Grub Not Grass

Divine Leaders Inc. has launched a program to help eliminate food deserts in the greater Houston Metropolitan Area. The mission of the program is to increase sustainability of low-income communities by taking grass lawns and developing them into ecologically and economically sustainable urban gardens and edible landscapes.

Purpose
Grub Not Grass was created to economically develop private land in neighborhoods with ineffective land use practices and poor access to healthy produce in Houston, TX. Divine Leaders will use the advantage of large landscaping areas of personal homes, businesses, schools, and churches to cultivate urban gardens and edible landscapes.

The goal of Grub Not Grass is to organize open land that is attached to personal property, business, and institutions to cultivate and grow food in areas used predominantly to grow grass or other inedible plants. A team of growers, pickers, packagers, and retailers will work together to grow and distribute fresh produce in areas presently known as food deserts.

By administering the project Grub Not Grass, Divine Leaders Inc. will:

• Improve the efficiency of land use by grow and distribute food in areas known as food deserts.
• Demonstrate, consult, and teach how growing gardens can revitalize low-income communities.
• Use a communal growing space to sustainably employ low-income individuals.
• Increase the supply of quality produce and agricultural products in food deserts.
• Create and operate “Open Markets” for local growers to supply food directly to local consumers.
• Improve the overall quality of life (economically, psychologically, and physically) for individuals in food deserts and low-income communities.

Grub Not Grass is a program that will cultivate and grow food on the property of participating land owners. A gardening agreement will be made between property owners and Divine Leaders Inc. to grow a particular group of crops over a period of two years on their land. All participating land owners will have an option to participate in a food sharing program. After food is picked from separate locations, excess food will be shared with other food sharing participants. The remaining produce will be sold in our own community, farmer’s markets, open markets, and vending booths at different events and locations. To find out how you can participate in this groundbreaking project contact Divine Leaders at 713.396.0001.

#MGLG Mixtape

                                        

Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden: The Mixtape

The Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden and Food Co-op Program (MGLG) is a joint venture in Southeast Houston, TX operated by Divine Leaders Inc (a nonprofit organization) and The Shrine of the Black Madonna. The purpose of the MGLG is to liberate residents of "food deserts" from the inefficient and unhealthy food distribution system that exists in neighborhoods of the lower economic class. This task is accomplished by growing locally sustainable food and distributing it directly to residents of our own "food desert". A "food desert" is any community where there is an abundance of unhealthy processed foods and fresh organic produce is scarce or completely unavailable.

The administrators of the MGLG have recently decided to create another aspect of feeding the community. We are currently preparing to feed hungry souls through the ministry of music. In June 2012 Divine Leaders Inc will release The MGLG Mixtape. This Mixtape will be a compilation of songs by independent artists from across the country. It will be packaged along with educational facts of why it is important to grow your own food or simply support/start your own local garden. As the founder of the MGLG and Divine Leaders Inc it is my pleasure to complete the trinity. We are now offering healthy food for your body, action provoking thoughts for your mind, and beautiful melodic tones for your soul. All this is being done to raise funds to continue to expand our operations in a community and "food desert" near you.

 

One Love! Full Time!

                    

Plant of the Month: Red Clover

Red clover

We grow red clover in the MGLG for two reasons, it is a living mulch and healing herb. Mulches are important when growing food in Texas because of the long hot summers. Any type of mulch helps conserve water for your crops because it prevents the soil from receiving direct sunlight. When direct sunlight can not reach the soil, it allows the soil to remain moist for longer periods of time. In addition to covering the soil, red clover is a legume seed. Legumes are important because rather than depleting nitrogen from the soil in your garden, they add nitrogen to your soil! Not to mention that red clovers invasive tendency also helps keep other harmful weeds from growing prominently. In short, as living mulch, red clover protects the soil from direct sunlight, conserves water, and puts nitrogen into the soil.

In terms of a healing herb red clover is known as a blood purifier. Red and pink flowers from red clover plants can be dried and used as teas or taken in pill form.




The uses for red clover are:

• Hot flashes/flushes

• PMS

• Lowers cholesterol

• helps prevent osteoporosis

• reduces possibility of forming blood clots and arterial plaques

• can limit development of benign prostate hyperplasia

• Breast enhancement and breast health

• Improve urine production

• Improves circulation of the blood and secretion of bile

•  They also act as detergent, sedative and tonic

Red clover has the ability to loosen phlegm and calm bronchial spasms. The fluid extract of red clover is used as an antispasmodic and alternative.

Source: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-red-clover.html

The MGLG 2nd Anniversary Fund Raiser

The Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden 2nd Anniversary Fund Raiser & Seed Swap

Over the course of the past two years The Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden and Food Co-op Program (MGLG) has served the purpose of combating food deserts and teaching about alternative methods for food security. This purpose has been accomplished directly by supplying our community with healthy produce. The MGLG has also accomplished this task indirectly by demonstrating and teaching community members how to grow food on their own property using alternative growing methods.

This celebration is very important not only for our project, but it will be very influential for gardeners across the Houston area because we will be hosting a Seed Swap. The Seed Swap is a network of local sustainable farmers/gardeners who harvest their own seeds. As a part of the program these growers gather twice a year (right before the spring and fall) to exchange their seed with each other. This network is PHENOMENAL for two reasons! First, growers now have the capacity to know exactly where there seeds come from and who produced them and growers are able to speak with the actual person who grew the crop to find out what method works best to render the best results. Second, the seeds acquired at a seed swap are adapted to our local climate!!! This increases the chance of the productivity of the seeds because it is being growing in a very similar soil and climate from which it was originally produced! The vast majority of our crops last year were harvested from our own crops in the previous year or acquired from previous Seed Swaps.

As we are embarking on the beginning of our third year, we are in need of assistance of the community to help us attain two large items that are essential to our continued expansion. We need to build an irrigation system and purchase a storage shed. These two items are needed in addition to our basic purchase of soil amendments and other garden tools or supplies. Therefore we would appreciate if you made a Pledge of Support to the cause and purpose of the MGLG. The Pledge Drive will end on the day of our 2nd Anniversary. Other than the deep satisfaction of making a direct impact in the health of a community, you can see what tangible rewards are available for your support of The Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden and Food Co-op Program.

Pledge Amount Reward

$1 - $10 Information pamphlet on MGLG and how to start personal garden

$10 - $20 Potted vegetables to grow at home

$20 - $50 A pair of MGLG gardening gloves

$50 - $100 A fruit tree dedicated in the name of the person of their choice

$100 - $200 A section of the irrigation system dedicated to the person of their choice

$200 - $500 A one year membership to the Co-op Program and acknowledgement at each garden event.

$500 or more A permanent member of Co-op Program and acknowledgement at upcoming garden events.



Pledge Amounts between $1 and $200 will receive all rewards of their pledged range and the preceding pledge.

Pledge Amounts between $200 or more will receive the rewards of their pledge and a choice of two rewards in the $1-$50 range.

If you would like to pledge or donate any amount of money to The MGLG your danation can be processed at http://themglg2nd.eventbrite.com/. Your support is welcomed and greatly appreciated!

For more information on how to show your support Cavanaugh Nweze @ cnweze@hotmail.com or 832-262-8019

www.marcusgarveyliberationgarden.com

www.divineleaders.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/DivineLeaders

www.twitter.com/DivineLeaders

My Journey Since My Departure

Since departing from my accounting position at CITGO Petroleum I have had the opportunity to embark on many different endeavors. I have taught a couple of gardening classes, traveled at will (both business and leisure), installed a garden at a middle school, formulated and helped organize a community garden program in Florida, devised a community garden plan for an independent Philadelphia mayoral candidate, expanded my own gardening program, and have come within 12 hours of attaining my masters degree. Some of these projects were paid jobs; others were purely volunteer work, paid only with a great amount of satisfaction for my soul.


Immediately following the end of my corporate position I was a part of a summer camp program at Key Middle School. This was the first gardening class I taught. As a part of the program and with the help of the children we installed a vegetable in the school’s courtyard. Not only did we build a garden, but we taught children about healthy eating habits. The second garden class I have taught was a part of an after-school program at Cornelius Elementary School. I was invited to participate in the program by a brother in the community who coordinates another local community garden called Muhammad Organic Farm. To have the ability to teach children how to grow their own food and being able to observe their excitement in the growth of vegetables has been a wonderful experience.

As I stated earlier, some of my work has led me to St. Petersburg, FL. I was invited by the Uhuru Movement to speak at a local community convention about a vision for a program I created called “Grub Not Grass”. The mission of the program is to increase stability and genuine economic development of low-income communities by converting vacant lots and personal grass lawns into ecologically and economically sustainable urban gardens. My presentation was very well received and during my stay in the area we went to work immediately to make this mental vision into a physically visible sight in the surrounding communities of St. Petersburg. We created at least 10 gardens as a part of the program and met with a couple of other land owners who were interested in being future program participants. Immediately following my presentation at the convention, I met a gentleman named Diop Olugbala. This brother had recently announced his plan to run for Mayor of Philadelphia and wanted to combine my vision for “Grub Not Grass” as a part of his campaign platform.

To receive a request to combine my vision with a mayoral campaign was quite an honor. So we had a couple of meetings and a month or so later I was on my way to Philadelphia, PA. Before my arrival I was briefed on the policies of police containment in Philadelphia and how $2.9 million annually was being spent by the present administration to imprison black and Latino youth. So we took that same $2.9 million and created a budget to convert at least 40 lots per year and employ (at the minimum) 396 young people in low-income communities of Philadelphia. The budget we created was just another form of the program called “Grub Not Grass”.

I have been blessed to be a part of many opportunities and to have more time to dedicate to my own personal endeavors. I have expanded my own community garden program close to a half of an acre, if not more. Also, I have restarted my masters degree program and have come to within 12 semester hours of completion. However, these great achievements have not come without encountering a few disappointments and hardships. There are more than a few endeavors which did not come into fruition for many different reasons. On my own behalf some financial and judgment mistakes have been made. Not to mention, I encountered a foundation problem at my home that put a nice size dent in my personal budget.

Despite the mistakes and inconveniences, I consider it all a very enlightening experience to be able to indulge in the endeavors in which I have. I have been able to learn many different things; most of these things have been about me. In terms of my immediate future, I will very soon be finished with my masters degree and will start the process to receive my CPA license. To do this and many other endeavors I must once again increase my income stream. So, I have begun to actively look for a more traditional accounting position and other opportunities to have the ability to bring even more of my dreams and desires into fruition.

Ujamaa - "Cooperative Economics"

Habari Gani??!?!


Ujamaa!!!

The term Ujamaa is Swahili for “cooperative economics”. It is a term that is practiced very little in the black community. Even personally, I am working harder to learn how to be more economically cooperative in my own community. This term should not only be thought of and promoted during the celebration of Kwanzaa but in everyday lives of citizens of the international Black community.

Therefore, I chose to take this time to challenge you to not only recite, celebrate, or talk about this term or principle for a short period of time. I would love for us all to practice what we preach!!! Yes! You and I both can show more financial support of our own endeavors. There is one project that I am quite fond of and dedicated to, that project is called The Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden. (For those unfamiliar with the project please visit www.marcusgarveyliberationgarden.com)

In the course of administering this service to our community we are rapidly approaching our third year of service. Just as last year, each moment that passes represents another step we must take in becoming more diligent and efficient in providing the greatest amount of benefits to the community in which we exist. To be able to feed more families and continue to increase the supply of healthy produce in the middle of a food desert, we need your support in the terms of “cooperative economics”.

We have grown a great deal since we first planted seeds in our garden in March of 2009. In the time of our existence we have expanded from a garden of 325 square feet into the size of a small farm with a cultivated area close to a half of an acre, if not more. To continue growing at the rate that we are, we will always be in need of your financial support. Our current situation calls for us to purchase a storage shed and supplies to install an irrigation system. These two tasks are not the easiest things to do, nor are they out of our reach with the support of wonderful and beautiful people just like you!

We all hope that you choose to practice “cooperative economics” by making a financial contribution to our project. Regardless of whatever it is that you choose to do, please remember we are not the only community organization that could use your financial support. Most importantly, remember that money is not everything. The assistance of your two hands, your creative ideas, and your ability to spread the good news about any project is just as meaningful as any financial donation that can be made. Your thoughts, prayers, physical assistance, and moral support are worth more than anything that can be printed on paper and has the capacity to create a currency of our own. The currency of Love! So give Love! Cooperate Economically!!! However, don’t just give your money; give your community a piece of yourself!



For more information on The Marcus Garvey Liberation Garden contact Cavanaugh Nweze @ cnweze@hotmail.com or (832)262-8019.

The History of Globalization 1950-2000’s

I was taking notes on this topic in an International Trade and Business class. Very good information, so I thought I would share and make this information available for everyone.

Here it is...

Per capita GDP – national output per person


In 1950 the US had half as many people as Europe and almost the same share of the world economy.

20% of the world’s population controlled more than 50% of the entire world economy. While the other 80% of world population only accounted for roughly 40% of the world economy.

China, India, and Africa all had about 4% of the world economy. Since China had 22% of world population and only 4% of the economy means, on a per person basis, China was poorer than both India and Africa.

Year 1950 % of World Population, Share of World GDP

US 6%, 27%

Western Europe 12%, 26%

USSR 7%, 10%

Latin America 8%, 8%

Japan 3%, 3%

China 22%, 4%

India 14%, 4%

Africa 9%, 4%



2006 % of World Population, Share of World GDP

US 5%, 22%

Western Europe not given, not given

USSR not given, not given

Latin America 9%, 8%

Japan 2%, 7%

China 20%, 10%

India 17%, 5%

Africa 12%, 2%



Please note that in 2006 Japan and China more than doubled their share of the global economy. India’s share increased as well. All emerging country’s share of the global economy increased between 1950 – 2006. All, except Africa. The global economy increased eight fold in this period of time, but the distribution of wealth is still majority owned and controlled by industrialized nations. These same industrialized nations use their large amounts of capital to continue to economically oppress the continent of Africa.

The Roots of Globalization

New Global Institutions

• WTO –World Trade Organization

• IMF – International Monetary Fund

Goal: “To foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty”

-1945 International Monetary Fund at Bretton Woods

• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – World Bank

International Policy Changes

There was a change in the attitude towards international trade. Countries began to believe that if one country had economic relationships with another, they would be a much smaller chance of those countries going to was with one another. For example, the European Union, Germany is least likely to invade a country that it is financially dependent upon.

Changes inTechnology

Speed of travel and shipping of goods.

The spread of telephones, fax machines, then internet.

New global institutions, international policy changes, and changes in technology all brought the world much more inter-related.



By 2006 world population has doubled, but the approximate population shares between countries stayed relatively the same. The Global Economy grew almost 8-fold between the years of 1950-2005. The average economic world output per person almost tripled in 50 years. The World economy shifted towards Asia.

The wealth gas between the US and Asian countries (China, Japan, and India) shrunk. The wealth per person in the US was 10 times higher than the wealth person in Africa in 1950. By 2006 the wealth per person grew in the US 25 times more than the wealth per person in Africa. Remember, in the 1950’s numbers show Africa was higher than India and China. Now, we can no longer say that is the case.

Exports used to account for 7% of a given countries income in 1950. Now, 25% of a country’s income is made from exports. In the mid 2000’s, the US economy is attracting $700-800 billion a year from financial investors outside the US.

The Diminished Role and Power of the US

The extreme dominance of the US is diminishing. In China and India, the standards of living can double every 8-10 years. This type of growth is not only happening in China and India, but there are other East Asian countries, Brazil, and even some countries in Africa. Economic growth of the first 10 years of the 2000’s will probably be one of the fastest economic growths in human history. These enormous gains are also paired with enormous challenges. Challenges such as equality, lasting poverty, fairness, lack of food.

In the next few decades China will pass the US as the largest economy in the world. The Us will still be richer on a per person basis, but China has almost four times as many people of the US. If this type of economic growth continues, by 2040, China will be financially stronger than US, Western Europe, and Japan combined!

With these changes, global economic growth will no longer depend on the US, the US will no longer control the pace of change, the US will no longer control oil prices due to a much larger demand in developing countries, the US does not have overwhelming power in commercial technology, the US does not control the flows of international financial capital, US does not control the value of its own currency (controlled by buyer and sellers of financial markets). For the US there will be a long going loss of power and control of the world economy!