When I read about folks engaged in peaceful, direct action, I am filled with so much admiration. My girl Shana sent me the link to the Canadian Save Our Prison Farms website [2] earlier this week. Neither of us had any idea that 1. there are prison farms in Canada or 2. they are in danger of being closed.
You'd think that foodie-activist types would be all over this, but have you seen how huge the topic of food security is? It's easy for things to slip by. The folks involved in Save Our Prison Farms are thoughtful and passionate. They recently organized a blockade of the Correctional Service of Canada's Regional Headquarters to send a "peaceful, but assertive democratic message for our government." And to think that I can barely block my rambunctious little nephew from escaping out the front door!
One activist sets the stage for the types of actions to come:
"Canadians have not given up the fight to save the prison farms," says Dianne Dowling, a member of the Save Our Prison Farms campaign and president of National Farmers Union Local 316. "We are peaceful, and will not disrupt any traffic except animal transports, but we will not let one cow or chicken leave our prison farm," Dowling said. "The prison farms provide a cost-effective training and rehabilitative program that works, helps inmates feed themselves, and makes our communities safer."
When I was living in Argentina last year, I was so impressed and inspired by the protests and direct actions taken on a daily basis by ordinary citizens to confront injustice and demand positive change. Sure, I know my way around a Canadian or American protest march or NGO, but what do I really know about direct action? Well, I'd say the Save Our Prison Farms movement is a great place to learn. Visit Save Our Prison Farms and TAKE ACTION [3] now!
Links:
[1] http://rabble.ca/taxonomy/term/2657
[2] http://saveourprisonfarms.ca/
[3] http://saveourprisonfarms.ca/you-can-take-action/
[4] http://rabble.ca/print/blogs/bloggers/melanieredman/2010/07/save-our-prison-farms#comment-1168394
[5] http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/sweetheartsoftheprisonrodeo/#
[6] http://rabble.ca/user
[7] http://rabble.ca/user/register
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo
In theaters: September 17th, 2010
Copyright © 2010 Cinema Purgatorio
Synopsis
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo goes behind prison walls to follow convict cowgirls on their journey to the 2007 Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo. In 2006, female inmates were allowed to participate for the first time. In a state with the highest female incarceration rate in the country, these women share common experiences such as broken homes, drug abuse and alienation from their children.
From 1940 - 2008, the Oklahoma State Penitentiary held an annual ‘Prison Rodeo’. Part Wild West show and part coliseum-esque spectacle, it was one of the last of its kind - a relic of the American penal system.
Prisoners compete on wild-broncs and bucking bulls, risking life-long injuries. For inmates like Danny Liles, a 14-year veteran of the rodeo, the chance to battle livestock offers a brief respite from prison life.
Within this strange arena the prisoners become the heroes while the public and guards applaud.