FreeTeaParty.org

I met Guisepi while I was strolling the Oakland Commune set up in front of City Hall protesting as the 99% movement. Guisepi hopped the curb with his bus and started serving tea. His variety and abundance of tea had no end. People flocked to the tea bus and before I knew it I was sucked into his world, drinking tea with strangers and sharing a blissful conversation over endless cups of tea.

Experiencing Guisepi’s world needed to be shared. I captured but a glimpse, and through this key hole the world of Edna (the Bus) and Guisepi is sure to spark questions and wonders about a man and his bus.

Thanks for the tea Guisepi!

Regards,
JAKE

freeteaparty.org

MISSION:
The Free Tea Party cultivates community and encourages dialogue about peace, environment, and health through actions like serving free tea.

GOALS:
- To bring people of all classes and colors, shapes and sizes, political beliefs and philosophies together in order to foster a connection between those who normally would never have connected in conversation. In this way valuable ideas can be shared and a human face can be put on people who one may have never related to before.

- As dialogue is the first step towards action, we wish to encourage conversation about peace, environment, and health in hopes that these ideas can be turned into concrete accomplishments on a personal, local, and global level.
ACTIVI-TEAS:
- Serving free tea to people on city streets, at parks, and at events from a traveling tea vehicle. Tea provides a relaxing, warm atmosphere for people to be themselves and comfortably share with others.
- Providing information and resources for people who are interested in learning more about tea, community, peace, health, and environment. One of these resources is a small library onboard the tea serving vehicle; another is the links section of the Free Tea Party website.
- Working symbiotically with organizations, people, and events creating a comfortable space for dialogue, readings, film screenings, music and tea, while participating in some of their objectives.
- Ridesharing both long and short distances, to and from events, cities, farms, and more.
- Documenting tea party conversations, performances, and people’s stories, with permission, by using voice recorders, video cameras, pen and paper, and cameras.

PHILOSOPHY:
- The Free Tea Party offers an alternative to, and a balance for, self-centered philosophies often fostered by our society. This alternative is based on the “gift economy,” or the idea that goods and services can be given without anything required in return. We believe that selfishness should be balanced out by selflessness.
- We also practice the principles of permaculture, nonviolent conflict resolution, and consensus decision-making.
- Although we are non-partisan, we support people, movements, and politicians who strive for positive socio-environmental change. Althought we are non-denominational, we respect core values and morals, as all religions are based upon a common ground. Although we are non-profit in the monetary sense, we see profit in the personal, social and environmental realms through our actions.

WHO IS THE FREE TEA PARTY?
FTP is anyone who participates; it is anyone who takes a minute to share conversation and tea; it is you and I. The “I” and “we” pronounced throughout the website represents Guisepi, Edna the tea bus, and friends.