[A*dam} Antifaavond in de Vrankrijk op 4 juni.
Antifa-avond in de Vrankrijk in het teken van de komende anti-racisme demo.
Kom ook knutselen voor de demo.
Zaterdag 14 juni staat er een radicale anti-racisme demo geplanned in Amsterdam.
Ondanks dat de voorbereidingen al vergevorderd zijn, moet er nog veel gebeuren.
Zo moet er nog geplakt worden in verschillende delen van de stad, spandoeken geschilderd. Stencils gemaakt en dergelijke.
Dat willen we op deze avond in de Vrankrijk gaan doen. Geen bier drinken of passief naar info-praatjes luisteren. Dit keer een actieve knutselavond in de Vrankrijk.
Kom ook helpen vanaf 21 uur in de Vrankrijk, Er zal daar al van alles aanwezig zijn, maar heb je zelf nog kwasten, emmers, behandplak en dergelijke, neem dit mee.
Zie info over de demo:
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2008/05/52389.shtml
Voor vragen: antiracismegroep@hypocrisy.org
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Groenfront avond in de Molli op dinsdag 3 juni
Groenfront avond in de Molli op dinsdag 3 juni.
Thema is deze keer: De Auwtolozen.
Het is al weer ruim tien jaar geleden dat de laatste autolozen acties gebeurden in de Pijp en Amsterdam. Dit terwijl de hoeveelheid auwto’s nog steeds toenemen.
.
Thema is deze keer: De Auwtolozen.
Het is al weer ruim tien jaar geleden dat de laatste autolozen acties gebeurden in de Pijp en Amsterdam. Dit terwijl de hoeveelheid auwto’s nog steeds toenemen. De reacties hierop door de politiek wordt gekenmerkt door halfslachtigheid en compromissen. Terwijl over dit onderwerk eigenlijk geen compromissen te vinden zijn, groen en gezondheid kun je niet een beetje langzamer vernielen.
Typerend is de laatste “uitleg” van het parkeerbeleid in de Pijp door groenlinks. Deze verkondigen doodleuk dat zij genoodzaakt zijn om een nieuwe parkeergarage van 250 auwto’s te bouwen. Want als de vvd later weer aan de macht zou kunnen zijn zouden zij wel een parkeergarage van 500 plekken willen maken. Deze redenering slaat kant nog wal, men draait mensen alleen maar een rad voor ogen. Om over de daadwerkelijke milieubelasting en gezondheidsbelasting nog maar niet te spreken.
Daarnaast heeft het realiseren van steeds meer koopwoningen in deze wijk ook nog een extra complicatie, want voor elke koopwoning moeten er ook parkeerplaatsen worden gerealiseerd.
Groenfront kenmerkt zich juist door geen compromissen te maken over milieu en gezondheid van alle levende wezens. Net als van de auwtolozen gezegd kan worden. Waar moet dat heen met al die auwto’s in onze kleine straatjes van de Pijp, waar moet dat überhaupt heen met al die auwto’s in de stad die alleen maar vernielend zijn. Groenlinks en anderen gaan zo helemaal voorbij aan een meer fundamentele discussie, wanneer we gaan verminderen met consumeren en niet vermeerderen.
Deze avond, dinsdag 3 juni willen we de oude autolozen weer afstoffen, filmpjes van acties bekijken en nadenken of we weer leuke anti-auwto acties kunnen verzinnen in De Pijp, Amsterdam. In ieder geval bekijken wat we tegen die idiote plannen van de parkeergarage kunnen doen.
Komt allen Naar de molli, het wordt leuk. De Molli gaat open om 20 uur en het infopraatje over de autolozen begint om 21 uur.
Zie voor meer info:
www.groenfront.nl , Daar is ook informatie te vinden over de nieuwe Krip-of-verzuip campagne.
www.molli.nl
- E-Mail: molli@squat.net Website: http://molli.nl
Thema is deze keer: De Auwtolozen.
Het is al weer ruim tien jaar geleden dat de laatste autolozen acties gebeurden in de Pijp en Amsterdam. Dit terwijl de hoeveelheid auwto’s nog steeds toenemen.
.
Thema is deze keer: De Auwtolozen.
Het is al weer ruim tien jaar geleden dat de laatste autolozen acties gebeurden in de Pijp en Amsterdam. Dit terwijl de hoeveelheid auwto’s nog steeds toenemen. De reacties hierop door de politiek wordt gekenmerkt door halfslachtigheid en compromissen. Terwijl over dit onderwerk eigenlijk geen compromissen te vinden zijn, groen en gezondheid kun je niet een beetje langzamer vernielen.
Typerend is de laatste “uitleg” van het parkeerbeleid in de Pijp door groenlinks. Deze verkondigen doodleuk dat zij genoodzaakt zijn om een nieuwe parkeergarage van 250 auwto’s te bouwen. Want als de vvd later weer aan de macht zou kunnen zijn zouden zij wel een parkeergarage van 500 plekken willen maken. Deze redenering slaat kant nog wal, men draait mensen alleen maar een rad voor ogen. Om over de daadwerkelijke milieubelasting en gezondheidsbelasting nog maar niet te spreken.
Daarnaast heeft het realiseren van steeds meer koopwoningen in deze wijk ook nog een extra complicatie, want voor elke koopwoning moeten er ook parkeerplaatsen worden gerealiseerd.
Groenfront kenmerkt zich juist door geen compromissen te maken over milieu en gezondheid van alle levende wezens. Net als van de auwtolozen gezegd kan worden. Waar moet dat heen met al die auwto’s in onze kleine straatjes van de Pijp, waar moet dat überhaupt heen met al die auwto’s in de stad die alleen maar vernielend zijn. Groenlinks en anderen gaan zo helemaal voorbij aan een meer fundamentele discussie, wanneer we gaan verminderen met consumeren en niet vermeerderen.
Deze avond, dinsdag 3 juni willen we de oude autolozen weer afstoffen, filmpjes van acties bekijken en nadenken of we weer leuke anti-auwto acties kunnen verzinnen in De Pijp, Amsterdam. In ieder geval bekijken wat we tegen die idiote plannen van de parkeergarage kunnen doen.
Komt allen Naar de molli, het wordt leuk. De Molli gaat open om 20 uur en het infopraatje over de autolozen begint om 21 uur.
Zie voor meer info:
www.groenfront.nl , Daar is ook informatie te vinden over de nieuwe Krip-of-verzuip campagne.
www.molli.nl
- E-Mail: molli@squat.net Website: http://molli.nl
CONSUMING THE PLANET / films on food and climate change
A SEED - 28.05.2008 20:05
CONSUMING THE PLANET / films on food and climate change
Films, vegan food from 19.00 →
Dokhuis Galerie, Plantage Doklaan 12, Amsterdam
Climate change is gaining speed. Scientists are warning us of famines, floods and flaming forests, should we not change our ways. Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fossil fuel input as a calorie of plant protein, so vegan, local, seasonal, organic food is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint. But consumer choices alone can't save us from climate change and Peak Oil. What else can we do?
WHAT A WAY TO GO: LIFE AT THE END OF EMPIRE (2007).
A middle class white guy comes to grips with Peak Oil, Climate Change, Mass Extinction, Population Overshoot and the demise of the American Lifestyle.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6146160026172748084
http://www.whatawaytogomovie.com/
POWER OF COMMUNITY - HOW CUBA SURVIVED PEAK OIL, 2006 (53 min )
Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens after they lost global support in the early 1990s.
http://www.powerofcommunity.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VHt5QchfdQ
ALSO:
THE DARK SIDE OF DAIRY (5 min),
MOUTH REVOLUTION (5 min),
STORE WARS (5 min)
Reserving food is not strictly necessary, but it makes us happy:
climate@aseed.net
Info: climate@aseed.net
http://www.howtocookaplanet.net
CONSUMING THE PLANET / films on food and climate change
Films, vegan food from 19.00 →
Dokhuis Galerie, Plantage Doklaan 12, Amsterdam
Climate change is gaining speed. Scientists are warning us of famines, floods and flaming forests, should we not change our ways. Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fossil fuel input as a calorie of plant protein, so vegan, local, seasonal, organic food is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint. But consumer choices alone can't save us from climate change and Peak Oil. What else can we do?
WHAT A WAY TO GO: LIFE AT THE END OF EMPIRE (2007).
A middle class white guy comes to grips with Peak Oil, Climate Change, Mass Extinction, Population Overshoot and the demise of the American Lifestyle.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6146160026172748084
http://www.whatawaytogomovie.com/
POWER OF COMMUNITY - HOW CUBA SURVIVED PEAK OIL, 2006 (53 min )
Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens after they lost global support in the early 1990s.
http://www.powerofcommunity.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VHt5QchfdQ
ALSO:
THE DARK SIDE OF DAIRY (5 min),
MOUTH REVOLUTION (5 min),
STORE WARS (5 min)
Reserving food is not strictly necessary, but it makes us happy:
climate@aseed.net
Info: climate@aseed.net
http://www.howtocookaplanet.net
Monday, May 26, 2008
Organic bytes news
[http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/bribe.jpg]
>
>
>
>
> BIOTECH ALERT OF THE WEEK:
> STOP BUSH'S BIOTECH BULLYING!
> According to the Chicago Tribune, the White House is attempting to force famine stricken countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, to plant genetically engineered (GE) crops, as part of a $770 million aid package. Untested and largely unregulated GE crops are controversial, not only in Europe and other industrialized countries, but in the developing world as well. At least 40 countries around the world have restricted GE farming and ingredients in foods by requiring mandatory labeling, while a number of nations and regions have banned genetically modified organisms in agriculture altogether. Beyond health and environmental concerns, and contrary to industry propaganda, GE crops do not significantly increase yields, but rather force farmers to stop saving their seeds and instead buy toxic chemicals and highly priced patented seeds from biotech companies such as Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, Dupont, Dow,'s and BASF. Please take action today and urge your members of Congress to reject the Bush Administration's force-feeding of biotech crops to impoverished nations: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12463.cfm
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/questioncorn.jpg]
>
> 'FRANKENFOODS' SURVEY OF THE WEEK:
> CBS NEWS & NEW YORK TIMES POLL CONSUMERS ABOUT GE FOODS
>
> * 53%: Percentage of polled Americans who say they won't buy food that has ingredients from genetically engineered (GE) plants.
> * 65%: Actual percentage of products on grocery store shelves that contain unlabeled GE ingredients (usually soy or corn derived).
> * 90%: Portion of U.S. grown soybeans that are genetically engineered.
> * 99%: Estimated likelihood that the U.S. sugar supply will start to be sourced from genetically engineered plants this year.
>
> Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12246.cfm
> Take action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7031.cfm
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/factory.jpg]
>
> RELATED QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
> BIOTECH CORPORATIONS PREPARE TO PROFIT OFF CLIMATE CRISIS WITH NEW 'CLIMATE-READY' GE-PLANTS
> "In the face of climate chaos and a deepening world food crisis, the Gene Giants are gearing up for a PR offensive to re-brand themselves as climate saviors. The companies hope to convince governments and reluctant consumers that genetic engineering is the essential adaptation strategy to insure agricultural productivity. Globally, the top 10 seed corporations already control 57% of commercial seed sales. This is a bid to capture as much of the rest of the market as possible."
>
> Source: Hope Shand, Research Director of ETC Group (Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration), speaks of the recent research indicating that the world's largest biotech companies are developing and patenting hundreds of varieties of new "climate ready" genetically engineered crops designed to supposedly endure the worst of global climate change. The ETC Group is mobilizing people around the world to censure these companies for focusing on profitable ways of taking advantage of the climate crisis, rather than looking for solutions to the actual problem. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12278.cfm
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/farmer2.jpg]
>
> SUSTAINABILITY FACTS OF THE WEEK:
> SMALL FARMS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND PROFITABLE
>
> * A 1,000 acre U.S. corporate farm growing genetically engineered crops nets an average of $39 an acre.
> * In contrast, a four-acre family farm nets, on average, $1,400 per acre.
> * Small organic farms are proving to be even more profitable. With oil prices on the rise, growing food without petroleum-based pesticides/fertilizers, and delivering that food to local markets will quickly prove to be the most affordable food available.
>
> Source: New York Times
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12216.cfm
>
>
> ___________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/horizon2.jpg]
>
> CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
> CONSUMER GROUPS PRESSURE USDA TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION OF HORIZON "ORGANIC" FACTORY FARMS
> The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed a letter with USDA this week supporting a legal complaint that calls for an investigation of the two factory farms that the Horizon organic dairy company manages and sources for a significant portion of their "organic" dairy products. As discussed in previous issues of Organic Bytes, since 2006, the OCA has called for a boycott of Horizon's (Dean Foods) dairy products, due to the corporation's practice of packing as many as 8,000 cattle onto feedlots, with little or no access to pasture, and then misleadingly labeling these products as "organic". OCA's ally, The Cornucopia Institute has filed several legal complaints with the USDA, demanding an investigation of the factory farms, but such requests have, thus far, fallen on deaf ears. Serving as a representative for our 850,000 members, volunteers and subscribers, the OCA is putting heat on the USDA to investigate and sanction the Horizon factory farms.
> Learn more: http://wwww.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm
>
>
>
> DONATE HERE!
> HELP OCA FIGHT FOR HEALTH, JUSTICE, & THE ENVIRONMENT
>
> Support OCA with your stimulus check.
> During a recession, nonprofits need private donor help more than ever.
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/donate.gif]
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm
>
>
> _________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/lab-meat.jpg]
>
> WEB PROGRAM OF THE WEEK:
> NPR TAKES A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF LABORATORY-GROWN MEAT
> For many years, scientists have been capable of culturing cells in laboratories in order to grow skin and tissue for medical purposes. The process is now becoming inexpensive enough to consider growing meat in laboratories for consumer use. Organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are all for it. It's not a biotech process, and it's not cloning, it's just a matter of giving cells the nutrients they need to replicate and create the tissue and muscle that makes up what carnivores call "meat". But other experts are concerned about the amount of energy consumption required by the process. So is it good or bad? Listen to this National Public Radio special program on synthetically grown meats and decide for yourself: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12464.cfm
>
> Talk about it in OCA's web forum (under the "Topic of the Week"): http://www.organicconsumers.org/forum/
>
>
> _________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/brita.jpg]
>
> ORGANIC BYTES READERS TALK BACK
>
> ARE THERE ANY RECYCLED HOME WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS?
> READER'S QUESTION: A reader writes to us regarding our article calling on readers to pressure Brita to begin recycling their water filters, as they do in Europe: "I do happen to use the Brita filter system. It would be wonderful if the Brita company did do recycled water filters. However, I do not know of any other water filtration, or water filter systems who do have a recycled filter system in place. Are you aware of any? Frankly, I felt I was doing so well with water filter systems as opposed to packaged bottle water, that I did not really think about how the filters could be 'recycled manufactured'."
>
> OCA RESPONSE: Yes, as noted in our article, using the Brita water filtration systems is a much better option, environmentally speaking, than buying bottled water. As for companies that offer home water filter recycling, you could check out http://www.terraflo.com & http://www.abundantearth.com/store/countertopfilter.html If you have a Brita system already, you can send those used filters to http://www.takebackthefilter.org
>
> ------------------------------------
>
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/plastic.jpg]
>
> ARE ANY PLASTICS SAFE FOR USE WITH FOOD?
> READER'S QUESTION: In the last issue of Organic Bytes, we published a "Users Guide to Plastics" to help consumers understand what those little numbers on the bottom of plastic products mean. Here is what one reader had to say: "My comment was to the list of plastics published in your last bulletin. You say that PET (#1) "poses low risk of leaching breakdown products". But one of the substances of the PET is phthalates, which is a hormone disruptor. It leaches into the liquid and poses a health risk."
>
> OCA RESPONSE: Yes, you are correct. As a note, the posted plastics guide is relative. We always recommend consumers look for glass, aluminum or tin as an option over any plastic packaged product. If you need to buy plastic, PET (#1) is one of the safest options over some of the other plastics, but all plastics demonstrate varying levels of leaching, particularly when heated. Avoid hot liquids in plastic containers. Also avoid microwaving plastics or placing them in dishwashers.
>
>
> __________________________________
>
>
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/wholefoods.jpg]
>
> WEB FORUM TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
> WHOLE FOODS MARKET... AGAIN
> In the last issue of Organic Bytes, we invited you to share experiences you've had with Whole Foods Market and/or opinions you have about the good and bad elements of the natural foods chain in comparison to locally owned co-ops and natural products stores. Unfortunately, our web forum crashed shortly after Organic Bytes was sent out to our list, and many of you wrote to us expressing that you'd like to post your thoughts once the web forum was fixed. Well, it's fixed. So let's give this another shot. If you are new to our forum, it's a place where thousands of like-minded folk are having online discussions about everything from gardening, to natural health, to politics. Check it out: http://www.organicconsumers.org/forum/
>
>
> ___________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/ocalogo99.gif]
>
> Bookmark http://Organicconsumers.org as your daily source of
> news, analysis and inspiration.
>
>
> ___________________________________
>
> SPECIAL STATE NEWS AND ALERTS
>
>
> CALIFORNIA: Support Green Jobs in California:
> http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/t/1961/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24045
>
> MARYLAND: SweatFree MD campaign continues, new legislative update from the Progressive States Network:
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/md.cfm
>
> NEBRASKA - Decline to Sign: An initiative is underway to ban affirmative action, billed as the "Civil Rights Initiative," which is an intentionally misleading campaign that should not succeed. http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/ne.cfm
>
> OREGON: Whole Foods Breaks Their Promise--Support United Farm Workers:
> http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/wholefoods508/
>
> PENNSYLVANIA: Take Action! Help Pennsylvania's Farmer's Transition to Organic!http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/PA.cfm http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24644
>
> TEXAS: Tell Congressman Joe Barton that His Opposition to a Renewable Electricity Standard Hurts Our Planet and Our Economy:
> http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24650
>
> WASHINGTON: Don't Let the Pesticide Industry Gain Control of Pesticide Incident Reporting:
> http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24649
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> ******** support our supporters*********
>
>
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/eden2.jpg]
>
>
> ________________________
>
> EDEN FOODS OFFERS OCA CUSTOMERS 15% DISCOUNT
>
> Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond. As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a discount rate on any Eden Foods products by clicking here
>
>
>
>
> Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power!
>
> __________________________________
>
> NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:
> Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm
>
> _________________________________
>
> ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:
> ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
> 6771 South Silver Hill Drive
> Finland, Minnesota 55603
> Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652
> __________________________________
>
> Subscribe:http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/signUp.jsp?key=411
> Safe Unsubscribe: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/unsubscribe.jsp
>
> You are subscribed as utakoma@hotmail.com
>
>
>
> Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power!
>
> __________________________________
>
> NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:
> Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm
>
> _________________________________
>
> ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:
> ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
> 6771 South Silver Hill Drive
> Finland, Minnesota 55603
> Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652
>
>
>
>
> BIOTECH ALERT OF THE WEEK:
> STOP BUSH'S BIOTECH BULLYING!
> According to the Chicago Tribune, the White House is attempting to force famine stricken countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, to plant genetically engineered (GE) crops, as part of a $770 million aid package. Untested and largely unregulated GE crops are controversial, not only in Europe and other industrialized countries, but in the developing world as well. At least 40 countries around the world have restricted GE farming and ingredients in foods by requiring mandatory labeling, while a number of nations and regions have banned genetically modified organisms in agriculture altogether. Beyond health and environmental concerns, and contrary to industry propaganda, GE crops do not significantly increase yields, but rather force farmers to stop saving their seeds and instead buy toxic chemicals and highly priced patented seeds from biotech companies such as Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, Dupont, Dow,'s and BASF. Please take action today and urge your members of Congress to reject the Bush Administration's force-feeding of biotech crops to impoverished nations: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12463.cfm
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/questioncorn.jpg]
>
> 'FRANKENFOODS' SURVEY OF THE WEEK:
> CBS NEWS & NEW YORK TIMES POLL CONSUMERS ABOUT GE FOODS
>
> * 53%: Percentage of polled Americans who say they won't buy food that has ingredients from genetically engineered (GE) plants.
> * 65%: Actual percentage of products on grocery store shelves that contain unlabeled GE ingredients (usually soy or corn derived).
> * 90%: Portion of U.S. grown soybeans that are genetically engineered.
> * 99%: Estimated likelihood that the U.S. sugar supply will start to be sourced from genetically engineered plants this year.
>
> Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12246.cfm
> Take action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7031.cfm
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/factory.jpg]
>
> RELATED QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
> BIOTECH CORPORATIONS PREPARE TO PROFIT OFF CLIMATE CRISIS WITH NEW 'CLIMATE-READY' GE-PLANTS
> "In the face of climate chaos and a deepening world food crisis, the Gene Giants are gearing up for a PR offensive to re-brand themselves as climate saviors. The companies hope to convince governments and reluctant consumers that genetic engineering is the essential adaptation strategy to insure agricultural productivity. Globally, the top 10 seed corporations already control 57% of commercial seed sales. This is a bid to capture as much of the rest of the market as possible."
>
> Source: Hope Shand, Research Director of ETC Group (Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration), speaks of the recent research indicating that the world's largest biotech companies are developing and patenting hundreds of varieties of new "climate ready" genetically engineered crops designed to supposedly endure the worst of global climate change. The ETC Group is mobilizing people around the world to censure these companies for focusing on profitable ways of taking advantage of the climate crisis, rather than looking for solutions to the actual problem. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12278.cfm
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/farmer2.jpg]
>
> SUSTAINABILITY FACTS OF THE WEEK:
> SMALL FARMS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND PROFITABLE
>
> * A 1,000 acre U.S. corporate farm growing genetically engineered crops nets an average of $39 an acre.
> * In contrast, a four-acre family farm nets, on average, $1,400 per acre.
> * Small organic farms are proving to be even more profitable. With oil prices on the rise, growing food without petroleum-based pesticides/fertilizers, and delivering that food to local markets will quickly prove to be the most affordable food available.
>
> Source: New York Times
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12216.cfm
>
>
> ___________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/horizon2.jpg]
>
> CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
> CONSUMER GROUPS PRESSURE USDA TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION OF HORIZON "ORGANIC" FACTORY FARMS
> The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed a letter with USDA this week supporting a legal complaint that calls for an investigation of the two factory farms that the Horizon organic dairy company manages and sources for a significant portion of their "organic" dairy products. As discussed in previous issues of Organic Bytes, since 2006, the OCA has called for a boycott of Horizon's (Dean Foods) dairy products, due to the corporation's practice of packing as many as 8,000 cattle onto feedlots, with little or no access to pasture, and then misleadingly labeling these products as "organic". OCA's ally, The Cornucopia Institute has filed several legal complaints with the USDA, demanding an investigation of the factory farms, but such requests have, thus far, fallen on deaf ears. Serving as a representative for our 850,000 members, volunteers and subscribers, the OCA is putting heat on the USDA to investigate and sanction the Horizon factory farms.
> Learn more: http://wwww.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm
>
>
>
> DONATE HERE!
> HELP OCA FIGHT FOR HEALTH, JUSTICE, & THE ENVIRONMENT
>
> Support OCA with your stimulus check.
> During a recession, nonprofits need private donor help more than ever.
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/donate.gif]
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm
>
>
> _________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/lab-meat.jpg]
>
> WEB PROGRAM OF THE WEEK:
> NPR TAKES A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF LABORATORY-GROWN MEAT
> For many years, scientists have been capable of culturing cells in laboratories in order to grow skin and tissue for medical purposes. The process is now becoming inexpensive enough to consider growing meat in laboratories for consumer use. Organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are all for it. It's not a biotech process, and it's not cloning, it's just a matter of giving cells the nutrients they need to replicate and create the tissue and muscle that makes up what carnivores call "meat". But other experts are concerned about the amount of energy consumption required by the process. So is it good or bad? Listen to this National Public Radio special program on synthetically grown meats and decide for yourself: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12464.cfm
>
> Talk about it in OCA's web forum (under the "Topic of the Week"): http://www.organicconsumers.org/forum/
>
>
> _________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/brita.jpg]
>
> ORGANIC BYTES READERS TALK BACK
>
> ARE THERE ANY RECYCLED HOME WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS?
> READER'S QUESTION: A reader writes to us regarding our article calling on readers to pressure Brita to begin recycling their water filters, as they do in Europe: "I do happen to use the Brita filter system. It would be wonderful if the Brita company did do recycled water filters. However, I do not know of any other water filtration, or water filter systems who do have a recycled filter system in place. Are you aware of any? Frankly, I felt I was doing so well with water filter systems as opposed to packaged bottle water, that I did not really think about how the filters could be 'recycled manufactured'."
>
> OCA RESPONSE: Yes, as noted in our article, using the Brita water filtration systems is a much better option, environmentally speaking, than buying bottled water. As for companies that offer home water filter recycling, you could check out http://www.terraflo.com & http://www.abundantearth.com/store/countertopfilter.html If you have a Brita system already, you can send those used filters to http://www.takebackthefilter.org
>
> ------------------------------------
>
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/plastic.jpg]
>
> ARE ANY PLASTICS SAFE FOR USE WITH FOOD?
> READER'S QUESTION: In the last issue of Organic Bytes, we published a "Users Guide to Plastics" to help consumers understand what those little numbers on the bottom of plastic products mean. Here is what one reader had to say: "My comment was to the list of plastics published in your last bulletin. You say that PET (#1) "poses low risk of leaching breakdown products". But one of the substances of the PET is phthalates, which is a hormone disruptor. It leaches into the liquid and poses a health risk."
>
> OCA RESPONSE: Yes, you are correct. As a note, the posted plastics guide is relative. We always recommend consumers look for glass, aluminum or tin as an option over any plastic packaged product. If you need to buy plastic, PET (#1) is one of the safest options over some of the other plastics, but all plastics demonstrate varying levels of leaching, particularly when heated. Avoid hot liquids in plastic containers. Also avoid microwaving plastics or placing them in dishwashers.
>
>
> __________________________________
>
>
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/wholefoods.jpg]
>
> WEB FORUM TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
> WHOLE FOODS MARKET... AGAIN
> In the last issue of Organic Bytes, we invited you to share experiences you've had with Whole Foods Market and/or opinions you have about the good and bad elements of the natural foods chain in comparison to locally owned co-ops and natural products stores. Unfortunately, our web forum crashed shortly after Organic Bytes was sent out to our list, and many of you wrote to us expressing that you'd like to post your thoughts once the web forum was fixed. Well, it's fixed. So let's give this another shot. If you are new to our forum, it's a place where thousands of like-minded folk are having online discussions about everything from gardening, to natural health, to politics. Check it out: http://www.organicconsumers.org/forum/
>
>
> ___________________________________
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/ocalogo99.gif]
>
> Bookmark http://Organicconsumers.org as your daily source of
> news, analysis and inspiration.
>
>
> ___________________________________
>
> SPECIAL STATE NEWS AND ALERTS
>
>
> CALIFORNIA: Support Green Jobs in California:
> http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/t/1961/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24045
>
> MARYLAND: SweatFree MD campaign continues, new legislative update from the Progressive States Network:
> http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/md.cfm
>
> NEBRASKA - Decline to Sign: An initiative is underway to ban affirmative action, billed as the "Civil Rights Initiative," which is an intentionally misleading campaign that should not succeed. http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/ne.cfm
>
> OREGON: Whole Foods Breaks Their Promise--Support United Farm Workers:
> http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/wholefoods508/
>
> PENNSYLVANIA: Take Action! Help Pennsylvania's Farmer's Transition to Organic!http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/PA.cfm http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24644
>
> TEXAS: Tell Congressman Joe Barton that His Opposition to a Renewable Electricity Standard Hurts Our Planet and Our Economy:
> http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24650
>
> WASHINGTON: Don't Let the Pesticide Industry Gain Control of Pesticide Incident Reporting:
> http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24649
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> ******** support our supporters*********
>
>
>
> [http://www.organicconsumers.org/images/bytes/eden2.jpg]
>
>
> ________________________
>
> EDEN FOODS OFFERS OCA CUSTOMERS 15% DISCOUNT
>
> Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond. As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a discount rate on any Eden Foods products by clicking here
>
>
>
>
> Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power!
>
> __________________________________
>
> NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:
> Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm
>
> _________________________________
>
> ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:
> ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
> 6771 South Silver Hill Drive
> Finland, Minnesota 55603
> Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652
> __________________________________
>
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>
> Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power!
>
> __________________________________
>
> NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:
> Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm
>
> _________________________________
>
> ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:
> ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
> 6771 South Silver Hill Drive
> Finland, Minnesota 55603
> Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Radio Patapoe benefit 31 May 08
BENEFIT PARTY FOR RADIO PATAPOE
88.3 fm in the Ether Amsterdam
http://www.freeteam.nl/patapoe
On the 31 of May 2008
Eigenaardig Cafe
Verbindingstraat 19 A*DAm
Fiesta Sangrienta de la Sangria
with
DJ VegaSelecta - Vega Selecta Patapoe
DJ Bhopal - LaClique Patapoe
DJ Suzy 4 - Quinta Manuel Andre HC
DJ Tio Golas - Z.A.S.
DJ Osso - Torre da Marinha HC
+ Special Guests
Vegan Dancing Dinner Bar-B-Q at 19.30 3 Neuros
Donations welcome!
88.3 fm in the Ether Amsterdam
http://www.freeteam.nl/patapoe
On the 31 of May 2008
Eigenaardig Cafe
Verbindingstraat 19 A*DAm
Fiesta Sangrienta de la Sangria
with
DJ VegaSelecta - Vega Selecta Patapoe
DJ Bhopal - LaClique Patapoe
DJ Suzy 4 - Quinta Manuel Andre HC
DJ Tio Golas - Z.A.S.
DJ Osso - Torre da Marinha HC
+ Special Guests
Vegan Dancing Dinner Bar-B-Q at 19.30 3 Neuros
Donations welcome!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
vegatrian leeflet for vegetarian day 4 june in plantage doklan 8
VEGETARIANS PUT THE BRAKES ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is gaining speed. Scientists are warning us of famines, floods and flaming forests, should we not change our ways.But we are not toast yet! On one level, we need collective political action. In our personal lives, simple lifestyle changes can reduce our individual greenhouse emissions.
DETOX DIET FOR THE PLANET
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases result from burning fossil fuels in our industries, airplanes, cars... Travelling by bike and train instead of car and planes, using energy saving light bulbs, lowering room temperatures, etc. are all good and important changes. However, in themselves they are not enough to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions by the 75 percent needed to avoid catastrofic climate change. Industrialised countries have a huge “carbon footprint” largely because of our excessive consumption of meat and other animal products. Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 % of all greenhouse gases.
MEAT IS WASTEFUL
Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fossil fuel input than a calorie of plant protein. Feeding massive amounts of grain and water to farmed animals and then killing them and processing, transporting, and storing their flesh, milk, eggs etc. is extremely energy-intensive. 90% of the world's soy is fed to animals, even though humans could eat these and other protein-rich beans directly, saving much land, water, and energy.
WE ARE OUTNUMBERED...BY CATTLE
There are now three times as many farmed animals as people on this planet, and they are the main source of human-induced methane emissions. Methane emissions cause nearly half of the planet’s human-induced warming. And this source is on the rise: global meat consumption has increased fivefold in the past fifty years.
BEEF IN EUROPE = DESERT IN BRAZIL
Trees are great: they help to regulate our climate and store carbon dioxide. Over time, humans have transformed 30% of the Earth's land area into fields, and two thirds of this is used for producing fodder or grazing grounds for animals. The explosion of soy cultivation for the animal industry has caused the destruction of millions of hectares of forest and savannah with extremely high and valuable biodiversity in the Global South. Destroying vast acres of forest to feed farmed animals, and the manure they produce, release large quantities of greenhouse gases.
ORGANIC VEGANS COOL THE PLANET
Adopting a vegan diet reduces one person’s impact on the environment even more than giving up your car or forgoing several plane trips a year. (But you vegans out there shouldn't use this as an excuse for flying for your holidays!) In terms of climate and the environment, food should also be locally sourced, seasonal, and organic.Organic agriculture reduces CO2 emissions by not relying on the production and import of artificial herbicides and nitrogen based fertilizers. Check where your food comes from and cut down on your “food miles”. Keep you local farmer and bakery in business! It will pay off latest when we're hit by Peak Oil. A shift to a localised economy with seasonal, organic, vegan food will make regional economies flourish, with smaller-scale agriculture replacing international corporations and the stranglehold they have on the economy.
IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO ABOUT IT?
We're dealing with a problem so huge that it cannot be dealt with only within the consumer setting. Scientists say we have only 7 years to make the necessary changes to avoid catastrophic climate change. What is being done then? Governments are talking green, but building more airports and coal plants. Corporations feed us greenwash and slick PR campaigns to cover up their dirty business. Both strive for endless economic growth and the solutions they offer not aim to change the status quo. We need to make the changes ourselves, right now. Some of these changes will require mass-scale social change, such as decentralized power. Some will require us to learn new skills and reconnect with the land.
In Europe and beyond, there is a growing movement of people who want to move beyond false solutions into creative and practical action. People are learning to make their lives more sustainable and enjoying the power of collective action.
Take a look at some action ideas at www.howtocookaplanet.net
*
vegan: A vegetarian who eats plant products only, especially one who uses no products derived from animals.
then some quotes to sprinkle aroud the text when theres space:
‘As individuals, we have to do something more transcendent than just taking up space living on the planet.’
-Doug Tompkins
‘By 2050 a million species could face extinction’.
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2004.
“Carbon emissions could be slashed by an incredible 21% overnight if we all stopped eating meat”. British scientist Alan Calverd writing in journal Physics World http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=10219&channel=0
Raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. UN report “Livestock's long shadow”, 2006.
Climate change is gaining speed. Scientists are warning us of famines, floods and flaming forests, should we not change our ways.But we are not toast yet! On one level, we need collective political action. In our personal lives, simple lifestyle changes can reduce our individual greenhouse emissions.
DETOX DIET FOR THE PLANET
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases result from burning fossil fuels in our industries, airplanes, cars... Travelling by bike and train instead of car and planes, using energy saving light bulbs, lowering room temperatures, etc. are all good and important changes. However, in themselves they are not enough to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions by the 75 percent needed to avoid catastrofic climate change. Industrialised countries have a huge “carbon footprint” largely because of our excessive consumption of meat and other animal products. Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 % of all greenhouse gases.
MEAT IS WASTEFUL
Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fossil fuel input than a calorie of plant protein. Feeding massive amounts of grain and water to farmed animals and then killing them and processing, transporting, and storing their flesh, milk, eggs etc. is extremely energy-intensive. 90% of the world's soy is fed to animals, even though humans could eat these and other protein-rich beans directly, saving much land, water, and energy.
WE ARE OUTNUMBERED...BY CATTLE
There are now three times as many farmed animals as people on this planet, and they are the main source of human-induced methane emissions. Methane emissions cause nearly half of the planet’s human-induced warming. And this source is on the rise: global meat consumption has increased fivefold in the past fifty years.
BEEF IN EUROPE = DESERT IN BRAZIL
Trees are great: they help to regulate our climate and store carbon dioxide. Over time, humans have transformed 30% of the Earth's land area into fields, and two thirds of this is used for producing fodder or grazing grounds for animals. The explosion of soy cultivation for the animal industry has caused the destruction of millions of hectares of forest and savannah with extremely high and valuable biodiversity in the Global South. Destroying vast acres of forest to feed farmed animals, and the manure they produce, release large quantities of greenhouse gases.
ORGANIC VEGANS COOL THE PLANET
Adopting a vegan diet reduces one person’s impact on the environment even more than giving up your car or forgoing several plane trips a year. (But you vegans out there shouldn't use this as an excuse for flying for your holidays!) In terms of climate and the environment, food should also be locally sourced, seasonal, and organic.Organic agriculture reduces CO2 emissions by not relying on the production and import of artificial herbicides and nitrogen based fertilizers. Check where your food comes from and cut down on your “food miles”. Keep you local farmer and bakery in business! It will pay off latest when we're hit by Peak Oil. A shift to a localised economy with seasonal, organic, vegan food will make regional economies flourish, with smaller-scale agriculture replacing international corporations and the stranglehold they have on the economy.
IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO ABOUT IT?
We're dealing with a problem so huge that it cannot be dealt with only within the consumer setting. Scientists say we have only 7 years to make the necessary changes to avoid catastrophic climate change. What is being done then? Governments are talking green, but building more airports and coal plants. Corporations feed us greenwash and slick PR campaigns to cover up their dirty business. Both strive for endless economic growth and the solutions they offer not aim to change the status quo. We need to make the changes ourselves, right now. Some of these changes will require mass-scale social change, such as decentralized power. Some will require us to learn new skills and reconnect with the land.
In Europe and beyond, there is a growing movement of people who want to move beyond false solutions into creative and practical action. People are learning to make their lives more sustainable and enjoying the power of collective action.
Take a look at some action ideas at www.howtocookaplanet.net
*
vegan: A vegetarian who eats plant products only, especially one who uses no products derived from animals.
then some quotes to sprinkle aroud the text when theres space:
‘As individuals, we have to do something more transcendent than just taking up space living on the planet.’
-Doug Tompkins
‘By 2050 a million species could face extinction’.
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2004.
“Carbon emissions could be slashed by an incredible 21% overnight if we all stopped eating meat”. British scientist Alan Calverd writing in journal Physics World http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=10219&channel=0
Raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. UN report “Livestock's long shadow”, 2006.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
EYFA NETWORK NEWS! April 2008
EYFA NETWORK NEWS! April 2008
EYFA newsletter is a tool to spread information on campaigns, actions,
meetings and convergence happening around Europe and beyond. Info is
forwarded to our network e-list and to network partners and contacts.
Please send us info if you have news to be spread.
NOTE: We have started after the summer with thematic newsletters and
archiving these on our website. You can find this newsletter (with loads
more 'hyperlinks') at http://eyfa.org/newsletter/on_borders (See also
here our September Newsletter on GMO's). Or you can check out the
version below (without all these 'hyperlinks'):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.on Immigrants Initiatives
April 2008
As May approaches, the wishes and winds of change coming from immigrants
initiatives become more evident. Preparations for MayDay protests and
French May celebrations are becoming a favourable omen for migrant
movements. With this Newsletter, our purpose is to emphasize the active
role of immigrants in their own struggles. Immigrants and refugees are
not mere victims to be defended. S/he is a crucial political actor in the
social and economic life of every country. And, though their actions may
sometimes go unseen, they are courageously speaking out loud,
simultaneously resisting and confronting migration regimes from all over
the World.
If you want to suggest a topic or have news to share - write to us!
eyfa@eyfa.org
~Contents~
1. What immigrants achieve against all odds?
2. Migrant Domestic Workers
3. Protest and Repression in Harmondsworth – UK
4. San Papiers Workers Strikes – France
5. The Voice Refugee Forum – Germany
6. Workers’ Strike in Manolada – Greece
7. Euro Mayday
8. Links for related events
1. What immigrants achieve against all odds?
There is no doubt about the intensification and increasing sophistication
in immigration control measures. Accordingly, the poor immigrants'
position within European countries is deteriorating by the increasing
obstacles to participate legally on the national society and economy.
This lack of documents accentuates the precarity of their labour
conditions and inability to have access to any kind of governmental
assistance. Indeed, it is difficult to perceive immigrants' effective
political role and strategic articulation. Nonetheless, immigrants and
refugees initiatives to create a common front against discriminatory and
violent migratory policies do exist. These struggles come from different
flanks. First, the tenacity and persistence of immigrants to reach a
country and keep up with all the responsibilities of any other citizen
(mainly, working to keep up with daily living costs) challenges the often
arbitrary schemes of national population control. This kind of resistance
is not radically open against the system, but these practices are radical
when it is considered the constant creative thinking needed for an
everyday survivable coming from social and territorial segregation.
Second, the European migration regime, and its selective inclusion, has
simultaneously provoked the coalition of immigrants from different
backgrounds in one or multiple countries. Third, in positions of absolute
segregation, as it is in detention centres and refugee camps, immigrants
still fight and develop strategies to denounce human right's violations,
with the help of activists from outside.
More info check: http://thistuesday.org/node/130
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. Migrant Domestic Workers
Most of the poor immigrants in search for a better future in Europe find
instead marginalization. This way, many immigrants end up working in the
privacy of a home as domestic workers or au pairs, allowing the adult
members of the household be part of the so-called productive economy. As
many citizens go outside for an extra income for the household, the
non-citizens find a niche as domestic workers. Accordingly, the number of
undocumented immigrants in private households is increasing all over
Europe. And the work of international networks such as RESPECT Migrants
(http://thistuesday.org/node/24) has become crucial for denouncing the
systematic violation of human rights. This network, in particular, is
committed to migrant empowerment through self-organizations, and is also
composed by migrants' self-organizations. With this objective, Theater of
the Oppressed (TO) (http://www.toplab.org/whatis.htm) has proved to be
quite effective in empowering domestic workers, which provides them with
the capacity to represent themselves and to be the main actors in
campaigns for their rights.
One consequence of this struggle is the standard-setting “Decent work for
Domestic Workers” that was approved on March 18 this year by the
International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body, with the full
support of the workers' group, the employers group, the Latin American and
Caribbean Group, and 19 countries (including 5 European countries). This
standard setting in the ILO agenda will help to establish better working
conditions for thousands of migrant domestic workers - who are mainly
women and young immigrants.
Standard-Setting ILO:
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_090361.pdf
More links to TO initiatives:
http://www.theatreoftheoppressed.org/en/index.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Protest and Repression in Harmondsworth, UK
On April 1st about 300 detainees began a peaceful demonstration in
Kalyx-run Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre against their
administrative detention and poor conditions in the centre. They also
wrote and signed a petition and sent it to the European Court of Human
Rights. The protest continued with over 100 detainees refusing food. The
detainees complaint is that they are being deported without having their
cases properly heard, due to time restrictions and bad legal
representation. Meanwhile, they are held in deplorable conditions, and
without any criminal charges. A detainee told No Borders London: "The food
is disgusting. The medical facilities are appalling...It is mental
torture, people are going mad". The detainees' peaceful protest started
with mass food refusal by almost all of the detainees, and later on 120 of
them went to the courtyard remained there all night.
This is only an example of incidents, disruptions and protests that happen
in Harmonswoth. According to one refugee, “Every day someone is pushed to
madness and suicide. People resist every day, every day someone is on
hunger strike.”
Detainees Petition: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395575.html
Other Links:
http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com/
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395251.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. San Papiers Workers Strikes, France
While France is approaching the fortieth anniversary of May ’68, Paris’
streets are being flowed by hundreds of undocumented immigrants from
restaurants, department stores, cleaning companies and gardening demanding
working papers. Since the beginning of April, the undocumented workers
from the popular Restaurant Café La Jatte and the chain restaurant
‘Charlie Birdy’ are on strike, and are organizing other immigrant workers
to demand their rights and calling other immigrants to join their
protests. Now around 500 strikers are claiming their rights since under
French law after one year of contract they are entitled to receive their
papers.
Many undocumented migrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America have payed
for retirement, unemployment and national health care which they will
never receive due to their illegality in the country. For more than a
week, there have been strikes and occupations, supported by CGT Union,
Droits Devant, SYNHORCAT, Rights First, employers and others. Although
Sarkozy promised not to legalize massive numbers of immigrants, the
pressure on France’s economy will make him rethink his strong
anti-immigrant political stance.
French: http://lille.indymedia.org/
Spanish: ‘Sin Papeles’ en Francia
On May 68: http://libcom.org/history/articles/france-1968/,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUJZgkhSCq8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. The Voice Refugee Forum – Germany
Refugees from refugee isolation camps in Germany have been in contact with
human rights activists from The Voice Refugee Forum, and have described
the living conditions of such centres. "Anytime you ask the authorities
about something, they make the situation worse.” “Making a request from
the authorities confirms the heat of their pressures on you. It also means
giving them clues on where they can hit you more. They can be very
sympathetic with you but you have to know that their minds take an extra
ordinarily different position. Their intention is to ruin you but yet they
pretend not to be responsible for your pains. That is the ethics of their
Job.”
For the violent treatment received in these camps, the refugees have
designed a concrete strategy against their administrative confinement.
Among the demands from the refugees and The Voice are: “decentralization
of Refugees housing in standard accommodation in independent and private
housing; [the solidarity and strength of] migrants and refugee communities
to stand up to the challenge and to protest the state policies of forced
isolation of refugees in often remote camps and barracks; the exploitation
and maltreatment of refugees by imposing degrading and arbitrary systems
of psychological and financial "punishment"; the abolition of intimidating
controls and insist on the right to freedom of movement”, etc.
More info:
English: http://thevoiceforum.org/taxonomy/term/6
Deutsch: http://thevoiceforum.org/node/757
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. Strike in Strawberry fields, Greece
More than 400 migrant workers working under very precarious conditions
went to strike for the first time in Manolada, Greece. Strawberry pickers
from South Asia and the Balkans demand an increase in their €18 per day
salary, which is less than a minimum wage since they work 12 hours a day
and live in tents given by their own employers – and deducted from their
salaries. Their employers argued that they don’t have enough money to
award this salary raise. Furthermore, farmers and hired thugs attacked the
migrants, and three trade unionists have been hurt and received treatment
in hospitals. The police arrested one farmer and 60 of the strikers.
Finally, their salaries were raised to €26 per day.
More info :
http://noborderscamp.org/en/aggregator/sources/3
http://athens.indymedia.org/?lang=en
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. Euro MayDay: Transnationalization Now!
Many activists and grassroots organizations are preparing themselves to
celebrate the International Workers' Day, and protest for the rights and
recognition of immigrant workers. Many immigrants are participating
actively in the organization of actions, protests and discussions. The
Transnational Chain of Migrationrelated Action (TCMA) has contributed a
lot to building up the atmosphere for the 1st of May by carrying out a
transnational campaign where migrant struggles could be heard for more
than only one day. This is a 9 months initiative, which began during a
Frassanito Network meeting, and the idea is to support and interconnect
migration-related activities already planned by various groups and
networks. The importance is to organize migrants struggles in an
international scale to find common grounds to fight against the migration
regime. More info on TCMA :
http://www.noborder.org/chain08/display.php?id=407
The dimension that this transnational initiative has acquired is clearly
seen in Italy. In Milan, for example, “a process of communication between
migrants' and precarious' movements opened the possibility of a MayDay
centered on the paradigmatic character of migrant labour in the whole
process of precarization.” Uniting behind the theme of 'precarity' is the
main cause of this positive response. Migrants' illegal status confounds
and divides workers, makes more difficult to see how migrants and
non-migrants workers are subdued to the same profit-oriented enterprises,
and ignores the migrants' double precarity. Accordingly, a mass
demonstration under the slogan “no-borders, no precarity” aims to demand
unconditional legalization and connect these claims with the ones in US
demonstrations. In this scenario, Euro MayDay has opened a political and
social space where everyone that experiences precarity in their working
conditions is protagonist of their struggles. These demonstrations’ main
objective is to radicalise the workers’ and immigrants’ movement, in doing
so they aim at the 'heart of the monster': freedom of movement, the right
to stay and equal benefits for workers- citizens or not.
1st of May: Milan, Porta Ticinese, h. 3 pm
Next stations of The Transnational Chain of Migrationrelated Action:
June 6th: in Warsaw/Poland (Deutsch: http://frontex.antira.info/& English:
http://no-racism.net/article/2520/)
August 17th to 24th: in Hamburg/Germany:
http://www.noborder.org/chain08/display.php?id=415
September 18th to 21st: in Malmoe/Sweden:
http://www.noborder.org/chain08/display.php?id=427
October 7th: near Ceuta in Marocco
**More May Day Links for other countries:
Around the World: http://www.xpdnc.com/links/mayday.html
Greece: http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=449
Czech Republic: http://www.csaf.cz/akcie.php?id=1100
Spain: http://www.lainvisible.net/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8. Other Migration-related events and links
@ Dikili, Turkey: Noborder camp from August 25 to September 2nd 2008:
http://no-racism.net/rubrik/35 . The camp aims to support people coming
from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan or from Africa, and who have decided to
take the hard and dangerous path of migrating overland or through sea,
confronting Greek and Turkish authorities.
english: http://no-racism.net/article/2510
deutsch: http://no-racism.net/article/2508
türkçe (pdf): http://no-racism.net/upload/732416843.pdf
@ European Social Forum, Malmo, from 17th to 21st of September
If you or your organization is interested to make a presentation, seminar
or workshop on the topic of migration, this is the link to the ESF
Migration Network open wiki workspace:
http://openesf.net/projects/migration-network/project-home
ESF extended info:
English: http://www.resist.org.uk/?q=node/824
Italian: http://www.meltingpot.org/articolo3789.html
French: http://www.expulsesmaliens.org/
Spanish: http://rebelion.org/dieterich/031115dieterich.htm
_______________________________________________
Network mailing list
Network@lists.eyfa.org
https://lists.eyfa.org/mailman/listinfo/network
EYFA newsletter is a tool to spread information on campaigns, actions,
meetings and convergence happening around Europe and beyond. Info is
forwarded to our network e-list and to network partners and contacts.
Please send us info
NOTE: We have started after the summer with thematic newsletters and
archiving these on our website. You can find this newsletter (with loads
more 'hyperlinks') at http://eyfa.org/newsletter/on_borders (See also
here our September Newsletter on GMO's). Or you can check out the
version below (without all these 'hyperlinks'):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.on Immigrants Initiatives
April 2008
As May approaches, the wishes and winds of change coming from immigrants
initiatives become more evident. Preparations for MayDay protests and
French May celebrations are becoming a favourable omen for migrant
movements. With this Newsletter, our purpose is to emphasize the active
role of immigrants in their own struggles. Immigrants and refugees are
not mere victims to be defended. S/he is a crucial political actor in the
social and economic life of every country. And, though their actions may
sometimes go unseen, they are courageously speaking out loud,
simultaneously resisting and confronting migration regimes from all over
the World.
If you want to suggest a topic or have news to share - write to us!
eyfa@eyfa.org
~Contents~
1. What immigrants achieve against all odds?
2. Migrant Domestic Workers
3. Protest and Repression in Harmondsworth – UK
4. San Papiers Workers Strikes – France
5. The Voice Refugee Forum – Germany
6. Workers’ Strike in Manolada – Greece
7. Euro Mayday
8. Links for related events
1. What immigrants achieve against all odds?
There is no doubt about the intensification and increasing sophistication
in immigration control measures. Accordingly, the poor immigrants'
position within European countries is deteriorating by the increasing
obstacles to participate legally on the national society and economy.
This lack of documents accentuates the precarity of their labour
conditions and inability to have access to any kind of governmental
assistance. Indeed, it is difficult to perceive immigrants' effective
political role and strategic articulation. Nonetheless, immigrants and
refugees initiatives to create a common front against discriminatory and
violent migratory policies do exist. These struggles come from different
flanks. First, the tenacity and persistence of immigrants to reach a
country and keep up with all the responsibilities of any other citizen
(mainly, working to keep up with daily living costs) challenges the often
arbitrary schemes of national population control. This kind of resistance
is not radically open against the system, but these practices are radical
when it is considered the constant creative thinking needed for an
everyday survivable coming from social and territorial segregation.
Second, the European migration regime, and its selective inclusion, has
simultaneously provoked the coalition of immigrants from different
backgrounds in one or multiple countries. Third, in positions of absolute
segregation, as it is in detention centres and refugee camps, immigrants
still fight and develop strategies to denounce human right's violations,
with the help of activists from outside.
More info check: http://thistuesday.org/node/130
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. Migrant Domestic Workers
Most of the poor immigrants in search for a better future in Europe find
instead marginalization. This way, many immigrants end up working in the
privacy of a home as domestic workers or au pairs, allowing the adult
members of the household be part of the so-called productive economy. As
many citizens go outside for an extra income for the household, the
non-citizens find a niche as domestic workers. Accordingly, the number of
undocumented immigrants in private households is increasing all over
Europe. And the work of international networks such as RESPECT Migrants
(http://thistuesday.org/node/24) has become crucial for denouncing the
systematic violation of human rights. This network, in particular, is
committed to migrant empowerment through self-organizations, and is also
composed by migrants' self-organizations. With this objective, Theater of
the Oppressed (TO) (http://www.toplab.org/whatis.htm) has proved to be
quite effective in empowering domestic workers, which provides them with
the capacity to represent themselves and to be the main actors in
campaigns for their rights.
One consequence of this struggle is the standard-setting “Decent work for
Domestic Workers” that was approved on March 18 this year by the
International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body, with the full
support of the workers' group, the employers group, the Latin American and
Caribbean Group, and 19 countries (including 5 European countries). This
standard setting in the ILO agenda will help to establish better working
conditions for thousands of migrant domestic workers - who are mainly
women and young immigrants.
Standard-Setting ILO:
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_090361.pdf
More links to TO initiatives:
http://www.theatreoftheoppressed.org/en/index.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Protest and Repression in Harmondsworth, UK
On April 1st about 300 detainees began a peaceful demonstration in
Kalyx-run Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre against their
administrative detention and poor conditions in the centre. They also
wrote and signed a petition and sent it to the European Court of Human
Rights. The protest continued with over 100 detainees refusing food. The
detainees complaint is that they are being deported without having their
cases properly heard, due to time restrictions and bad legal
representation. Meanwhile, they are held in deplorable conditions, and
without any criminal charges. A detainee told No Borders London: "The food
is disgusting. The medical facilities are appalling...It is mental
torture, people are going mad". The detainees' peaceful protest started
with mass food refusal by almost all of the detainees, and later on 120 of
them went to the courtyard remained there all night.
This is only an example of incidents, disruptions and protests that happen
in Harmonswoth. According to one refugee, “Every day someone is pushed to
madness and suicide. People resist every day, every day someone is on
hunger strike.”
Detainees Petition: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395575.html
Other Links:
http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com/
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395251.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. San Papiers Workers Strikes, France
While France is approaching the fortieth anniversary of May ’68, Paris’
streets are being flowed by hundreds of undocumented immigrants from
restaurants, department stores, cleaning companies and gardening demanding
working papers. Since the beginning of April, the undocumented workers
from the popular Restaurant Café La Jatte and the chain restaurant
‘Charlie Birdy’ are on strike, and are organizing other immigrant workers
to demand their rights and calling other immigrants to join their
protests. Now around 500 strikers are claiming their rights since under
French law after one year of contract they are entitled to receive their
papers.
Many undocumented migrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America have payed
for retirement, unemployment and national health care which they will
never receive due to their illegality in the country. For more than a
week, there have been strikes and occupations, supported by CGT Union,
Droits Devant, SYNHORCAT, Rights First, employers and others. Although
Sarkozy promised not to legalize massive numbers of immigrants, the
pressure on France’s economy will make him rethink his strong
anti-immigrant political stance.
French: http://lille.indymedia.org/
Spanish: ‘Sin Papeles’ en Francia
On May 68: http://libcom.org/history/articles/france-1968/,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUJZgkhSCq8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. The Voice Refugee Forum – Germany
Refugees from refugee isolation camps in Germany have been in contact with
human rights activists from The Voice Refugee Forum, and have described
the living conditions of such centres. "Anytime you ask the authorities
about something, they make the situation worse.” “Making a request from
the authorities confirms the heat of their pressures on you. It also means
giving them clues on where they can hit you more. They can be very
sympathetic with you but you have to know that their minds take an extra
ordinarily different position. Their intention is to ruin you but yet they
pretend not to be responsible for your pains. That is the ethics of their
Job.”
For the violent treatment received in these camps, the refugees have
designed a concrete strategy against their administrative confinement.
Among the demands from the refugees and The Voice are: “decentralization
of Refugees housing in standard accommodation in independent and private
housing; [the solidarity and strength of] migrants and refugee communities
to stand up to the challenge and to protest the state policies of forced
isolation of refugees in often remote camps and barracks; the exploitation
and maltreatment of refugees by imposing degrading and arbitrary systems
of psychological and financial "punishment"; the abolition of intimidating
controls and insist on the right to freedom of movement”, etc.
More info:
English: http://thevoiceforum.org/taxonomy/term/6
Deutsch: http://thevoiceforum.org/node/757
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. Strike in Strawberry fields, Greece
More than 400 migrant workers working under very precarious conditions
went to strike for the first time in Manolada, Greece. Strawberry pickers
from South Asia and the Balkans demand an increase in their €18 per day
salary, which is less than a minimum wage since they work 12 hours a day
and live in tents given by their own employers – and deducted from their
salaries. Their employers argued that they don’t have enough money to
award this salary raise. Furthermore, farmers and hired thugs attacked the
migrants, and three trade unionists have been hurt and received treatment
in hospitals. The police arrested one farmer and 60 of the strikers.
Finally, their salaries were raised to €26 per day.
More info :
http://noborderscamp.org/en/aggregator/sources/3
http://athens.indymedia.org/?lang=en
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. Euro MayDay: Transnationalization Now!
Many activists and grassroots organizations are preparing themselves to
celebrate the International Workers' Day, and protest for the rights and
recognition of immigrant workers. Many immigrants are participating
actively in the organization of actions, protests and discussions. The
Transnational Chain of Migrationrelated Action (TCMA) has contributed a
lot to building up the atmosphere for the 1st of May by carrying out a
transnational campaign where migrant struggles could be heard for more
than only one day. This is a 9 months initiative, which began during a
Frassanito Network meeting, and the idea is to support and interconnect
migration-related activities already planned by various groups and
networks. The importance is to organize migrants struggles in an
international scale to find common grounds to fight against the migration
regime. More info on TCMA :
http://www.noborder.org/chain08/display.php?id=407
The dimension that this transnational initiative has acquired is clearly
seen in Italy. In Milan, for example, “a process of communication between
migrants' and precarious' movements opened the possibility of a MayDay
centered on the paradigmatic character of migrant labour in the whole
process of precarization.” Uniting behind the theme of 'precarity' is the
main cause of this positive response. Migrants' illegal status confounds
and divides workers, makes more difficult to see how migrants and
non-migrants workers are subdued to the same profit-oriented enterprises,
and ignores the migrants' double precarity. Accordingly, a mass
demonstration under the slogan “no-borders, no precarity” aims to demand
unconditional legalization and connect these claims with the ones in US
demonstrations. In this scenario, Euro MayDay has opened a political and
social space where everyone that experiences precarity in their working
conditions is protagonist of their struggles. These demonstrations’ main
objective is to radicalise the workers’ and immigrants’ movement, in doing
so they aim at the 'heart of the monster': freedom of movement, the right
to stay and equal benefits for workers- citizens or not.
1st of May: Milan, Porta Ticinese, h. 3 pm
Next stations of The Transnational Chain of Migrationrelated Action:
June 6th: in Warsaw/Poland (Deutsch: http://frontex.antira.info/& English:
http://no-racism.net/article/2520/)
August 17th to 24th: in Hamburg/Germany:
http://www.noborder.org/chain08/display.php?id=415
September 18th to 21st: in Malmoe/Sweden:
http://www.noborder.org/chain08/display.php?id=427
October 7th: near Ceuta in Marocco
**More May Day Links for other countries:
Around the World: http://www.xpdnc.com/links/mayday.html
Greece: http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=449
Czech Republic: http://www.csaf.cz/akcie.php?id=1100
Spain: http://www.lainvisible.net/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8. Other Migration-related events and links
@ Dikili, Turkey: Noborder camp from August 25 to September 2nd 2008:
http://no-racism.net/rubrik/35 . The camp aims to support people coming
from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan or from Africa, and who have decided to
take the hard and dangerous path of migrating overland or through sea,
confronting Greek and Turkish authorities.
english: http://no-racism.net/article/2510
deutsch: http://no-racism.net/article/2508
türkçe (pdf): http://no-racism.net/upload/732416843.pdf
@ European Social Forum, Malmo, from 17th to 21st of September
If you or your organization is interested to make a presentation, seminar
or workshop on the topic of migration, this is the link to the ESF
Migration Network open wiki workspace:
http://openesf.net/projects/migration-network/project-home
ESF extended info:
English: http://www.resist.org.uk/?q=node/824
Italian: http://www.meltingpot.org/articolo3789.html
French: http://www.expulsesmaliens.org/
Spanish: http://rebelion.org/dieterich/031115dieterich.htm
_______________________________________________
Network mailing list
Network@lists.eyfa.org
https://lists.eyfa.org/mailman/listinfo/network
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Help to solve food crisis !!!
Dear friends,
Rocketing prices threaten to starve millions and make us all less secure -- sign the emergency petition for action to stop the world food crisis
Sign the Petition
Watch the Video
Have you noticed food costing more when you shop? Here's why -- we're plunging headlong into a world food crisis. Rocketing prices are squeezing billions and triggering food riots from Bangladesh to South Africa. Aid agencies say 100 million more people are at risk of starvation right now[1]. In Sierra Leone alone the price of a bag of rice has doubled, becoming unaffordable for 90% of citizens[2]. Fears of inflation stalk the whole world, and the worst could be yet to come.
We need to act now -- before it's too late. As Ban Ki-Moon holds a high-level UN meeting on the crisis, we're launching an urgent campaign with African foreign minister and human rights campaigner Zainab Bangura. Click below to see Zainab's video message and add your name to the food crisis petition -- we need to raise 200,000 signatures by the end of this week to deliver a massive global outcry to leaders at the UN, G8 and EU:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/12.php
The prices of staple foods like wheat, corn and rice have almost doubled, and the crisis is slipping out of control -- so we're calling for immediate action on emergency food aid, speculation and biofuels policy, while asking forthcoming summits to tackle deeper problems of investment and trade.[3]
The global food crisis touches and connects us all, creating a tsunami of hunger for the poor and damaging economies and squeezing citizens in the rich world too. But solutions are on the horizon if leaders act fast [4] -- sign the petition at the link below now, then forward this email and ask friends and family to do the same:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/12.php
With hope,
Paul, Galit, Ricken, Graziela, Iain, Mark, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. BBC: "How to stop the global food crisis": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7365798.stm
"The New Economics of Hunger", Washington Post, 27 April 2008 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/26/AR2008042602041_pf.html
2. Zainab Bangura, Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone, video message to Avaaz members http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/12.php
3. Chinese news citing World Bank figures: http://www.cctv.com/english/20080426/102406.shtml
Reuters: "Rising food prices to top UN agenda" http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSL1890947220080424
4. See BBC article above, and "Rising Food Prices" by Alex Evans (Chatham House report) http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/11422_bp0408food.pdf
UN scientific report on fixing the world food system: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7347239.stm
The Guardian: "Credit crunch? The real crisis is global hunger", George Monbiot http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/15/food.biofuels
----------
ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace pages!
Rocketing prices threaten to starve millions and make us all less secure -- sign the emergency petition for action to stop the world food crisis
Sign the Petition
Watch the Video
Have you noticed food costing more when you shop? Here's why -- we're plunging headlong into a world food crisis. Rocketing prices are squeezing billions and triggering food riots from Bangladesh to South Africa. Aid agencies say 100 million more people are at risk of starvation right now[1]. In Sierra Leone alone the price of a bag of rice has doubled, becoming unaffordable for 90% of citizens[2]. Fears of inflation stalk the whole world, and the worst could be yet to come.
We need to act now -- before it's too late. As Ban Ki-Moon holds a high-level UN meeting on the crisis, we're launching an urgent campaign with African foreign minister and human rights campaigner Zainab Bangura. Click below to see Zainab's video message and add your name to the food crisis petition -- we need to raise 200,000 signatures by the end of this week to deliver a massive global outcry to leaders at the UN, G8 and EU:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/12.php
The prices of staple foods like wheat, corn and rice have almost doubled, and the crisis is slipping out of control -- so we're calling for immediate action on emergency food aid, speculation and biofuels policy, while asking forthcoming summits to tackle deeper problems of investment and trade.[3]
The global food crisis touches and connects us all, creating a tsunami of hunger for the poor and damaging economies and squeezing citizens in the rich world too. But solutions are on the horizon if leaders act fast [4] -- sign the petition at the link below now, then forward this email and ask friends and family to do the same:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/12.php
With hope,
Paul, Galit, Ricken, Graziela, Iain, Mark, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. BBC: "How to stop the global food crisis": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7365798.stm
"The New Economics of Hunger", Washington Post, 27 April 2008 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/26/AR2008042602041_pf.html
2. Zainab Bangura, Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone, video message to Avaaz members http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/12.php
3. Chinese news citing World Bank figures: http://www.cctv.com/english/20080426/102406.shtml
Reuters: "Rising food prices to top UN agenda" http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSL1890947220080424
4. See BBC article above, and "Rising Food Prices" by Alex Evans (Chatham House report) http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/11422_bp0408food.pdf
UN scientific report on fixing the world food system: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7347239.stm
The Guardian: "Credit crunch? The real crisis is global hunger", George Monbiot http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/15/food.biofuels
----------
ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace pages!
De een zijn dood... verdienen aan de voedselcrisis
globalinfo.nl
Miljoenen mensen sterven van de honger en door de huidige voedelscrisis zullen dat er alleen maar meer worden dan vorig jaar. Tegelijkertijd maken grote voedselbedrijven en spekulanten recordwinsten. Grain heeft daarover een rapport uitgebracht.
De wereldwijde voedselcrisis brengt veel mensen ellende toe, maar mondiale agribusiness bedrijven, handelaren en speculanten harken grote winsten bij elkaar. De fundamentele oorzaak van de huidige voedselcrisis is de neoliberale globalisering zelf, die voedsel van een bron voor levensonderhoud omgevormd heeft in een goed waarmee gegokt wordt, zelfs als dat massale honger onder de armste mensen op aarde betekent.
De organisatie GRAIN heeft daarover een nieuw rapport uitgebracht onder de titel 'Making a Killing from Hunger': http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=39
Veel van de nieuwsberichten over de mondiale voedselcrisis richten zich op de rellen in arme landen, waar arbeiders en anderen zich geen raad weten met de omhoogschietende kosten van basisvoedsel. Maar er zit nog een andere kant aan het verhaal: de grote winsten die momenteel gemaakt worden door de grote voedselbedrijven en investeerders. Cargill, de grootste graanhandelaar op de wereld, zag in het eerste kwartaal van dit jaar een winststijging van 86 procent bij de handel in goederen. Bunge, een andere grote voedselhandelaar, had een winststijging van 77 procent in het laatste kwartaal van vorig jaar. ADM, de op een na grootste graanhandelaar wereldwijd, kon 67 procent meer minst in 2007 melden.
Ook de grote supermarktconcerns worden er niet slechter van: de winst bij TESCO, de Britse supermarktgigant, steeg afgelopen jaar met een recordbedrag van 11,8 procent. Andere grote retailers, zoals het Franse Carrefour of Wal-Mart uit de VS, vertellen dat de voedselverkoop de hoofdsector voor hun winst zijn. Investeringsfondsen, die wegtrekken van de instortende aandelenmarkten en de kredietcrisis, zitten te juichen bij de goederenmarkten en drijven de prijzen op die daardoor buiten bereik komen van voedselimporteurs als Bangladesh en de Filippijnen.
Deze winsten zijn geen bizar natuurverschijnsel. Gedurende de laatste dertig jaar hebben IMF en Wereldbank de zogenaamde ontwikkelingslanden gedwongen om alle vormen van bescherming van hun lokale boeren op te heffen en hun markten open te stellen voor mondiaal agribusiness, speculanten en gesubsidieerd voedsel uit de rijke landen. Dit heeft de meeste ontwikkelingslanden veranderd van exporteurs van voedsel in importeurs. Momenteel is zo'n 70 procent van de ontwikkelingslanden netto importeur van voedsel. Daar komt bij dat de liberalisering van financiële transacties het makkelijker heeft gemaakt voor investeerders om controle over markten te krijgen voor hun eigen gewin.
Beleid op het gebied van landbouw is geheel los komen te staan van het belangrijkste doel: dat van het voeden van mensen. Liever dan eens de balans op te maken over hun eigen rampzalige beleid, leggen regeringen en denktanks nu de schuld bij productieproblemen, de groeiende vraag in China en India, en biobrandstoffen. Hoewel dat natuurlijk een rol speelt, is de fundamentele oorzaak van de huidige voedselcrisis de neoliberale globalisering zelf, die voedsel van een bron voor levensonderhoud omgevormd heeft in een goed waarmee gegokt wordt, zelfs als dat massale honger onder de armste mensen op aarde betekent.
--------------
GRAIN, Making a killing from hunger: We need to overturn food policy, now! "Against the grain", April 2008, http://www.grain.org/2/?id=39 in PDF http://www.grain.org/2/?id=39&pdf
--------------
Globalinfo.nl publiceert regelmatig achtergrondinformatie over de huidige voedselcrisis en de gevolgen daarvan:
http://www.globalinfo.nl
Miljoenen mensen sterven van de honger en door de huidige voedelscrisis zullen dat er alleen maar meer worden dan vorig jaar. Tegelijkertijd maken grote voedselbedrijven en spekulanten recordwinsten. Grain heeft daarover een rapport uitgebracht.
De wereldwijde voedselcrisis brengt veel mensen ellende toe, maar mondiale agribusiness bedrijven, handelaren en speculanten harken grote winsten bij elkaar. De fundamentele oorzaak van de huidige voedselcrisis is de neoliberale globalisering zelf, die voedsel van een bron voor levensonderhoud omgevormd heeft in een goed waarmee gegokt wordt, zelfs als dat massale honger onder de armste mensen op aarde betekent.
De organisatie GRAIN heeft daarover een nieuw rapport uitgebracht onder de titel 'Making a Killing from Hunger': http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=39
Veel van de nieuwsberichten over de mondiale voedselcrisis richten zich op de rellen in arme landen, waar arbeiders en anderen zich geen raad weten met de omhoogschietende kosten van basisvoedsel. Maar er zit nog een andere kant aan het verhaal: de grote winsten die momenteel gemaakt worden door de grote voedselbedrijven en investeerders. Cargill, de grootste graanhandelaar op de wereld, zag in het eerste kwartaal van dit jaar een winststijging van 86 procent bij de handel in goederen. Bunge, een andere grote voedselhandelaar, had een winststijging van 77 procent in het laatste kwartaal van vorig jaar. ADM, de op een na grootste graanhandelaar wereldwijd, kon 67 procent meer minst in 2007 melden.
Ook de grote supermarktconcerns worden er niet slechter van: de winst bij TESCO, de Britse supermarktgigant, steeg afgelopen jaar met een recordbedrag van 11,8 procent. Andere grote retailers, zoals het Franse Carrefour of Wal-Mart uit de VS, vertellen dat de voedselverkoop de hoofdsector voor hun winst zijn. Investeringsfondsen, die wegtrekken van de instortende aandelenmarkten en de kredietcrisis, zitten te juichen bij de goederenmarkten en drijven de prijzen op die daardoor buiten bereik komen van voedselimporteurs als Bangladesh en de Filippijnen.
Deze winsten zijn geen bizar natuurverschijnsel. Gedurende de laatste dertig jaar hebben IMF en Wereldbank de zogenaamde ontwikkelingslanden gedwongen om alle vormen van bescherming van hun lokale boeren op te heffen en hun markten open te stellen voor mondiaal agribusiness, speculanten en gesubsidieerd voedsel uit de rijke landen. Dit heeft de meeste ontwikkelingslanden veranderd van exporteurs van voedsel in importeurs. Momenteel is zo'n 70 procent van de ontwikkelingslanden netto importeur van voedsel. Daar komt bij dat de liberalisering van financiële transacties het makkelijker heeft gemaakt voor investeerders om controle over markten te krijgen voor hun eigen gewin.
Beleid op het gebied van landbouw is geheel los komen te staan van het belangrijkste doel: dat van het voeden van mensen. Liever dan eens de balans op te maken over hun eigen rampzalige beleid, leggen regeringen en denktanks nu de schuld bij productieproblemen, de groeiende vraag in China en India, en biobrandstoffen. Hoewel dat natuurlijk een rol speelt, is de fundamentele oorzaak van de huidige voedselcrisis de neoliberale globalisering zelf, die voedsel van een bron voor levensonderhoud omgevormd heeft in een goed waarmee gegokt wordt, zelfs als dat massale honger onder de armste mensen op aarde betekent.
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GRAIN, Making a killing from hunger: We need to overturn food policy, now! "Against the grain", April 2008, http://www.grain.org/2/?id=39 in PDF http://www.grain.org/2/?id=39&pdf
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Globalinfo.nl publiceert regelmatig achtergrondinformatie over de huidige voedselcrisis en de gevolgen daarvan:
http://www.globalinfo.nl
Groenfront infoavond
Dinsdag 6 mei Groenfront infoavond van af 20.00 in de Molli Chaoot, van Ostadestraat 55 huis Amsterdam.
Wat is groenfront, laatste up-date over campanges, laatste nieuws over Schinfeld, film
- E-Mail: molli@squat.net Website: http://www.molli.nl
Wat is groenfront, laatste up-date over campanges, laatste nieuws over Schinfeld, film
- E-Mail: molli@squat.net Website: http://www.molli.nl
Groen Front eco activist victory in court,
Activist who clime the tree to protect the squautted camping behind the Durgerdam and nature there it's not guilty according higher appeal court. Thats dubble victory. First was that he revield the thruth about the owner's illegal eviction and cutting the trees, and the police brutality aswell- he was pulled from -10 meters high without any protection. Second was that the court believed him not to the cops who wanted to prosecute him for resisting of arest and violence against them. Ofcourse this last was sneaky lie, what they ussualy do. But this time nobody belived them. Juppieee !!!
Abaut Schinveld...
GroenFront! Schinveld - 29.04.2008 16:04
Na een vernietigende uitspraak van de Raad van State voelt minister Cramer van VROM zich gedwongen binnen zes weken een beslissing te nemen over de omstreden Nimby maatregel die de kap van 20 hectare bos beoogt af te dwingen in Schinveld. Eind augustus (2007) moest Cramer al een besluit hierover genomen hebben. Dat heeft zij nog steeds niet gedaan. De Raad van State maant haar nu opnieuw om een besluit te nemen. "Het wordt nu tijd voor Cramer om kleur te bekennen. Is het onze milieu-minster of is ze Staatssecretaris van Defensie", zegt GroenFront!-activist Peter Polder. 'Niet het kappen van het bos maar het sluiten van de basis is nu de enige reeele optie'
Vorige week nog stuurde Cramer een Kamerbrief waarin ze een absurde uitruil met de gemeente Onderbanken voorstelt. Cramer wil de NIMBY-maatregel opheffen, als de gemeente vrijwillig meewerkt aan de boskap. NIMBY staat voor Not In My BackYard en is de dwangmaatregel waarmee de 6 ha boskap in 2006 was afgedwongen. Wethouder Hans Ubachs heeft al laten weten dat daar geen sprake van kan zijn.Afgelopen juli oordeelde de Raad van State al dat het NIMBY-besluit nooit genomen had mogen worden en dat Cramer binnen 6 weken met een ander besluit moest komen. Nu oordeelt de Raad van State dat ze opnieuw een besluit moet nemen. "De uitruil die Cramer met de gemeente voorstel is absoluut niet gepast. De regering heeft zich bediend van grof machtsmisbruik en heeft nog een hoop goed te maken in Zuid Limburg. Ook nu krijgen ze weer grove kritiek van de Raad van State. Laat ze eerst maar de NIMBY-maatregel van tafel halen als teken van goede wil," zegt Peter Polder.
Momenteel loopt er ook nog een andere procedure bij de Raad van State waarin de regering eist om de vrije hand te krijgen in het kappen van 20 ha bos. Die uitspraak zal ook ergens de komende tijd zijn. De vrees bestaat dat de overheid via politieke spelletjes alsnog een trucje vindt om toch te gaan kappen. "Mocht Cramer willen gaan kappen, dan zullen wij het bos bezetten en verdedigen," zegt Peter Polder. "Heel Nederland weet nu waar Schinveld ligt. "Het verzet zal dus nog vele malen feller en massaler zijn dan de vorige keer,"vervolgt hij.
Website: http://www.groenfront.nl
Na een vernietigende uitspraak van de Raad van State voelt minister Cramer van VROM zich gedwongen binnen zes weken een beslissing te nemen over de omstreden Nimby maatregel die de kap van 20 hectare bos beoogt af te dwingen in Schinveld. Eind augustus (2007) moest Cramer al een besluit hierover genomen hebben. Dat heeft zij nog steeds niet gedaan. De Raad van State maant haar nu opnieuw om een besluit te nemen. "Het wordt nu tijd voor Cramer om kleur te bekennen. Is het onze milieu-minster of is ze Staatssecretaris van Defensie", zegt GroenFront!-activist Peter Polder. 'Niet het kappen van het bos maar het sluiten van de basis is nu de enige reeele optie'
Vorige week nog stuurde Cramer een Kamerbrief waarin ze een absurde uitruil met de gemeente Onderbanken voorstelt. Cramer wil de NIMBY-maatregel opheffen, als de gemeente vrijwillig meewerkt aan de boskap. NIMBY staat voor Not In My BackYard en is de dwangmaatregel waarmee de 6 ha boskap in 2006 was afgedwongen. Wethouder Hans Ubachs heeft al laten weten dat daar geen sprake van kan zijn.Afgelopen juli oordeelde de Raad van State al dat het NIMBY-besluit nooit genomen had mogen worden en dat Cramer binnen 6 weken met een ander besluit moest komen. Nu oordeelt de Raad van State dat ze opnieuw een besluit moet nemen. "De uitruil die Cramer met de gemeente voorstel is absoluut niet gepast. De regering heeft zich bediend van grof machtsmisbruik en heeft nog een hoop goed te maken in Zuid Limburg. Ook nu krijgen ze weer grove kritiek van de Raad van State. Laat ze eerst maar de NIMBY-maatregel van tafel halen als teken van goede wil," zegt Peter Polder.
Momenteel loopt er ook nog een andere procedure bij de Raad van State waarin de regering eist om de vrije hand te krijgen in het kappen van 20 ha bos. Die uitspraak zal ook ergens de komende tijd zijn. De vrees bestaat dat de overheid via politieke spelletjes alsnog een trucje vindt om toch te gaan kappen. "Mocht Cramer willen gaan kappen, dan zullen wij het bos bezetten en verdedigen," zegt Peter Polder. "Heel Nederland weet nu waar Schinveld ligt. "Het verzet zal dus nog vele malen feller en massaler zijn dan de vorige keer,"vervolgt hij.
Website: http://www.groenfront.nl
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