Name:
John Davis
Gender:
male
John Davis
Description:
John Davis was a pioneer of vegetarianism on the internet from the first days of the world wide web in 1994. He maintained the first websites for VSUK, VIVA and EVU as well being involved with many others in the mid-90s, and he built the first IVU website in November 1995. In 2006, after many years of working for IVU, he was designated as IVU Manager. The last few years have seen some major reorganisations to enable IVU to maintain its leading role in world vegetarianism into the 21st century, including improvements in financial and business links. He is particularly proud to have had the opportunity to support the first vegetarian congresses ever to be held in Africa, thanks to funds raised by IVU. Throughout this time he has also been researching the history of IVU, partly for presentations at the centenary congress in 2008, along with general vegetarian history, all supported by members of the ivu-history email group. The results of this now run to about 10,000 historical files on the IVU website. In September 2010 he was coopted as a Trustee (member of the board of directors) of the Vegetarian Society UK, with a particular brief on history, international affairs and the internet. Over the years with IVU John has attended congresses and other events in many countries, including Australia, Brazil, California, China, Dubai (UAE), Germany, India, Italy, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. He lives in rural England.
Recent Comments
Seascapes
glad you liked them maryu, here goes:
1 - Arabian Sea, Juhu beach, north Mumbai, India
2 - Arabian sea, Gujarat, India
3 - Alantic Ocean, southern Brazil, near Florianopolis
4 - as above
5 - Arabian sea, Goa India
6 - Meditrranean, rock of Gibraltar, foreground Spain, background Atlas Mountains, Morocco
7 - Pacific Ocean, Venice beach, Los Angeles
8 - Indian Ocean, Bali, Indonesia
9 - Sydney Harbour, Australia
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| February 11, 2011 2:19 PM
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replied to comment from maryu
| February 11, 2011 2:19 PM
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Gandhi - and the launching of veganism
The following was sent by Bill Shurtleff of the Soyfood Info Center in California:
Few people are aware of Gandhi's interest in and work with soyfoods in India.
In our SoyaScan database we have 65 records from 1929 to 2011 about Gandhi's work with soybeans and soyfoods, and 35 records from 1929 about his work with soymilk.
On 24 Feb. 1929 George Washington Carver (Tuskegee, Alabama) wrote a letter to a Dr. Charles Freer Andrews, an Anglican minister who worked closely with Gandhi, first in south Africa and later in India. He concludes: "A peanut emulsion can be made in the same way as that recommended for the soy bean, and is a little richer in food nutrients."
Andrews had previously visited Carver in Tuskegee in Feb. 1929 for 10 days and learned how to make soymilk and how to develop a healthful [vegan] menu that contained soymilk.
Carver apparently introduced Gandhi to soyfoods. By Feb. 1929 Gandhi almost surely knew about soymilk and had probably made and tasted it in India.
Gandhi first began to write about soyfoods, in order to introduce them to India, in Sept. 1935, in Harijan.
He wrote about soyfoods in articles and books from Sept. 1935 to 1949, 4 articles in Harijan and sections in two books: (1) "Food Shortage & Agriculture" (1949), and "Diet and Diet Reform" (1949).
I find these writings both accurate and inspiring - always in the context of a vegetarian diet striving to be vegan by finding an alternative to dairy milk.
This full story is available free of charge in our recent PDF book "History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in South Asia / India (1656 to 2010)" on our website: http://www.soyinfocenter.com
Throughout India (which is now the world's 5th largest soybean producing country), Gandhi is considered to be "The father of soyabeans in India." - Bill Shurtleff
Veg*ism in China
the white t-shirts had the congress name and logo on them, we have close up photos of people in them. I wasn't there so I don't know how many were bought or given out. Some down the side are in yellow, probably the volunteer ushers etc.
The pants are not quite all black, presumbaly they were just asked to wear black for the photo.
fair comment daisy, though there is perhaps a difference in the botanists' 'plantae' and the way us common folks use 'plant' - and even the botanists only separated fungi from plantae as recently as 1969...
However, as the potential for nit-picking could result in an almost endless list of 'optional extras' - maybe for the definition we should revert to the commonly used 'plant based diet' which implies things other than plants on top of the base.
Some of us were concerned that it could also allow any type of animal product above the base, but we need to keep the IVU definition concise, even if the result is deliberately a little ambiguous.