Yes, you can make a difference!

I received the newsletter (copied below) from the good people at Food and Water Watch – a watchdog site in the USA that enable people like you and me to make a difference on matters that concern us – safe food and water for the generations to come as well as ourselves. Being an “armchair acitivist” is easier with the internet, however it still takes an effort and requires us to pay attention, to read relevant information and to not become so overwhelmed that we feel as though it’s all too much and we then give up. That’s why I love sites like Food and Water Watch and Avaaz – they encourage and allow me to make a difference without becoming overwhelmed, I don’t give up and I can make a difference, so can you!


Let’s keep on doing it – together WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

FOOD AND WATER WATCH NEWSLETTER

As I prepare to share Thanksgiving with my family this year, I’ve been thinking about the many things I am truly thankful for, and you’re at the top of the list. Thank you for all that you do to protect your food and water.

When I started Food & Water Watch just seven years ago, I knew that we would face many challenges, and I could only hope that our then-tiny organization would be able to tackle them. Now, seven years later, while the challenges are still great, I am confident that thanks to our nearly 80 staff around the world, and half a million dedicated supporters like you, we can truly stand up and fight back to protect our essential resources.

The power of you and your neighbors working together has shown us throughout this past year that we can take on the corporate control of our food and water, and together we can win.

From shutting down Walmart’s support lines asking them not to carry genetically engineered sweet corn to helping Longmont, Colorado, become the first city in the state to ban fracking, you’ve shown both politicians and corporations that together we are strong and committed to fighting for what’s right. Additionally, supporters like you have helped us move our work forward on the state and federal level by:

• Taking over 1 million actions online, from asking state legislators for fracking bans to demanding that the FDA investigate pet food-related deaths
• Making nearly 40,000 phone calls to local, state, federal and corporate decision-makers
• Hosting over 350 events in communities all across the U.S., from film screenings and activist meetups to rallies and petition deliveries

As a result of all of this amazing work, we’ve shared many victories that our organizers are very excited to celebrate with you in the coming month. But, before we begin discussing all of the things we’ve accomplished, I wanted to take a moment and recognize the people who made our victories possible. It’s people like you, from Maine to California, who work tirelessly alongside our organizers to help advance our goals. You don’t do it for personal recognition, or money, but because you believe, like I do, that we must fight for the kind of world we want and not just settle for the best that we can get.

You inspire me every day, and help me see the incredible future that lies ahead for our movement. In fact, it was you that I had in mind when I wrote my latest book, Foodopoly, which is being released in December. You and I know that the food system is broken, and it didn’t happen by accident. A handful of corporations now control most of the food on store shelves, and we aren’t going to be able to shop our way out of this system.

I have often said that I wish I could thank each of you in person, and as I travel around the country in 2013 for my book tour, I hope that I will have the opportunity to meet many of you. But in the meantime, during a season that is predicated on giving thanks, I can think of nothing else that I am more thankful for than your involvement with Food & Water Watch, and nothing that I look forward to more than working with you in the coming years.

Thank you from all of us,

Wenonah Hauter
Executive Director
Food & Water Watch
act(at)fwwatch(dot)org