Celebrate Earth Day with a FREE CARROT!
Can’t ya just smell it? No, not the overflowing dumpster on the corner, I’m talking about the wondrous scent of Change, it’s all over. Each day, I encounter an increasing number of social activists/advertisements, all stretching out their arms and eyes, inching persistently for their own ideal form of change within the structure of which they exist. Besides reflecting some sort of dissatisfaction with certain aspects of daily life and societal habits, this attitude towards different forms of “change” represents the human race’s recognition of responsibility to fix the broken and mend the shattered. This energy towards initiating and executing change is what perpetuates the activism cycle around all of us. Yet, it is rather interesting (and sometimes unsettling) the apathy and indifference one encounters when on the path to launching societal change. Although the best way to avoid naysayers and pessimists is to ignore them, allow me to take the opportunity to say; Your regressive attitude is not only lame, it’s becoming largely outnumbered.
•As promised, me and few others wrote, wrapped, and taped 50lbs of carrots (about 400) and handed them out to numerous passerby’s, vendors, and folks sitting around enjoying many of the festivities of the day. A few people had already heard of the Carrotmob in Philadelphia and were excited to see us promoting. Although I was rather fatigued from running around and having explained the Carrotmob “concept” over a hundred times over the course of the day; I had a great time meeting tons of new local friends and learning about different activism going on in my community!
1. We’re a grassroots consumer movement, aiming to restructure the means and mindset behind why we purchase goods from any given business.
2. The movement started in San Francisco and proved to be extremely successful, it has been adapted Nationwide as well as Internationally and continues to gain headway.
3. This method of mass-consumer power manifestation is suitable for ANY type of store for ANY type of service with competition and with a larger, multi-mob congregation, we can start to target corporations and large companies where 500 customers isn’t a very large amount.
4. The only qualifications needed to participate are: a) Must be a consumer and b) Must live in the local area of the Carrotmob. Unless, of couse, there isn’t a mob, in which case you can set your own up very easily at Carrotmob.org
5. We are non-partisan, and use NO negative tactics. We avoid waste by minimizing paper and flyer output and rely heavily on non-print means of networking and advertising. We represent a movement that needs to threaten none, our influence speaks for itself with our spending/buying potential.
6. We aim to have the consumer habits of the conscious, Eco-friendly, non-wasteful, and communally beneficial be reflected in our economic atmosphere, rather than the chaos and haphazard trends currently characterizing the global economic character.
7. We choose to consume from places not because they are the CHEAPEST, or MOST CONVENIENT, but; BECAUSE THIS BUSINESS IS WILLING TO BE THE MOST RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR PROFIT, our earned capital. Each and Every time a purchase is made, a profit is also being made on one end of the transaction, why not know where our money is going? It seems only fair that since we (the consumer) are spending our earned income on goods daily, that we may have some say or partial control on how our money is spent once we supply to a business of our choice.
–I hope these pointers help when yr trying to trim down the length and concise nature of the Carrotmob pitch you’ve been working on…
In other news:
We’re organizing a Carrotmob PARTY.
The purpose of this event is to have a social gathering dedicated to networking those who are willing to get involved with the CM as well as create an opportunity for new people to meet local activists.
Live Music, Food, Drink, and other Carrotmob Themed Activity are Planned!
But there’s a catch: Only the Carrotmob conscious can attend.
If you want to bring somebody, INFORM THEM; DROP SOME KNOWLEDGE.
Someway or another, an Invite will make its way to you (in person), or yr emailbox.
ALL ARE WELCOME; but if you show up expecting to not talk about Carrotmob, we will be sad.
Soon I’ll have up the bands who are playing and the activities planned.
EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO GET INVITED AND YOU KNOW I DON’T HAVE YR INFO. (carrotsofphilly@gmail.com)
There are a lot of new things brewing, and soon I want to get a date for the first Carrotmob! Its almost about time…
I’ll be seein ya,
-tonyFmont.
why dont you want people to just show up? what if people you dont know at all wanna be involved?
Actually Anna, YR right! I’ve been considering it and I’ve decided to let everybody come! At first I was fearing people showing to “party” and not learn anything/experience new things, but on second thought, WE’RE JUST GOING TO CREATE AN AWESOME ENOUGH ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE FUN, ENJOY FRIENDS AND MUSIC, AND HAVE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE ALL IN ONE!!!!!!!!!!
I have been told (by an employee) that Uhuru is a front organization for Mumia Abu Jamal, who was convicted of killing a police officer (three times), and has never uttered one word to his own defense, in or out of court.
We remain impartial to the surrounding turbulence of those who we indirectly somehow associate near or around; we are not in the position to speculate another’s involvement in matters completely unknown by us. Earth Day Festival was a great chance to observe a community in progress, everybody was having a good time shopping, selling, or just hoola-hooping around Clark Park, and as somebody trying to gain the atttention of the earth-conscious population of Phialdelphia, took an (obvious) opportunity to get the word out.