BioZone vs the G8
A SEED | 01.06.2003 04:50
(This text has been written before the start of the actions today. But next to the actions we want to make clear the alternative villages were also giving attention to alternatives and more in dept knowledge about the issues related to the G8)
Situated in the anti G8 village Intergalactic is the BioZone barrio. Based on non-hierarchical structures it raises awareness about food, agriculture, biotechnology and related issues. Workshops and films, coupled with an organic vegan kitchen have created a space with the aim of making a statement that eating consciously is a political action in itself. An action that works against the system as much as protesting in the streets.
The g8 supports a system of industrial agriculture that destroys biodiversity, disrupts local and traditional food production systems and contributes to climate change with the enormous amount of trade in foods. Even though the movement for social change is aware of this, there seems at times to be a lack of knowledge of how one's lifestyle patterns actually contribute to the system. If one is truly against the neo-liberal system and committed to changing it, a key factor is reversing one's consumption patterns. Simply demonstrating in the streets is not enough, as real change comes from living the 'alternative' and consuming consciously. In the midst of other barrios, the Biozone seeks to make people realise that consuming non-organic foods and drinks is not an alternative solution. Even so it seems that different opinions exist regarding this within the anti-g8 villages.
The kitchen, the anarchist collective Rampenplan based in the Netherlands, is run on voluntary help and serves delicious vegan food for a small price. The food is 100% organic and is supplied by local farmers from the Confederation Paysanne (Peasants Federation). Being a crucial part of the BioZone, it establishes in practice the ideals that the barrio tries to promote.
The programme of the BioZone tries to raise the knowledge of issues related to food, biotechnology and agriculture. To add to this have been workshops on trade and debt. The workshop on food globalisation looked at how food is traded and facilitated by the WTO, how corporations make most of the profits and how both farmers and consumers get the worst deal. Moreover, it looked at how supermarkets are key players in the food industry and are part of the process, which wipes out small shops, markets and smaller food producers. Part of this problem is the introduction of genetically engineered foods, another threat to biodiversity and sustainability, and how this is being promoted by the biotechnology industry with the help of public relations companies. Misinformation, lobbying, aggressive and dubious methods are used by the industry to promote its products. Another workshop looked at the most recent developments in biotechnology and the resistance to it, with the example of a hunger strike in the Philippines against the introduction of GM plants. This is coupled with the US taking the EU to court regarding the Eu's moratorium on the introduction and import of genetically modified foods. Part of this workshop also looked at how science is manipulated in the favour of corporate profits often giving a very biased view to the supposed benefits of GM foods. Finally, the workshop also looked at an area in which there is very little public knowledge, or government regulation, that of nanotechnology. Projected to be fastest growing industry in the world reaching 1 trillion dollars by 2012, this technology will have far greater impacts upon our planet than any previous technological revolutions. Nanotechnology, or atom technology is the science where substance is created or transformed by using the very fabric of life, atoms. This technology will be able to create anything possible in whatever form and goes far beyond DNA and genetic manipulation. Already now, many companies are using this in products ranging from sunscreens, cars and planes even though it has not been thoroughly assessed for potential health risks or been through any form of regulatory approval. The fact that the main investors in this technology are the US Navy, Exxon and the US Army illustrates its potential. Not many groups are working, or are even aware of this and only the ETC group (www.etcgroup.org) currently tries to raise the awareness on the issue. More work is needed...
Other sessions included an introduction to Ecotopia in August in Ukraine organised by European Youth for Action network (www.eyfa.org). The World Bank Boycott (www.wbbeurope.org/www.worldbankboycott.org) talked about the effects of the World Bank lending and how the campaign tries to undermine the bank through a variety of approaches. In the South the campaign boycotts the bank through actions and raising public knowledge. In the North the main strategy is to cut the funding of the bank by getting institutional investors (town councils, unions, universities, pension funds) to disinvest from banks holding World Bank bonds, effectively cutting 80% of its money supply and asking them to invest in more ethical banks. Lastly there were two sessions on trade, the first looking at the FTAA, Mercosur and the influence of Spanish corporations in Latin America. The second was about the WTO and push by the EU and the US for a treaty on investment. In other words, a new Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) within the WTO.
Two other groups are also part of the BioZone, one being the Rythms of Resistance samba bands from Amsterdam and London who have participated in the previous demonstrations and are at this moment heading towards Lausanne to participate in actions in the following days. The other group, Autonoom Centrum, (www.autonoomcentrum.nl) an anarchist collective from the Netherlands have arrived in their mobile media bus and are organising their own programme and actions, one being a naked action to raise awareness on water privatisation in Geneva today.
Every evening and night finished with films or documentaries on food and biotechnology, but also on previous G8 protests, other actions, the situation in Argentina and more. Workshops and films will continue throughout the remaining time of the g8 meeting, yet the main focus now in the afternoon of the 31st is preparing for actions and demonstrations the following days. Besides the programme the inhabitants of the Biozone are also involved in the organisation of the whole village and the preparation of the actions. More updates about this will follow as soon as possible.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The BioZone is organised by A SEED (Action for Solidarity, Equality, Environment and Diversity) with the help of many friends from everywhere. ASEED organises in a non-hierarchical way in contrary to some of the other groups participating the Intergalatic village. We hope that by organising the BioZone in a non-hierarchichal way that other groups may learn from our way of democracy.
http://www.aseed.net/agrocadabra/G8
Situated in the anti G8 village Intergalactic is the BioZone barrio. Based on non-hierarchical structures it raises awareness about food, agriculture, biotechnology and related issues. Workshops and films, coupled with an organic vegan kitchen have created a space with the aim of making a statement that eating consciously is a political action in itself. An action that works against the system as much as protesting in the streets.
The g8 supports a system of industrial agriculture that destroys biodiversity, disrupts local and traditional food production systems and contributes to climate change with the enormous amount of trade in foods. Even though the movement for social change is aware of this, there seems at times to be a lack of knowledge of how one's lifestyle patterns actually contribute to the system. If one is truly against the neo-liberal system and committed to changing it, a key factor is reversing one's consumption patterns. Simply demonstrating in the streets is not enough, as real change comes from living the 'alternative' and consuming consciously. In the midst of other barrios, the Biozone seeks to make people realise that consuming non-organic foods and drinks is not an alternative solution. Even so it seems that different opinions exist regarding this within the anti-g8 villages.
The kitchen, the anarchist collective Rampenplan based in the Netherlands, is run on voluntary help and serves delicious vegan food for a small price. The food is 100% organic and is supplied by local farmers from the Confederation Paysanne (Peasants Federation). Being a crucial part of the BioZone, it establishes in practice the ideals that the barrio tries to promote.
The programme of the BioZone tries to raise the knowledge of issues related to food, biotechnology and agriculture. To add to this have been workshops on trade and debt. The workshop on food globalisation looked at how food is traded and facilitated by the WTO, how corporations make most of the profits and how both farmers and consumers get the worst deal. Moreover, it looked at how supermarkets are key players in the food industry and are part of the process, which wipes out small shops, markets and smaller food producers. Part of this problem is the introduction of genetically engineered foods, another threat to biodiversity and sustainability, and how this is being promoted by the biotechnology industry with the help of public relations companies. Misinformation, lobbying, aggressive and dubious methods are used by the industry to promote its products. Another workshop looked at the most recent developments in biotechnology and the resistance to it, with the example of a hunger strike in the Philippines against the introduction of GM plants. This is coupled with the US taking the EU to court regarding the Eu's moratorium on the introduction and import of genetically modified foods. Part of this workshop also looked at how science is manipulated in the favour of corporate profits often giving a very biased view to the supposed benefits of GM foods. Finally, the workshop also looked at an area in which there is very little public knowledge, or government regulation, that of nanotechnology. Projected to be fastest growing industry in the world reaching 1 trillion dollars by 2012, this technology will have far greater impacts upon our planet than any previous technological revolutions. Nanotechnology, or atom technology is the science where substance is created or transformed by using the very fabric of life, atoms. This technology will be able to create anything possible in whatever form and goes far beyond DNA and genetic manipulation. Already now, many companies are using this in products ranging from sunscreens, cars and planes even though it has not been thoroughly assessed for potential health risks or been through any form of regulatory approval. The fact that the main investors in this technology are the US Navy, Exxon and the US Army illustrates its potential. Not many groups are working, or are even aware of this and only the ETC group (www.etcgroup.org) currently tries to raise the awareness on the issue. More work is needed...
Other sessions included an introduction to Ecotopia in August in Ukraine organised by European Youth for Action network (www.eyfa.org). The World Bank Boycott (www.wbbeurope.org/www.worldbankboycott.org) talked about the effects of the World Bank lending and how the campaign tries to undermine the bank through a variety of approaches. In the South the campaign boycotts the bank through actions and raising public knowledge. In the North the main strategy is to cut the funding of the bank by getting institutional investors (town councils, unions, universities, pension funds) to disinvest from banks holding World Bank bonds, effectively cutting 80% of its money supply and asking them to invest in more ethical banks. Lastly there were two sessions on trade, the first looking at the FTAA, Mercosur and the influence of Spanish corporations in Latin America. The second was about the WTO and push by the EU and the US for a treaty on investment. In other words, a new Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) within the WTO.
Two other groups are also part of the BioZone, one being the Rythms of Resistance samba bands from Amsterdam and London who have participated in the previous demonstrations and are at this moment heading towards Lausanne to participate in actions in the following days. The other group, Autonoom Centrum, (www.autonoomcentrum.nl) an anarchist collective from the Netherlands have arrived in their mobile media bus and are organising their own programme and actions, one being a naked action to raise awareness on water privatisation in Geneva today.
Every evening and night finished with films or documentaries on food and biotechnology, but also on previous G8 protests, other actions, the situation in Argentina and more. Workshops and films will continue throughout the remaining time of the g8 meeting, yet the main focus now in the afternoon of the 31st is preparing for actions and demonstrations the following days. Besides the programme the inhabitants of the Biozone are also involved in the organisation of the whole village and the preparation of the actions. More updates about this will follow as soon as possible.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The BioZone is organised by A SEED (Action for Solidarity, Equality, Environment and Diversity) with the help of many friends from everywhere. ASEED organises in a non-hierarchical way in contrary to some of the other groups participating the Intergalatic village. We hope that by organising the BioZone in a non-hierarchichal way that other groups may learn from our way of democracy.
http://www.aseed.net/agrocadabra/G8
A SEED
