DurantBS@state.gov

12/13/06

Will Allen to London to Address the Royal Society May 7 to May 11

Dear Ms. Durant,

I am thrilled to write to confirm Will’s availability to visit London May 7 to May 11 and participate (as a speaker?) in the Royal Society event on May 9th.

I would like to flesh out the details of all of this as time goes on.

For starters, please let me know what you would expect of Will in terms of speaking at the event and other encounters.

Also, please let me know how much it would cost for myself to attend as Will’s assistant.

Here’s an informal web site I’ve been updating to track Will’s great contribution to the “community food movement.” Lot’s of great photos.

http://milwaukeerenaissance.com/GrowingPower/HomePage

The Vision

Growing Power inspires communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time.

The Mission

Growing Power, Inc. is a non-profit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds and the environment in which they live by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food. This mission is implemented by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

Sincerely,

James J. Godsil
Board Member, Growing Power
http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godsil/JamesGodsil
Durantbs@state.gov

12/14/06

Dear Ms. Durant,

Would you have any objection to my letting the media know about the State Department and Royal Society’s interest in Will Allen’s Growing Power methodologies?

Here is something I would like to send:

State Department and Royal Society Invite Will Allen to Give London Address on “Growing Power: Urban Agriculture and Localizing Food Production and Distribution in the U.S.”

From a State Department Official’s letter of invite to Will:

The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers, and Commerce(RSA) wants Will Allen of Growing Power as a speaker for its 2007 Lecture Programme. The RSA is the most prestigious forum for discussion of environmental topics in the UK.

http://www.rsa.org.uk/

The RSA is planning a panel discussion on food and sustainability as it relates to communities and entrepreneurship for April/May 2007. They, and we, feel that Will Allen would be a perfect U.S. participant to present a U.S. perspective alongside 1 or 2 UK experts.

Proposed Topic: “Growing Power: Urban Agriculture and Localizing Food Production and Distribution in the U.S.”

From RSA Web Site

The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce - commonly known as the RSA - was founded in 1754 by William Shipley, a painter and social activist, on a manifesto “to embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine arts, improve our manufactures and extend our commerce”.

Today the RSA’s work is framed by five manifesto challenges that reflect the original mission in 21st-century terms. These challenges are delivered through a portfolio of projects and a lecture programme consisting of over 100 events every year. It remains an independent, non-aligned, multi-disciplinary body, supported by 25,000 Fellows and registered as a charity in England and Wales.

Primarily based in London, the Society also has a number of regional Fellowship groups around the UK and across the world.

The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce runs a programme of projects and lectures based around five manifesto challenges:
Encouraging Enterprise
Moving towards a Zero-waste Society
Developing a Capable Population
Fostering Resilient Communities
Advancing Global Citizenship
more at…

http://www.rsa.org.uk/

We are exploring the feasibility and costs of a Milwaukee, Chicago, and Wisconsin group to join Will on this trip. Please let me know if you are interested in being in this loop, via e-mail to Godsil@MilwaukeeRenaissance.com.

Sincerely,

James J. Godsil, Board Member
Growing Power
http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godsil/JamesGodsil