Hello social superheroes, far and wide 👋
Get ready for your fortnightly feast of social and environmental finds that I’ve discovered or re-visited over the last couple of weeks. Eat your heart out!
1. Who I’m following: Next Gen Men – I have just loved following their work over the past year. Too bad they only work in Canada! Their tone and approach of working with boys and men to combat traditional masculine stereotypes and behaviours is as inspiring as it is critical. Sign up to their newsletter to watch how this kind of work should be done: and check out their just-published list of 8 Documentaries on Masculinity, Patriarchy, and Change.
2. What I’m pondering: UK charity foundation to abolish itself and give away £130m – I am fascinated by this move from a UK charity. I’m told acts like this are more common in the States. What do you think? Are many foundations perpetuating capitalist and colonial histories? Or do they serve an important redistributive role in a world where governments fall short?
3. What I’m watching: Short fundraising video by Hassan Akkad and The Bike Project – Love this short and highly comedic video directed by the wonderful Hassan. An inspiring example of how to change-up the bog-standard call to action video for charities whilst also doing a brilliant job of challenging misinformation.
4. What I wish I could invest in: Farming microbes instead of animals – Whatever you do, give this video a watch, narrated by the absolutely lovely George Monbiot. Don’t already know what Precision Fermentation is, and how it’s going to change the world? After this video, you will! This is a mind-blowing revolution in food production. Watch this space!
5. What I’m cooking: 🍅 Fermented Ketchup 🍅 – Those that know me know my living room is alive with a host of fermentation projects. My favourite recently is fermented ketchup. It’s a delicious, cheap and very Heinz-like product that takes hardly any effort! Here we go: soften 300g of shallots and a bit of garlic in a pan. Chop and add 2kg of tomatoes. Cook them on a low heat with a lid for 1-2 hours until soft and really broken down. Once cool, add a spoon of kimchi if you have some to hand, weigh the whole liquid and add 6% of salt. Put it in a big jar with an airtight lid (covering the top of the liquid with some greaseproof paper to protect it from air) and leave away from sunlight for 30 days whilst it anaerobically ferments. 30 days later, add 800g of sugar and 800ml of white vinegar. Liquidise it if you like your ketchup smooth. Consume within 1 year. (Recipe adapted from LOVferments).
📣 Callouts from my network
📣 Connections (email me!) with journalists focusing on animal abuse to cover an urgent story
💰 Fellowship for entrepreneurs from and working with refugee communities
🧡 Trustee (Fundraising Lead) at Refugee Biriyani & Bananas (where I’m also a Trustee)
📱 Honest Mobile – kudos and money-saving when you join the UK’s most sustainable mobile network (use my referral code: jacobwarn1994)
That’s it for this week. Please let me know your thoughts and feedback – and send anything you’d like me to include in upcoming editions this way.
