The Change is Us, Part 2: More Democracy for Food System Transformation

Democratic empowerment has been identified by Food Solutions New England (FSNE) as a critical attribute of the food system we are creating. And yet, democracy can take many different forms. Whether it’s participatory decision-making systems, direct democracy in the management of your organization, cooperatively owned businesses, or simply engaging more fully with the mechanisms of civic life – like voting and advocacy – the potential benefits for our food system are immense.

Join FSNE for this round table discussion on the critical role of democratic empowerment as we collectively build a sustainable, just, and resilient food system that works for everyone.

This time around we are hearing from Migrant Justice (worker-led initiatives), New England Grassroots Environment Fund (participatory funding models), Cooperative Development Institute (cooperative businesses and enterprises), Why Hunger (food sovereignty connections), and with special guest Ceasar McDowell, Professor of Civic Design at MIT.

You will hear about many expressions of democratic empowerment and participatory structures, be inspired to engage with this work, and fired up to leverage more forms of democracy for food system transformation.

This session will be conducted in English with closed captioning and will be recorded for later viewing.

Facilitation by Karen Spiller (UNH Haas Professor and KAS Consulting), Curtis Ogden (Interaction Institute for Social Change) & Lisa Fernandes (UNH)