Buy Nothing Day 1997:
Report from Ottawa Canada

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From: [email protected] (Wellness Foundation) 

Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 08:29:14 -0500 (EST) 

Subject: Re: Buy Nothing Day 1997 - Action-report from Ottawa, Canada 

We took a slightly different approach, holding an evening showing our new video The Flowering of our Human Spirit - its healing time on planet earth.

(This suggests that economics and materialism is not the answer to the human journey. This thesis totally supports the concepts of Buy Nothing Day and "Affluenza" (Vicki- could we have your Email adress?)

This evening was very well attended and the publicity generated three radio interviews.

Buy Nothing Day also made one of the Canadian National TV networks - but I didn't see it myself.

It has also already led to some people making permanent life changes. Examples from Emails received include:

• "Your efforts have produced a real work of art. It is awesome!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! May it serve us all in perfect ways as caretakers of Mother Earth!!"

• "I know that I can't continue to work with "wealth creation for Canadian industry" as my highest goal, which is what I've been explicitly instructed to do"

• "For me, it's a small step towards sharing the idea that we are all responsible for the whole. Merci, and have a great week end!"

• It was doubly interesting for me because I've just returned from the conference in Mexico where a few keynote speakers touched on the same theme as is presented in your video, Jeremy. Also, I have almost completed my first reading of David Suzuki's new book, The Sacred Balance, where he too, emphasizes our collective neglect of urgent, global issues. His message, like yours is one of "guarded optimism". We can begin to turn things around if we aren't stupid enough to "cut off the branch we're sitting on!" Anyway, many thanks!!

• and to close the circle - we are busy as an NGO with Habitat issues - I even received the following message from Adbusters which got bulk posted to various UN networks (NGOCHS standing for NGO Committee on Human Settlements and UNDP standing for the United Nations Development Program):

  
  
  
  Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 10:06:46 -0500 
  
  From: SOS - New York  
  
  Subject: NGOCHS: Consumption Patterns: "Buy Nothing Day" 
  
  
  
  A Reminder, Regarding 
  
  
  
  CONSUMPTION PATTERNS AND PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR HEARTS ARE 
  
  
  
  "Celebrate BUY NOTHING DAY : November 28, 1997 
  
  A 24 hour moratorium on consumer spending-- 
  
   Participate by not participating!"
  
  
  
  >From Adbusters Media Foundation 
  
  1243 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6H 1B7 
  
  (604) 736 9401 
  
   
  
  http://www.adbusters.org 
  
  
  
  Let us be thankful for the real treasures in our lives, and in the cosmos! 
  
  
  
  Relayed by the CSD NGO Caucus on Science & Technology 
  
  
  
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  We concluded our evening and one of the radio interviews by asking people 
  
  to consider the real meaning of Xmas. 
  
  
  
  Comments: 
  
  
  
  I would say that Buy Nothing Day 1997 was a miraculous and outstanding 
  
  success. 
  
  
  
  One key suggestion for 1998. 
  
  
  
  I would suggest that a fact sheet(s), on the seriousness of the damage that 
  
  Affluenza / over-production - over consumption is causing to the only 
  
  planet we have, be prepared for and circulated to all participants in next 
  
  years events; 
  
  
  
  and that this fact sheet form the basis for media briefing and all radio 
  
  and TV interviews and possibly local hand-outs as well. This would give a 
  
  common global substance to the movement. 
  
  
  
  Heartiest congratulations to all, 
  
  
  
  Jeremy Wright 
  
  
  
  P.S.  The Canadian mail strike is over, and we have 'unfrozen snail mail'. 
  
  We did investigate alternate ways of shipping videos internationally from 
  
  the US and have managed to reduce the shipping cost from over $100 by 
  
  courier (to Europe and Down-Under) to the more reasonable US $6-$12 
  
  depending on destination. 
  
  
  
  If anyone is interested, PAL or NTSC, - $29.95 single copy; $25.00, 5 or 
  
  more; $19.95, 10 or more. Bulk shipping is also cheaper per copy. 
  
  

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