9th Annual ZeGeVege Festival: lectures and workshops
For the fourth year in a row ZeGeVege festival is enriched with all-day lasting free program that will consist of cooking workshops, food preparation and tasting, professional consulting, attractive lectures, practical workshops and similar educational programs. Interesting lecturers, nutritionists and experts in certain areas will make this ZeGeVege festival an unforgettable experience.
The program will be carried out continuously during the festival which runs from Friday, September 2 (from 9 am to 9 pm) to Saturday, September 3 (from 9 am to 7 pm) at the main square in Zagreb.
Friday, September 2, 2016
9 a.m. Video projection ''Ticking bomb''
10 a.m. Nikolina Plenar - pancakes without eggs (workshop)
11 a.m. Mag. Nutr. Ivana Simic - Plant-based diet during pregnancy (lecture)
12 p.m. Vesna Sirovina (Melli Aromatica) - Natural facial mask and body scrub (workshop)
1 p.m. Vladimira Vlatka Frketic (Makronova) - Light meals made from gluten-free cereal (workshop)
2 p.m. Tatjana Zajec - from stray dogs to veganism and mountaineering (lecture)
3 p.m. Jelena Tomasevic - Green juices and superfoods as a healthy meal for everyone (workshop)
4 p.m. Snezana Milovanovic (Animal Freedom) - Veganism in Serbia and BeGeVege movement (lecture)
5 p.m. Gordana Dragicevic (Parkticipacija & Croatian permaculture) - Permaculture - the path to sustainable society (lecture)
6 p.m. The collective “Sjemencice” - Recycling cuisine (workshop)
7 p.m. Ivana Rukavina and Mislav Skrepnik - “Power is in the herbs” (lecture)
8 p.m. Ksenija V. Kutlacic - Hen haven- Animals from another perspective (lecture)
Saturday, September 3, 2016
9 a.m. Video projection ''Meat the truth''
10 a.m Anita Euschen - Spremi klopu project: Zucchini fritters with corn and mint (workshop)
11 a.m. Ph.D. Lada Cale Feldman - Palunk’s dinner: about veganism, feminism and literature ecocriticism (lecture)
12 p.m. Mihaela Devescovi - Healthy raw desserts (workshop)
1 p.m. Tamara Dabic (Makronova) - Macrobiotic principles in veganism (lecture)
2 p.m. Irena Miksic - Seitan: tasty substitute for meat (workshop)
3 p.m. Marina Milkovic - Why is veganism a feminist issue? (lecture)
4 p.m. Irina Jurinac (Zdravljak) - Vege Tapas - love at first bite (workshop)
5 p.m. Vedran Romac – The price of organic meat (lecture)
6 p.m. Udruga Pobjede - Volunteering. Activism. Solidarity. Nonviolence (lecture)
Nikolina Plenar - pancakes without eggs (workshop)
Everyone who loves pancakes will be delighted with Nikolina Plenar’s workshop where she will show how to quickly and easily make delicious pancakes without eggs or dairy products. Although eggs are traditionally used in making pancakes we will learn that they are not required for it or any other dish in which they are usually used. Plus, Nikolina will show us how they can be replaced. Workshop attendees will be able to taste pancakes filled with delicious savory and sweet fillings.
Mag. Nutr. Ivana Simic - Plant-based diet during pregnancy (lecture)
Are you planning or already expecting a baby and you want to provide the best beginning for its growth and development? Many expectant parents, as well as those who plan to have children have many questions on what the best diet is during pregnancy for the child and the mother. The lecture will answer the following questions: Can I be vegan during pregnancy? In what foods are folic acid, iron and calcium found? What should I eat specifically during pregnancy? How can I prevent or ease morning sickness? What does my baby need to grow healthy? How much vitamin B12 should I take? Mag. Nutr. Ivana Simic will provide answers to these and many other frequently asked questions, as well as helpful tips on vegan pregnancy and nutritional information on plant-based food.
Vesna Sirovina (Melli Aromatica) - Natural facial mask and body scrub (workshop)
Melli Aromatica produces natural soaps, bath salts, body scrubs and soy wax based lip balms which doesn’t contain any ingredients of animal origin and are not tested on animals. ZeGeVege visitors will be delighted with plant-based glycerine soaps with the scent of lavender and ZeGeVege Festival’s logo. During the workshop, production of face masks and body peeling will be demonstrated in order for the skin to remain fresh and nourished after sunbathing. Everyone will get a small soap made of clay.
Vladimira Vlatka Frketic (Makronova) - Light meals made from gluten-free cereal (workshop)
In various situations, including those related to nutrition and health, we tend to look for the cause of "all our problems." Wheat and gluten are among the most common “called out” ingredients due to higher rates of intolerance and the various health problems they cause. Throughout this demonstration of gluten-free grain recipes, cooking teacher Vladimira Vlatka Frketic, will show how to eat in a diverse way by using ingredients which naturally don’t contain gluten. We will learn more about whether we really need to avoid gluten and in which cases. Plus, the workshop will cover how to creatively prepare gluten-free meals.
Tatjana Zajec - from stray dogs to veganism and mountaineering (lecture)
Dr. med. vet. Tatjana Zajec is the head officer for Croatia’s largest no kill shelter for abandoned animals “Dumovec” in Zagreb. Not only does she help sick and abandoned dogs and cats find a permanent home, but as a vegan, she saves many other species every day. Find out how love from one veterinarian towards dogs led her to respect the lives of all animals and how a vegan diet merged with a great love of jogging, climbing, mountaineering and alpinism.
Jelena Tomasevic - Green juices and superfoods as a healthy meal for everyone (workshop)
For the past five years, Jelena Tomasevic has shared her experience through workshops and consultations for those who want to incorporate green juices and superfood in their everyday life. She does this through her work at the Green Hut vegan restaurant & raw cuisine as well. Many who have included this kind of meal on a daily basis, or several times a week at least, have experienced a positive change and gotten rid of or reduced fatigue, poor digestion, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, skin problems and PMS problems. Plus, they have much more energy and feel happier, healthier and more energetic. Food is no longer a problem of weight and dependence but instead, nature that helps us to be in conjunction with ourselves, our health and the planet we all live on. You will be able to taste all drinks at the workshop.
Snezana Milovanovic (Animal Freedom) - Veganism in Serbia and BeGeVege movement (lecture)
Last year, Animal Freedom Association organized a one-day BeGeVege festival in Belgrade that was visited by 5,000 people, which gave veganism in Serbia a practical dimension. Money made during the festival was used to feed and care for rescued cow Alma who, after use for practice at the Belgrade’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine would have been sent to the slaughterhouse. President of the Association Snezana Milovanovic will hold a lecture on the connection between the idea of veganism and practical life and the continued activism of the Association members. This activism includes specific actions for animals, nature and vegan nights with ongoing production support by BeGeVege. This activity has included many interactions on the Facebook page “Animal Freedom” which has more than 86,000 likes and BeGe Vege with over 7000 likes, as well on the pages Do not eat us, Green Monday and BeGeVege festival. This year's three-day BeGeVege Festival on 7, 8 and 9 October 2016 will be announced.
Gordana Dragicevic (Parkticipacija & Croatian permaculture) - Permaculture - the path to sustainable society (lecture)
Permaculture is a practical design of sustainable systems. With permaculture, we can design farms, households, neighborhood and cities. Permaculture designer and activist Gordana Dragicevic will show that the permaculture means much more than decorating your garden with beams and straw and that it can be applied in the city just as well as in the countryside. It is possible to organize a society in which we meet our own needs without creating waste. It is possible to improve the environment and to build healthy relationships. Permaculture is a new, sustainable culture!
The collective “Sjemencice” - Recycling cuisine (workshop)
We reflect on food and our relation to it during (and after!) this recycling cooking workshop (we can do wonders with yesterday's lunch remains and discarded fruits!). Workshop subjects will be very serious (food waste, poverty, climate changes and the overall (in)justice), but with a sentiment of optimistic activism: through our personal example in everyday life we want to show gratitude, solidarity and fairness, as well as eliminating the prejudice of a vegan diet as being expensive and a demanding way of life.
Ivana Rukavina and Mislav Skrepnik - “Power is in the herbs” (lecture)
Mislav Skrepnik, a certified fitness instructor, and Ivana Rukavina, a social pedagogue, nutritionist and Plant-Based Nutrition program participant at Cornell University are a vegan couple who share the same love of bodybuilding, nutrition and creating carefully designed plant-based recipes that enrich their Facebook community “Power is in the herbs” daily. During their lecture they will try to showcase all the acquired knowledge and scientifically proven facts about the importance of plant-based nutrition and its impact on the body. Throughout their own life time-machine, they will show what it takes to become a Vegan Walking Billboard (what Ivana calls Mislav).
Ksenija V. Kutlacic - Hen haven- Animals from another perspective (lecture)
To truly get to know the most exploited animals on Earth, we need to meet them in places that are a safe natural environment, appropriate to them, and for their relationships to each other and to people. Such places are called havens or sanctuaries. In Slovenia, the association “Koki” made the first small sanctuary which is home to animals rescued from farms. Culturologist Ksenija V. Kutlacic, who lives with them in a small village, will present stories of individual animals - Dora the pig, Misa the cow, Frida, a chicken, Tacka the duck, Alexander, a turkey, and Mary the lamb along with many photos and videos, and will talk about their character, life and relationships. We'll find out how these animals changed the world of people who came to visit as well as changing Ksenija's life. That’s why it is so important for veganism not to lose intimate contact with the animals that we are fighting for.
Anita Euschen - Spremi klopu project: Zucchini fritters with corn and mint (workshop)
A lifelong animal rights activist, Anita Euschen is mother to two adult children who have been vegetarian since birth and cooking workshop leader for healthy plant-based children's meals. Anita will prepare delicious vegan fritters. Fritters go well with various vegetables, potatoes, millet, rice etc. In addition to being quick to prepare, they are made with very cheap and widely available ingredients. The results of primary school children who prepared the recipe as part of the "Spremi klopu" project will be presented at the workshop, along with an explanation of why it is important to implement healthy eating habits in children from an early age.
Ph.D. Lada Cale Feldman - Palunk’s dinner: about veganism, feminism and literature ecocriticism (lecture)
A popular professor at the Department of Comparative Literature at Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb will talk about everyday, literary and theoretical common grounds between veganism, feminism and ecocriticism. The lecture will combine personal experience of a vegan diet, criticism of ''The Sexual politics of meat'' (C. Adams) and literature, specifically Mazuranic’s fairytale - Fisherman Palunko and his wife. Can you understand literature as a specific ecological cultural link? In the case of a fairytale, it is a story primarily intended for children, which is important for the development of their ethical and aesthetic sensibility. The lecture will discuss connections between Fisherman Palunko and his wife with humanity, sex, animals and art, and to explain why it is important for the fairytale to begin and end while talking about the same thing - dinner.
Mihaela Devescovi - Healthy raw desserts (workshop)
''The healthiest cakes and cookies must be tasty and sweet, but naturally sweet'' says Mihaela Devescovi, author of a hit cookbook and editor of www.sirovahrana.hr. editor. During the workshop, she will prepare creamy and delicious cakes from her new cookbook ''Sweet passions'', with no sugar, flour, eggs, margarine or butter. Everyone who likes sweet things will enjoy tasting these healthy desserts.
Tamara Dabic (Makronova) - Macrobiotic principles in veganism (lecture)
Prof. of psychology and director of educational institutions Makronova, Tamara Dabic, will tell us more about the principles of macrobiotics in the vegan diet. We'll find out how to use exclusively plant-based food to maintain balanced and diverse nutrition, learn about yin and yang (basic principles of macrobiotics) and why it is important to base nutrition on seasonal, whole and organic food. We'll find out more about the basics of the macrobiotic lifestyle and all the positive influences that macrobiotics has on our physical, mental and spiritual health and vitality.
Irena Miksic - Seitan: tasty substitute for meat (workshop)
What is seitan and how can you prepare it? A favorite teacher of many elementary school students, Irena Miksic hasn’t eaten meat for more than 20 years and loves to cook. In this workshop, she’ll tell us more about seitan. Plus, she'll demonstrate how to use it as raw material for a variety of tasty, inexpensive, fast and nutritious meals, which is exactly what we need from our diet in our fast-paced modern lifestyle. She will also demonstrate how to prepare several seitan dishes which visitors will be able to taste. Last, she'll discuss new trends in diets based on gluten-free food.
Marina Milkovic - Why is veganism a feminist issue? (lecture)
Among feminists, many significantly different views on speciesism exist. While a number of initiatives point out a permanent link between feminism and veganism, others do not perceive the use of animals as a problem. Third parties use the exploitation of animals in an attempt to elicit their own emancipation and the demonstration of power. What is the connection between the phrase ''women are meant to be mothers'' and ''animals were created to serve man''? Why does language that objectifies and/or insults women often include phrases such as ''piece of meat'', ''stupid chicken'', ''fat cow'' ... What does the term “rape rack” in the artificial insemination of cows mean? Why is vegan life a feminist way of life? Marina Milkovic, psychologist, vegan and feminist, will discuss these and other issues in this lecture.
Irina Jurinac (Zdravljak) - Vege Tapas - love at first bite (workshop)
Legend says that tapas were created by a Spanish king when he imposed a law that beer must be served along with tapas to increase the probability that builders, who tend to drink beer, finish their working shift on their feet. True or not, in the last few hundred years tapas have grown from a simple meal to a separate culinary branch, as a well known and popular finger food. Irina Jurinac from the Association Zdravljak will show how to creatively prepare snacks with high quality seasonal food, how to combine them with other ingredients, how to incorporate them into part of a comprehensive meal for celebrations, meetings or simply for your own pleasure and how to plate and present them to even the most demanding of travelers and leave them speechless.
Vedran Romac – The price of organic meat (lecture)
Growing food for human consumption is directly linked to a number of environmental problems. The effects of the meat industry on soil, water, air, on increasing greenhouse gas emissions and on climate change are hidden behind the finished product, beautifully served on a plate, deflecting attention from the ugly truth that is increasingly coming to light. The most direct, most effective, but at the same time the easiest way in which an individual can help save the environment is to switch to a vegan diet. Vedran Romac, a social worker and longtime activist for animal rights, will share more about these benefits, in addition to information from the brochure “Food and Ecology'', on which his lecture is based.
Udruga Pobjede - Volunteering. Activism. Solidarity. Nonviolence. (lecture)
Volunteering and spending time with abandoned dogs opened the minds of volunteers from Osijek’s Udruga Pobjede, which has a no-kill shelter in Nemetin, and it led them into the unknown - into activism. In addition to daily help educating of their small community and the general public about the importance of responsible treatment of dogs, activists there committed to the care of Archie and Lilja, the two most famous and most beloved pigs in Croatia. Awakening to nonviolence happens when a person becomes aware of violence as our reality. During this emotional lecture, you will be able to hear about volunteering, activism and solidarity and how it can create a non-violent and better world for us all.