International vegetarian Union - International Vegan Festivals

from The Vegan Winter 1989:

Vegans International
The 5th International Vegan Festival will take place in the eastern province of Gelderland in Holland from 21 to 28 July 1990. Hengelo is approximately 2 hours (by public transport) from Amsterdam. Accommodation will be available in a large old country-house now used as a vacation and conference centre. Good food, an interesting programme of lectures, workshops, information on vegan societies from all over the world, entertainment, cycling, tours, dancing and singing are on offer. Further details will be available shortly. Organizers: The Dutch Vegan Society, Postbus 1087, 6801 BB Arnhem, Netherlands.

1/4 page advert - The Vegan Summer 1990:

THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL VEGAN FESTIVAL
Hengelo Gld, Holland
21-28 July 1990

Discussion, music, sport, lectures, good food, peaceful surroundings.

Lectures include:
Nutrition and Health, Dr. Alan Long
25 Years of Veganism & Plamil, Arthur Ling
Is Vegan Agriculture Sustainable? Susan Millington

Organizers: The Dutch Vegan Society, PO Box 1087, 6801 BB Arnhem, The Netherlands

Details: The Vegan Society, 7 Battle Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN3 7AA. Tel. 0424 427393

5th International Vegan Festival
Holland, Hengelo, Het Kervel, July 21-28, 1990
Organized by Cor Nouws.

Attended by over 90 people from 10 different European countries, Australia, Canada and the US.

Most people were accomodated in the old mansion, but others camped in the grounds, and fortunately it did not rain that week. The conference centre had a chapel. Satisfying vegan meals were served by the staff of the conference centre who were Seventh Day Adventists.

The Festival was very efficiently organized by the Dutch Vegan Society - Cor Nouws, Marjo Disseldorp and Peter van der Eynden.

The official language was English. Much was crammed into the week's programme. - Activities ran in parallel. As well as lectures, workshops, and videos, there was music and dancing, day trips, cycle tours and non-competitive games.

Workshops covered topics such as, animals in religion, vegan kitchens, infant nutrition, breast feeding and fasting. The videos included "Food for a Future", "The Man of the Trees" (Richard St.Barbe Baker), and one with Jay Dinshah of the American Vegan Society speaking with great passion and uplifting energy on Ghandhi's Truth Force.

Arthur Ling and Sandra Battram represented the Society at the Festival. Arthur reports . . .

The scene of the Festival was at Hengelo which is approximately a 2 1/2 hours train journey into Holland - a country where the population per square kilometre is even higher than that of the UK.

We were delighted to find on arrival that there were 12 other vegans from the UK (most of whom we knew) together with Stefano from Italy, Francisco from Spain (who had attended the Plamil Half Marathon) and Kirsten Jungsberg from Denmark who I had met previously in England. There were also vegans from Canada, USA, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Australia, Italy, Sweden and Denmark - as well as the larger contingent from Holland. Attendance mus have been around 100 and it was a marvelous experience to share the time with so many vegans from around the globe.

Throughout the duration of the Festival there were lectures and workshops with delegates being free to attend or just socialize as they wished. I had been asked to speak about Plamil's 25 year history and Plamil being the world's first vegan company. I was able to link this in with the early days of the Vegan Society here in the UK when it was far more difficult to be vegan. However, it emerged that vegans in many countries still find it difficult to practise their beliefs - there is no vegan society in France, and a young lady from Belgium was very concerned that she could not get vegan footwear in her country.

Sandra took some Vegan Society merchandise and publications - t-shirts, a number of copies of the Cruelty-Free Shopper and The Caring Cook, plus current issues of The Vegan (all the magazines were snapped up). As a result it is anticipated that the Society can expect more members from overseas.

Congratulations should be extended to Cor Nouws, the energetic secretary of the Dutch Vegan Society (formed 11 years ago) who had worked solidly and meticulously since last November to organize the Festival. This was the 5th International Festival with earlier ones being hosted by Denmark (twice) Sweden and Germany. Of these the Swedish Vegan Society seems the most energetic with some 1600 members and an estimated 6,000 vegans in the country.

When is the next Festival to be held? On Friday morning the delegates discussion took place about the most suitable venue. The concensus of opinion seemed to favour either Italy, Scotland or England. In the event it was agreed to ask this Society to consder organizing a Festival - preferably in 1992 - subject to it being able to take on the bulk of the work. Any volunteers?

I probably have the privilege with my long association with the Vegan Society and my work at Plamil to have come into contact with more vegans than most (and how they differ!) but it was a rejuvenating experience to share in the International Festival and to meet so many vegans from different countries at one gathering. It is an experience I am sure you would regard as one of the highlights of your life; so be sure to attend the next Festival!

International Vegetarian Union (IVU)