Buy Nothing Day 1999:
Report from Vienna

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Dec. 5, 1999

Like the years before we celebrated BND on a famous shopping highway in Vienna. And it was great like ever!

Four of us were dressed as Santa Clauses, but they weren't very active - they rested in deck chairs, played chess, invited passerbys to take also a rest.
We also handed out (waste)-paper with "kauf nix" (buy nothing) or "take a rest - buy nothing" - in six different languages - (hand)written on it. One of us played and sung in a terrific manner the "Kauf Nix Song"...great show, Hiasi!!!
Food Not Bombs gave for free vegan food to the passerbys.
We had an information desk with fixed information material.
And there was one guy with sandwichboard (me) who was really enthusiastic in inviting and letting the crowd know that we celebrate buy nothing day... Media were there and interviewed, made pictures, filmed.

It was a good idea not to hand out leaflets, folders or anything like that. I like it that we didn't buy anything (nearly) for the buy nothing day, that we used waste- instead of bought paper and that we printed just a few leaflets for the media.
I also like it that we (BND-actives) were just about 8 to 10 guys and girls (including Food Not Bombs). I think my positive feeling would change, if we had been a group of 20 or more...maybe because it would be too big, too offensive, too difficult for the passerbys to open up themselves for our invitation/strange ideas...this has maybe also a non-violence aspect...

If economy doesn't change fundamentally within the next four weeks and even not within the next 357 days, I'm sure we will also celebrate BND2000...

Best wishes,
Ron from Vienna

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