photograph by Lisa Munniksma
The Community Learning Project for Food Justice will pair urban - land organizations to share skills and noesis with each other .
In cities across America , love apple are growing in patio pots , beans are creeping up garden treillage and chickens are cluck in backyard chicken coop . The success of the urban - farming crusade can be attributed to organizations dedicated to fighting for food judge .
A new coaction between two nonprofits , Growing Power and WhyHunger , aims to enhance the food Department of Justice motion across the U.S.
Dubbed the Community Learning Project for Food Justice , the programme will connect pair of system to aid progress relationships , leadership and resource development while supporting residential district - based eruditeness .
“ As the bowel movement for better , sizable , more just solid food and food systems has been growing , [ it ’s become clear ] that there is so much noesis that is community - based and so many constitution that can benefit from one another ’s knowledge , ” explain Siena Chrisman , manager of strategic partnerships and bond for WhyHunger , which supports grassroots solutions to link people to nutritive and affordable intellectual nourishment . “ Part of the focus of this syllabus is get up the on - the - ground , community - based work that ’s being done . ”Starting in 2011 , the Community Learning Project for Food Justice will convey together participant organizations to share knowledge and skills while each nonprofit develops a newfangled curriculum or increases capacities in a certain area . It ’s being establish as a 12 - month pilot project but Chrisman hopes it will germinate into an on-going program .
The idea of partnership is not raw in agricultural community . The Community Learning Project for Food Justice build on those age - old connection .
“ Traditionally , in husbandry , Fannie Farmer take tutelage of one another , ” says Erika Allen , theatre director of commercial urban agriculture for Growing Power , an system that promotes the developing of residential area food system . “ One of the goal of the program is to bring in organizations together to avail each other and , in the procedure , progress national networks and create a stronger [ intellectual nourishment justice ] front . ”
As part of the computer program , participant pair will take part in interior learning opportunity and participate in breeding , site visits and the one-year Growing Food and Justice for All gathering .
constitution can submit applications to be part of the Community Learning Project for Food Justice . The deadline is Dec. 31 , 2010 . Although Chrisman declined to allow for contingent on the number of applicants who have applied , she is pleased with the interest in the programme .
“ I ’ve gotten calls from organizations that have been imagine about partnering with other organizations down the street or in a neighboring country , ” she notes . “ After talking [ about the curriculum ] , some have decide not to utilize [ for the Community Learning Project ] but to go forward and create a partnership on their own . ”Organizations accept to be part of the Community Learning Project for Food Justice will receive a small stipend . At the final stage of the 12 - month political platform , each pair of partnered organizations will submit a single marriage proposal for funding to implement a collaborative project .
Although applications are still coming in , Allen expect that the participants ’ goals will range from establish commercial kitchens and purchasing fresh ( shared ) equipment to launching cooperative marketing campaigns and educate others about food for thought - justice issues .
“ I ’m looking forward to seeing all of the originative undertaking that fall in as part of the program , ” says Allen , pointing out that proposals are expect to kick in to each item-by-item governance ’s growth as well as the success of the nutrient - justice motion as a whole .
“ Some of the community that are view by the public to be in the most pauperization of help are the ones that are doing some of the most exciting and active work , ” say Chrisman . “ We want to build the capacities of those grouping , gift them and give them support . ”
To learn more about the Community Learning Project for Food Justice or to submit an software program to be part of the program , call 212 - 629 - 8850 or emailsiena@whyhunger.org . Applications are being admit through Dec. 31 , 2010 .
