“Whilst there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields” – Tolstoy

Vegan for a Peaceful World

Veganism is a lifestyle promoting peaceful living because it is interconnected with so many important ethical issues. These span animal rights, human rights and environmentalism. In the words of a wonderful farmed animal sanctuary: ‘If we could lead happy and healthy lives without harming others, then why wouldn’t we?

Concern for Animals

More than 70 billion farmed animals are reared annually worldwide. More than 6 million animals are killed for food every hour, in ways that would horrify any compassionate person. Other animals are sentient beings like us, with their own needs, desires and interests. We now know that like us, they can experience a wide range of sensations and emotions such as happiness, pain, pleasure, fear, hunger, sadness, boredom, frustration or contentment. They are aware of the world and what happens to them matters to them. Their lives have intrinsic value – they are not inferior beings nor just here as resources or tools for human use.

Vegetarians and vegans will save anywhere from 100 – 400 animal lives each year.

Concern for People

“The fact is that there is enough food in the world for everyone. But tragically, much of the world’s food and land resources are tied up in producing beef and other livestock – food for the well off – while millions of children and adults suffer from
malnutrition and starvation”.  (Dr W Bello, Director of the Institute for Food and Development Policy)

We are currently growing enough food to feed 10 billion people but worldwide more than 40% of grain is fed to livestock. 82% of starving children live in countries where food is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by western countries. On a  plant-based diet no one has to go hungry.

Concern For The Planet

Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land and 20 lbs CO2 equivalent. To produce one pound of animal protein vs. one pound of soy protein, it takes about 12 times as much land, 13 times as much fossil fuel and 15 times as much water.

For more info on all of these issues see: vegansociety.com / viva.org.uk / vegankit.com

vegan for a peaceful world flier

PDF of Flier: Vegan for a Peaceful World

PDF of Vegan for a Peaceful World Flier

 


 

From our archives:

February 15, 2003, anti-war protests – Wikipedia

On February 15, 2003, there was a coordinated day of protests across the world in which ….. Demonstration[edit]. The British Stop the War Coalition (StWC) claimed the protest in London was the largest political demonstration in the city’s history.

Nottingham Info : Elsewhere : Nowhere

www.iraqbodycount.org www.iraqbodycount.org
www.iraqbodycount.org

We’ve been civil; It’s time to get disobedient!

See See http://uk.indymedia.org for independent info on actions in the uk.


  • Join protests and direct actions to stop war.
  • The conflict in Iraq has been presented in the media as a purely human catastrophe. Other animals have been largely ignored. There is no reason to remain silent in the face of the interlinked abuses of all animals – including humans. Until we get rid of cruelty – all cruelty – we will never end animal abuse. We need to stop being abusers, full stop – not just pick and choose our victims. If the world was vegan and we still waged wars we would not have won our cause. The risk we run is that our circle of cruelty rather than compassion will continue to spread and destroy the world that all creatures inhabit.
  • Disclaimer: Please don’t do anything to stop the indiscriminate killing of men, women, children and animals unless it is specifically authorised by unanimous agreement of the international community.

No War For Oil

Action Against the Oil Trade

  • Farming animals for food wastes a lot of energy. Animals are food and energy factories in reverse – most of the nutritional and energy value of what they eat is used by their bodily functions. It takes about 10kg of prime vegetable protein to produce 1kg of meat protein. Oil-based fertilisers are needed to produce crops fed to intensively reared animals. By burning fossel fuel for unnecessary industrialisation world-wide, the human race is causing a change in climate which, if unchecked, will make life on this planet unsustainable.
  • To get a picture of the scale of the oil trade in Nottingham, you should visit the Colwick Oil Depot photo /map here.

Prevent water wars

  • Not satisfied with overconsumption of the world’s oil supplies, the affluent west exports its wasteful practices to hungry countries. Factory farming systems are being promoted in hot, dry areas, competing with people for limited water supplies. 200 – 250 gallons of water are required to produce a pound of rice, but between 2,500 to 6,000 gallons are used to produce a pound of meat. Future conflicts are predicted for control of water supplies, whilst inappropriate mega-dam projects benefit western construction companies, whilst displacing local peoples.

Info from Movement for Compassionate Living – see www.MCLveganway.org.uk


Food Not Bombs

Rice For Peace Food Not Bombs Help Blair get the message: “Send rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them”.

Send contributions of rice to Tony Blair, 10 Downing St, London SW1A 1AA.

Tell Blair & Bush that their terrorism will only make more enemies.<clear=”left”><clear=”right”

 

Why ‘Food Not Bombs’
 


Anti-War Action supported by Veggies & Sumac Centre

On 15th February 2013, Veggies Crew rose to the challenge of feeding 1000 of those travelling to London from Nottingham. Food was co-ordinated for 20 (out of 24) coaches departing from 4 different locations, including 3 from Hyson Green / Forest Fields, which left from the Sumac Centre.

This was probably our biggest ant-war catering operation since the heady days of the 1980’s when we catered on Nottingham CND’s TRAIN to London. During that same period, we also catered in 6 inches of February snow at Molesworth and at the ‘Reclaim Chilwell’ direct action (events which were co-ordinated out of offices at the Rainbow Centre, the former home of Veggies).

Demo report from Squall website (and much other stop the war news)..


Nottm 8th March - by Tash

An amazing feat of indy photo journalism has been put together by Nottingham based photogapher, Tash. To check out his galleries and slide shows from London, Feb 15th and Nottingham, March 8th [click here].


Saturday 8th March : Despite the wet & windy weather Veggies turn out as Nottingham Marches Against War in probably the biggest protest seen in Nottingham since the days of the Miners Strike.

Read the report from Nottingham Evening Post website

Saturday 15th March : Chetwynd Barracks

Chetwynd Barracks, at Chilwell, near Nottingham, is the national mobilisation centre for the TA & reservists. It is where they are being trained, equipped and receiving medical treatment and innoculations prior to being sent to the Gulf.

It has been the focus of several local actions, including the regional/national action on the 15th March at the Toton Main Gate, Swiney Way, Toton, (with catering by Veggies)

This multimap view includes a photo of the base and a route planner, centred on the Toton Gate. You can zoom out to see more of the surrounding roads. There is another main gate on Chetwynd Road on the Chilwell side of the base.

For future reference: Chetwynd buses: 33/33a/c run from Victoria Centre, via Angel Row & thru Beeston Station, which is adjacent to Beeston Square; 5b from Broadmarsh, via Friar Lane off Market Square, thru to Chilwell Depot Corner. Both services run roughly on the hour & every half hour during the day including saturday.

 

Saturday 22nd March : Foil The Base

Peaceful, Creative Direct Action Against Menwith Hill, the largest US spybase in the world; operating as US sovereign terrortory (sic) and playing a crucial role in the war on Iraq and a key element in the expansion of the ‘Star Wars’ project.

Indirect Report received by email:

Monsters picture by Chris Croome “I met some of the Nottingham contingent to Menwith Hill after I got back from London, and heard of a good turn out numbering more than 1000. There was some fence damage and digging under. Police response was fairly hands-off but there was still 6 arrests, according to those present, including one from Nottingham.” (nb after staying over in Manchester, he arrived back the next day).

For more info see www.now-peace.org.uk and Yorkshire CND . Photo of the base and a route planner.


Friday 4 July 2003 : The Gatecrasher’s Ball at Menwith Hill

INDEPENDENCE FROM AMERICA DAYFrom report from Yorkshire CND

About 400 people came from all over the country – north, south, east and west to the Gatecrasher’s Ball at the American base at Menwith Hill calling for Independence FROM America. It was a very good day. The weather was kind – blue skies and sunshine. People rose to the occasion and came dressed in wonderful costumes including beautiful, imaginative ball gowns and masks (some men included!) and top hats and tails.

There was a wonderful line up of artists – musicians and poets which was hosted by Mark Thomas who also spoke in his unique way – a combination of humour and political satire. Food was provided by Veggies.


Veggies Catering Campaign gives regular support for peaceful, creative direct action against Menwith Hill, nr Harrogate, the largest US spybase in the world; which played a crucial role in the war on Iraq. After the ‘Foil the Base’ event in March, ‘Independence from America’ on July 4th and ‘Don’t Take the Peace Out of Space’ in October, we look forward to travelling to the beautiful Yorkshire Moors again in 2004.
To join us, contact Veggies at the Sumac Centre.

Grass Roots Anti-War Gathering

A national weekend gathering is to be hosted by the Sumac Centre in March 2004, with Justice Not Vengeance and ARROW (Active Resistance to the Roots of War), for activists to discuss, debate, and share skills, experiences and ideas.

Samosa for Social Change

 

Through this new and simple initiative, Veggies Catering Campaign raises regular funding for local campaigns for global justice, including donations to Nottingham Friends of the Iraqi People.
For more info on these and other events see our diary at www.veggies.org/diary.htm


Other local links in the War Machine

RAF Cottesmore is a key component of Joint Force Harrier, and is currently home to three squadrons of Harrier GR7 aircraft. A significant element of the Harrier force is now in the Gulf.

For more information see www.raf-cott.demon.co.uk and Reclaim the Bases

RAF Cottesmore is less than 40 miles from Nottingham, in nearby Rutland.
For those interested in visiting here is a map and aerial photo of the village and base.


Make Tea Not War

For more info on these and other events see our diary at www.veggies.org.uk/diary.htm
Nottingham Stop The War Coalition

Many more anti war links at www.guardian.co.uk antiwar subsection

3218 peace groups in 162 countries linked from www.notwar.net


War Kills Animals Too

  • Animals are the forgotten victims of war. They are never reported or even mentioned in the casualty figures, despite the fact that the numbers killed must far outweigh the human dead. War is not only an assault on people, it is an assault on the whole of nature, on the fragile ecosystems that all living beings require for their survival.
  • Moreover, even before wars are fought, animals are the victims of weapons’ research. In places like the top-secret Ministry of Defence laboratory in Wiltshire, Porton Down, animals are routinely used in experiments to develop more lethal and efficient weapons of mass destruction.
  • And in the event of a US-led attack on Iraq the US army plans to ride chickens into battle in cages atop Humvees, used as early warning gas detectors – but the plan has been put on hold after 41 of the 43 chickens deployed to the Gulf died within a week of arrival. Still, headed into the fray will be some of the 1,400 dogs who work in the US military – carrying out tasks ranging from mine detection to the rescue and recovery of dead and wounded personnel.
  • The U.S. army unveils its most unlikely mine detector – the Atlantic Bottle-Nosed Dolphin. At the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, secured by U.S and British forces after days of fighting, soldiers made preparations for the arrival of a team of specially trained dolphins, to help divers ensure the coastline is free of danger, before humanitarian aid shipments can dock. U.S. Navy Captain Mike Tillotson told reporters that three or four dolphins would work from Umm Qasr, using their natural sonar abilities to seek out mines or other explosive devices which Iraqi forces may have planted on the seabed … (Reuters) – More on this topic.
  • Animal victims of war are invisible. Our culture conspires to make them so. Animals understand none of it, play no part in any of it, but when they are crushed and mutilated – wilfully or otherwise – there are those who dare tell us to remain silent.
  • We say: dare to speak out for the helpless animal victims and do so loudly and with confidence. Let those who have made an argument for this war, who have helped engineer it, see what war means for species other than our own.

More Comment from Animal AidSee also info on ‘Animals in War’ Memorial at http://www.indielondon.co.uk


CarToon by Andy Singer

Bio-fuel

Although not a permanant solution for our fuel needs, bio-diesel is a much more sustainable system that can decrease reliance on fossil fuels. Veggies & Sumac Centre are founder members of Nottingham’s bio-diesel purchasing collective.

Even the most optimistic commentator forecasts that oil supplies will be exhausted within 60 years. Some say, with a growth of 2% per annum, as soon as 40. So what are our children to use for transport? How is the so-called “sustainable society” to be achieved?

Biodiesel is a sustainable transport fuel made from organic oils and fats, to be used alongside a policy of reduced vehicle usage. Because plants absorb carbon dioxide whilst growing, CO2 emissions are also substantially reduced.

Lets work towards a carbon neutral economy – send for our leaflet or see www.veggies.org.uk/biodies.htm

 



“Non-Violence begins on your dinner plate” – Veggies

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