New York, NY (March 13, 2013) – On March 13th, Mary Blue Hastings, founder of Farmacy Herbs Community Health and Education Center in Providence, RI, was a panelist at the United Nations 57th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW57). The Commission’s theme was the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.
Last year Hastings former student brought Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely for a tour of Farmacy Herbs. During the visit Hastings instructed on creams and carrier oils and together the class made a facial cream so that each student would bring a sample home. It was during this meeting that the Queen Mother invited Hastings to join The Onward and Upward Panel Discussion.
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At the United Nations, Hastings spoke about the challenges of being a woman organic farmer and business owner, how herbs can support both acute and chronic trauma, and how to empower victims and survivors to reclaim their health care through herbal healing. Hastings said that, “planetary health is directly related to self healing and intentional daily practices can help heal ourselves, our communities, and the earth.”
Hastings shared the story of a woman who first came to Farmacy Herbs a day after she had been raped in her home. She said, “The herbs are what saved me, what gave me control back over my body and health. The therapy of working directly with the plants and taking my health care into my own hands changed my life.” For the next two years the woman volunteered in the gardens and learned to make herbal products. She has since had a baby and is now in college.
Farmacy Herbs employ an alternative business model that focuses on health justice and sustainability through herbalism, nutritional healing and organic farming. Its herbal products are created by its work trade students as part of their herbal studies. The products are used to educate the community about the everyday uses of herbs. The goal of the business is to create affordable access to natural healing practices for everyone regardless of gender, race or social status.
For more information on Farmacy Herbs visit their shop at 38 Cemetery Street, Providence, RI or visit online, http://farmacyherbs.com/.
Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely is the Community Mayor of Harlem, the Ambassador of Goodwill to Africa, and the founder and President of New Future Foundation Inc. She carries on the legacy of Queen Mother Audley Moore, who passed in 1997, as The Queen Mother of All African Peoples (African Descendants) in the North Americas. Queen Mother Dr. Blakely helped to memorialize more than 100 million Africans who died in the Middle Passage of the Trans Atlantic Ocean.
For more information on New Future Foundation Inc. visit: http://newfuturefoundation.com/
The Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women. Every year for ten working days, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide.
For more information on the Commission on the Status of Women visit, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/57sess.htm.
