This is a platform for our affinity group, our squat Positivenest, our projects like Program Awakening, and the videos and posters manufactured by Spirit of Squatters Collective and a few others. Our idea is to bring a lot of positive messages and constructive solutions to the alternative movement. We try to avoid pessimistic news, except when we are fighting for freedom of speech. Real life starts when we turn off our computer, our tv, etc. If you want to contact us, email mgriks@gmail.com
Even een eerste berichtje. Een uitgebreider bericht volgt spoedig, maar we waren vandaag nog druk bezig met de laatste arrestanten te ondersteunen. Direct na de Climate Games werd hard gewerkt aan het monteren van deze compilatievideo die we jullie niet willen onthouden. En natuurlijk de uitslag niet:
Winnaars:
1. Team AusgeCO2hlt 2. Team Peppi en Kokki3. Team Fossielvrij
Alle spelers, supporters, vrijwilligers, Rampenplan voor het eten, Antarctica en Beats Against Coal voor het mede mogelijk maken van de After Party, allemaal zeer bedankt voor deze geslaagde dag! We zien jullie vast weer terug bij de Climate Games 2015 (en andere acties natuurlijk)!
Of bekijk foto's en meldingen die tijdens de Climate Games gemaakt zijn op een plattegrond.
Here You can see video:
More videos would come as anvulling under this post
Making of this video, like most of our videos, is our way of showing solidarity. And since solidarity is stronger when it is seen by as many people as possible, please spread this video! Pass it on to anybody who could be interested! Feel free to embed, link, send and screen it etc. Use it, don't loose it! Reclaim the media with us!
Spirit of Squatters Collective is always trying to support and report on good things that are happening around us. We try to being you some news every day, but because of time constraint and lack of (wo)manpower this is not always possible. Our biggest problem is that we don't have enough time to edit or film the videos. That is why we need YOU to help us! You can email us at mgriks@gmail.com
Real life begins when you turn off the tv, when you turn off your computer! See you in the streets, see you at the actions!
Watch! Read! Think! Realize! Talk! Communicate! Listen! Defend! Destroy! Create! Change! Get inspired! Unite! Reclaim the media with us! Join us! Fight for Your rights! Love!!! Squat!
Volgens de organisatoren van de 'Climate Games' gaan zeker 15 teams uit binnen en buitenland mee doen aan wat zij omschrijven als ' levend stratego met een kolencentrale' op 14 juni. Daarnaast verwacht de organisatie veel toeschouwers die de deelnemers komen toejuichen. De Climate Games teams gaan proberen om de kolencentrale van NUON en de OBA kolenoverslag binnen te dringen om vlaggen te plaatsen in een 'spel' waarmee ze punten kunnen verdienen.
De actiegroep Wij Stoppen Steenkool wil met deze actie de aandacht vestigen op de kolencentrale van NUON en de grote hoeveelheid steenkool die via de Amsterdamse haven wordt verhandeld. Deelnemer Marije van Leeuwen' NUON speelt een spelletje met het klimaat door de kolencentrale aan de Hemweg open te houden. Maar liefst een derde van alle stroom van NUON wordt met de centrale opgewekt. Het wordt tijd dat we de spelregels veranderen en de druk op de ketel zetten. We moeten kolencentrales uitfaseren.' NUON heeft de afgelopen weken de bewaking rond de kolencentrale aanzienlijk verscherpt. De hekken zijn verstevigd en er zijn extra camera's geplaatst. ' Geen Probleem' volgens Ron Boon, van Team Coal Busters. Het speelterrein is groot en onoverzichtelijk, er zijn tal van mogelijkheden, ook voor ludieke acties.
Het doel van Wij Stoppen Steenkool, alle kolencentrales uit in 2020, komt steeds dichterbij. In het energieakkoord is afgesproken dat er vijf oude kolencentrales gesloten worden. De opening van drie nieuwe kolencentrales wordt tegen gehouden door juridische procedures. ' Alleen de kolencentrale van NUON in Amsterdam en die van Essent naast natuurgebied de Biesbosch zijn de dans ontsprongen, aldus Peter Polder van Wij Stoppen Steenkool. Zonder kolencentrales zou de Nederlandse CO2 uitstoot met 30% dalen. Energiebedrijven kiezen er echter voor hun kolencentrales op vol vermogen te laten branden en andere energiecentrales op een laag pitje te zetten omdat steenkool goedkoper is als andere energiebronnen. Ook de stroom van NUON wordt voor ongeveer een derde opgewekt in de kolencentrale in de Amsterdamse haven.
De haven van Amsterdam is ook een van de grootste kolenhavens van Europa. Maar liefst 15 miljoen ton steenkool passeert de haven van Amsterdam. Op weg naar Duitsland of andere buurlanden. Deze steenkool wordt gedolven in landen als Colombia, Zuid Afrika en de VS en zorgt ook daar voor forse schade aan natuur en de gezondheid van mijnarbeiders en omwonenden.
De Climate Games starten op 14 juni om 13.00 uur rond de Nieuwe Hemweg en de Westhavenweg in Amsterdam. Er zijn informatiepunten bij het pontje naar Zaandam en Station Amsterdam Sloterdijk. De teams zullen zich ergens op het speelveld bevinden. Via een speciale Climate Games App wordt live verslag gedaan van hun vorderingen. Ook op @StopSteenkool is de actie real time te volgen.
De feestelijke prijsuitreiking zal 's avonds plaats vinden.
Op www.climategames.nl zijn spelregels, de Climate Games App en fotomateriaal + kaarten van het terrein te vinden.
May 24, 2014 'March Against Monsanto' planned for over 50 countries
INTERNATIONAL (May 24, 2014) - On May 24, millions of activists from around the world will once again March Against Monsanto, calling for the permanent boycott of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and other harmful agro-chemicals. Currently, marches will occur on six continents, in 52 countries,with events in over 400 cities. In the US, solidarity marches are slated to occur in 47 states. A comprehensive list of marches can be accessed at www.march-against-monsanto.com.
Tami Monroe Canal, founder of March Against Monsanto (MAM), was inspired to start the movement to protect her two daughters. "Monsanto's predatory business and corporate agricultural practices threatens their generation's health, fertility and longevity. MAM supports a sustainable food production system. We must act now to stop GMOs and harmful pesticides."
GMOs are not adequately monitored to ensure public safety. Long term, independent, peer reviewed studies were not conducted before GMOs were introduced for human or animal consumption. In the USA, the revolving door between Monsanto employees, government positions, and regulatory authorities has led to key Monsanto figures occupying positions of power at the FDA and EPA. Monsanto has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to obstruct all labeling attempts; they also suppress any research containing results not in their favor. The scientifically established health risks include, but are not limited to: organ damage, sterility, infant mortality, birth defects, auto-immune conditions, allergies and increased cancer risks. GMOs have been partially banned by Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, South America, Russia, France, Switzerland and Costa Rico, and are currently labelled in 62 countries. Despite this, factory farm animals throughout the world are still fed GMOs.
Kelly L. Derricks started March Against Monsanto's Agent Orange awareness program, educating supporters on the deadly chemical weapon that Monsanto was the largest manufacturer of during the Vietnam War era. Kelly is the president and co-founder of the non-profit, Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA). The organization fights internationally for the children exposed to Agent Orange through generational exposure that is killing tens of thousands with no recognition from the United States Government. She is quoted saying, "If we fail to realize that March Against Monsanto is not about GMOs alone, then we have already lost the battle."
Josh Castro, organizer for Quito, Ecuador's march observes, "Ecuador is such a beautiful place, with the richest biodiversity in the world. We will not allow this Garden of Eden to be compromised by the destructive practices of multinational corporations like Monsanto. Biotechnology is not the solution to world hunger. Agroecology is. Monsanto's harmful practices are causing soil infertility, mono-cropping, loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, and contributing to beehive collapse. GMO crops cross pollinate with traditional crops, risking peasant farmers' livelihood."
In India, more than 250,000 farmers have committed suicide after Monsanto's Bt cotton seeds did not perform as promised. Farmers, left in desperate poverty, are opting to free their families of debt by drinking Monsanto pesticide, thereby ending their lives. Many farmers in other countries are also stripped of their livelihood as a result of false promises, seed patenting and meticulous legal action on the part of Monsanto and other big-ag interests. In many parts of Africa, farmers and their communities are left to choose between starving or eating GMOs.
An "Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)," http://www.i-sis.org.uk/list.php, signed by 828 scientists from 84 countries, detailed concern regarding GMOs coupled with a call for immediate 5 year suspension of GMO crops in order to conduct "a comprehensive public enquiry of agriculture and food security for all."
Tantric Activism is a combination of tantra,love and activism.Combination that will improve our way of loving to get more strength in aspects of our life.It is a way to improve your life,health,relationships,your activities,etc.Through tantric activism(=doing "good")our lives will be much more happy and our way of loving stronger! By bringing our love to a higher level by 'doing good',it will have a positive effect on our surroundings and eventually on the entire world. mgriks@gmail.com
Wat een geweldige dag bij het MAMA Festival op de Dam! Het zonnetje scheen, het podiumprogramma was leuk en gevarieerd net als alle standjes en de mars was een krachtige optocht. We zijn ZO blij dat jullie er allemaal waren en deze dag tot zo'n mooi succes hebben gemaakt!
Hierbij alvast een paar foto's die vrienden van ons hebben geschoten. We willen heeeel graag zoveel mogelijk foto-materiaal hebben zodat we mooie collages en filmpjes kunnen maken. Dus: deel je foto's hier op de pagina of stuur ze naar werkgroepmama@gmail.com of deel ze via Dropbox of WeTransfer. Je maakt ons er super blij mee!
We hebben ook genoeg donaties opgehaald om uit de kosten te komen! Super bedankt allemaal voor jullie bijdrages We willen ook de Theaterstraat nogmaals bedanken voor het regelen van het geweldige podium en Kollektief Rampenplan voor de soep. En natuurlijk een super big thanks aan iedereen die op het podium heeft gestaan en achter de standjes! Er komen snel meer foto's en een verslag van al het moois dat jullie hebben neergezet.
Lieve mensen, thanks for making this day unforgettable!
Liefs, MAMA
Making of this video, like most of our videos, is our way of showing solidarity. And since solidarity is stronger when it is seen by as many people as possible, please spread this video! Pass it on to anybody who could be interested! Feel free to embed, link, send and screen it etc. Use it, don't loose it! Reclaim the media with us!
Spirit of Squatters Collective is always trying to support and report on good things that are happening around us. We try to being you some news every day, but because of time constraint and lack of (wo)manpower this is not always possible. Our biggest problem is that we don't have enough time to edit or film the videos. That is why we need YOU to help us! You can email us at mgriks@gmail.com
Real life begins when you turn off the tv, when you turn off your computer! See you in the streets, see you at the actions!
Watch! Read! Think! Realize! Talk! Communicate! Listen! Defend! Destroy! Create! Change! Get inspired! Unite! Reclaim the media with us! Join us! Fight for Your rights! Love!!! Squat!
Op zaterdag 10 mei 2014 zal op de Dam in Amsterdam de derde "we zijn het MEGA zat" manifestatie gehouden worden. Wij staan op tegen de intensieve veehouderij en megastallen. De indrukwekkende protestmars zal niet ontbreken. Daarnaast zijn er diverse stands en verrassingen/objecten op de Dam die laten zien dat het ook anders kan. http://www.wezijnhetmegazat.nl/waarom-organiseren-wij-deze-manifestatie
Veranderingen voorbehouden; Info volgt. Schrijf de datum vast in je agenda, mocht jouw werkgever in januari ineens willen dat je extra komt werken in mei, dan heb je deze dag vast gereserveerd. Of als iemand je uitnodigt voor zijn verjaardag, nodig hem/haar op zijn beurt uit om de verjaardag op de Dam te vieren;).
Are the bomen klimers, Earth First, Groen Front ready for action ? I hope so
Here is invitation : Kom allemaal naar de grote manifestatie tegen de geplande massale bomenkap en tegen verwoesting van het gehele park door o.a. grote DANCE evenementen - tienduizenden bezoekers - zoals Loveland op zaterdag 26 april.
Dit bizarre miljoenen kostende beleid van Gemeente Amsterdam DB OOST moet worden gestopt. Niks geen vier hotels en terrassen waardoor nóg meer bomen moeten worden gekapt.
Via de rechter is het nooit zeker, daarom een krachtig signaal van zoveel mogelijk burgers, politieke partijen, belangengroeperingen en de media.
Zie ook ook FB pagina Omsingeling Oosterpark voor de laatste ontwikkelingen. Vergeet niet dit evenementen te liken en laat weten dat je komt.
Those are thanks Iedereen bedankt die er gisteravond bij waren. Volgens de politie waren er ca. 500 toehoorders, maar het aantal was niet belangrijk..., de hartverwarmende reacties daarna.... dat is mooi! De toespraak (o.a. het gedeelte gericht aan Burgemeester van der Laan) is inmiddels doorgedrongen in het Stadhuis. Vandaag en morgen diverse gesprekken over de inhoud van de toespraak. Wordt op deze Fb pagina zeker vervolgd!
Making of this video, like most of our videos, is our way of showing solidarity. And since solidarity is stronger when it is seen by as many people as possible, please spread this video! Pass it on to anybody who could be interested! Feel free to embed, link, send and screen it etc. Use it, don't loose it! Reclaim the media with us!
Spirit of Squatters Collective is always trying to support and report on good things that are happening around us. We try to being you some news every day, but because of time constraint and lack of (wo)manpower this is not always possible. Our biggest problem is that we don't have enough time to edit or film the videos. That is why we need YOU to help us! You can email us at mgriks@gmail.com
Real life begins when you turn off the tv, when you turn off your computer! See you in the streets, see you at the actions!
Watch! Read! Think! Realize! Talk! Communicate! Listen! Defend! Destroy! Create! Change! Get inspired! Unite! Reclaim the media with us! Join us! Fight for Your rights! Love!!! Squat!
Picket-line bij de internationale Nuclear Industry Summit. Maandag 24 maart 2014: 07:15 – 10:00 uur; Beursplein, Amsterdam (rsvp)
Op 24 en 25 maart is in Den Haag de Nuclear Security Summit. Deze grootste top van wereldleiders die ooit in Nederland gehouden is gaat om het tegengaan van nucleair terrorisme. Tegelijkertijd en als onderdeel ('official side-event') ervan wordt in de Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam de NIS gehouden: de Nuclear Industry Summit. Op deze bijeenkomst probeert de wereldwijde nucleaire industrie haar blazoen op te poetsen en haar straatje schoon te vegen. Maar dit zijn juist de bedrijven die de verdere verspreiding van nucleaire technologie en materialen actief promoten.
We laten dat niet onopgemerkt gebeuren! We gaan protesteren tegen de bijeenkomst van de bonzen van 's werelds belangrijkste en grootste nucleaire bedrijven en de komst van minister Kamp.
Demonstratieve picket-line ! Wij willen de deelnemers en bezoekers aan de NIS in de Beurs van Berlage duidelijk maken dat zij werken aan het vergroten van het probleem en niet aan de oplossing ervan.
On the last weekend of university we had discussion about movies what have tantric, loving or those with deeper message. We didn't watch them all so in the comments You can share what you think about them, You can send us the tips and links to any of those or other movies... Maybe one time we can watch them together ? Who knows ;)
This is School of Tantra Movement list (a bit from the most tantric and interesting to less) and below You have the Occupy Amsterdam documentaries list. Enjoy and get inspired :)
Fight club The Life of Pi Lord Of The Ring (all parts) Hobbit (all parts) The Pianist The end of the affair If a Tree Falls, A Story of the Earth Liberation Front 2011whole movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_yGoj1OQYs
tr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqJvWsOIix4 Equilibrium The Guitar (2008) Love actually Anger Management As good as it gets Devils Advocate The Duchess Watchmen Devils Advocate Kung Fu Panda What the bleep do we know: Down the rabbit hole The Opus The Shining Donnie Darko Forrest Gump Good Morning Vietnam Birdy One flew over the cuckoo's nest The World Accordding to Garp Bruce Almighty The Family Man Click The Bucket List Space Jam The Lion King Pay It Forward The Pursuit of Happyness Shawshank Redemption Memento The Butterfly Effect Groundhog Day Up in the Air Blade Runner
Please comment with documentaries you advise people to see with a global perspective, showing what’s going on in the world, some alternatives and/or solutions. This list will be updated with your comments. You can also help letting us know where these documentaries can be viewed or if you find better/broken links.
Luid protest bij pesticidecongres Cropworld Global
Woensdag 30 oktober demonstreerden 200 mensen bij de RAI in Amsterdam tegen de chemische industrie die daar op dat moment bijeen was bij Cropworld Global. Dit is de jaarlijkse bijeenkomst van de grote producenten van bestrijdingsmiddelen. Deze bedrijven zijn medeverantwoordelijk voor het vergiftigen van mens en natuur.
Ook dragen hun bestrijdingsmiddelen bij aan het verdwijnen van de honingbij. Bekende namen zijn Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, BASF en DOW, vandaar dat de titel van het protest March Against MonsantoS was.Op het plein voor de ingang van de RAI begon het programma met wat speeches met informatie over de conferentie waarbij ook een aantal van de aanwezige bedrijven extra onder de aandacht werd gebracht. Guus Geurts had een kritisch verhaal over de huidige landbouwpolitiek en over alternatieven om de wereld werkelijk te kunnen voeden. Om alle aanwezigen bij de les te houden was er een quiz met wetenswaardigheden over onder andere gentechgewassen, de bedrijven Monsanto en Syngenta.
Om half 4 vertrokken alle aanwezigen in een proteststoet voor een ronde om conferentiezalen. Voorop speelde de Amsterdamse actie-sambaband en verderop in de demonstratie speelde de Bucket Boyz op een voortgetrokken kar. In totaal liepen er zo'n 200 mensen in deze March Against MonsantoS. De demonstratie eindigde met een laatste portie herrie bij de ingang van waar op dat moment de eerste congresganger naar buiten begonnen te komen. Hier vond een touwtrekwedstrijd plaats tussen de managers van de industrie aan de ene kant en een de boeren aan de andere kant. Na wat vals spel met omkoping, spuiten met pesticide en wurgcontracten, trokken de boeren uiteindelijk toch aan het langste eind vanwege de hulp vanuit het publiek. Dit theatrale spelletje ging allemaal wat gehaast en snel. In werkelijk is dit natuurlijk een langdurige strijd die miljarden boeren aangaat en waarbij een goede afloop nog in het geheel niet is verzekerd.
Terug bij het podium op het plein was er als afsluiter lekkere, pesticidevrije soep van Rampenplan. JP Hekkelman sprak nog over de activiteiten van Bayer en tot slot kondigde Elly Janssen van ASEED vast het volgende Reclaim-the-Seedsweekend aan: 8 en 9 maart in Groningen.
Hoewel we met dit rondje om de RAI en de manifestatie op een wijds plein niet veel passanten bereikten drong de boodschap binnen wel door. Van mensen die binnen waren kwam de boodschap dat de samba, band en het gejoel waren binnen duidelijk te horen en dat sommige programmaonderdelen in de RAI tijdelijk 'stil' waren gelegd. Deze actie zal niet genoeg zijn om deze bedrijven te stoppen, maar het was in elk geval een begin. We marcheren door tegen Monsanto en haar vrienden, en we werken aan een duurzame voedselproductie.
Meer over de deelnemers aan Cropworld Global De producenten van bestrijdingsmiddelen waren, zoals elk jaar, allemaal vertegenwoordigd bij Cropworld Global: Monsanto, Bayer, BASF, Dow en Syngenta, zowel direct als via hun lobby-organisaties zoals EuropaBio. Deze bedrijven proberen de voedselproductie te controleren. Samen bezitten ze een groot deel van de markt in zaden en de handel in bestrijdingsmiddelen. Ze zijn een exponent van een landbouwpraktijk die de wereld vergiftigt, vruchtbare bodems uitput en kleine boeren en inheemse volken van hun land verdrijft. Deze industriële landbouw giftig en achterhaald, want het drijft op goedkope fossiele brandstof en is een belangrijke oorzaak van het klimaatprobleem. Deze roofbouw sloopt de natuur is op termijn volstrekt onhoudbaar. Achter mooie PR over het voeden van de wereld gaat het om het maken van zo veel mogelijk winst en dat betekent verkoop van zo veel mogelijk bestrijdingsmiddelen.
Monsanto is bekend van de verkoop van genetisch gemanipuleerde zaden, gekoppeld met het bijbehorende onkruidbestrijdingsmiddel RoundUp. Daarmee controleert zij de wereldhandel in soja en maïs, beide op enorme schaal geteeld als voer voor de dierindustrie en als brandstof. Het bedrijf is berucht vanwege haar agressieve strategie. Sinds de wereldwijde protesten tegen Monsanto dit voorjaar heeft ze haar PR strategie aangepast. Zij profileert zich nu liever als reddende engel die de wereld probeert te voeden en minder met de verkoop van bestrijdingsmiddelen. Stond zij in mei nog prominent op de site van Cropworld Global, nu is haar naam amper te vinden. Zij is echter zeker van de partij en ook vertegenwoordigd door haar brancheorganisatie Europa Bio.
Minder moeite om voor haar gifproducerende rol uit te komen heeft Bayer, hoofdsponsor van het Cropworld event. Samen met Syngenta is zij de belangrijkste producent van neonicotinoïden, beter bekend als bijengif. Deze bedrijven presteren het om – ondanks alle wetenschappelijke bewijzen – stug te ontkennen dat hun gif iets met bijensterfte te maken heeft en kondigden onlangs juridische stappen aan tegen het beperkte verbod van de EU op een aantal van deze stoffen. Bayer blijkt bovendien recordhouder op het gebied van octrooien op genetisch gemanipuleerde zaden: Daarbij werkt het bedrijf nauw samen met Monsanto.
De bedrijven zullen ons voorhouden dat de wereldvoedselproductie afhankelijk is van hun technieken van 'gewasbescherming'. Wereldwijd wordt echter 70% van de mensen gevoed door kleinschalige lokale voedselproductie, zonder input van grote hoeveelheden bestrijdingsmiddelen en kunstmest. De Agro-Ecologie is overal ter wereld sterk in opmars en bewijst dat zij de wereld kan voeden met lokale en duurzame productie.
We hebben deze bedrijven niet nodig. De toekomst ligt in een wereld zonder gif, een wereld zonder Monsantos.
Wist je dat…? De zelfde 6 bedrijven 75% van het private onderzoek naar plantenveredeling in handen hebben, 60% van de markt voor zaaigoed beheersen en verantwoordelijk zijn voor 75% van de verkoop van bestrijdingsmiddelen? Ondertussen voeden zo'n 3 miljard kleine boeren – op het platteland en in stedelijke gebieden – , vissers en herders niet alleen de meerderheid van de wereldbevolking, ze houden ook het grootste deel van 's werelds biodiversiteit in stand. Het is vooral de ETC-Group die de machtsconcentratie bij het bedrijfsleven in de gaten houdt. Hun meest recente cijfers kun je vinden in "Putting the Cartel before the Horse…and Farm, Seeds, Soil and Peasants etc: Who Will Control the Agricultural Inputs? The State of Corporate Concentration – 2013"
Zelfde verhalen kunnen worden verteld over Paraguay en Brazilië, ook daar is de productie van soja, om als veevoer naar Europa en China te worden geëxporteerd, al jaren booming business. ASEED heeft campagne gevoerd tegen de soja-import in Nederland. "Managing the Soy Boom? A nice try or dangerous greenwashing?"
Deze actie ondersteund door XminY, het actiefonds voor solidariteit en sociale strijd.
Making of this video, like most of our videos, is our way of showing solidarity. And since solidarity is stronger when it is seen by as many people as possible, please spread this video! Pass it on to anybody who could be interested! Feel free to embed, link, send and screen it etc. Use it, don't loose it! Reclaim the media with us!
Spirit of Squatters Collective is always trying to support and report on good things that are happening around us. We try to being you some news every day, but because of time constraint and lack of (wo)manpower this is not always possible. Our biggest problem is that we don't have enough time to edit or film the videos. That is why we need YOU to help us! You can email us at mgriks@gmail.com
Real life begins when you turn off the tv, when you turn off your computer! See you in the streets, see you at the actions!
Watch! Read! Think! Realize! Talk! Communicate! Listen! Defend! Destroy! Create! Change! Get inspired! Unite! Reclaim the media with us! Join us! Fight for Your rights! Love!!! Squat!
October 12, 2013 'March Against Monsanto' planned for over 50 countries
SEATTLE, WA. (October 12, 2013) - On Oct. 12, millions of activists from around the world will once again March Against Monsanto, calling for the permanent boycott of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and other harmful agro-chemicals. Currently, marches will occur on six continents, in 52 countries,with events in over 400 cities. In the US, solidarity marches are slated to occur in 47 states. A comprehensive list of marches can be accessed at www.march-against-monsanto.com.
Tami Monroe Canal, founder of March Against Monsanto (MAM), was inspired to start the movement to protect her two daughters. "Monsanto's predatory business and corporate agricultural practices threatens their generation's health, fertility and longevity. MAM supports a sustainable food production system. We must act now to stop GMOs and harmful pesticides."
GMOs are not adequately monitored to ensure public safety. Long term, independent, peer reviewed studies were not conducted before GMOs were introduced for human or animal consumption. In the USA, the revolving door between Monsanto employees, government positions, and regulatory authorities has led to key Monsanto figures occupying positions of power at the FDA and EPA. Monsanto has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to obstruct all labeling attempts; they also suppress any research containing results not in their favor. The scientifically established health risks include, but are not limited to: organ damage, sterility, infant mortality, birth defects, auto-immune conditions, allergies and increased cancer risks. GMOs have been partially banned by Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, South America, Russia, France, Switzerland and Costa Rico, and are currently labelled in 62 countries. Despite this, factory farm animals throughout the world are still fed GMOs.
Roberta Gogos, organizer for Athens, Greece, addressed the importance of the marches in austerity-impacted Europe. "Monsanto is working very hard to overturn EU regulation on obligatory labeling where enforcement is already lax. Greece is in a precarious position right now, and Greece's farmers are positioned to follow the same perilous fate as farmers in countries such as Colombia and Mexico."
Josh Castro, organizer for Quito, Ecuador's march observes, "Ecuador is such a beautiful place, with the richest biodiversity in the world. We will not allow this Garden of Eden to be compromised by the destructive practices of multinational corporations like Monsanto. Biotechnology is not the solution to world hunger. Agroecology is. Monsanto's harmful practices are causing soil infertility, mono-cropping, loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, and contributing to beehive collapse. GMO crops cross pollenate with traditional crops, risking peasant farmers' livelihood."
In India, more than 250,000 farmers have committed suicide after Monsanto's Bt cotton seeds did not perform as promised. Farmers, left in desperate poverty, are opting to free their families of debt by drinking Monsanto pesticide, thereby ending their lives. Many farmers in other countries are also stripped of their livelihood as a result of false promises, seed patenting and meticulous legal action on the part of Monsanto and other big-ag interests. In many parts of Africa, farmers and their communities are left to choose between starving or eating GMOs.
An "Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)," http://www.i-sis.org.uk/list.php, signed by 828 scientists from 84 countries, detailed concern regarding GMOs coupled with a call for immediate 5 year suspension of GMO crops in order to conduct "a comprehensive public enquiry of agriculture and food security for all."
Making of this video, like most of our videos, is our way of showing solidarity. And since solidarity is stronger when it is seen by as many people as possible, please spread this video! Pass it on to anybody who could be interested! Feel free to embed, link, send and screen it etc. Use it, don't loose it! Reclaim the media with us!
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Insane PR Circus Rocks Holland—But It's Not that Polar Bear Thing Hoax involves Dutch, Moby, Pamela Anderson and New Zealand Zoo
What seemed to be a cruel and bizarre PR campaign took over Amsterdam yesterday as a barge with an apparently drugged polar bear, a Russian child superstar, and a colorful marching band wound through Amsterdam's canals to the city zoo. There, visitors and staff watched Gazprom and Shell reps officiously give the bear to Amsterdam—before being forcibly removed by zoo security and city police.
Shortly thereafter, a companion website appeared at Polar-Partners.com, just in time for Twitter to burst into flames with revelations that "Gazprom" was using Moby's most famous song in the PR event's publicity video. Pamela Anderson, Dawn Olivieri, Adam McKay, Occupy Wall Street, and various other celebs joined in the fracas, cumulatively reaching millions of fans.
Making things weirder, New Zealand's Auckland Zoo felt compelled to assert that it would not be receiving a bear through Gazprom's Adopt-a-Bear program. And when grainy bear crueltyphotos popped up, the whole thing began to gain its own weird momentum.
"Our polar bear circus was absolutely insane, but not half as insane as Gazprom and Shell's Arctic deal," said James Turner of Greenpeace International. "They want to exploit melting sea ice to drill for more oil. Shell screwed up badly in Alaska last year, so they're taking advantage of Russia's weaker regulations to take huge risks over there instead."
"It's a national embarrassment that the most famous Dutch company is teaming up with one of the world's most notoriously corrupt state-owned corporations," said Dutch activist and Yes Lab volunteer Richelle Dumond. "Shell used to have standards, didn't they?"
"Gazprom made it very easy for us," said Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men. "Their actual PR is extremely inspiring."
"If you want a good laugh, just take a look at what Gazprom writes about reindeer, birds and salmon for their 'Year of Ecology' page," said Mike Bonanno of the Yes Men.
"Gazprom and Shell's real PR stunt is persuading the world that they're not responsible for the collapse of our ecosystems, and that they can be trusted to drill safely in the Arctic," said Turner. "But now over 3.5 million people are ready to bust the hoax."
Note: I hosted a special radio show on 5/22/13, on The Anti-Media Radio where we went into more depth on all of these fundamental building blocks of the Food Revolution which included a panel of experts from each field I listed in this article. Please listen here here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjxS7QJbmCY&feature=youtu.be
How The March Against Can And Will Change The World
The March Against Monsanto was started by a handful of millenials with a passion for change, a passion that we all have within us. Many people make the mistake of looking for someone to make change for them when the real change in this world comes from within. The top-down approach for making the world a better place, i.e. electing politicians to do our bidding has come and gone, with little success. There's a revolution happening right before our eyes, and before I had the opportunity to help with the world-wide March Against Monsanto, I was largely oblivious to this sea change that is coming. The rules of change, of activism, of consciousness, and of helping people are being rewritten by you and me, one connection at a time. The new revolution of good is coming from the grass-roots and making its way upward; this bottom-up effect is exactly what those who would like to see us silent are afraid of.
This new way of media and activism cannot be controlled by the likes of corporations or governments; these are ideas and they cannot be stopped. This new paradigm shift starts with you, your friends and family, and the way you can connect with people around you; the way information is disseminated makes all the difference in this new paradigm. The mainstream media controls 95% of the information that we see, from television to newspapers, to magazines. This is the top-down technique, where you have no choice but to consume what's being served, making for a fickle population that was manipulated by commercials and where money made the major difference between a bill passing or failing, and a politician being elected or losing. The new media is a media of choice, where people can choose to get information on a topic that they choose. What does this mean? This means that a person that participates in the new media is more passionate, better informed, in turn a much more valuable asset to a social movement. These people are well versed in the information, founded in fact, and immune to the manipulation of a mainstream media establishment that is 90% owned by 6 monopolistic corporations. These new activists are warriors for truth and justice, and for those currently controlling the agenda, this can be a scary situation.
You see, the government and corporations are ingrained into the establishment; they're comfortable in their positions. This will be their downfall. History and science have shown that the comfortable devolve and the oppressed evolve; struggle is the essence of innovation and of change. This is why good always prevails over bad. The March Against Monsanto has grown beyond my wildest dreams; a few months ago it was just an idea. It has grown into a full blown movement and the people that started it wouldn't be able to stop if they wanted. You see, the people have taken over the March, the decentralization has come in a natural way, an intuitive way. Movements can no longer be over-centralized, as over-centralization is detrimental to any organization, institution, business and government. The new paradigm which is forming will be driven by people who care, not people who care for power. The old idea of inorganic manipulation, which used to be the norm, has fallen to the side in favor of this new movement of information: this new Revolution. Information is spreading in grass-roots, open source fashion, all the old rules are being thrown out.
How the March AgainstMonsanto can and will change the world. The beginning of the Food Revolution.
The March does not and cannot end on May 25, 2013. For many of the participants in the March Against Monsanto, this is their first protest or march that they have ever taken part of. This movement has awakened a very large group of people that care about their food supply and care about other people's food supply. These courageous marchers have put aside all of their political and ideological differences to stand in solidarity for what is right.
How do we carry on this March Against Monsanto, this new food revolution passed the 25th?
Capture the momentum of this movement and harness it at the local level. Keep your local march network alive and growing.
All of the connections that you are making in your local areas, all of the people you are meeting through the organizing, planning, and marching process must be kept active for this march to have a lasting effect. If we just march on the 25th and nothing more, then the movement ends right then and there. Each event page for each local city is full of great contacts, activists, and people that care. Compile these lists, make email lists, start a newsletter, make a local Facebook page and keep the pressure on to continue this fight. Pass around signup sheets at your local marches to collect emails. Even if you don't have a plan of action for what to do with the emails you compile, put them into a spread sheet and save them until you figure it out. I recommend that once your march is over on Saturday evening that you change the Date of your local Facebook event to 5/24/14; this will keep the event page up and will make it easier to access your local food revolutionaries. Use open source organizing techniques to lower the burden and to keep your local movement decentralized. Using an open platform will make it easier for your local community and activists to add information into your spread sheets, email lists, and other data rich documents. Monsanto is not going away without a fight: They've been around for over 100 years and deeply entrenched in the political establishment of both parties.
After the March, take real steps to improve your food fate locally. Remember that people on a low or fixed income don't have a choice to eat organic with their given incomes.
It's not enough to simply tell people to eat organic, or vote for initiatives that will label GMOs. The very first thing you can do is plant your own garden. If you have the space, plant a garden larger than what you need to feed your family and help someone that is less fortunate with some fresh homegrown food from your garden. What if you don't have a yard to plant in? One option is growing indoors. There is a growing industry of indoor gardeners that are starting to change the way we think about gardening through the use of
hydroponics . You should be able to find a local hydroponics store near you and get it all set up and growing food for a couple hundred dollars. There are also plenty of online retailers of indoor growing equipment; try Craigslist if you're on a tight budget. What if you don't have a yard and growing indoors in not an option for you? At this point we need to look to our fellow local activists from the March Against Monsanto.
Community gardens are a great way to bring in a fresh and organic food source into an urban area. Find a plot of land that is vacant or belongs to the local city, find out who is on charge of it and get the ball rolling on starting a community garden. Enlist some people that you have met though the march to help you physically, technically, and financially. Look to the local community to crowd source labor and resources. If none of these are an option for you, there's still hope for you within the food revolution. Share cropping is a way of getting some space to grow a garden that you can secure for free or a very low cost. Many urban sharecroppers will offer free food from the garden to the land owner in exchange for offering them some space to grow a garden. Share cropping is just like a community garden on a smaller scale. If you live in an area where there are many small yards with space available, think about setting up a sharecropping co-op where food can be traded and shared for little or no money. Always remember that the low income community is at the highest risk of GMO and chemical exposure from their food. Look into new technologies and techniques when setting up your new gardens. Vertical gardeningis great way to maximize limited space a make your garden virtually maintenance free. There's an ancient technique of hydroponics that is just being rediscovered and developed: aquaponics.
Aquaponics is arguably the most efficient way to grow organic vegetables…and edible fish at the same time. This technique has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years, but new attention is being brought to aquaponics because of its efficiency and ability to grow both edible fish and vegetation. A Wisconsin man was able to grow over one million pounds of food in one year by utilizing these new and innovative growing techniques.
Activism
There are many forms of activism that we can use to improve our food fate and continue the food revolution. The March Against Monsanto is a perfect example of a mass movement that disseminates information to millions of people, awakening the masses to the injustices of the world. Activism can be done on a much smaller scale and many different ways. As I detailed earlier, the networks are being rebuilt in a new, more just way. Utilize your new local network of activists to keep pressure on local politicians and hold them to their promises. Organize mass emailing and mass calling to their offices when a critical vote is about to be made. Let them hear your voice amplified by your entire network. Build relationships with other activists from other causes, reach out to other interests and help support them, and they will support you. Spreading awareness is key to the food revolution; many people don't know what GMOs are, let alone know the negative effects on their health and environment that they cause.
Mobilize your local activist network often and keep them engaged in the community; you are the leaders of this movement! It's up to you to let your neighbors know what's in their food and how they can make real world progress to take their food back. These techniques can also be replicated on the national and global level, which is why it's important for you to stay connected to the national MAM campaign. We can find and spot things like the Monsanto Protection Act before they are passed into law and put out a call to action to all the local networks to help us get them stopped.
Support alternative media
Remember seeing the warnings about the dangers of the 'Monsanto Protection Act' on MSNBC and FOX News before it became a law? Me neither. That's because there was no warning from the mainstream media; in fact very few have even covered it to this day. We did find out about this bill when it was only a proposal from multiple reports by independent journalists, including SpreadLibertyNews on 12/17/12. The pattern that we see from the mainstream is a dangerous one. As I noted earlier, over 90% of the media is owned by 6 companies, and just like Monsanto, these companies have also slipped into bed with the government.
Comedians have become the only mainstream media sources that are willing to challenge the establishment's political and economic might. Yet pundits like Jon Stewart who have been shown in polls to be more trusted for news than some major news outlets, only bring light to these harmful pieces of legislation after they are already passed into law. This is why supporting and finding alternative news sources is so important: Do you want to find out about harmful legislation before it's passed while we still have time to mobilize and try to stop them, or do you want to find out about it on TV when it's too late? Find and support independent journalists on sites like TheAnti-Media.org that aggregate news from many diverse sources, find the ones you like and subscribe to their posts.
The mainstream media has major interests in other industries, including military adventurism and yes you guessed it, GMOs. In a court ruling in 2003, it was determined that news companies can legally lie to their viewers and readers. The case was brought about when two FOX News journalists tried to publish a report about the negative health effects of Monsanto's bovine growth hormone (BGH) and were subsequently fired when they refused to censor their story to fit FOX's agenda. Supporting alternative media is key in decentralizing our supply of unbiased information and getting news from sources that do not have billion-dollar agendas, finding like-minded activists, and keeping the pressure on politicians who seek to only enrich themselves and their corporate lackeys.
Note: I hosted a special radio show on 5/22/13, on The Anti-Media Radio where we went into more depth on all of these fundamental building blocks of the Food Revolution which included a panel of experts from each field I listed in this article. Please listen here here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjxS7QJbmCY&feature=youtu.be
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