A month ago, the Charter for Compassion was launched around the globe to encourage compassionate action.
Read the charter, sign it and help change the world for the better. 

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Join 1,000 communities celebrating Terra Madre Day today, in one of the largest global occasions to promote sustainable food and ‘eating locally’. 

Terra Madre aims to educate people on the 7 pillars or rights: 

1. Access to good, clean and fair food
2. Agricultural and food biodiversity 
3. Small-scale food production
4. Food sovereignty
5. Language, culture and traditional knowledge
6. Environmentally responsible food production
7. Fair and sustainable trade

If you haven’t watched Food Inc. yet,  you should as it shows why it is more important than ever for people to eat locally and knowledgeably. Eating locally tastes better and it also improves the health of eaters, producers and our planet.

As well as the numerous events going on around the world, whether it be feasting on local vegetables or using local spices, the Slow Food association is also turning 20! 

Slow Food was founded in 1989 to promote the pleasures of the table and regional food cultures and to protect them from the homogenization of industrial food production. With gastronomy bound inextricably to agriculture, the environment and the health of communities, Slow Food has naturally broadened its focus over the years to actively support producers who demonstrate a small-scale, sustainable and local food production model.

Find out what is going on your community! If you can’t make an event, celebrate by eating locally. Thanks to Share Organics, I am enjoying some local roast potatoes and beets with Vancouver Island raised chickens and a glass of Muse wine.

What are you having?

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“Earth provides enough to satisfy 

everyman’s need,

but not every man’s greed”

Mahatma Gandhi

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You are what you eat. It may not seem like a scary statement, but you may want to rethink what you are eating after watching Robert Kenner and Michael Pollan’s film Food, Inc.

Released on DVD a week ago,  Food, Inc. is an eye-opening film about America’s industrialized food system. The movie highlights how the food industry is having a detrimental effect on our environment, health, economy and our  rights as workers. Take a look at the trailer:

Are you hungry for change now? I think that some people are already aware of the Food, Inc. message and of its importance, but now more than ever people should know . The Food, Inc. website has 10 tips to change the food system. I think that purchasing and eating locally grown organic food is the key to change. Once you eat food that is tastier, nutrient rich and healthier, the craving for processed and lesser-grade foods disappear and then real change can happen.

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“Don’t wait for the Last Judgment.
                          It happens every day.”

Albert Camus

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Watch “How I harnessed the wind”, William Kamkwamba’s truly inspiring tale of how he used his imagination and perseverance to overcome adversity, improve his life and the lives of people around him. He didn’t care if people thought he was crazy, he had a truly inspiring idea.

If you liked William’s TED talk, be sure to go to your local independent bookstore and buy a copy of his book.

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“Open your arms to change,
but don’t let go of your values“

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

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This afternoon, I was fortunate to be at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, where the Tibetan Monks, who are at the gallery creating a sand mandala, performed the fire puja, a purification ceremony. A fire puja is a Buddhist ritual that purifies the environment, bestows blessings on the participants, and promotes world peace and harmony. In Tibetan it is commonly called (JEN-SEK). It is a ritual of offering different foods substances to Gods by burning it in the fire. There are 13 different kinds of substances that are required for the fire puja and each substance has its own unique powers. I am not sure if all of them were used, although the smoke from the fire did have a pleasant aroma, which could have come from clarified butter or rice. At the end of the puja, the crowd was offered barley powder to scatter. Using barley signifies  fulfilling one’s wishes rapidly. quickly.

You can still visit the monks creating the sand mandala until October 25th, and then it will be on display until December 5th when the mandala will be destroyed in the closing ceremony.

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Today is the 140th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in Porbandar,Gujurat State on October 2, 1869. Gandhi is perhaps the best known karma yogi. People in India and around the world are celebrating his memory and lessons on non-violence, truth and love. Gandhi’s birthday is also celebrated as International Non-violence Day. I interpret  Gandhi’s message to mean non-violence in thought, word and deed. I used to believe that non-violence was a non-issue for me personally because I don’t commit violent actions. It’s true, I don’t go around hitting people or throwing things, however I have caught my thoughts being less than compassionate and my words full of judgement rather than love. The attached photo is of a painting that is hung in the lobby of a building I lived in for a year. I found it comforting and inspiring to walk by this pop image of Gandhi as I set out to work each day and be reminded of his example. Hopefully Gandhi’s image and words below will help you too. 

“I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life.” Mahatma Gandhi

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