide, grassroots, political movement of over 175 autonomous chapters. Each Food Not Bombs group serves free food to people in need and in support of political organizing efforts.
Food Not Bombs believes that society and government should value human life over material wealth, human need not corporate greed, and that most of its problems stem from this simple crisis in values.
Food Not Bombs recovers healthy, nutritious, vegetarian food that would have been otherwise discarded and cooks and serves it to people in immediate need. The problem isn’t too little production, it’s poor and inequitable distribution. Food Not Bombs is an alternative food distribution organization, intent on building sustainable community food sharing programs.
By giving away free, vegetarian food in public places Food Not Bombs brings the invisible hungry and poor into the public’s eye, forcing passers-by to examine, at least for a moment, their own complicity and involvement in allowing the unaccountable global economic system that oppresses every one of us to continue.
Food Not Bombs calls attention to the inherent contradictions in society’s failure to provide food and housing for each of its members, while at the same time handing out hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for unconscionable wars and state violence.
Food Not Bombs is protest, not charity.
While we are a loosely-knit group of collectives, each Food Not Bombs group shares some basic unifying principles:
1. Non-violence Our society is dominated by violence-economic, political, environmental, and mental. While greedy and short-sighted politicians claim the we will be “protected” by a National Missile Defense, our daily lives on the ground are affected by the constant threat of crime and police violence. The authority and power of the government is based solely on the threat and use of violence at home and abroad. Food Not Bombs is committed to a vision of society that is motivated by love and sharing, not violence and greed.
Poverty is also violence. While our society extols mindless consumerism and pursues the unlimited accumulation of wealth, it relegates millions to hunger and homelessness while turning the other cheek. This, combined with police violence, inadequate healthcare, and countless forms of discrimination, deprive each of us of a vibrant and loving way of life.
The commercial food industry is also predicated on violence. It involves the slaughtering of millions of animals and the poisoning of our planet through the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Tons of usable food go to waste to maintain high profits. More than 70% of the grain harvest in the U.S. is fed to farmed animals, as is 33% of the world’s grain.
While the police have attacked Food Not Bombs (members of San Francisco Food Not Bombs were arrested more than 1000 times from 1988 through the 90s) for its actions, we never respond with violence because we would never want to recreate the authoritative methods of the state in our own actions, and because we are on the streets every day in small numbers supporting people. The police have a constant standing army armed and prepared to use violence at any moment. We cannot jeopardize ourselves or the people we work with through the use of shortsighted acts of violence in the heat of the moment.
2. Consensus Decision Making Rather then relying on a system of winner take all, Food Not Bombs believes that every member of the group should have the opportunity to participate in shaping all the group’s decisions.
The consensus process insures that the will of the majority doesn’t dismiss the values and contributions of everyone else. Consensus process forces us to resolve conflicts through negotiation and compromise rather than overruling and censoring.
3. Vegetarianism Up to 25% of the food in the United States is wasted every year, with an estimated 130 pounds of food per person ending up in landfills nationwide. That’s enough feed 49 million people, twice as many as starve in the world annually.
Over 70% of the grain grown in this country is used feed livestock, which in turn feed far fewer people than the grain would directly.
Factory farms treat animals like commodities, objects to be used solely as profit-making things, while ignoring that they are living, feeling being who feel the tremendous pain inflicted upon them.
Serving vegetarian food exemplfies Food Not Bombs’ commitment to non-violence, as well as the wise and rational use of resources.
Sources U.S. Department of Agriculture, “A Citizen’s Guide to Food Recovery”, 1999 U.S. Department of Agriculture, “World Cereals Used for Feed”, 1997
Interesting History Links:
In-depth article about the history of the SF Chapter.
Email from 1994 about Keith McHenry being held in jail!
www.langston.com/Fun_People/1994/1994AQV.html
The Homeless Peoples’ Network has many archived emails about the work of SF Food Not Bombs, ACT-UP, the IWW and other radical organizations!
Archive.org’s record of our web site from the early 2000s
wayback.archive.org/web/*/http://www.sffoodnotbombs.org
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Politics for a Real Change *
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SAN FRANCISCO SESSIONS
Zwischen Hippie-Kommerz, Goa-Spirits und revolutionären Party-Demos - Eine Reise durch das San Francisco der Gegenwart ...
DAS ERBE DER HIPPIES
In der zweiten Hälfte der sechziger Jahre wurde San Francisco zur Hauptstadt der Flower-Power-Bewegung. Zigtau-sende Hippies aus der ganzen Welt kamen zusammen, um in Haight-Ashbury den ”Summer of Love” zu feiern. Ver-bindend war die Abkehr von den Werten der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft, die im Vietnam-Krieg ihr blutverschmiertes Gesicht zeigte. Die Vision der Hippies machte dagegen die freie Liebe zur wichtigsten Kraft, die aufkommende Rock-Musik wurde zum wegweisenden Bezugspunkt und psychedelische Substanzen dienten zur Veränderung des Be-wusstseins. Die farbenfrohen Beschwörungen einer besseren Welt nahmen jedoch nur kurzzeitig Gestalt an, bald verfing sich die Hippie-Kultur in inneren Widersprüchen. Zudem gelang es Ronald Reagan, dem damaligen Gouver-neur Kaliforniens, und dem CIA zunehmend die Bewegung über repressive Massnahmen zu schwächen. Im Grunde wurzelte das Scheitern der Hippie-Kultur jedoch in einem wesentlichen Teil in der verschlingenden Dynamik eines Gesellschaftssystems, das selbst seine Antithese integriert und zu Geld macht.
Bis heute lebt Haight-Ashbury als Stadtteil noch immer vom Mythos der Hippie-Bewegung. Vom ursprünglichen Spirit ist kaum noch etwas zu spüren, wie sollte es über dreißig Jahre später auch anders sein. Ein Hippie-Shop reiht sich an den nächsten: Eine endlose Ansammlung von T-Shirts, Postern, Tassen und anderen Souvenirs mit Motiven der Ikonen Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix und Jerry Garcia. Blumen schmücken noch immer die zentrale Haight-Street, doch längst sind sie mit einem meist völlig überteuerten Preisschild versehen.
Inzwischen sind jedoch nicht nur die scheinbar ewig jungen Rock-Klassiker der späten Sechziger in den Shops zu hören. Seit einiger Zeit nehmen die zeitgemäßen Beats des Psychedelic Trance einen nahezu gleichberechtigten Platz ein. Die Freaks aus der Goa-Szene haben längst das Erbe der Hippies angetreten. Viele Parallelen sind offen-sichtlich, so ist beispielsweise der Bezug zur indischen Mystik genauso verbreitet wie der Gebrauch psychoaktiver Substanzen und auch die farbenfrohe Kleidung orientiert sich eindeutig am Outfit der Hippies. Vor allem ist es jedoch zumeist die Sehnsucht nach Freiheit und Ungebundenheit, nach innerer Entfaltung und Entwicklung, die den einge-schlagenen Weg bestimmt. Charakteristisch ist für beide Kulturen jedoch auch ein oftmals naives bis ignorantes Ver-hältnis gegenüber den Möglichkeiten und den Notwendigkeiten politischen Engagements.
OFFENE SESSIONS ALS LEBENSPRINZIP
Aus der scheinbar endlosen Kette der Tourist-Shops der Haight-Street fällt der Bound Together Bookstore heraus. Dort reihen sich die Klassiker der linken Bewegungen aneinander, von Marx und Bakunin über die Vertretern der kritischen Theorie bis zu den WortführerInnen der Antiglobalisierungsbewegung. Daneben stehen verschiedene Un-derground-Zeitschriften oder auch Benefit-CDs für den aus politischen Gründen in Philadelphia zum Tode verurteilten afroamerikanischen Journalisten Mumia Abu-Jamal. Im Gegensatz zu vergleichbaren Projekten in Deutschland lassen sich aber auch erotische Fotobände aus der Fetisch-Szene oder psychedelische Erfahrungsberichte finden. ”Alle Mitarbeiter des Buchladens verzichten auf einen Lohn, die Gewinne fließen an linke Projekten” erzählt mir Monica und fügt mit einem leicht zweifelnden und gleichzeitig hoffnungsvollen Lächeln hinzu: ”Vielleicht reicht es sogar irgend-wann einmal für den Aufbau eines Zentrums.”
Im Golden Gate Park finde ich dann doch noch den Geist der Hippie-Bewegung, der sich im Grund jedoch losgelöst von der Kultur der späten Sechziger als eine Art ”Open Spirit” bezeichnen lässt, welcher sich durch so viele gegenkul-turellen Bewegungen zieht. An einem kleinem Hügel hat sich eine Gruppe von TrommlerInnen zusammengefunden, unterstützt von einem Klarinettisten und einem Trompeter. Eine offene Session, der sich jede und jeder anschließen kann, unabhängig von Alter, Hautfarbe und Herkunft. Und so ist es ein ständiges kommen und gehen, meist sind es rund fünfzehn TrommlerInnen, die improvisierend miteinander spielen, dabei gleichberechtigt aufeinander eingehen und so den Traum einer gemeinschaftlichen Gesellschaft auf dieser Ebene für einige Stunden zur Wirklichkeit ma-chen.
Während ich auf der Wiese liege, ziehen einige Seifenblasen an mir vorbei, der Geruch von Räucherstäbchen und Grass liegt in der Luft. Ein Skateborder hat sich in die Mitte der TrommlerInnen gelegt, um sich völlig vom Sound umhüllen zu lassen, während einige junge, etwas klischeehaft hippieartig gekleidete Frauen ausgelassen tanzen. Es macht den Flair von San Francisco mit aus, dass sich auch fünfzig- und sechzigjährige ganz selbstverständlich der Musik hingeben, ohne mit einem Kopfschütteln bedacht zu werden. Gleich neben mir breitet eine Familie ein Picknick aus, daneben spielen einige Freaks Frisbee, andere jonglieren oder genießen einfach den warmen Nachmittag.
Doch auch an diesem idyllischen Sonnentag in Haight-Ashbury wird am Straßenrand die Kehrseite des vermeintlichen Traumlandes Amerika mit seinen unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten deutlich. Da streicht eine verwirrte ältere Frau ununter-brochen über eine Barbie-Puppe und spricht von deren Schönheit. Gleich daneben bitten die beiden Punx auf einem handgeschriebenen Schild mit etwas Selbstironie um Spenden für ihre Alkohol-Studien. Nicht minder bezeichnend ist der Alt-Hippie, der unverständliches Zeug vor sich hin murmelt, während er eine Mülltonne nach etwas Essbaren durchwühlt.
GOA IN SAN FRANCISCO
Im SoMa-District San Franciscos, einem ansatzweise alternativen, im Gesamteindruck aber eher heruntergekomme-nen Stadtteil, befindet sich in einem Warehouse das Consortium of Collective Consciousness (CCC). Getragen von einer Grundhaltung, die Spiritualität und Party miteinander verbindet, verkörpert es wie kaum ein anderer Ort als Kul-tur- bzw. Wohnzentrum die Goa-Szene. ”Es begann vor einigen Jahren als wir völlig verändert von den Trance-Partys in indischen Goa zurückkamen. Wir versuchten die psychedelischen Energien dieser Erlebnisse aufzugreifen und weiter zu tragen. Wir kamen zusammen, mieteten ein altes Warehouse und organisierten die ersten Partys. Im Mai ’95 nahm dann der legendäre DJ Goa Gil unsere Spirits mit auf eine Reise, auf der wir uns bis zum heutigen Tag befinden.” erzählt Santosh, einer der Gründer des CCC.
Zur Zeit wohnen acht Leute im CCC, zumeist in schön gestalteten, aber äußerst kleinen, fensterlosen Zimmern, die kaum mehr beinhalten als ein Bett und einige Kisten. Treffpunkt ist die gemeinschaftlich genutzte Küche, das Herz des Zentrums bildet eine Halle, die als Partyraum genutzt wird. Auf dem mit Tüchern abgehängten Dach eines kleinen DJ-Raumes innerhalb der Halle wohnt Aaron, dessen persönlicher Besitz aus nicht viel mehr als einem Schlafsack, einigen Kleidungsstücken und einem Laptop besteht, auf dem er unablässig neue Stücke kreiert. ”We are so much into music, nothing else matters” führt er in einer selbstverständlichen Beiläufigkeit aus. Entsprechend läuft im Grunde rund um die Uhr im ganzen Haus Psychedelic-Trance in allen Variationen. Einige Hausbewohner sind am Mixen, in einem anderen studioartigen Zimmer, das ebenfalls gleichzeitig als Schlafraum genutzt wird, entsteht am Computer ein neuer Track und in der Küche läuft eine Promo-CD.
Das ganze Zentrum ist im Innern farbenfroh gestaltet. Überall hängen großteils selbstgemalte, großformatige Gemäl-de. Neben psychedelischen und fantasyartigen Motiven sind es vor allem spirituelle indische Motive. Da lächelt von einem Poster Krishna, an einem altarartigen Platz befindet sich eine kitschig mit blumigen Schmetterlingen behängte Buddha-Statur und Shiva ist neben zig anderen hinduistischen Gottheiten allgegenwärtig. Tatsächlich scheint sich jedoch fernab der Klischees vom spirituellen Indien kaum jemand für die religiösen Hintergründe zu interessieren.
In einer Diskussion mit einigen BewohnerInnen des CCC geht es um die Bedeutung organisierter Religion, um die Strukturen der Kirchen und anderer religiöser Organisationen, die, so die die durchgängige Überzeugung, den Zugang zur eigentlichen Persönlichkeit, deren Energien und Potentialen verhindern. Der Veränderungsweg den Santosh auf-zeigt, beginnt bei der einzelnen Person, beim individuell ausgeprägten ”inneren Frieden”, gefolgt vom Frieden in der Familie und in der Gemeinschaft, um dann irgendwann bei der Gesellschaft und anschließend beim Weltfrieden an-zugelangen. Es ist der vielbeschworene Weg der ”inneren Evolution”, der jedoch im Hier und Jetzt oftmals gegenüber den bestehenden umgebenden gesellschaftlichen Missständen die Augen verschließt. Bevor wir ausführlicher diesen Punkt diskutieren können, geht es schon wieder voller Selbstüberzeugung um die CCC-Party auf dem legendären Burning-Man-Festival, die dort alle anderen Events in den Schatten stellen soll. Ein charakteristischer Ablauf, denn im Grunde drehen sich alle Gespräche unabhängig von der anfänglichen Thematik nach kurzer Zeit im wesentlichen um drei Themen, um Musik bzw. Partys, um Drogen und um Spirituelles, wobei im Zentrum der Ausführungen fast immer das eigene Ich und die eigenen Leistungen stehen.
Letztlich ist das CCC ein Paradebeispiel für das sinnbildliche Verständnis der ”Dance-Community” als eine isolierte Insel, wobei ignoriert wird, dass jede Insel von einem Meer umgeben wird. Wie stark jedoch auch das CCC von den äußeren Einflüssen geprägt wird, unterstreicht nachdrücklich die extreme Erhöhung der Miete, die inzwischen vom CCC nicht mehr getragen werden kann. Im Zuge der Entwicklungen um die dot.com-Industrie drängen immer mehr Internet-Firmen in den als Künstlerviertel bekannten Stadtteil. Zwangsläufig steigen die Mieten, die ursprünglich an-sässige Bevölkerung wird so vertrieben und der Stadtteil im Verlauf weniger Jahre komplett umstrukturiert. So steht trotz aller spirituellen Symbole der Auszug des CCC in absehbarer Zeit bevor und ein erschwingliches Ersatzgebäude ist noch nicht in Sicht.
AUF DER STRASSE
Als ich durch den Mission-District ziehe, zeigt sich schnell ein Gesicht San Franciscos, das in keinem Reiseführer zu finden ist. Große Teile der Stadt sind von schmucklosen Häusern, Lagerhallen und grauen Bürobauten bestimmt. Auffallend ist insbesondere die hohe Zahl der Homeless People, der Obdachlosen, die ihren verbliebenen Besitz in Einkaufswagen durch die Straßen schieben. Einige wenige leben in Zelten, die meisten in selbstgebauten Unterkünf-ten aus Pappkisten, Blech und Stoffresten oder sie schlafen direkt auf dem Bürgersteig, umgeben von Autolärm und Abgasen. Vor vielen Geschäften befinden sich Schilder mit der Aufschrift ”No Trespassing” (”Verweilen verboten”), die sich speziell an Obdachlose richten. Teilweise sind sogar die Mülltonnen mit Gittern verriegelt um ein Durchwühlen zu verhindern. Dennoch sieht man an fast jeder Straßenecke Menschen, die den Müll der Wohlstandsgesellschaft auf der Suche nach etwas Essenbaren durchwühlen. Ein Bild, das längst einen selbstverständlichen Teil des Alltags US-amerikanischer Großstädte bildet.
Direkt an der Market-Street, einer der zentralen Straßen San Franciscos, verteilen ehrenamtliche Mitglieder von Food Not Bombs an Bedürftige kostenlos vegetarische Nahrungsmittel und Getränke, die von Großküchen und einigen Geschäften aus Restbeständen zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Der Platz und die Uhrzeit sind bekannt und schon bald bildet sich eine lange Schlange. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen karitativen Organisationen in Deutschland stellt Food not Bombs die Aktivitäten ausdrücklich in einen gesamtgesellschaftlichen Zusammenhang: Zielsetzung ist nicht nur die Minderung von Elend und Not, sondern auch das Aufzeigen der eigentlichen, systembedingten Ursachen. So verurteilt Food not Bombs auch immer wieder scharf die polizeiliche Willkür gegenüber Obdachlosen. Entsprechend angespannt ist das Verhältnis gegenüber staatlichen Stellen. In San Francisco wurden Food-not-Bombs-AktivistInnen mehrfach inhaftiert, weil gegen das Vorgehen spezieller Anti-Homeless-Einheiten der Polizei eintraten. In einigen anderen Städten wurde den lokalen Gruppen das Verteilen von Nahrungsmitteln untersagt.
Viele der Homeless People leiden unter psychischen Problemen, die nicht nur in ihrem elenden Dasein auf der Straße wurzeln. In den späten sechziger Jahren wurden unter der Regierung des damaligen kalifornischen Gouverneurs Roland Reagan die staatlichen psychiatrischen Einrichtungen aufgelöst. Offiziell sollten die Betroffenen in die Gesell-schaft reintegriert werden und dabei von sozialen Projekten in Wohnortnähe begleitet werden, die jedoch in der Regel völlig überfordert waren. Tatsächlich sollte die Auflösung der Psychiatrien den Staatshaushalt entlasten und die Hip-pie-Bewegung durch die Konfrontation mit psychisch kranken Menschen schwächen, die gezielt die Nähe zur ver-gleichsweise toleranten Flower-Power-Kultur suchten.
Neben einer Bushaltestelle liegt ein Obdachloser auf einer Decke direkt auf dem Bürgersteig. Er starrt vor sich hin, scheint sich nicht um die Menschenmassen zu kümmern, die an ihm vorbei ziehen. Seit zwölf, fünfzehn Jahren lebt er nun auf der Straße, erzählt er mir. Seit wann genau, daran kann er sich nicht mehr erinnern. Zuerst hat er die Arbeit, dann die Wohnung verloren, danach gab es kein zurück mehr. Ob er noch Hoffnung habe, frage ich ihn. Seine Ant-wort lautet schlicht ”Hope for what?”.
PARTY, KULTUR UND WIDERSTAND
Im SoMa-Café treffe ich mich mit Christopher Anderson, dem Regisseur von ”An Act of Sabotage”. Ein beeindrucken-der halb-dokumentarischer Spielfilm, der auf seine ganz eigene Weise um die Pole Musik und Gemeinschaft, Liebe und Militanz, Bewusstsein und Widerstand kreist. Nach der Aufführung auf verschiedenen Festivals hat der Film trotz seiner subversiven Message sogar seinen Weg in das Spätprogramm des ZDF gefunden. Christophers Gedanken beschäftigen sich an diesem Nachmittag mit der ”geistigen Vergiftung der Menschen durch die Medien” und ”die be-rechnende Ignoranz der herrschenden PolitikerInnen”. Vor diesem Hintergrund bezieht er sich aber auch auf den Widerstand gegen die bestehenden Machtstrukturen und die Gesetzmäßigkeiten mit der sich Menschen gegen Unter-drückung und Ausbeutung wehren. Sei es nun bei einem Einbruch eines Obdachlosen in einen Supermarkt oder im Rahmen des Widerstands gegen die Globalisierung in Seatle.
Später sprechen wir über sein Selbstverständnis als Filmemacher und über die Idee des Cybertribes, der überliefertes Wissen mit den Entwicklungen der Gegenwart verknüpft. ”Mich beeindruckt das verbindende Verständnis von Kreati-vität, Schamanismus und Widerstand. Es sind Elemente die in diesem System des Konsums gezielt verdrängt wer-den. Konsum von Produkten, von Drogen und TV als Flucht aus einer Welt, in der sich die Menschen verkaufen müs-sen. Es geht in unseren Filmen um direkte Aktionen. Der Akt des Filmemachens als wirkliche Erfahrung und nicht als sorgfältig inszenierte Lüge. Wir versuchen Veränderungen anzuregen indem wir wichtige Themen zur Diskussion bringen, um dann zur Aktion überzugehen und diese in unsere Filme integrieren. Selbstverständlich bedeutet dies, dass man sich manchmal außerhalb der normalen Parameter bewegen muss.”
Von einem ähnlichen Kultur- bzw. Kunstverständnis geht das Projekt ’Art and Revolution’ aus, das seit 1996 mit un-terschiedlichen fortschrittlichen Organisationen zusammenarbeitet. Bekannt wurde ’Art and Revolution’ insbesondere durch die riesigen symbolträchtigen Puppen, die von ihren Mitgliedern auf Demonstrationen getragen werden und diesen dadurch ein besondere visuelle Ausdruckskraft geben. ”Wir glauben, dass politische Arbeit ohne kreative Visi-onen in eine Sackgasse führt, genauso wie Kunst ohne politische oder soziale Bedeutung keine wirkliche Perspektive eröffnet.” erläutert eine der Aktivistinnen. ”Wir sind ein Kollektiv, das in seinen Projekten kreative kulturelle Ausdrucks-formen mit dem Kampf um soziale Gerechtigkeit verbindet. Wir bringen phantasievoll Musik, Poesie und Kunst auf die Straßen, um auf die kritischen Themen unserer Zeit aufmerksam zu machen. Wir nutzen Kunst als Werkzeug zur Unterstützung von Graswurzelinitiativen, wie auch zur Entwicklung neuer Formen des Widerstands und der Kommu-nikation.”
Die Idee der ”Reclaim the Streets”-Events entstand in den neunziger Jahren. Ausgangspunkt war das Bestreben Poli-tik und Party zusammenzubringen, nicht zuletzt um auf diesem Wege festgefahrene und kopflastige Strukturen inner-halb der linken Bewegungen aufzubrechen. Politische Demonstrationen sollen in diesem Sinne nicht nur trockene Manifestationen bestimmter Haltungen sein, sondern auch lustvolle Feste eines anderen Lebensgefühls und einer anderen Kultur. Entsprechend werden Sound-Systems und Live-Musik in die Demos integriert, während die Teilneh-merInnen nicht länger nur Parolen skandierend eine bestimmte Strecke ablaufen. Vielmehr tanzen sie nun in den Straßen, die sie für sich zurückfordern. Mit einem gewissen Augenzwinkern beziehen sich die TeilnehmerInnen dabei bis heute auf die Anarchistin Emma Goldmann, die in den zwanziger Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts einmal sinnge-mäß verkündet haben soll: ”Wenn ich nicht tanzen kann, dann ist es nicht meine Revolution.”
Monica und Tomcat gehören zu den Reclaim-The-Streets-AktivistInnen in San Francisco, die bewusst am 1. Mai eine Party-Demo veranstalten. Bemerkenswert ist dabei die Verbindung der Walpurgisnacht-Feiern der ursprünglichen Kultur der Hexen mit dem revolutionären Verständnis des 1. Mai. ”Die Idee des 1. Mai geht lange zurück. Ursprünglich war es ein erdverbundenes sexy Fest, das der Fruchtbarkeit der Erde, unserem eigenen Leben und einer erträgnisrei-chen Ernte gewidmet war. Kirche, Staat und Patriarchat ächteten dieses Fest, aber die unbeherrschbare Natur des 1. Mai ließ sich nicht unterdrücken. Er wurde als Kampftag der ArbeiterInnen wiedergeboren, auch wenn die heutigen ArbeiterInnen keine Ernte mehr für die Gemeinschaft einbringen, sondern nur noch für die Reichen arbeiten.”
Als DJ legt Tomcat meist progressiven Techno auf, wobei er jedoch gegenüber ”Peace, Love and Unity” als den so oft beschworenen Werten der Techno- und Trance-Szene eine eher kritische Position einnimmt. ”Diese Worte sind Flos-keln, die jeder unterschreiben kann. Natürlich ist jeder für Frieden, aber was heißt das schon? Ist es Frieden, wenn Menschen in den Straßen ohne Essen dahinvegetieren müssen und zigtausende in den Gefängnissen sitzen? Alle Kriegsherren proklamierten den Frieden.” Monica fügt hinzu: ”Wir gehen am 1. Mai auf die Straße, um an die Kämpfe für einen wahren Frieden und an die Kämpfe für die Rechte der ArbeiterInnen zu erinnern. Wir veranstalten Partys, um die rebellische Kraft vergangener Zeiten in den heutigen Widerstand zu übertragen, um das Feuer weiter brennen zu lassen für die Erde, für die Menschen, für unsere Zukunft.”
Wolfgang Sterneck (Text und Fotos 2001)
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This Mallard won't migrate but die early because of Angel Wing.
For many, feeding birds at ponds and parks is a cherished childhood memory; one they lovingly recreate for their children and grandchildren. Tragically, thousands of birds die annually due to a condition overwhelmingly caused by people who don’t know this beloved activity can be deadly.
What is Angel Wing?
“Angel wing” is a deformity commonly found in ducks, geese, swans, and other waterfowl. There has been little scientific study done on the condition, yet most wildlife and waterfowl experts agree the overwhelming cause of angel wing is an unhealthily-high protein and/or carbohydrate-based diet. The disorder causes the last joint in one or both wings to unnaturally twist outward, rather than lying flat against the bird’s body.
Birds with angel wing are stripped of their ability to fly and therefore their main method of defense. Since the affected birds are unable to escape predators, they are often maimed or killed by them. Additionally, when life-threatening weather conditions develop, they are unable to fly away to safety, and instead starve, succumbing to injuries or freeze to death.
How Do Birds Contract Angel Wing?
The birds most likely to contract angel wing are those residing in parks, on ponds, and in public areas where people feed them unhealthy food. As they grow, young birds subsisting on bread and other inappropriate food sources can develop issues preventing their bones from forming normally, resulting in angel wing.
Angel Wing can occur naturally as well. The theorized causes of angel wing are genetics, the excessive intake of carbohydrates and proteins, together with insufficient intake of vitamin low dietary calcium and manganese deficiency but when you find them in the parks and public places it is most likely caused by human food.
How Is Angel Wing Treated?
Cape Wildlife Center, a Barnstable, Mass.-based wildlife rehabilitation center operated by The Fund for Animals, an affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, treats about 2,000 animals per year, including a significant number of geese, swans, and ducks suffering from angel wing. The highest incidence of admission is late fall or winter when affected birds have grown enough for the condition to be fully and painfully apparent.
If the patients treated are very young, the condition can sometimes be minimized by splinting and repositioning the affected wing while feeding them a proper diet for optimal growth. Even then, a full recovery is not guaranteed. For rehabilitators, it can be emotionally taxing to see birds denied the chance for a full and productive life because people didn’t know about the dangers of improperly feeding them.
For adult birds, the condition is almost always a death sentence: They are struck by cars, killed by predators, or die from nutritional deficiencies or weather extremes. Even birds who are rescued and brought to a rehabilitation center will surely die if set free. They must be placed with a sanctuary for the remainder of their life, and there are not enough sanctuaries to meet demand.
How Can I Help?
Angel wing can be drastically reduced by not feeding birds “people food,” including bread, popcorn, or crackers. This simple rule will literally save lives.
This doesn’t mean the enjoyable and bonding activity of feeding birds must be eliminated – you just have to identify areas where feeding waterfowl is supported, and offer the birds the right food to sustain their health.
Nutritious waterfowl feed or duck pellets are inexpensive, easy to carry, and can be purchased at most feed stores. Seedless grapes cut in half, shredded kale, Swiss chard or romaine lettuce, and grains, including wheat, barley and oats, are all healthy food sources that will appeal to most waterfowl. Make sure anything you feed is bite-sized to avoid choking hazards.
Feeding wild birds a proper diet preserves a treasured family tradition while teaching children the importance of making choices that strengthen, rather than undercut, the human-animal bond. In this way, we will rear generations of people recognizing the necessity for responsible stewardship and celebrate the value of compassionate co-existence with wildlife.
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