Eating For Peace

How would you like to raise money for children in countries victimized by war, and get meat-eaters to try vegetarianism for three weeks at the same time?

The "Meatout" campaign asks people to give up eating meat for one day. But, as if to do the "Meatout" campaign one better, "Eating for Peace" is asking people to give up meat for twenty-one days. "Eating for Peace" is a new organization that is organizing a twenty-one day "Veg-A-Thon" which raises pledges in a way similar to the "Walk-A-Thon." The difference between Veg-A-Thon and Walk-A-Thon is that instead of the sponsors pledging money based on the number of miles walked, sponsors pledge money based on the number of days in which a meat-eater gives up meat. All proceeds will be used by UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) for humanitarian assistance to children in some of the two dozen countries where wars are currently being fought.

The Veg-A-Thon will be held from June 1 to June 21, 2004. During the Veg-A-Thon, meat eaters around the country will be giving up meat and collect sponsor pledges (like in a Walk-A-Thon) for each day they abstain from meat-eating. Everyone who registers will receive a packet containing a sponsor sheet, an Eating for Peace button, a information about a vegetarian diet, discount coupons for vegetarian products, and collection of vegetarian recipes. If you raise at least $100 in pledges, you also get an "Eating for Peace" T-shirt.

I asked Phillip Crawford, who is coordinating this effort, how we are going to find meat-eaters who are willing to give up eating meat for twenty-one days in the first place? And in the second place, assuming we can talk a meat-eater into this, how is the meat-eater supposed to recruit people to give money to this cause?

"Most vegetarians know plenty of meat-eaters," says Phillip. "Co-workers, friends, family, etc. I tried this as a pilot program last year and signed up 20 friends and acquaintances. They ended up raising over $3000 for UNICEF (an average of over $150 each). It was fairly easy for them to raise sponsor money from their family and friends. Most people are happy to give money to support groups like UNICEF. Based on my success last year, I decided to take it nationwide and enlist the efforts of vegetarian activists around the country."

There is, of course, another benefit to this besides raising money for UNICEF: it introduces the person doing the good deed to vegetarianism. After twenty-one days as a vegetarian, this person is likely to have a lot more information about vegetarianism than they did before.

If you are interested in Eating for Peace, check out the web site at www.eatingforpeace.org, or contact Phillip Crawford in San Francisco by calling 415-902-2392 or sending him e-mail at info@eatingforpeace.org.

-- Keith Akers