According to Dan McDonald, ‘there’s no place like home’ and most of us would agree unless you’re homeless, of course. That was the name of his keynote speech in Kansas City. Highlighting the issues around homelessness and what we can do to end it.
McDonald delivered his speech at the annual National Sheriff’s Association 2022 conference. It was designed to raise awareness of how the police deal with homelessness and people who live on the streets. It also highlighted the fact that jails are becoming the largest homeless shelters in many communities.
The cost implications of this for the taxpayer.
McDonald called for better responses to the issue of homelessness. He suggested ways in which the authorities and local communities could develop cost-effective, legal and compassionate approaches. Such as the development of police homeless outreach teams for dealing with the issue.
In a recent article, PolicyAdvice highlighted the problem of homelessness in the US. The figures cited in their article suggest that the estimated number of homeless in the US is over 550,000.
They also quoted other alarming statistics. Including the average life expectancy for a homeless person being just 50 years of age. Also, the fact that 20% of homeless persons are kids!
But it’s not just the US that has an issue with homelessness. In the UK more than 274,000 people were classed as homeless in England in December 2021. As reported by Shelter, the UK housing and homelessness charity.
However, according to research by Policy Advice, the homeless problem in the US is on a downward trend. Permanent housing interventions have grown by 450% in 5 years. Dan McDonald has raised awareness of homelessness and helped to find ways to ease the problem.
On the other side of the Atlantic on exactly the same day that Dan McDonald delivered his speech. Another homelessness champion, Amy Varle, was making her keynote speech in Manchester in the UK. At Housing 2022, the award-winning annual conference hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing.
This conference attracts thousands of attendees and is Europe’s largest housing event. This year it hosted 450+ speakers, one of which was Amy Varle. Amy wrote the strategy to end homelessness through Housing First. It was rolled out by ex-Prime Minister, Theresa May, back in 2018.
Amy was at the conference to talk about roll-out of Housing First and her personal journey to bring to UK.
Amy has created a pilot platform where housing providers and support agencies came together. To work toward reducing the problem of homelessness.
They ran a calendar of digital events to give members the chance to meet, socialise and learn from each other.
The motto of Socially Homes is ‘Let’s End Homelessness. Together’. The initiative was launched at Downing Street in September 2021. When Amy who lived in a homeless hostel herself at age of 16, met with then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
The digital membership platform will be rolled out in the UK over the next ten years. Amy predicts that, during this time, it will help tens of thousands of homeless people. She hopes that within the next fifteen years it will reach 1 billion people across the world.
Amy is no stranger to the issues of homelessness and rough sleepers in the US. In 2016, Amy met with leaders of US homeless organizations in New York and San Francisco. Based on her findings, she published a white paper of policy recommendations on her return to the UK.
As part of the global roll-out, Socially Homes is due to arrive on US shores soon. Amy is already in discussion to trial her social networking-for-social-good concept internationally.
Have you ever thought about how the world would look like with total monopolization of every sector? Especially those bordering around the basic needs of man namely: food, shelter, and clothing?
It is very disturbing that such systems of injustice prevail around the world. It has continued to plague the middle and low class in society. A great deal of injustice is meted out to the poorest and most vulnerable in communities especially rural areas.
Indigenous farmers are most affected as they can be impoverished and monopolized.
Policies and corruption also play a key role in the dwindling supply of agricultural products in the market. This has profoundly led to hunger, starvation, malnutrition, poverty, loss of jobs, and death.
Vandana Shiva is a pioneer from India, and heroine of the modern seed-saving and organic food movements. This was the key to the launch of the international tree-hugging movement. It built the resistance to the Green Revolution that has failed on its promise to feed the world. Vandana has also mobilized hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers to protest against multinational control of agriculture.
It was Vandana who blew the whistle on hundreds of thousands of farmer suicides in India. Her custody case was taken to the Indian Supreme Court and she managed to get the law changed to allow rights for mothers.
She’s the author of more than 25 books. Her talks have had millions of online views but no one has told her life story on film until now!
The focus of Shiva's work has been to promote biodiversity in agriculture. This is in order to increase productivity, nutrition, and farmer incomes. In what way did Monsanto's worst nightmare turn into the willful daughter of a Himalayan forest conservationist?
The Seeds of Vandana tells the story of how she stood up to industrial agriculture Goliaths. How she rose to prominence in the ecological food movement, inspiring an international movement for change.
At par with Shiva’s work, The Peoples Hub has over time engaged and supported indigenous farmers. Helping them to create a community that has birthed several campaigns in areas of agriculture, social injustices, and poverty alleviation. By creating and supporting smallholder farmers out of poverty with the necessary facilities they need as opposed to giant farms.
In Africa, some of their campaigns include carrying out investment in traditional breeding. Also, staple crops such as sorghum, millet, and cassava. Mostly ignored by big seed companies. They mostly train small-scale farmers in sustainable and ecological farming and as well support them for the continuous farming cycle.
Farming organisations on The Peoples Hub address different agricultural issues. A good example of this is Ethical Farming Ireland which is a non-profit organization fighting to end factory farming. It consists of a group of volunteers who share this vision and aim to improve conditions for farm animals.
Ethical Farming Ireland' is an organization that works to improve the conditions of farm animals and that of the environment. It's stand is that all animals deserve a life free of pain and stress. All animals should be able to fully carry out their natural behaviors, including caring for their young. By doing so, we will be able to get animals back into the fields from factories. It also means an end to long-distance transport and live export.
The food system has been broken since around the end of Second World War. Farming became more intensified with little regard the welfare of the animals. No concern was given on how they were being raised for food or the catastrophic effects on our world. Two-thirds of the decline in wildlife over the past 40 years has been attributed to food production. This accounts for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions around the globe from animal agriculture.
Mega crops that we could eat ourselves are planted to feed farm animals. Large areas of the Amazon are being cleared to grow these crops . As well as provide grazing space for cattle. Runoff from fields heavily sprayed with artificial fertilizers and pesticides is creating huge ‘dead zones in our oceans and lakes.
However The Peoples Hub is helping grow a movement of farmers who want to bring about change by regenerative farming. They are generally small-scale livestock and crop farmers that use their livestock and other farming methods to re-wild the land.
We can repair our soils and reduce global warming by shifting to more plant-based agriculture and agro forestry. Whether we're vegan, vegetarian, or meat eaters, we need to reduce the amount of meat, dairy, and fish we consume. As well as support small, sustainable farms and stay away from intensively agricultural produce.
The Peoples Hub made reasonable impact in areas of organic farming, food systems, health, equality and poverty alleviation. Through collective voices, art connection and by bringing people together across social media. Bordering around building brilliant food systems, we created great food communities. These include Hillfarm Oils, Soil Sisters Farm, Fink Street Food, The Marshmallowist, The CHAOS Group. Also, Farm Europe, The GrowHaus and Foodari who brought positive impact in society.
After meeting Vandana Shiva almost twenty years ago. Becket Films, a Californian and Australian production company, asked if they could film her journey. Knowing her life embodied the notion that "one person can make a difference". She agreed. In addition to revealing Vandana's evolution as an activist against global food giants. The film also exposes the state of affairs today. As industrial food contributes up to 40% of carbon emissions, while pesticides harm soils, water systems, and biodiversity.
Globally, more than two billion people are food insecure. In contrast to the narrative that industrial food is essential for feeding the world. The ecological vision Vandana presents for food and agriculture relies on the regeneration of the environment and human democracy. We hope that Vandana’s extraordinary story will act as a catalyst for greater awareness. Also, we hope it will inspire people to be part of the change.
Seeds of Vandana Shiva is actually a must watch, and is one of the producers most ambitious projects to date. It sheds a lot of light on her journey towards seed democracy. How she stood up against seed giant companies such as Monsanto. Hence, an account of her journey, The seeds of Vandana Shiva will be on our screens soon.
The Peoples Hub is encouraging individuals and organizations to engage in community screenings. If you're interested in showing this film then please do get in touch. The overall cost will be less than $500 however the difference this will make at ground level, is priceless!
