2011 AnnuAl RepoRt - Community Alliance for Global Justice

Seattle, warningpassers-by thatdespite claims tothe contrary, the 3new trade agreementswere not“shiny new cars”,but the sameold destructivemodel. Throughoutthe summer,CAGJ volunteerscollected hundreds of signatures at Farmers’ Markets andother events on a banner to McDermott reading “FreeTrade Kills Farmers: Vote NO on US-Colombia Free TradeAgreement” which he did! We are proud to say that ourbanner hangs in McDermott’s Seattle office today. Wehope this is a reminder to work for trade policy that benefitsall farmers and people and the environment, everywhere.CAGJ also sent several members on a 2 week longdelegation to Oaxaca Mexico, led by Witness for Peaceand co-organized by WA Fair Trade Coalition. Delegatesbrought back stories and photos that help us appreciatethe resilience of farmers in southern Mexico, 18 yearspost-NAFTA, and some of the reasons Mexicans havebeen forced to leave their communities to immigrate tothe US where they face an increasingly harsh workingenvironment. CAGJ marches in the May Day march everyyear to celebrate International Workers’ Day, and to honorimmigrant workers here in the Northwest who are leadingthe struggle for a more dignified life.AGRA Watch in 2011AGRA Watch had a busy and productive year. We continuedto increase our profile in expressing opposition to theGates Foundation and AGRA – in Seattle, throughout theUS, and around the globe. We succeeded in activating anetwork of scholars and activists interested in these issuesthrough presentations and networking at conferencesand other events. Examples of presentations include:Heather Day speaking on a panel with a representativeof the Gates Foundation for the first time at the UW HillelHunger Banquet (March 3); Bill Aal presenting at theGreen Festival with the Organic Consumers Alliance (May21); and Janae Choquette presenting on the InternationalSolidarity Panel at the Emerging Leaders Conference (May21). In September, Phil Bereano and Bill Aal co-presented“The Gates Foundation’s Attack on Seed Sovereignty andResponses from the Ground” with Marcia Ishii-Eitemanof the Pesticide Action Network (PANNA) at the JusticeBegins with Seed Conference in San Francisco. AGRAWatch also hosted a roundtable, “Challenging Philanthro-Capitalism: Alternative Solidarities and Critical Analyses ofthe Gates Foundation’s Green Revolution for Africa”, at theAfrican Studies Association Annual Meeting on November17.Our work was featured locally, nationally, and internationallyin newspapers, blogs, press releases, oralpresentations, and magazine articles. Of many examples,some of the most notable are: front page Seattle Times article“Could more-nutritious crops fight hunger?” by SandiDoughton (August 7); a three part series on the GatesFoundation and AGRA Watch by Paul Haeder in the Downto Earth NW blog; several posts by Tom Paulson on theHumanosphere Blog, such as “Hunger Banquet and theGates Foundation vs. food activists” (March 4) and “Postpartynews at the new Gates Foundation campus – Bonodrops by to say hi and activists drop in to protest” (June6); Phil Bereano’s article in GeneWatch, “GM Alfalfa: An UncalculatedRisk” (March 12); and an April interview of TravisEnglish and Heather Day by French television show, EnvoyeSpecial for a piece on Bill Gates and GMOs (aired in2012). As part of our media strategy, we also reactivatedthe AGRA Watch blog and started the process of revampingour website.We organized several events and actions throughoutthe year, including two study sessions based on ourresearch into the science behind sustainable farming andnew developments in the Gates Foundation’s agriculturalprograms. Such internal education efforts strengthenedour collective analysis and deepened discussion aroundcampaign strategy and messaging, while other eventsallowed us to engage with the general public. Our leafletingat the opening of the new Gates Foundation campus(June 4) generated lively discussion between AGRAWatch activists and attendees and raised greater awarenessof these issues within the Seattle community.AGRA Watch continued to build relationshipswith African activists and farmers, hosting and arrangingspeaking engagements for Fatou Batta, a leader ofGroundswell International and the We Are the Solution!Campaign from Burkino Faso, and Samuel Nderitu (photobelow) of the Grow Biointensive Agricultural Centre ofKenya (G-BIACK), one of our partner organizations. Afternominating G-BIACK for the 2011 Food Sovereignty Prize,Samuel Nderitu, G-BIACK, Honorable Mention Prize Winner

they won Honorable Mention and Samuel presented ontheir work to thousands of people at the CommunityFood Security Coalition Conference in Oakland. We facilitateda farmer-to-farmer exchange and presentations tothe community and University of Washington when hevisited Seattle after the conference in November. We alsoraised funds for the library of the Manor House AgriculturalCollege in Kenya.Initial planning for a conference on the Gates Foundationand African agriculture consumed a great deal ofour time in 2011, and this will continue to be a focus ofour work in 2012. So far, we have developed a proposal forthe conference (including objectives, themes, and overallvision) and begun to solicit support from national andinternational partners.AGRA Watch in 2012The New Year is off to a great start with revived planningfor our big conference on Gates/AGRA and Africanresistance. PANNA has agreed to partner with us andcontributed funds towards hiring a coordinator, whileother major organizations have agreed to co-sponsorthe conference including Food First, Grassroots Internationaland National Family Farm Coalition. We will ratchetup the publicity challenging the Gates Foundation’s activitiesin Africa and continue to work with other NGOsagainst the GE industry; to this end, working with ourSouth African colleague Glenn Ashton, we have alreadyplaced the first Op Ed in the Seattle Times critical of theGates Foundation’s work, which elicited a response fromthem in the form of a Letter to the Editor – another first,as they have never directly responded to us before. Wealso co-organized a demonstration at their campus protestingtheir ties to Monsanto as part of a global day ofaction. Both the Op Ed and the demonstration receivedworld-wide publicity.In 2012 we will continue to insure that the GatesFoundation can no longer ignore us and our African colleagues.We will improve our press resources, the qualityof our webpage, and the reach of our blog. More internaleducation and participatory workshops have beenplanned for the year on such topics as countering industry’spro-GE arguments, recent Gates Foundation activities,and biopiracy. In order to build our capacity, we willalso concentrate on involving new people in our workand growing our membership. Above all, we will continueto take advantage of “targets of opportunity” as theycome along.“What I like most about CAGJ is the way they havetaken a negative message - “no to corporate globalization”- and turned it into a positive one - “yes to localeconomies.””Jason Salvo, Local Roots FarmFood Justice Project in 2011CAGJ’s Food Justice Project accomplished a lot in2011, educating, informing, connecting, building solidarity,and taking action to change our food system. OurTeach-Outs and community education continued toorganize our members and communities to demand ajust, fair, healthy food system and envision how we canget there. We amplified voices of allies and food justicechampions, supporting projects (through outreach andgetting our hands dirty!) locally that are growing, producing,and realizing food justice in our communities,and connecting that work to taking action for systemicchange.The Food Justice Project worked diligently throughout2011 to compile an exciting second edition of OurFood, Our Right. After months of outreach, writing, andediting, the final manuscript for the second edition wasfinalized in early 2012! Focusing on “stories of change”,this edition will be published in time for the 2012 SLEEdinner, and will focus on a multi-course offering of analysis,recipes, essays, and profiles of some local farmersgrowing for change. From the local to the global, anddissolving the differences between the two, Our Food,Our Right will cover local farmworker organizing campaigns,young farmers, urban gardeners, organizing fora just farm bill, domestic fair trade, trade justice, womenin food sovereignty, alternatives to the “Green Revolution”in Africa, and more. Farmer profiles include Sue McGannat Marra Farm, Sean Conroe at Alleycat Acres, Jason Salvoand Siri Erickson-Brown at Local Roots Farm, Erick andWendy Haakenson at Jubilee Biodynamic Farm, ChandlerBriggs at Island Meadow Farm, and Lottie Cross at CleanGreens Farm. Don’t miss lots of tasty recipes and DIY skillsto grow and eat your own food, along with a foreword byauthor and activist Raj Patel! You can see the full table ofcontents at www.seattleglobaljustice.org/book/Teach-Outs in 2011 included visits to five food andfarm projects in the Seattle area. We visited Central Coop,Cascadian Edible Landscapes, the annual Spring into

Bed event at Seattle Youth Garden Works, Clean GreenFarm, and Tacoma HUG - Hilltop Urban Agriculture. Our2011 Teach-Outs helped members get to know multipleparts of our food system – urban growers, rural farmersand producers, programs and education for underserved communities or those facing barriers to farmingand healthy food, and co-operative retail. Dozens of participantsgot educated and supported these allied projectsthrough sweat equity. Each Teach-Out was pairedwith a political action to make our voices heard for foodsystem change.2011 also included the launch and grant funding forour Community Education work. We’re developing a seriesof presentations around various themes, and in 2011we worked to collect past workshop materials we’ve puttogether, distilled those themes and focus on specific areas,began determining content and talking points, and“CAGJ is a vibrant community that helps usto imagine what more just and sustainablefood and trade systems should embody. Thisimportant work will lead to the creation oflocal economies that function more equitablyon behalf of all community members.”Steve Lansing, UFCW Local 21developed a plan to compile and finish presentationmodules on themes with community involvement, alongwith training for speakers and presenters in 2012.We also supported and involved our members inmultiple campaigns throughout the year, including theUW student-led campaign to Kick Out Sodexo, the Coalitionof Immokalee Workers (CIW) Campaign for Fair Food,and the National Family Farm Coalition. At CAGJ’s annualSLEE dinner and after, we supported the multi-sector effortto protect workers’ rights and pass an ordinance inSeattle that would mandate most employers to give theirworkers some form of paid sick leave. CAGJ also continuesto participate in crafting local food policy throughthe Regional Food Policy Council, including thedevelopment of an Equity subcommittee tofocus on issues of justice, inclusion, and representationin our food system. We look forwardto continue to bring an anti-oppression, globalsolidarity, and alternative food economy frameworkto these discussions in 2012.Food Justice Project in 2012The year ahead looks to be an exciting year. Thesecond publication of Our Food, Our Right willbe complete and published in the summer! OurTeach-Outs will continue as well, with a renewedfocus on putting our politics into practice, educatingabout food systems on the ground, aswell as intentionally tracking where we havebeen, who we are supporting, and how well weare engaging the community.In 2011, much time was spent on the early phasesof a community education curriculum. This focus cameabout as we are often asked to speak about global foodjustice issues at conferences, events, and classes. A secondpiece of the plan is to provide training in presentingthe curriculum for CAGJ members and other interestedindividuals. This year, increased focus has been given tothis project as we utilize this project to actively engageand sustain a broader base of volunteers and further developand empower individuals as leaders – a core principleof CAGJ. We hope that later this year the Food JusticeProject will be launching this project to a wider public!We’ll also make resources available online.FJP will also continue its work to support and mobilizefor action on campaigns and issues in the food movementhere and abroad. Our work will include political actionfor worker and immigrant rights, countering the freetrade agenda, education about race, class and gender inthe food system, supporting community-based food systems,and more!Report on Membership CommitteeIn the past year, the Membership Committee has beenfocused on how we educate and activate people to engagein CAGJ’s organizing. We’re working on finalizing amembership packet that informs people of all of CAGJ’sprograms, and gives transparency to CAGJ’s structureand decision-making process. Working as MembershipCo-chair for CAGJ, my job is to recruit, involve, and buildthe leadership of volunteers. I aim to build teams, inspireothers to develop their own leadership capacities, andfoster collaboration. I urge people to volunteer and becomemembers with my cheerful membership pitchesand exuberant e-mails, calling for helping hands with aspecial event. This constant contact encourages participation,provides opportunities for leadership and relationshipbuilding, and reminds all of how members andvolunteers add value to our alliance.CAGJ celebrated its 10th Anniversary at WA Hall on October 15

CAGJ Fundraising & MembershipThe benefits of CAGJ membership“As a member of CAGJ, I am gaining the ability to communicatea strategy for advancing social justice, includinganalyzing how systems of privilege and oppressioncreate inequalities in the food system. This year, I traveledwith CAGJ to the Community Food Security CoalitionConference in Oakland. This event introduced meto leaders in the food movement, including small-scalefarmers from Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, and the US. By participatingin the 2011 Teach-Outs, I learned first hand howsmallholders in Seattle enact food sovereignty. This insightinspires me to challenge the neoliberal assault ofour food and farming systems. I believe that the waysin which we produce, distribute, and consume food areessential factors affecting our self-identity and the empowermentof our communities. Thus, I work for CAGJ, orrather, CAGJ works for me.”—Chelsea Eickert, Membership Co-ChairAs Coalition of Imakolee Workers say, Consciousness+ Commitment = Change! Commit to becoming amember today or renew your membership by returningthe enclosed card or joining online:www.seattleglobaljustice.org/get-involved/become-amember/Become a member of CAGJ if you want to:❏❏Support and be a part of grassrootsorganizing❏❏Become a leader who enacts social change inyour community❏❏Collaborate with those who share yourinterests in strategies for communityempowerment and sustainable food systems❏❏❏❏Help strengthen local economies everywhereTransform the industrial, corporate-drivenfood systems and promote existingalternatives as we join the global struggle forfood sovereignty for all!Total expenses: $82,010$8,551 — Admin$1,488 — Computers$26,897 — Organizing$38,172 — Personnel$6,902 — Fundraising12345Community Alliance for Global Justice606 Maynard Ave S #102Seattle, WA 98104Phone: (206) 405-4600contact_us@seattleglobaljustice.orgwww.seattleglobaljustice.orgCAGJ Steering CommitteeBill AalChris IberleJanae Choquette Alma Dea MichelenaMichelle Conklin Reid MukaiChelsea EickertLaura TitzerAbie Flaxman2011 Actuals: $92,799$2,429 — Fair Trade Merchandise$767 — Misc.$1,903 — Other Events$1,200 — In-kind Donations$28,050 — SLEE Dinner12345678Advisory BoardPhil BereanoShana GreeneDerek HoshikoLucy JaroszNancy KoolDirectorHeather English DaySarah LuthensAllan PaulsonMarina SkumanichViki Sontag$28,550 — Major Donors$14,092 — Grants$15,200 — SustainingMemberships$608 — Annual Memberships9Annual Report teamBill AalJanae ChoquetteChelsea EickertChris IberleEric MenningaReid MukaiLaura Titzer

Thank you! To CAGJ’s Volunteers, Activists, and Donors in 2011!Aba IfeomaAdam RocaAhmed TelebAlan RuderAlex DorrosAlex EarleAlice Roesch-KnappAlison BoothAllan PaulsonAmanda WelchAmelia SwintonAmy TruaxAndrea FlowerAndrea LindsayAngela HerrAnna Von EssenAnnie BoBannieWilsonAnnie MenzelBasil WeinerBeth BatsonBeth IsonBill AalBill Mace and JanCappsBob GormanBobby & MichaelRighiBradley KramerBrenda AsterinoBrendan ConklinBrian GreerBridget O’BrienCaetlyn ConklinCaitlin ScottCarina BolanosLewenCarl OgunsholaOshodiCarol LissanceCarol MyersCarol ThompsonCarolina Forero-MorenoCarrie LanzaCaryn BadgettCasey PeplowCatherine RothCathy MendoncaChaim EliyahCharity BurggraafChelsea EickertChris IberleChris SullivanChristine WoodwardChristopher HansonChuheru ZheugClair H OliversClaudia KielhotzClaudia NavasColette CosnerCoral SiskCriss PoteatCynthia WangD.J. LowerDani LyonsDaniel NerbyDanielle AbbottDanielle FriedmanDanielle LyousDarcy BuendiaDarren LappierDavid BerrianDavid Ayala ZamoraDavid BergenDebbie CarlsonDeborah Clarke -BlomeDeborah HymanDeborah WoolleyDerek HoshikoDerik AndreoliDiana Vergis VinhDianne MackDina BursteinDonna LewenDoris BerryEiton IsaacsonElaine NonnemanElisa PorterElizabeth SeacordElizabeth BekirogluElizabeth ChaisonElsbeth StuefEmet DegirmenaEmma FreemanEric MenningaEric KocajaErica BaconErica GeiglerErin MacDougallFai CoffinFrederick HartGabriel ScheerGabrielle RoeschGail PetneGina CumboGinger DanielGinny NicarthyGolda SimonGregg ShiosakiGwen WilsonHallie KupermanHanna DeFuriaHeidi AbarroHoby Van HooseHope BoumanIbrahim MbamokoJamesVandecooveringJames GravesJameson HubbardJanae ChoquetteJane VaitJanet StecherJason ConklinJenn DavisJennifer CrouchJenny LinaJenny SalmonJess FlarityJessi BerkelhammerJessica AnnisJessica ShubenJill AmsberryJill EdwardsJill SeidensteinJim SquireJoan MencherJoAnn SchindlerJoanna WrightJohn HeilJohn Fawcett-LongJohn WilsonJohn& MerrileeRunyanJude RosenbergJudith ArmsJulie CantrellKacy McKinneyKaren CowgillKaren HansenKarin StrandKate HotlerKathryn LowryKatie CavaKelsey WertzlerKerryMara MooreKirsten Hansen-DayKristen BeifusKristen Kosidowski& Eric KocajaLaila SuidanLaura RaymondLaura SalyerLauren KingstonLauren RockLeah Grupp-WilliamsLeika SuzumuraLena GuevaraLeslie GraceLiisa Peterson &Garret IhlerLinda & John MasonLindsay CummingsLisa QuinnLiz NixonLorri EickertLottie JacksonLydia CaudillLynne Dodson &Richard BurtonMaegan HouangMaret Kane -PanchanaMargaret BrownMaria ElenaRodriguezMaria WhittakerMarianna MoralesMarina SkumanichMarisa HendronMartha ClayMary GalvinMauricio BerhoMelisa ZapisockyMelissa PetermanMelissa PoeMichael & DonnaRamosMichael LaslettMichael SeligaMichele MancusoMichelle BatesBenetuaMichelle ConklinMichelle PrimleyBentonMichelle WooMike Graham-SquireMitch VanbourgMolly HolmesNa SmithNan & Richard GeerNancy BaconNancy KoolNancy TudorofNatalia MaftlinezNatasha Hansen-DayNdungu JohnMwangiNicole DadeNicolle J M NiñoNikola DavidsonNina LaboyNina TrifflemanNoah CollinsNoam GasterNurul Alam MasudPam EmersonPamela BieryPat LeckenbyPatricia AndersonPatricia BustosPaul FeldmanPaula MattsonPerry KennedyPhelia LorenzenRachel DuboffRachel BoudinRachel DuthlerRamona GolinveauxRebecca RiveraReid MukaiRenai MielkeRenee LentiRick DoughtyRigoberto Perez PazRobby SternRobert & KaroleGormanRobert DayRobert TreatRowan WalshRyan ApplegateRyan MillerSam MouserSara LavenharSarah ButzineSarah GruenSarah ElmoreSarah MurfinSarah RuetherSarah WilsonSasha ParksSeana SperlingShana GreeneShannon MarkleySharon Blyth-MossShellie JacobsmaShelly RobbinsSophia Hansen-DayStan SorscherSteve LansingSteven McKinneySteven WaltersSue GibbsSue HildrethSue ShawSusan Ford & ScottPowellSusan GleasonSusan HallSusan SolaSuzanne GervaisSuzanne RighiSyd MungerTammy NgyuenTanya MatthewsTapoja ChaudkuriTatiana Cattand &Derek HoshikoTherese del FierroThomas BuchananThomas HodgesTo Van HoaiTodd CrosbyTodd SmithTom ChoquetteTravis EnglishTravis LundebyTye RogersonTyrone Hall-DealValerie SegrestVictoria GibsonViki SonntagWebster WalkerWendy JansWendy SomersonYuko Miki2011 InternsAlix GoldsteinAllie FergusonAmy TruaxBrianna BeaudoinChelsea DavisChristine WoodwardCourtney LawsonDean ChahimDongOuk Seo/SamGinger DanielHannah LaCroixKiersten BellKseniya HusakLaura SalyerMargot SmithMaureen TsetskaGrayMichelle Thomas2011 SustainersAdam RocaAline CartonAllan PaulsonAlma Dea T.MichelenaAmanda LucusAmelia SwintonAnna PavlickBill Mace and JanCappsBobby & MichaelRighiBurke StansburyCarol ThompsonCaroline FariaChelsea EickertChris IberleCynthia PristellCynthia PristonDanielle AbbottDebra MorrisonDerek HoshikoDerik AndreoliElaine CoretsElaine NonnemanElizabeth SeacordErica BaconFai CoffinFernanda OyarzunFrank ZuckerHoby Van HooseJannie ChoquetteJoe SzwajaKaaren JohnsonKaren HansenKathy and TomIberleKimela VigelLilia CajilogMarina SkumanichThank you to our2011 Funders!Central Co-opMargie RoswellSatterberg FoundationStansbury Family FoundationRachel AdamsRyohei MaedaSara LavenharTherese del FierroTo Van Hoai NguyenTyrone Hall-DealZachary EskenaziMark EnglishMartha ClayMauricio BerhoMax SizemoreNan GeerPhil NeffRachel BoudinReid MukaiRenai MielkeRigoberto Perez PazRobert DaySarah MurfinSeth ChristianStephen LudwigSteve MarquardtSue GibbsSusan GleasonTeresa MaresVictoria LawsonThank you to our 2011 SLEEFarm & Food Donors!Alter Eco, Alvarez, Beechers HandmadeCheese, Cafe Flora, Equal Exchange,Field Roast, Fremont Brewing, GoldenHarvest The Bee Ranch, GrowingWashington/Alm Hills Gardens, LocalRoots, Loki Fish CO, Madre’s Kitchen,Magana Farm, Mt. Townsend Creamery,Nash’s Organic Produce, OrganicallyGrown Company, Oxbow Farms, PrestonHill Bakery, Seth Caswell - emmer & rye,Tahoma Farms, Tall Grass Bakery, Terrie’sBerries, Tony Miles & Willie Greens Farm

Food Justice Urban Hike-a-Thon!Saturday April 2810am – 3pm Hike from ID to Madison Valley3pm – 5pm Celebration at MLK Community Center:32nd and Republican in Madison ValleyCome by even if you didn’t hike!Fundraiser for 2nd Edition of “Our Food, Our Right: Recipes forFood Justice”! Support CAGJ’s Community Supported PublishingCampaign! We need your help to raise $5,000 to design andprint our book with the quality necessary to distribute to libraries,book-sellers & food justice organizers throughout the land.The Hike-a-Thon is a Food Justice walking tour from CAGJ’s officein the International District through the Central District to MadisonValley! Discover your foodshed by foot, and raise funds for the 2ndedition of CAGJ’s Our Food, Our Right publication – see the Tableof Contents on CAGJ’s website! There will be lots of surprises anddiscoveries, and even ways to make your voice heard for food justicealong the way. Bring your knapsack, walking stick, and hiking shoes!Featured Hike-a-Thon partners: Danny Woo Community Garden,GroundUP Organics, Green Plate Special, 41 Legs Urban Farm.Register as an Individual solo hiker or to Start a Team of hikers:All hikers (solo individuals and hikers on a team) pledge toraise $50 to support Our Food, Our Right’s publication byasking their friends, family, co-workers, and community todonate just $5, or $10, or $15, or more to support great work.www.crowdrise.com/cagjhikeCAGJ606 Maynard Ave South #102Seattle, WA 98104Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDSeattle, WAPermit No. 1023Change Service RequestedSAVE THE DATE!Strengthening Local Economies Everywhere DinnerJuly 14, 2012