Urban gardening and local food presentations this fall

Two presentations by Lisa Heldke, Department of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College, are scheduled for this fall. Learn more below and save the date! Space is limited for both events. Please RSVP to j r h o d e s 4 [ a t ] i n d y . r r . c o m

Monday 28 September 2009
3:00 PM-4:15 PM
IUPUI, Campus Center (CE) 309420 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Cultivating Cosmic Patriotism by Cultivating Cosmos: Urban Gardening and the Creation of Community (pdf)

This essay considers urban gardening as an important contemporary setting in which to cultivate what Jane Addams calls "cosmic patriotism," an alternative to the patriotism of the tribe, and a form of patriotism characterized by a commitment to multiculturalism, humanitarianism, and internationalism. Community gardens, "guerilla gardens," and other collective, urban agricultural ventures offer the very sorts of urban settings Addams argued were crucial for the nurturance of such patriotism: a pleasurable, or recreational setting in which city residents could share their knowledge and culture with each other in a spirit of play and openness. Heldke will discuss these issues in an informal afternoon session.

Monday 28 September 2009
Reception: 6:00 PM
Lecture: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Lilly Auditorium (on lower level of IUPUI University Library)
755 W Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
(Parking is available at the North Street Garage, 819 W. North St. Bring your ticket to the event for a free validation stamp)

Staying Home For Dinner: Ruminations on Local Foods in a Cosmopolitan Society (pdf)

Reflecting on the decision to eat locally produced food suggests that ethical decisions cannot be cast as individual choices between two clear alternatives. When we seek morally unambiguous choices, we focus our ethical energies in the wrong place. The moral focus of our ethical decision-making should fall on building communities because the importance of any choice we make lies in the relationships that give our choices context. Food is an especially rich intersection of relations and so provides many opportunities to reflect, connect, and imagine more democratic communities. Recognizing these opportunities leads us to see ourselves not as food consumers but as food citizens who seek to enact and transform our relations through not only our purchasing and eating choices but also through our collective work in organizations that promote healthy, just, fair, safe, and delicious food systems for all people.