Fwd: [[Learn how you can help Third World Families, Sat. Nov. 15]]

[Guest guest]

Dear SBVS listserve members,

 

Here is a copy of the message I sent to Debbie Mytels,

Executive Director of the Foundation for Global Community,

regarding FGC's promotion of the group Heifer International.

 

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Received: Sat, 01 Nov 2003 03:15:17 PM PST

Philip Becker <beckerhead

<dmytels

Re: [Learn how you can help Third World Families, Sat. Nov. 15]

 

Dear Debra:

 

I understand the commitment of FGC to promote world peace and eliminate

world hunger and poverty. However, I hope that FGC realizes how dreadful

that dependency on animals for food is--both in terms of human health and

resource consumption and depletion. One does not need to be an agricultural

scientist to understand how detrimental animal agriculture is to the

environment--not to mention that animal based foods are energy wasteful--in

contrast to plant-based foods, which are energy producers due to trophic

level

considerations. History has shown that virtually all areas that dedicate

land

to animal agriculture result in the land eventually becoming unusable for all

purposes--including farming.

I respectfully request that FGC reconsider its support of an organization

as well-intentioned, but misguided, environmentally detrimental, and animal

exploitive as is Heifer International.

 

If FGC really is interested in working with an organization that is working

proactively to help hungry areas of the world, then I highly encourage FGC to

get in contact with VEGFAM. Additionally, referral to resources such as " The

Food Revolution " by John Robbins, " A Vegetarian Sourcebook " by Keith Akers,

or

even recent articles that have appeared

in Worldwatch Magazine would provide a plethora of information that enumerate

in a detailed manner the fallacies associated with including

animal-based agriculture as a prospective 'solution' to a hungry world.

 

FGC is doing a lot of good work in a multiplicity of areas--but I believe

that FGC has missed the mark in world hunger and the environment with its

support of Heifer International.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration of these concerns.

 

Sincerely,

 

Philip S. Becker, Co-Founder

South Bay Vegetarian Society

 

 

cc: Charles Stahler, Executive Director, Vegetarian Resource Group

David Pearl, Co-Founder, South Bay Vegetarian Society

Caryn Hartglass, Executive Director, EarthSave International

 

 

 

" Debbie Mytels " <dmytels wrote:

 

Dear Friends,

 

Have you ever considered giving someone a heifer as a holiday gift ?

 

Come to an Open House for Heifer International on Saturday, November

15, 5:30 to 9 pm and learn about a new way to honor your family and

friends while giving a gift that builds international understanding.

 

Held at the Foundation for Global Community, 222 High Street, Palo

Alto, the event will highlight the work of Heifer International work

during the past 60 years to provide culturally appropriate farm

animals and training to over 4 million families in 128 countries.

 

Admission is 25 cents - add your quarter to the " Peace Pipe " to help

buy an animal! Light refreshments will be served during the open

house starting at 5:30 pm, followed by a talk at 7:30 pm by Gerald

Katusabe, Heifer International's Rwanda Country Director who has

recently arrived from visiting Heifer's programs in Africa.

 

Teachers, youth group leaders, church and community group members can

talk with Heifer representatives about how to engage their class or

organization in providing livestock animals such as goats, rabbits,

sheep, heifers, ducks, geese - even trees - to needy families

throughout the world.

 

Some Heifer programs, such as " Read to Feed " and " Animal Crackers "

are specifically tailored for use in classrooms or other youth group

programs.

 

Other community groups may want to raise enough money to

provide an " Ark " of 15 pairs of animals that will serve 30 families

in one village. In addition, Heifer's tradition of " passing the

gift, " means that families who receive an animal agree to repay the

favor by passing on one or more of the animal's female offspring to

other families in need.

 

The program will also include videos about Heifer's work both abroad

and in poor rural communities here in the U.S.

 

For more information, contact Debbie Mytels, Outreach Director at the

Foundation for Global Community, (650) 328-7756 or

<dmytels.

 

For more information about Heifer International, visit the website:

www.heifer.org.

 

Hope you will join us! And please share this invitation around to

your friends.

 

Cheers, Debbie Mytels