fnb logoOne of the most appreciated happenings at the 2007 Peace convergence was the presence of the Food Not Bombs collective. After a long, cold, wet day protesting, the food van would turn up with hot soup and salad for everyone! Many participants at the PC asked us about FNB, so we wrote this for you.

What is FNB?: Food Not Bombs 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. 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. 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. 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.

At the PC volunteers were drawn from the many activists attending the actions. The FNB ktichen provided a safe, nonarrestable and useful action that people could participate in, but ironically the kitchen also became the hotbed of discussion about what actions people would like to get into. By the end of the week we were flying the black flag and some of the FNB organised their own radical lock-on action involving a US troop carrier!

Some of the other actions we supported and were intergral to included:

  • Support kitchen for candelight vigil at Rockhampton Barracks. This was the night that activists first entered the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area. A Peace Vigil was held outside the Rockhampton Barracks, which included the ‘Shoe Display’ were one piar of shoes was laid out for every … people killed in the Iraqi war. Food Not Bombs supported by providing a Roadside Kitchen.
  • Support kitchen for Indigenous Elders and local homeless people in Rockhampton. This action was a welcome ceremony conducted by local Durrumbal elders to welcome indigenous representatives from Hawaii and Guam. It was held on the river banks of the Fitzroy river in the middle of Rockhampton. Food Not Bombs provided a support kitchen and ceremonial tea.
  • Byfield Gates Action. Early Friday morning a community meeting was held in the local Byfield community centre hall. It’s linked activists from around Australia with local residents. As a result a mass convergence on the Byfield Gate was called. During that action a number of people were arrested for entering the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area (SWBTA), including a participant in Food Not Bombs. Food Not Bombs participated by providing a Roadside Kitchen.
  • Green Gate Action. A mass blockade of the ‘Green Gate’ was called. The police created a roadblock 12 km from the gate. Activists went through this blockade, reached the ‘Green Gate’ and entered the SWBTA en masse. They were removed and escorted back to the police roadblock. Food Not Bombs provided a Roadside Kitchen for this action.

For context, the ‘Green Gate’ is about 120km from Food Not Bombs base kitchen in Yeppoon. It was also raining, cold and isolated. Cooking started early and the stews had to be driven to the site. Besides these extra activities, Food Not Bombs was able to provide a permanent camp kitchen for about 200 people.

We served breakfast, lunch and dinner for almost every day of the Peace Convergence. This took a lot of work, organising and bin diving. The kitchen only functioned because of the amazing amount of support all the Peace Convergence participants gave it. This included donations of food, money and energy. A number of amazing cooks were able to create healthy, filling and delicious meals, on a gas stove, in the rain, with whatever food was on hand. It would have been fun to see if Jamie Oliver could have pulled it off!

Maybe we should challenge him for the next PC!.

The Food Not Bombs kitchen also provided an information and social space for the camp. We had a chalk board with information about daily activities, a table with pamphlets and participants were able to initiate a number of other direct actions through the socialising around the kitchen.

THANKS to the hundreds of people who contributed to the PC camp kitchen by donating food, money, time, work, dishwashing, driving, organising, sloshing out the kitchen tarps, recipes, bin scouting etc. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! :)

If YOU think Food Not Bombs is a good idea - why not start your own in your area?

because

- food is a RIGHT, not a PRIVILEGE!

- there is enough food for everyone to eat!

- scarcity is a lie!

- when we are hungry or homeless we have the RIGHT to get what we need by panning, or busking or squatting!

- Poverty is a form of VIOLENCE not necessary or natural

- Capitalism makes food a source of PROFIT not a source of NUTRITION!

- FOOD grows on TREES

- we need COMMUNITY not CONTROL!

- we need HOMES not JAILS!

- we need FOOD not BOMBS!