Dear friends, My name is Megan Gregory. I am a grad student at Cornell and one of the organizers, along with other New World Agriculture and Ecology group members, of the "World Food Crisis Solutions" event to be held April 5 at First Presbyterian Church. I am also active on the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Committee at First Presbyterian.
I just wanted to clarify that the event on April 5 is intended to bring together ALL community members together who are concerned about ensuring that all people have access to sufficient, healthful food and that the land is improved for future generations. The event is not intended to be exclusive to the faith community, though I believe the faith community has an important perspective and passion to offer to the work at hand. However, I am also respectful that many people who hold strong environmental and humanitarian concerns may not espouse a particular religion/faith, and they have just as much to offer to this gathering. I sincerely hope that the event being held at First Presbyterian and sponsored by the JPIC Committee does not deter anyone from attending. That is why we wrote ALL ARE WELCOME on the poster in capital letters! Though perhaps each person frames his or her motivations for working toward environmental sustainability and social justice in a slightly different way, many of us share these passions and I think it is important to come together around what we have in common, without regard to small things that may separate us. The way I see it: if you care about the Earth and about your fellow human beings, then let us work together. The work is too urgent to allow anything to divide us, and our common values indicate that deep down we have common beliefs. I am happy to continue this dialogue, or a broader dialogue on the relationship between faith and environmental and social justice concerns, with anyone who would like to. I realize that the church in many cases does not have a great track record of living out the values that it should. Like any human institution, it is deeply imperfect, and I can understand and respect that some have distanced themselves. Yet some (like myself) find community in the church as well as passion for social transformation, and I hope that can be respected too. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me off the list-serv at [email protected]. Sincerely, Megan Gregory Evan Wray wrote: > Y'know, they're probably doing great work, but I can't support anything that > espouses the "Integrirty of Creation" attached to a church. As I write this, > maybe divorced from religion, the Integrity of Creation may be just fine and > dandy. However, I'm left wondering... > > > Evan > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gay > Nicholson > Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 6:49 PM > To: Sustainable Tompkins County listserv > Subject: [SustainableTompkins] details on April 5 food justice event at > First Presbyterian > > Please see the invitation below from New World Agriculture and Ecology Group > at Cornell, the GPSAFC, and First Presbyterian Church Committee on Justice, > Peace, and the Integrity of Creation. For more information please email > Megan Gregory at [email protected] or visit www.rso.cornell.edu/nwaeg/. > > As a volunteer with the Whole Community Project*, I'm especially promoting > this event because the WCP coordinator, Jemila Sequeira, and our colleague > Marie Parks, who is a leader in a Southside community gardening effort, are > on the panel. Then there is a "Networking for Collective Action Breakout > Discussion" with one topic being "Just and Sustainable Local Food Systems." > WCP helps support food justice and gardening initiatives and we're looking > forward to that discussion. > > *WCP: every child in Tompkins County should have all the healthy food they > need and plenty of opportunities for fun, safe and active play. Contact > Jemila: [email protected] or 272 2292. > Sign up to our food justice email list and/or gardening list by emailing > [email protected] and/or > [email protected] with the word 'join' in > your email. > > See you there! Christine > > -------------------------- > *World Food Crisis Solutions: Get involved locally and globally * > Rising food prices have increased hunger here in Tompkins County and around > the world. Join us to promote community food security and agricultural > policy changes that will alleviate hunger and preserve the environment. > > Sunday, April 5th > 2 – 5 pm > First Presbyterian Church > 315 N. Cayuga St. > ALL ARE WELCOME > > Activities will include: > -Panel Discussion: Sustainable agriculture and food justice practitioners & > activists > - Action Planning: Building sustainable local food systems, National > legislative advocacy, and International development programs and social > movements > - Letter Writing Workshop: Targeting important legislation and key > representatives > > Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the New World Agriculture and > Ecology Group at Cornell, the GPSAFC, First Presbyterian Church Committee > on Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation. For a detailed schedule of > activities or questions, please email Megan at [email protected] and visit > www.rso.cornell.edu/nwaeg/ > -- Megan M. Gregory Graduate Research Assistant, The Agroecology Lab Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 [email protected] cell: (847)287-7794 office: (607)255-3918 _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
