CIP Writers' Bureau

GMOs / Food Security

Schmeiser Supporters Present Arguments to Supreme Court
OTTAWA, ONT, Jan. 19, 2004 (Council of Canadians, Press Release) - Tomorrow, a coalition of NGOs led by the Council of Canadians will present arguments to the Supreme Court of Canada in the Schmeiser vs Monsanto case, which has captivated the international community.

In 2001, the Federal Court of Appeal found that Schmeiser had infringed on Monsanto's patent rights to its Roundup Ready canola when he saved and planted seeds growing on his farm. The genetically engineered (GE) canola plant was later found on Schmeiser's farm.

"The problem is that Mr. Schmeiser has been saving and replanting seeds for decades," says Steven Shrybman, counsel representing the coalition, "The Court will have to confront the question of whether a patent can be infringed when the alleged infringer has not made use of or benefited from the properties of an invention, which is exactly what happened here." This appeal requires the Court to decide what constitutes patent infringement when dealing with life forms such as plants, which have the capacity to reproduce themselves.

"The Federal Court failed to consider public interest and by doing so has taken away the existing rights of the broader community,"adds Nadège Adam of the Council of Canadians. "This isn't simply a David and Goliath story anymore. All Canadians have a stake in this verdict."

The coalition includes Canadian organizations such as the National Farmers Union and the Sierra Club of Canada. "As it stands, the responsibility of dealing with environmental contamination is shouldered by the public-at-large as opposed to the polluter," says Andrea Peart of the Sierra Club of Canada. "Innocent third parties are considered responsible for unwanted intruders containing Monsanto's patented gene. That's not fair."

The precedence associated with this groundbreaking case has also attracted key international groups to the coalition. These include the Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, led by renowned Indian environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva, and the Washington-based International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA).

"Currently the US is attempting to force its plant patenting policies on the rest of the world", says Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of ICTA. "This would seriously undermine the genetic diversity of the world's crops and lead to the destruction of the livelihoods of millions of farmers by prohibiting them from saving seeds. The Supreme Court of Canada's reversal of the lower court's decision in this case would be a critical step in halting the patenting of life and restoring the rights of farmers."

-30-

For more information, please contact :
Laura Sewell, Media Officer, Council of Canadians : lsewell@canadians.org

--
The Council of Canadians
502-151 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H3.
Tel: (613) 233-2773; Toll-free: 1-800-387-7177
Fax: (613) 233-6776
inquiries@canadians.org
www.canadians.org

Research Help / Community Strength

Welfare Time Limit Study
VICTORIA, BC, Jan. 19, 2004 (Left Coast E-newsletter) Forwarded by Raymond Koehler, WELFARE TIME LIMIT STUDY - Volunteer, Lower Mainland Coalition for Social Justice, email: rgkbc@telus.net; 604.313.3166 (Apologies for Duplicates and/or Cross Postings) - Hello Time Limits Coalition members, Seth Klein here from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. As mentioned at the last meeting, I'm pasting below a request to those of you who are welfare advocates or other front-line folk. We're launching a two-year study of the impacts of the time limits. If you work with people who are at risk of hitting their time limits over the next couple years, we could really use your help connecting us to your clients/friends (see below for details). Thanks, Seth

**

Your assistance is needed for a 3-year study of the impact of BC's new welfare time limits

From: Seth Klein, BC Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives & Jane Pulkingham, Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Simon Fraser University

Dear Friends,

In advance of April 2004, we are about to embark on a long-term study to analyze the impact of BC's new welfare time limits, and we need your help.

In January, we hope to recruit a group of 60 people (30 from the Lower Mainland, 15 from Victoria and 15 from Kelowna) who are at risk of hitting their welfare time limit. We will conduct interviews with them, and then stay in touch with them, so that we can conduct follow-up interviews every six months until February 2006. By doing so, we hope to track what happens to people as they approach their time limits, and what happens to those who are forced off assistance due to maxing-out their time limits. We hope to determine what kinds of hardships people may experience, how they make ends meet, what income they secure, and how they survive.

We feel this research will provide important and missing information of value to those of us here in BC, and to people in other provinces that may be considering such a policy.

People recruited for the study will have to consent to take part, and their privacy will be strictly protected. When interviews are conducted, in-kind compensation will be provided for the research participants, and if needed, childcare and transportation help will be provided (providing in-kind support will ensure that the participants on social assistance will not be in violation of earnings exemptions rules). Our research methodology has been approved by SFU's ethical review office.

If you are willing to help us find the 60 people needed for this study, we'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about the study, and provide you with a copy of the study's methodology and survey questionnaire.

What we need from you:

Our study needs to find people in January (both women and men, singles and couples, people with and without children) who meet the following criteria:

* They are currently on social assistance, and have been on social assistance for 18 months or more since April 2002;
* They are not designated as a Person with a Disability (PWD) or a Personwith Persistent Multiple Barriers to employment (PPMB);
* They do not have a child under the age of three and are not pregnant;
* They are not caring for a disabled dependent;
* They are over the age of 19 and under the age of 65;
* They are not a refugee claimant awaiting permanent residence status

(We understand that the government has introduced some additional exemptions to the time limit rule, such as participating in an employment or addiction program, and may introduce more, but we do not want to exclude such people from our study, as we are interested in how the government recognizes and applies these rules. Therefore, so long as the above-listed criteria are met, people are acceptable for this study.)

If you have a client / clients who meet these criteria, and you work in the Lower Mainland, Victoria or Kelowna, we're hoping that, in the new year, you would be willing to help us recruit participants for this study. We don't need to ask much of your time. We have already hired a group
of research assistants who will conduct the interviews. All we need are advocates or other front-line folks who are willing to ask their clients who fit the above criteria if they are willing to participate in our study. Then we'd like you to arrange for us to have an initial interview with your
client.

Depending on your work situation, you may need to seek the approval of a supervisor before helping us with this study.

If you are willing to help us in January, and you work in the Lower Mainland, Victoria or Kelowna, please call or email Seth Klein at 604-801-5121 ex.227 / seth@bcpolicyalternatives.org

Thank you in advance for your assistance,

Seth Klein
Director, CCPA-BC

and

Jane PulkinghamAssociate Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, SFU

-------------------------------
Seth Klein
Director, BC Office
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternativesseth@bcpolicyalternatives.org
tel. (604) 801-51211400 - 207 West Hastings St.fax. (604) 801-5122
Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7

CCPA webpage: http://www.policyalternatives.ca

The CCPA is a non-partisan, non-profit research institute dedicated to producing and promoting progressive economic and social policy research of importance to Canadians and British Columbians.

From: "rgkbc" rgkbc@telus.net

EcoVersity / Green Building / Sustainable Eco-Village

PLAN B 2004: Practical Leadership and Natural Building
Jan. 18, 2003 (CIP News & O.U.R. Eco-Village) - A Learning Community at OUR Ecovillage, Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Three components for natural building:

Program Phase 1 Good Hat…. Good boots….
April 26- May 7, 2 weeks,
Program Phase 2 Earth building: in depth cob, light clay, earth plaster.
May 10- July 16, 10 weeks,
Program Phase 3 It’s all in the finish: plasters and color,
August 16 - Sept.24, 6 weeks,


Projects:

* The Healing Sanctuary, started 2003, green roof building from rafters up, interior walls and benches, earthen floor with heat, preparing for plasters, plasters, doors, window detailing

* First new Ecovillage residence, will be designed in winter, foundation start in April 2004

Descriptions

Good hat ….Good boots,
April 26- May 7
Instructors: Dana Gaab for the roof and a stone mason TBA for the foundation.
Max. group size : 5 on roof, 5 on stonework
Good Hat: Learn to work with pole frame, decking, build a hidden gutter and a green roof.
Participants must be comfortable working on the roof. Some woodworking background helpful.
Good Boots: Learn to build a stone foundation – details depend on residence design

Earth building: in-depth cob and more,
May 10- July 16
Instructors: Elke Cole and guests TBA
Max. group size 15
Cob building is at the core of this program, we may also do some bale work, woodwork, light clay and other compatible building methods. For people with serious interest in natural building.
This program includes a one-week workshop “Exploring decorative applications for natural buildings”

It’s all in the finish: plasters and color,
August16- Sept.24
Instructors: Elke Cole and guests TBA
Max. group size 12
Finishing plasters of clay or lime, color washes and decorative work on both buildings
Finish woodworking and floor work may also be part of this program

Practical Leadership: Learning community
The Learning Community will be made up of students, residents, instructors, and support staff. The Ecovillage has many visitors and a large extended community who will be interested in visiting and/or joining the process at times. Participants will actively engage in creating their learning process. Community building, goalsetting, scheduling, and personal growth are as important to us as the work on our building sites. Part of being in this community also means involvement in the garden, greenhouses and daily chores.

Program Leaders: Elke Cole and Brandy Mac Pherson
Instructors (not all confirmed): Elke Cole, Brandy Mac Pherson, Dana Gaab, Alastair Heseltine, Michael Smith, Ianto Evans, Tina Farmilo and others
Assistants: past Plan B participants

To inquire about this program check www.ourecovillage.org or
write to Brandy: our@pacificcoast.net
Or Elke: elke@cobworks.com (after Feb.10, 2004)

Workshop

Exploring decorative applications for natural buildings
June 6 – 12, OUR Ecovillage Healing Sanctuary
Instructors: Elke Cole, Tina Farmilo and guests
- explore bas relief sculpture, mosaic, fresco and more
- develop design processes through drawing and other visualization exercises
- develop a personal aesthetic

Registration through www.ourecovillage.org,
Information: elke@cobworks.com (after Feb.10, 2004)

Workshop
Meditation hut
Basic Cob building in southern Oregon
August 1-7,
Instructors: Elke Cole and Dana Gaab
Here’s a great place for a workshop: 400 acres with
Sauna, lake, lots of walking space, 10 miles from the beach.
Info and registration: elke@cobworks.com (after Feb.10, 2004)

Mainstream Wake-Up

Food System Revelations
UK, Jan. 17, 2004 (via Democracy for a Change, by Tom Greco) - Dear friends, It is becoming ever more evident to me that the mega-systems upon which we've grown dependent are becoming more unreliable and are breaking down. A good case in point -- the food system.

The latest revelations about mad cow disease in the U. S. are making it more clear to more people that the food system is not trustworthy. The early shifts toward organically grown food were prompted by an "informed fringe." Now, we're seeing the mainstream beginning to look for answers. That began in Europe and the UK a few years ago, when the outbreak of mad cow disease became widespread and was highly publicized. Though the disease was probably extant in North America, as well, it did not come to light until this year. There is now increasing evidence that many cases of dementia that had been originally diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease, have been, in fact, cases of Creutz-Jacob disease probably caused by infected beef. According to Michael Greger, M.D, thousands of Americans may already be dying because of Mad Cow disease every year.

The (not - sorry) attached file is a compilation of pertinent information that has come to me over the past week or so, which it would be wise to read. Dr. Greger's article is the last bit. It is extremely well-researched and documented. Do not dismiss it lightly.

It seems pretty certain that the widespread incidence of mad cow disease over the past few years has resulted from turning animals into cannibals. The operators of corporate farms came up with the "bright" idea of feeding the waste parts of animal carcasses to other animals. Hey, protein is protein, isn't it. Why buy corn when we can feed the animals their own intestines and other scraps that we can't sell? (By the way, if you own a pet, watch out for pet foods that contain "animal digest" and other non-descript ingredients. Your dog's allergies (and worse) my be caused by the food you feed it.)

The emerging food safety crisis is but one aspect of a developing global mega-crisis. It is no less than the breakdown of a socio-political-economic world order that is founded upon false principles that lead to conflict, war, sickness, poverty, etc. The food industry has become ever more corporatized and impersonal, driving the diversified family farm to the brink of extinction. Corporate farms, like all corporations, have managed to gain greater control over the political context in which they are imbedded, allowing them to claim more of the commons, internalize gains, and externalize costs. In this way they gain a huge price advantage -- but at what cost to the planet and the people?

So where's the silver lining? Every crisis is also an opportunity. Here's a chance to rethink and reorganize, not only our food system, but all aspects of our lives. One of my favorite visionaries is Ivan Illich. His Deschooling Society, and Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health, are but two of his insightful works. They focus on just two aspects of our lives that have been institutionalized and industrialized. That way of doing things is on the way out.

This crisis provides a major opportunity for local regions to reclaim their agricultural and other resources and apply them in a new, more integrated, way. As increasing numbers of people seek ways of assuring themselves of a safe supply of food, local producers that use safe, ecological, and sustainable methods will find increasing support, and the food system will become more decentralized. I think we will see, not a reversion to the old structure of the independent farmer seeking markets, but a new kind of socio-economic, and even political, structure that will allow is to reclaim our power and deal with each other as human beings. Because the food system is only one aspect of the problem, people will find the need to cooperate in multiple areas (e.g., education, health care, etc.).

The new approaches need to be more integrative and inclusive -- multidimensional and multi-tasking. What are the next steps toward organization? Alternatives have been emerging for decades. Look around and find them in your own neighborhoods.

Tom Greco