We Missed UN World Peace Day but Jumped Aboard UN World Food Day

Originally, we had our sights on celebrating UN World Peace Day. The plan was to introduce Vancouver to the Possability of Peace through M's address to the UN on the occasion of the UN's 60th Anniversary. That opportunity came and went. Then UN World Food Day fell in our lap.


Even though I attended the event last year, I was not aware that through the efforts of some active local organizations, the City of Richmond has celebrated UN World Food Day for the last four years. I learnt of this from an email I received from my friend Arzeena who is very active in the community. I immediately saw the possabilities here and asked if TPRF could be involved. The answer was a welcoming "yes".


As a step in the direction M has proposed, the planning for this event went through the SAM - Service Area Manager - Udo. I figured the only way I would understand the value of SAM was to subject the project to the process. What I learnt was it is this was a way to work out as many "bugs" as possible in the planning stages. A time to ensure that the project would be "Service", in line with M's goals of propagation. The time to identify what roles would need to be filled to ensure the best possible experience for everyone involved. This consisted of me answering basic questions of HOW, WHEN, WHERE and WHY and Udo creating a project outline which became the message. The message was further refined by John from Communications and the Service Opportunity put out though Event Line for anyone to respond to ... first come, first served.


The positions were filled lickity split. Folks pitched in to arrange to have beautiful banners Fedexed up from Denver, post haste. TPRF counterparts over the border shipped up materials.
Others made themselves available to collect and deliver them.

More materials were downloaded off the website and laminated. Beautiful TPRF calling cards were created. Guidelines were sent and and the website trawled so we would be prepared to represent TPRF clearly and cleanly.

UN World Food day dawned crisp, clear and blue. We joined humanitarian organizations that came out that day to rally support for their causes.

The Health Board came to let us know they had rethought the food pyramid. The Poverty Responce team drew attention to the lack of Social Housing in Richmond. The Food Security Task Force promoted the whereabouts of local farms. Caring Place promoted their community meals. The Food Bank made their services known. We set up among good, caring people.

Outside a "pocket market" set up shop and folks stocked up on fall bounty and provisions for thcir Thanksgiving menues.

TPRF looked very presentable. The banners set the tone. They communicated effectively and looked very smart. We invited interaction by setting up a TV and a small viewing area and ran "Giving from the Heart" and "Food for People". At the table we set up a laptop as another viewing station.

Truth be told the event was not as well attended as we had hoped. A steady trickle of citizens wandered through scanning the booths. A few guests paused at the TPRF booth and gleaned what they wanted.

I took the opportunity to visit other booths, learn about what my community is up to, had some pleasant conversations and let people know about the worthy organization I was there to represent.

I found that when I relaxed and stopped waiting for "something" to happen and began to enjoy myself, I began to appreciate the wonderful event everyone had put together. I realized that really and truly we all cared and wanted a better world and had each come out that Saturday to tip the scale towards a positive outcome. I felt very warm towards these fellow humans. I enjoyed the folk singers and the chef plying us with his fall stew in bun bowls, the bounty at the pocket market. I appreciated my fellow premies who love Knowledge and loved making themselves available and present in that love. I had a great time and felt it was well worth my Saturday.

Everyone saw the TPRF name, the TPRF logo and got whatever first impression they got. We will see where it goes from there ....

With all willing hands on deck, we packed up and shipped out. A few of us made a detour to visit a wonderful auditorium a block away, in the Richmond Hospital. It seats about 200, has a retractable stage, a full screen, a projection room and fine wood paneling. Just in case ....

Susan