CODEPINK

Fridays on the Farm: An Urban Farmer’s Garden of Eden

Published May 22, 2022 | By editor

Ken Sparks is an urban farmer focused on sustainability and food foresting. Photo by Brooke Raffaele, FSA.

By Brooke Raffaele, FSA, California. Feb 11, 2022

This Friday meet Ken Sparks, an urban farmer creating a legacy in Southern California. Focusing on sustainability and food foresting, his goal is to provide organic foods to underserved communities in the Los Angeles area and educate his community and his followers online to grow their own food. Known as “Farmer Ken” on social media, Ken showcases his farm journey through a variety of videos that share quick tips, best practices, and more.

“Food equity is important,” Ken said. “I provide a source of healthy, organically grown, food. I also love growing and sharing unique cultivars that are harder to find in stores.”

Continue reading →

Published May 18, 2022 | By Toby Blom'e

Yesterday….A Glorious Day for Peace!

OUR RETURN TO THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE:

With possible rain and high winds predicted, and a good cloud cover in the early morning we didn’t know what we were up for, but the clouds parted, the sunshine goddesses showed up, and though the wind gusts were fierce at times, it couldn’t outdo our voracity for world peace on Mother’s Day!

It was a beautiful return to the bridge after being away for an entire year due to pandemic, and so great to see the “old-timers” and many new comers. About 2 dozen activists participated, including Renay Davis’ children and grandchildren and Marie Bravo led a public recital of Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation via “mike check.” Francis Collins offered songs, including Lennon’s classic, Imagine.

Continue reading →

World Bee Day | 20 May

Published May 17, 2022 | By editor

Why a World Bee Day?

By observing World Bee Day each year, we can raise awareness on the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and on the many challenges they face today. We have been celebrating this day since 2018, thanks to the efforts of the Government of Slovenia with the support of Apimondia, that led the UN General Assembly to declare 20 May as World Bee Day.

The date for this observance was chosen as it was the day Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern apiculture, was born. Janša came from a family of beekeepers in Slovenia, where beekeeping is an important agricultural activity with a long-standing tradition.

Today bees, pollinators, and many other insects are declining in abundance. This day provides an opportunity for all of us – whether we work for governments, organizations or civil society or are concerned citizens – to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their habitats, improve their abundance and diversity, and support the sustainable development of beekeeping.

Continue reading →

World Migratory Bird Day illuminates the dark side of light pollution

Published May 15, 2022 | By editor

Jakub Fryš Arctic terns spend the northern hemisphere summer between northern France, Iceland and Greenland.

Join the Local Peace Economy celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and help our feather friends have safer skies for their migration. The World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated twice a year, on the second Saturday in May and October, in recognition of the cyclical nature of bird migration and the different peak migration periods in the northern and southern hemispheres. It is organized by a collaborative partnership among the two UN wildlife treaties and the non-profit organization, Environment for the Americas (EFTA). “World Migratory Bird Day is a call to action for international migratory bird conservation,” said Susan Bonfield, the EFTA Director. “As migratory birds journey across borders, inspiring and connecting people along the way, it is our aim to use the two days in 2022 to raise awareness of the threat of light pollution and the importance of dark skies to bird migrations.”

Governments, cities, companies, and communities around the world are taking action to address a significant and growing threat to wildlife, including many species of migratory birds – light pollution. The issue is in the spotlight this World Migratory Bird Day, observed on Saturday, 14 May, under the theme “Dim the Lights for Birds at Night.”

Continue reading →

Turkey is Committing War Crimes in Iraq

Published May 8, 2022 | By editor

Bombed hospital in Safra, Iraq. Photo by Nancy Mancias

By Nancy Mancias

The war in Ukraine continues to escalate to unimaginable levels of harm and destruction. The Turkish President Erdogan acts as a mediator hosting peace talks between the Russian and Ukrainian governments. Turkey’s attempts to bring two warring parties to the negotiating table overshadows its unwillingness to hold peace talks with its foe, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Though Russia continues its military assault on Ukraine, there is little mention in the press of Turkey’s new military operations in northern Iraq.

This information might be new to some readers, but it is something the villagers of Safra have been living with for years. In 2020, the Turkish military destroyed a hospital that brought services to the remote mountainous region of northern Iraq. It has been two years, and the building sits empty with shattered glass on the floor and shrapnel marks on the inside and outside walls. So, where do the villagers go for medical assistance? Turkey’s borderless drones, helicopters, and fighter jets fly into Iraq with the excuse that it is fighting a war on the terrorist organization PKK. In actuality, it is hurting and harming the indigenous community of Iraqi Kurdistan. Continue reading →