Acting locally is becoming easier -- and tastier -- with new events and initiatives inviting Los Angeles activists to get together, have fun, and help change the world slowly, enjoyably. If you think socio-political action is largely limited to marches or boycotts, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that even the most delicious of events can subvert the status quo, even if just a little.
Take Slow Food LA's latest event, for example: A recipe exchange and cookie swap. Instead of buying overprocessed, overpackaged Snackwells or Oreos, show up with a dozen homemade cookies, and a copy of your recipe. And while nibbling on a warm snickerdoodle, share the history and origin of your favorite cookie recipe, and what it means to you, your family, and your community. Attendees will likely never want to eat a Hostess cake again -- and will have the tools, in the form of recipes, not to.
Enough such events, and transnational corporations like Nabisco will surely find its bottom line slip, making more room for community, tradition, local connection, and of course, yummier cookies. The cookie swap will be held Sunday, February 18, 2007 at 2:00 pm in West Hollywood (more details here).
For those who want to get really, really local, down to your neighborhood level, check out Actions Without Borders's new initiative to bring local activists together. "If all of us had more opportunities to connect and work together, online and face-to-face, in neighborhoods, villages, schools, and workplaces, the world would be a different place," says Actions Without Borders.
Living in the city, a cookie-baking locavorian could very well reside in the same apartment complex as a cookie-eating locavorian -- and the two may never ever meet: "millions of opportunities for action and collaboration are missed every day."
AWB wants to dissolve those missed connections -- through local meetups. During the week of February 5-11, all are invited to host or attend a start-up meeting in your neighborhood.
What will you talk about at the meeting? What will happen? That's up to you and your neighbors to decide --
[Image by K Santos]
