----------------------------------------------------------------- *** CALL TO ACTION! *** SAN DIEGO *** International Days of Action against the Biotechnology Industry June 24-25th, 2001, EVERYWHERE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Join thousands of activists, farmers, scientists, and others from around the world in opposing the biotechnology industry! On June 24th and 25th, 2001 the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) convention in San Diego, will open its doors to thousands of executives, lawyers, venture capitalists, and corporate scientists working to further their agenda of a patented and commodified future. Outside the convention hall and all over San Diego, thousands of people will be gathering for Beyond Biodevastation 2001/BIOJUSTICE! This multi-day event will feature teach-ins, demonstrations, and direct actions to confront and shed light on the threats to our health, environment, farms and society posed by genetic engineering. We are calling for people to come to San Diego with ideas for affinity group-based actions, and for simultaneous solidarity actions in communities around the world to stop the commodification of life, the destruction of food systems, the theft of genetic information and the loss of community power. The possibilities are endless. From teach-ins to voluntary GE food labeling brigades, from demonstrations against the gene giants to organic potlucks, from direct actions to leafleting, we are calling for global grassroots organizing against the biotechnology industry. Since 1987, corporate gene giants have been contaminating the world's food supply with dangerous and largely untested products of genetic engineering. Many of these same companies are also major players in the global pharmaceutical industry, which has made health care unaffordable for growing numbers of people around the world, while channeling research funds toward expensive genetic approaches to health and disease at the expense of more fundamental medical and health needs. These companies have also told the world that genetic engineering will reduce pesticide use, as they engineer their crops to tolerate more herbicides. Despite wide spread opposition to genetically engineered food and demands for affordable health care, the biotechnology industry is continuing along a path of social and environmental destruction. Corporations and governments are leading the agenda to globalize patent laws that privatize life as intellectual property rights, encourage greed and sell out science to the profit motive. To stop the biotechnology industry, to bring power to our communities, to create sustainable food systems, to create universal health care, we call communities, individuals, and organizations to TAKE ACTION! For more information and updates on the days of action, see: http://www.biodev.org The Organizers of Biojustice 2001 The Institute for Social Ecology Biotechnology Project North East Resistance Against Genetic Engineering - neRAGE.org ------------------------------------------------------- Background on the Gene Giants: Monsanto: Today a much smaller company than before, as a result of a merger with Pharmacia, and the subsequent spin-off of only the agriculture, seed and pesticide divisions under the Monsanto name. Still, Monsanto controls 85% of all genetically engineered germplasm, and is using its ownership of many of the world's most important commercial seed companies to saturate the commercial seed supply with genetically engineered varieties. Aventis: Formed two years ago by the merger of the German chemical giant Hoechst and the French Rhone Poulenc, Aventis is best known for the "Starlink" variety of pesticidal GE corn. This variety is not approved for human consumption and is considered likely to cause severe allergic reactions in some people. Still, it has been found in hundreds of brand-name processed foods, and has thoroughly contaminated the US supply of corn seed. Aventis also specializes in crops resistant to glufosinate herbicides. Syngenta: Formed within the past year, when Novartis and Astra-Zeneca decided to spin off many of their agricultural divisions to protect the market value of their pharmaceutical divisions, Syngenta describes itself as "the world's leading agribusiness company." Syngenta markets numerous varieties of herbicide-tolerant and pesticidal GE crops. DuPont: In 1999, DuPont Chemical completed its purchase of Pioneer Hi-Bred, the world's largest seed company. Pioneer aggressively markets numerous GE varieties from all of the largest biotechnology companies. Novartis: Since its founding in 1996, from the merger of Swiss chemical giants Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy, Novartis has been one of the world's most aggressive marketers of pesticidal Bt crops, featuring an activated toxin spliced from Bt bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis). Novartis has also been heavily involved in xenotransplantation research, seeking to genetically engineer animals to provide organs for human transplants; this line of research is considered extremely abusive to animals and, if it ever succeeds, it could introduce lethal animal viruses into the human population. Astra-Zeneca: Parent company Zeneca in the UK was responsible for one of the first field trials of genetically engineered trees; Astra-Zeneca is reportedly continuing to develop Terminator seed technologies, despite a public pledge to discontinue this research. Dow Chemical: Dow's involvement in biotechnology includes its ownership of the San Diego-based Mycogen, which recently absorbed Cargill's seed division. Dow is collaborating with San Diego-based EPICyte to produce human antibodies in genetically engineered plants. Cargill: The world's largest and most vertically integrated wholesale grain trader. Its joint venture with Monsanto specializes in genetically engineered animal feeds. "Cargill has used its extreme market power to ensure that the market is GM, against consumer opinion," states the UK's Corporate Watch. To Post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *************************************************** Date: 13-Jun-01 23:18:04 MsgID: 878-113678 ToID: 71740,441 From: "SCH" >INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Beyond Biodevastation 2001 Schedule: June 22 & 23 in SAN DIEGO Chrg: $0.00 Imp: Norm Sens: Std Receipt: No Parts: 1 ____________________________________________________ "Beyond Biodevastation"- The Fifth Grassroots Gathering to Celebrate Biodiversity and Question Genetic Engineering Teach-In, June 22-23, 2002, San Diego, California *indicates the presentation runs at the same time as the other presentation(s) in the same time slot Friday, June 22 First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego 4190 Front Street 3:30-5:30 p.m. * Food Issues - panel/workshop - Food First's Peter Rosset and Anuradha Mittal, Canada's Brewster and Cathleen Kneen (co-editors,The Ramshorn and experts on the food system) * Farm Issues - panel/workshop - Bill Wenzel (Farmer-to-Farmer Campaign), John Kinsman (Family Farm Defenders/NFFC), Bill Christison (NFFC), Percy Schmeiser (Canadian farmer sued by Monsanto), Ted Quaday (Farm Aid) 5:30 -6:30 p.m. * Dinner * Music - Prince Mishkin Band * Organizational Materials, Books, Tee Shirts and Posters 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Welcome and Overview - Brian Tokar (Institute for Social Ecology) and Beth Burrows (Edmonds Institute) 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. * Science and Genetic Engineering - panel/workshop - Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher (UK Nexus group), Dr. Martha Crouch (formerly of University of Indiana, expert on "terminator"), and Brian Tokar (ISE), moderating * Organics and Other Alternatives - panel/workshop - Marc Lipson (Organic Farming Research Foundation), Brian Leahy (California Certified Organic Farmers), Claire Cummings (Food and Farm Forum), Vandana Shiva (Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology, India) 8:30 - 10:00 p.m. * Biowarfare - Edward Hammond and Susana Pimiento (of the Sunshine Project) * Human Genetic Engineering - Dr. Marcy Darnovsky (The Exploratory Initiative on the New Human Genetic Technologies), Britt Bailey (Center for Ethics and Toxics), Dr. Paul Billings (Council for Responsible Genetics), Andrew Imparato (American Association for People with Disabilities) #* Patents, Biopiracy, and Globalization - Vandana Shiva (Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology), Andrew Kimbrell (Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety), Andr�s Barreda (Professor, UNAM, Mexico), Chaia Heller (Institute for Social Ecology), and Beth Burrows (Edmonds Institute), moderating * * * * * * * * * * Saturday, June 23: At Starlight Bowl Balboa Park San Diego 9:30 a.m. Warmup music with folksinger Peg Millet 10 Food First's Food First's Dr. Peter Rossett & Anuradha Mittal - emcee, starting with a general overview of the day's program and the problems of genetic engineering 10:15 Representative of San Diego Organizing Group - welcome to San Diego and thank all who helped on the entire event 10:25 Jim Hightower, "America's most popular populist" (and writer, editor, and former Texas Commissioner of Agriculture) - on genetic engineering and the corporate world and democracy 10:50 Food Issues - presentations from: Andrew Kimbrell (Center for Food Safety), John Kinsman (Family Farm Defenders/ NFFC), Bill Christison (National Family Farm Coalition), and Percy Schmeiser (Canadian farmer being sued by Monsanto for having their genes in his crops) 11:50 Steve Wilson & Jane Akre, Goldman Award-winning reporters who fought a Florida television station (and Monsanto) for the right to report rBGH honestly 12:10 - Brasil/Brazil Band - with Ana Gazzola, Sonia Santos, Kevin Kearney Crecco Buratto, Fernando Raio, Cristiano Bertolucci, Claudinho Smile, and Ben� da Silva 1:00 - emcees Beth Burrows (Edmonds Institute) and Brian Tokar (Institute for Social Ecology) - overview of international, political, and ethical implications of the afternoon's issues 1:05 Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Director of the Indigenous Peoples' Center for Policy Research and Education, The Philippines and member of the Third World Network) on biopiracy and on indigenous perspectives on genetic engineering 1:25 Vandana Shiva (ecologist/author/activist and Director, Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology, India) - on Biodiversity, Genetic Engineering, and Globalization - followed by questions from the audience 2:00 Music interlude - with folksinger Peg Millet 2:05 Activist Responses around the World to Genetic Engineering - a roundtable with: Skip Spitzer (PANNA) Luke Anderson (UK author and activist) Jim Thomas (Greenpeace,UK) Rowan Tilly - (Genetix Snowball,UK) Lucy Sharratt (Polaris Institute and Sierra Club, Canada) Craig Winters (Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Food) Anne Petermann (Native Forest Network) Susana Pimiento (The Sunshine Project) Karen Kallman (South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering) 3:50 - Joel Rafael Band - with Carl Johnson, Jamaica Rafael, Jeff Berkley, and Joel Rafael 4:35 p.m. Andrew J. Imparato (Director, American Association of People with Disabilities) - A Disability Perspective on Human Genetic Engineering 4:55 Andrew Kimbrell (Director, Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety, lawyer, and author) - Patents, Commodification, and Globalization 5:15 Chaia Heller (Institute for Social Ecology) - The Corporate Picture and Beyond 5:35 Closing announcements, thank yous, reminders about the evening workshops. Note: Participants must be out of the Starlight Bowl entirely by 6 p.m. Saturday, June 23 At San Diego City College 1313 12th Avenue San Diego (Note: Only those panels that are repeats of the panel/workshops that were given Friday night at the Church are listed below. They are repeated at the College to give the public a chance to hear as many panels as possible. Note 2: Other exciting workshops, on a wide range of subjects and with other expert presenters, will also take place at the College Saturday afternoon and evening. The list of those workshops is forthcoming.) 6:00 - 7:30 pm * Activist Responses to Genetic Engineering around the World - the discussion continues, with: Skip Spitzer (PANNA) Luke Anderson (UK author and activist) Jim Thomas (Greenpeace,UK) Rowan Tilly - (Genetix Snowball,UK) Lucy Sharratt (Polaris Institute and Sierra Club, Canada) Craig Winters (Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Food) Anne Petermann (Native Forest Network) Susana Pimiento (The Sunshine Project) Karen Kallman (South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering) * Science and Genetic Engineering - Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher (UK Nexus group), Dr. Martha Crouch (formerly of University of Indiana, expert on "terminator"), and Brian Tokar (Institute for Social Ecology), moderating * Farm Issues - panel/workshop - Ted Quaday (Farm Aid), John Kinsman (Family Farm Defenders/NFFC), Bill Christison (NFFC), Percy Schmeiser (Canadian farmer sued by Monsanto) 7:30 - 9:00 * Human Genetic Engineering - Dr. Marcy Darnovsky (The Exploratory Initiative on the New Human Genetic Technologies), Britt Bailey (Center for Ethics and Toxics), Dr. Paul Billings (Council for Responsible Genetics), Andrew Imparato (American Association for People with Disabilities) * Biowarfare - Edward Hammond and Susana Pimiento (of the Sunshine Project) * Food Issues - The Issues and the Alternatives - panel/workshop - Food First's Peter Rossett and Anuradha Mittal, Canada's Brewster and Cathleen Kneen (of The Ramshorn), Brian Leahy (CCOF), and Claire Cummings (Food and Farm Forum) 9:00 p.m. * Patents, Biopiracy, and Globalization - Vandana Shiva (Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology), Andrew Kimbrell (Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety), Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Director of the Indigenous Peoples' Center for Policy Research and Education, The Philippines and member of the Third World Network), Chaia Heller (Institute for Social Ecology), and Beth Burrows (Edmonds Institute), moderating ***************** --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN-ANNOUNCE: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network - Event Announcements --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?subject=laamn-news> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn-announce> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- <http://home.labridge.com/~laamn> | LAAMN | <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your use of Yahoo! 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