Difference between revisions of "Food Not Bombs"

Revision as of 15:54, 11 November 2007

FNB logo

Food Not Bombs (FNB) is an anarchist movement which serves free food often in public places in protest of militarism. The name of the movement comes from graffiti which read "money for food, not for bombs".

FNB is one of the fastest growing revolutionary movements and is gaining momentum throughout the world. There are hundreds of autonomous chapters sharing free vegetarian food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty. Food Not Bombs is not a charity. This energetic grassroots movement is active throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

FNB is organizing for peace and an end to the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. For over 25 years the movement has worked to end hunger and has supported actions to stop the globalization of the economy, restrictions to the movements of people, end exploitation and the destruction of the earth.

First Principles

Food Not Bombs is an effort to feed anyone who is hungry. Each chapter collects surplus food that would otherwise go to waste from grocery stores, bakeries and markets, sometimes incorporating dumpster diving, then prepares it into community meals which are served for free to anyone who is hungry. The central beliefs of the group are:

• If governments and corporations around the world spent as much time and energy on feeding people as they do on war, no one would go hungry.
• There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but so much of it goes to waste needlessly, as a direct result of capitalism and militarism.
• Vegan food is both healthy and nonviolent.

Food Not Bombs also tries to call attention to poverty and homelessness in society by sharing food in public places and facilitating gatherings of poor, homeless and other disenfranchised people. There are four tenets to the Food Not Bombs philosophy:

• Recycling of food
• Decision making by consensus
• Nonviolence
• Vegetarianism

Anyone who wants to cook may cook, and anyone who wants to eat may eat. Food Not Bombs strives to include everyone.

History

The first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Each independent group also serves free vegetarian meals at protests and other events. The San Francisco chapter has been arrested over 1,000 times in government's effort to silence its protest against the city's anti- homeless policies. Amnesty International states it will adopt those Food Not Bombs volunteers that are convicted as "Prisoners of Conscience" and will work for their unconditional release. Even though we are dedicated to nonviolence Food Not Bombs activists in the United States have been under investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Pentagon and other intelligence agencies. A number of Food Not Bombs volunteers have been arrested on terrorism charges but there has never been a conviction.

See also

There are organizations with similar names that have formed with a structure similar to that of Food Not Bombs:

• Homes Not Jails - A squatter organization.
• Bikes Not Bombs
• Food Not Lawns - A guerilla gardening group.

External links

• http://www.foodnotbombs.net - Website about Food Not Bombs