Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Youth Food Bill Of Rights! July 30th at the Liberty Bell, Philly PA!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Ty Holmberg
Agatstson Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI)
3451 Walnut St. Suite P-1117A
Cell: (518) 304-3402
Email: tyholmberg@gmail.com
Today: July 11, 2011







PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA- JULY 30th 2011- 2pm

Over 100 Youth Leaders from Around the Nation
Present the “YOUTH FOOD BILL OF RIGHTS”
at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA
As the Culmination of 
The 13th Annual Rooted in Community Conference

On July 30th at 2pm, over one hundred youth leaders from around the nation, from thirty different food justice-focused organizations will convene at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center to declare,  “The Youth Food Bill Of Rights”, a statement of what youth demand of their food system.  While gaining the attention of congress people, public officials, and community members, this youth-created document will influence the movement for a healthier and more equitable national food system and Farm Bill in 2012. It will be created during the youth powered and food justice focused Rooted in Community (RIC) National Conference (July 27-31) hosted by the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Youth Food Bill of Rights: www.youthfoodbillofrights.com

July 27th-31st
RIC is a national network that empowers young people to take leadership in their own communities (www.rootedincommunity.org). It is a diverse movement of youth and adults working together to foster healthy communities and food justice through urban and rural agriculture, community gardening, food sovereignty, and related environmental justice work.  With eleven Philadelphia urban farming sites hosting RIC exposure trips, twelve youth-created and facilitated workshops on food injustices and community organizing, ten local Philadelphia artists teaching ways to “express your voice for food justice”, youth participating in this year’s RIC Conference will fully engage in the “food justice” movement and create the Youth Food Bill of Rights.

Youth participating in this year’s conference have extensive experience in the national food justice movement. In Boston, high-school aged youth are taking charge of their food with shovels and cultivators as they are learning how to grow organic vegetables under the “Food Project”. In New Mexico, “New Mexico Acequia Association” youth utilize digital media to protect the Acequia irrigation system that is essential to their community’s environment, agriculture, and life. Eight youth involved in the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative’s gardening and cooking internships, in Philadelphia, have recently started their own business called the Youth Urban Mobile Market (YUMM) that delivers fresh fruit and vegetables on a tricycle to low income neighborhoods of Philadelphia. Today where food and youth leadership can be seen as despairing, these youth give inspiration as to what can be accomplished through fervor and youth innovation. The youth empowerment model for health is one that First Lady Michelle Obama endorses in her Lets Move! Campaign.

This year marks a pivotal year for RIC as the upcoming year (2012) marks the possible renewal of the Farm Bill in its fifth year of enactment. The Farm Bill is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the Federal government of the United States. RIC youth have joined together in consensus to demand a farm bill that prioritizes health and their country’s next generation. Named after the amendments to the US Constitution that listed the demands of the populous in regards to inalienable human rights, youth believe that the Youth Food Bill of Rights will outline human’s right to real food. Post-conference, organizers will continue to garner support for a youth-defined Farm Bill platform.  This August, RIC partner Live Real will meet with youth and communities along a series of nationwide "Food and Freedom Rides" to generate support for a fair Farm Bill.

Rather than accepting the food system that they have been born into, national RIC youth are creating revolutionary solutions and growing healthier communities. As Matthew Johnson, one RIC youth leader, stated, “We all eat, we are all affected, no matter who you are, join us on July 30th.”

The Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) (www.urbannutrition.org) is the host of the 2011 RIC conference. Eight AUNI youth are organizing the RIC conference. AUNI is apart of the Netter Center for University-Community Partnerships based at the University of Pennsylvania that engages K-16+ learners in an active, real-world problem-solving curriculum that strives to improve community nutrition and wellness through nutrition education, and high school internships in cooking, garden, and business sites.

The Farm Bill is legislation authorized by the Federal Government every five years. The last one was in 2007. The Farm Bill covers a wide range of topics, including payments to farmers to support the prices for crops, nutrition programs such as food stamps, international trade, conservation, and energy. The Farm Bill isn’t the only legislation to address these issues, but it is one time when we have an opportunity to speak out on things that concern so many parts of our lives.

The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution that were ratified on December 15, 1791 that protected individual liberties.

The National Constitution Center is Philadelphia’s historic museum, located two blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written.

Big thanks and love to Seattle youth leaders Donte and Aman for representing CRAVE, to Tammy for representing FEEST, and to Joaquin from C2C up north in Whatcom County for reppin' the PNW for food justice for ALL along with the support of adult ally, CRAVE Program Director, and Social HeARTistry Educators Creative Director stephanY.

a youth-lead food justice movement in South Seattle and beyond...
a project of 



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