Wanda Embar (WE)  is the Founder of Veganpeace, a website dedicated to “inspire people to strive towards a more peaceful world where animal and human rights are respected and honored.” 

Embar, who was born in Leiden, the Netherlands studied mathematics at the University of Leiden and later at the University of Toulouse, France. She then relocated to Wisconsin, U.S.A., where she currently resides. Embar became vegetarian around 1985, by following her older sister’s example. After reading about the suffering dairy cows go through, she turned vegan in 1990. It was then she saw how connected the meat and dairy industry are. 

Livestock is now estimated to cause around 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and has huge environmental impact. In this interview, Embar highlights the philosophy behind veganism and some of the key behavioural issues related to it. 

EWTT: When did you become sensitive to animal suffering?

Wanda Embar:

Embar: I grew up eating meat. I was surrounded by cats and other little creatures and loved animals, but I’d never made the connection. Meat was just a normal part of the meal on our dinner table. When I was about 15 years old, my older sister had become vegetarian after a teacher had talked to her class about animal suffering. As a younger sister I just followed her lead. After that I looked up books about vegetarianism in the library and started to read about the issues. I was shocked when I found out how animals are raised and killed for our meals. I was also completely convinced that other people would immediately become vegetarian if they found out what I had just read. My parents were the first people I shared my new found knowledge with. It was a very rude awakening for me when they didn’t react the way I expected them too. I was hurt, upset, but as a teenager, I was especially angry. After that I started to talk to basically anyone who wanted to listen to me about vegetarianism, mostly to my friends at school.

Asian Asparagus Wraps-(c) Vegan Peace

EWTT: Was your decision to turn vegan because of a love for all animals or the belief that animals have a right to a good life?

Embar: I would say both. I definitely have a love for animals, which I’m sure has influenced the decisions I’ve made in life. I was also born with a very strong belief in justice. That’s why I can’t help but care about so many different issues in this world.

EWTT: Was your shift to a vegan diet a gradual process or more like an overnight decision?

Embar: I turned vegan the day I read a paragraph about dairy cows in a Dutch book about vegetarianism. (I’d been vegetarian for about 5 years.) The book talked about how calves are removed from their mothers, very soon after birth. It also mentioned how dairy cows are slaughtered at about the age of 3 to 4 years, whereas they can live to be 25 years old. That’s when I realized that the dairy industry was just as cruel as the meat industry. I was still living at home and remember opening my bedroom door, calling my mother (who was about to buy groceries) and saying that I didn’t want to drink milk anymore. That’s the day I became vegan. It was on February 27th 1990.

EWTT: How did your family react?

Friendly Sheperd's Pie-(c)Vegan Peace

Embar: My mother was a bit worried. I hardly knew anything about veganism yet and didn’t even know whether there were any other vegans in Holland. So it was all still new for us. But my family supported me, mostly because they knew that there was absolutely no way they could possibly change my mind.

EWTT: How about your children?

Vegan Cupcakes-(c)Vegan Peace.

Embar: Since my husband and I, are both vegan, we are raising our two children (aged 10 and 12) as vegan. I believe that a vegan diet is healthier, so it’s a natural choice to raise our children that way. And of course it also makes a lot of sense to raise children with compassion. It’s very easy and gentle to explain to them that a tomato grows on a plant, but I can’t imagine how I would explain to them about  how a piece of meat reaches the dinner table. Children are born with a natural love for animals and it’s beautiful to be able to nurture that.

EWTT: What is the hardest thing about becoming a vegan?

Embar: If I have to answer this question for me personally, then the answer is “nothing”. I’ve never had any trouble becoming vegan and never missed anything. I’ve been a vegan for 21 years now and there hasn’t been a single day where I “missed” something or had a craving for a non-vegan food. I know that’s not the same for other people though. Many vegans (including my husband) are really helped by having other vegans around them for support. I also know that many vegans (especially here in America) really have a hard time giving up cheese. Cheese seems to be more difficult to give up than meat.

                                                                                                                             

EWTT: You believe that going completely vegan instead of cutting down on meat or dairy consumption is the ideal situation. But for most people, isn’t meat reduction a more achievable goal?

Embar: That is a very good question. You correctly assumed that I consider being totally vegan the ideal situation and I would like to elaborate on the reasons why a bit. Firstly – and what brought me personally to ‘veganism‘ - I don’t believe that animals exist on this Earth simply to serve us humans. Unless it’s necessary for our own survival, I don’t see any valid reason to exploit and abuse our fellow sentient beings.

Secondly the vegan lifestyle can be the solution to some other major problems we are dealing with. It’s important for us to realize that ‘veganism’ doesn’t just benefit the lives of the non-human inhabitants of this Earth but us too. Here is why:

We are growing gigantic amounts of grains to be fed to farmed animals, while people in this world are dying from hunger. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat. That’s a very inefficient way of producing food, which we can’t afford in this overpopulated world.

To make room to grow these huge amounts of grains, we also destroy the beautiful nature on this Earth. We are destroying millions of acres of rain-forests so we can grow crops to feed to factory-farmed animals.

And if that weren’t bad enough, meat consumption has also been linked to major health problems like heart disease, obesity and cancer.

So yes, veganism is the ideal situation for this planet and all the creatures who inhabit it.

                                    

EWTT: Our society is largely non-vegan and most meat is factory-farmed.  How to you stay positive that the transition will come about?

Embar: It is not easy, but I deal with it by trying to understand how humans behave and why they behave that way. We are all born in this very complex world, with already existing norms and values. It is very normal to just want to blend in with our current society and to accept their way of life. That’s the easy way to live and it’s understandable that most people choose to go that direction.

Branding Animals.Courtesy:The Animals Voice

It’s comforting for me to know, that the majority of people seem to have a natural love for the animals that they encounter in life (like pets or zoo animals). It’s also comforting to know that most people would be absolutely disgusted if they were face to face with what goes on in a factory farm. This is both comforting and frustrating, because people seem to have a natural reaction to want to close their eyes and ignore whatever makes them feel uncomfortable, which is made very easy for them since most animal cruelty happens completely out of sight. What also helps me to deal with people, is being very aware of my own imperfections and my own tendencies to want to ignore suffering. When money is tight, I’ll also buy clothing in a regular store, regardless of everything I know about sweatshops.

And what helps me maybe most is the way I became vegan. As I’d mentioned, I became vegan after reading just one simple paragraph about the dairy industry in a Dutch book about vegetarianism. This book was a newer and changed edition of the same book I had read a few years earlier.

After I’d become vegan, out of curiosity, I went to the library and looked at the older edition. I was absolutely shocked and amazed when I found that same paragraph about the dairy industry in this older version. This meant that I’d already read it a few years back, without it having any effect on me at all. This really helped me to understand other people and to know that they not only need the right information, but they also have to be at the right time in their lives to want to change.This all helps me to understand and stay patient, which doesn’t mean that I don’t have moments of frustration.

EWTT: How do you think a transition to a less meat oriented society can come about?

Embar: Every person is different and has their own comfort levels, that’s why I don’t suggest any single way in doing this. Some people might have no problem switching to a vegan diet overnight, while other people are more comfortable incorporating a vegan meal once a week. There is no right or wrong, it all helps. Caring is what matters most.However I encourage people to try eating more plant-based foods. An important reason people might want to try transitioning towards a vegan diet is the message it gives to society. Money is a major tool people have to voice their opinion. The way you spend your money lets society know what actions you do and don’t support. Every time you buy a vegan food product instead of an animal product, you increase the demand of vegan products and decrease the demand of animal products.This might not seem like much while you are doing your groceries, but it definitely counts.

 

EWTT: Do you believe a humane way to raise animals for meat is possible?

Courtesy: Veganpeace

Embar: No. I really don’t believe that it is possible to commercially raise animals in a humane way. Any commercial institution has to make economic decisions, to be able to both exist and thrive. I believe that it is impossible to put animal lives in this equation, without it negatively affecting their quality of life. It is simply impossible to meet the demands for animal products, while treating animals compassionately.                                                       

A few years ago I contacted this small Dutch farm where they raise chickens for eggs. This farm allowed you to ‘adopt’ chickens and to see them on a webcam. I asked them about common issues in the egg industry. A woman, one of the owners of the farm, answered me in an admirable honest way. She told me that they indeed have to dispose of male chicks (which are useless in the egg industry). She also mentioned that when the chickens are about 2 years old, they are slaughtered, because their eggs become too fragile to transport. She mentioned that as long as people demand animal products, they have to make economic decisions like that. And this is of course true for all animal industries, not just the egg industry.

EWTT: What about Dairy? What about milk that comes from cows that are allowed to graze on pasture and be their natural self. No hormones and antibiotics are administered. Would you consume dairy products from such farms?

Embar: No. I believe that the breast milk from cows is meant for their

Dairy Cows Courtesy:Veganpeace

own babies. And like I mentioned in a previous question, I don’t believe it is possible to raise animals in a humane way. Even small farms have to deal with issues like male calves , as male calves aren’t of much use at a dairy farm. And issues like older cows not giving enough milk anymore.

I also would like to mention that “natural cows” don’t need to be milked. Cows have been bred in a way that makes them produce these huge quantities of breast milk. A “natural cow” would produce just enough breast milk for her own baby to drink.

EWTT: What is your view on the following statement “Plants may also feel pain”

Embar: Unless you want to go the fruitarian route (I know some fruitarians), we have to eat plants. The meat industry kills more plants than eating these plants directly. The meat industry has to first feed plants to the animals that produce the meat. Then the animal has to be killed. That causes a lot more suffering then directly eating the plants.

 

EWTT: From the time you became a vegan 1990s to now, do you see any dramatic changes about how people perceive Veganism. 

Embar: One huge change I see is that more people now know what the word ‘vegan’ means. In the 1990s, vegans were basically treated like weird aliens. Today when you mention the word “vegan”, many people even know someone that is vegan in their inner circle. So we are definitely growing as a group. This of course is helped a lot by the presence of the internet, which we didn’t have in 1990. Spreading information has become so much easier now.

People also seem to be more open to accept the vegan diet as a healthy option, even though the old “where to you get your protein” question never seems to go away.

I’ve also noticed how through the years ‘veganism’ is slowly becoming a more integrated and accepted part of our society. In 1990 it was as good as impossible to enter a restaurant and to ask about vegan menu options. Today it still doesn’t always work, but it’s a lot easier (at least in the US). You can even find some “regular” restaurants that use the word “vegan” in their menu.

Vegan Food Pyramid

The quality and selection of vegan products in health food stores has definitely greatly improved these last few years, which helps in making vegan products a lot more accessible. Regular grocery stores are also starting to carry more and more vegetarian items.

 

 

 EWTT: What is the future of veganism?

Embar: My dream is that one day the animal industry will be abolished, but I highly doubt that I will live to see that happen. What I do know is that we will continue to grow and spread information. The majority of people like to follow the general way society is set up and I believe that ‘veganism’ is slowly becoming one accepted way of living. That will make it easier for future generations to decide to go in that direction. It’s never easy to join a minority, let alone be the only one you know that chooses a certain lifestyle, which is currently still the reality for many vegans. I’m confident that will change.

 

What Every Vegan Should Know About Vitamin B12

Very low B12 intakes can cause anaemia and nervous system damage.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimise potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following:

• eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (μg or mcg) of B12 a day or
• take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms or
• take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

 Read more from The Vegan Society

 

**************************************************************************************************************

About the Interviewer:

Bharathi Shiva volunteers as Editor for Eco WALK the Talk.com

***************************************************************************************************************

Share/Save

Madhu Verma is the brains and spirit behind SoCh in Action, a Singapore based non-profit that organises a yearly event to showcase the best social change initiatives by children between the ages of 9 and 14.  The event is just around the corner, with the ” Be the Change” Exposition to be held on Saturday, 12th November 2011, from 9:30 am to 1 pm at Level 4 of SCAPE, at 2 Orchard Link, Singapore.

We talk to Madhu to find out how it all started and about this year’s theme for the expo, “If Food Could Talk.”

EWTT: What made you leave a corporate career to work on social change?

MV: We all can make a difference in society no matter where we work. I always had the inclination to work for the social sector but didn’t know how I could use my knowledge and experience there. While finishing my Masters in marketing, I did my research in Strategic alliances between the two sectors. I discovered that social sector could use many marketing strategies that corporates use all the time to be effective and widen their scope. That’s when I started working for Oxfam in New Zealand and implementing my corporate sector experience.

EWTT: When and how did the idea of SoCh come about?

MV: It was a persistent thought for a long time. People in general are aware of issues in the society around them or in the world. I feel ‘doing good’ is a human ‘need’ like any other ‘need’ to entertain, to travel, to wear new clothes. But the reason we see fewer people satisfying this need is because the avenues provided are either not easily available or engaging or not popularised in the ways other good and services are done.

Soch, in Hindi means thought

A ‘thought’ can be a powerful tool to bring about positive change in the world.  At SoCh in Action we provide avenues for such thoughts to translate into meaningful actions. ( SoCh in Action website)

SoCh is about providing interesting and engaging way to making positive social change and doing good. We have begun with children’s program because they are the most responsive audience. But we won’t stop there.

EWTT:  Could you describe the first SoCh exposition last year?

MV: It was fabulous! Seeing the passion in the eyes of the children was pure bliss. We had 26 school projects by children 9-14 years of age from various schools. From helping the elderly, climate refugee petitions, anti-littering to providing fresh water for Haiti ; small or big, simple or complex, the problems and their solutions were chosen by children themselves.

There were 10 workshop/activities that gave children the opportunity to have an experiential and truly ‘hands-on’ experience. This was a fun way to sensitise children and grown ups to various social and environmental issues. Amongst the activities were walking without shoes, making non-toxic cleaning solutions, green science, using trash to make fun stuff, a live story telling session and so on. It attracted lots of children, parents and teachers and they all had a good time.

Video link here

EWTT:  Why have you chosen food as a theme this year?

MV: Food shapes everyone’s lives in some way or the other.  But we seldom stop to think about it beyond its procurement and stop to see how it affects our health. Children are rarely taught about how issues related to food affect us, our community, people growing the food and the environment.

Easy access to food in urban day living gives our children limited know-how about food, how it is provided by nature, where is one’s food coming from, what’s in it, what’s wholesome, what’s natural,  how can the wasted food can be utilised, if food is scarce or abundant, various food related health issues and many more.  There are so many environmental, social and cultural issues connected to food that we thought it would be good to make it our theme this year. Children will not only find these topics interesting but they will inspire them to think more deeply and meaningfully about what they put into their mouths.

EWTT:  Tell us about the competition for this year’s theme.

MV: We wanted kids to think, “What if food could talk…what it would tell them about its journey?” So we have a small video that kids can watch where a chicken nugget is talking to our friend Leero. Kids can then imagine what their food tells them and send in their story, comments, or cartoons by 10th November 2011 to us at Contact[at]sochinaction.com . We will select 10 interesting entries at the event.

Video link here

There will be a lot of fun activities: a mini grocery store, for kids to play with worms, learn about food wastage, food additives and smart food.

EWTT:  How many schools do you expect to take part this year?

MV: Last year we had 14 schools, this year we have 30 schools so far taking part. You will be able to see more than 50 children’s project on various topic such as saying ‘no’ to shark fin soup, dealing with PSLE pressure, glaucoma and myopia awareness, vandalism in school, bringing, cheer to the elderly and food trays for the visually impaired, dealing with teen depression and so on. These are some of the issues that children have chosen to address.

We have received support from various organisations, so there is a growing recognition of the programs in Singapore and we are grateful to all our partners for that.

EWTT: What are your plans for SoCH’s future?

MV: We will continue to do our annual programs, Design for Change School Challenge and Be the Change Exposition and make it reach more children. Other programs that we are mulling over may take a few months to launch, on the lines of bringing the corporate and social sector closer.

***********************************************************************************************************

Please check the SoCh in action website and join the Facebook Page ‘SoCh in Action‘.  The event “Be the Change Exposition” is also on Facebook.

Share/Save

We show the final hour from New York presented by Al Gore. All the hourly presentations typically started with an overview of the Climate Change problem, rebuttals against climate deniers, followed by a panel discussion.

Video streaming by Ustream

The remaining videos from other cities can be watched here.

3 other videos brought out by The Climate Reality Project are worth watching:

1. CLIMATE REALITY 101 explains the science behind climate change in a simple manner.

CLIMATE 101 from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

2. DOUBT connects the strategies used by the tobacco industry decades ago to the ones employed today to cast doubts about climate change.

DOUBT from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

3. GRASSROOTS in which Al Gore outlines how social change can be brought about in short periods of time.

GRASSROOTS from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

Further links you may be interested in:

Our various Climate Change related posts in the past -

EWTT: Contraction & Convergence: An Urgent Global Imperative to Tackle Climate Change

EWTT: Global Corruption Report: Climate Change

EWTT: Pen Hadow: Melting Arctic Ice and How it will affect Asia

EWTT: Wikileaks: Carving Up the Arctic Sea

EWTT: Everything you need to know about Climate Change from a Top Hedge Fund Manager

EWTT: Whither Go Climate Refugees?

EWTT: Who cares If Bangalesh drowns?

EWTT: Climate Change in Southeast Asia and Why We Can’t NOT Take Action

Share/Save

by Bhavani Prakash

The Earth Charter

We are proud to officially endorse the Earth Charter, (through the website Earth Charter in Action) though in spirit, we have done so since our inception.

Just as our response as individuals to situations and those around us are guided by our inner values and principles, there are some fundamental principles that should guide our civilisation.

The Earth Charter is an initiative to articulate the principles that apply to human beings on this planet – the relationship of people to the earth and of people to each other. It applies to the whole of humanity – as individuals , organisations and nations.

Though it began as an UN initiative, it was carried forward and completed by global civil society. It was finalised in 2000 and launched as a people’s charter by the Earth Charter Commission, an independent international entity which was co-chaired by Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev and said to have consulted more than 100,000 world citizens. It is now endorsed by over 4,500 organisations all over the world.

It has a Preamble which outlines where we are at this critical juncture of human history, 16 overarching principles or covenants to guide humanity and the Way Forward which summarises the charter and looks ahead.

Please read the Earth Charter in detail below.  The Earth Charter is meant to be a grassroots global movement with individuals and organisations voluntarily committing to its ideals and principles.  The idea is to bring about societal transformation through commitment to the covenant that will guide personal change.

You may endorse the Earth Charter at the website here.

Preamble

We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

Earth, Our Home

Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions essential to life’s evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection of Earth’s vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust.

The Global Situation

The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Injustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are widespread and the cause of great suffering. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are threatened. These trends are perilous—but not inevitable.

The Challenges Ahead

The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.

Universal Responsibility

To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities. We are at once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature.

We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. Therefore, together in hope we affirm the following interdependent principles for a sustainable way of life as a common standard by which the conduct of all individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnational institutions is to be guided and assessed.

Principles

I. RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE

1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. 
a. Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings.
b. Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity.

2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love.
a. Accept that with the right to own, manage, and use natural resources comes the duty to prevent environmental harm and to protect the rights of people.
b. Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge, and power comes increased responsibility to promote the common good.

3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful.
a. Ensure that communities at all levels guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide everyone an opportunity to realize his or her full potential.
b. Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible.

4. Secure Earth’s bounty and beauty for present and future generations. 
a. Recognize that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs of future generations.
b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth’s human and ecological communities.

In order to fulfill these four broad commitments, it is necessary to:

II. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY

5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth’s ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life.

a. Adopt at all levels sustainable development plans and regulations that make environmental conservation and rehabilitation integral to all development initiatives.
b. Establish and safeguard viable nature and biosphere reserves, including wild lands and marine areas, to protect Earth’s life support systems, maintain biodiversity, and preserve our natural heritage.
c. Promote the recovery of endangered species and ecosystems.
d. Control and eradicate non-native or genetically modified organisms harmful to native species and the environment, and prevent introduction of such harmful organisms.
e. Manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products, and marine life in ways that do not exceed rates of regeneration and that protect the health of ecosystems.
f. Manage the extraction and use of non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels in ways that minimize depletion and cause no serious environmental damage.

6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach. 
a. Take action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive.
b. Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm.
c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance, and global consequences of human activities.
d. Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances.
e. Avoid military activities damaging to the environment.

7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being. 
a. Reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems.
b. Act with restraint and efficiency when using energy, and rely increasingly on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
c. Promote the development, adoption, and equitable transfer of environmentally sound technologies.
d. Internalize the full environmental and social costs of goods and services in the selling price, and enable consumers to identify products that meet the highest social and environmental standards.
e. Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health and responsible reproduction.
f. Adopt lifestyles that emphasize the quality of life and material sufficiency in a finite world.

8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired. 
a. Support international scientific and technical cooperation on sustainability, with special attention to the needs of developing nations.
b. Recognize and preserve the traditional knowledge and spiritual wisdom in all cultures that contribute to environmental protection and human well-being.
c. Ensure that information of vital importance to human health and environmental protection, including genetic information, remains available in the public domain.

III. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative. 
a. Guarantee the right to potable water, clean air, food security, uncontaminated soil, shelter, and safe sanitation, allocating the national and international resources required.
b. Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets for those who are unable to support themselves.
c. Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable, serve those who suffer, and enable them to develop their capacities and to pursue their aspirations.

10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner. 
a. Promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations.
b. Enhance the intellectual, financial, technical, and social resources of developing nations, and relieve them of onerous international debt.
c. Ensure that all trade supports sustainable resource use, environmental protection, and progressive labor standards.
d. Require multinational corporations and international financial organizations to act transparently in the public good, and hold them accountable for the consequences of their activities.

11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity.
a. Secure the human rights of women and girls and end all violence against them.
b. Promote the active participation of women in all aspects of economic, political, civil, social, and cultural life as full and equal partners, decision makers, leaders, and beneficiaries.
c. Strengthen families and ensure the safety and loving nurture of all family members.

12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities. 
a. Eliminate discrimination in all its forms, such as that based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, and national, ethnic or social origin.
b. Affirm the right of indigenous peoples to their spirituality, knowledge, lands and resources and to their related practice of sustainable livelihoods.
c. Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies.
d. Protect and restore outstanding places of cultural and spiritual significance.

IV. DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE

13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice. 
a. Uphold the right of everyone to receive clear and timely information on environmental matters and all development plans and activities which are likely to affect them or in which they have an interest.
b. Support local, regional and global civil society, and promote the meaningful participation of all interested individuals and organizations in decision making.
c. Protect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, association, and dissent.
d. Institute effective and efficient access to administrative and independent judicial procedures, including remedies and redress for environmental harm and the threat of such harm.
e. Eliminate corruption in all public and private institutions.
f. Strengthen local communities, enabling them to care for their environments, and assign environmental responsibilities to the levels of government where they can be carried out most effectively.

14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.
a. Provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development.
b. Promote the contribution of the arts and humanities as well as the sciences in sustainability education.
c. Enhance the role of the mass media in raising awareness of ecological and social challenges.
d. Recognize the importance of moral and spiritual education for sustainable living.

15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
a. Prevent cruelty to animals kept in human societies and protect them from suffering.
b. Protect wild animals from methods of hunting, trapping, and fishing that cause extreme, prolonged, or avoidable suffering.
c. Avoid or eliminate to the full extent possible the taking or destruction of non-targeted species.

16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace. 
a. Encourage and support mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among all peoples and within and among nations.
b. Implement comprehensive strategies to prevent violent conflict and use collaborative problem solving to manage and resolve environmental conflicts and other disputes.
c. Demilitarize national security systems to the level of a non-provocative defense posture, and convert military resources to peaceful purposes, including ecological restoration.
d. Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
e. Ensure that the use of orbital and outer space supports environmental protection and peace.
f. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part.

The Way Forward

As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning. Such renewal is the promise of these Earth Charter principles. To fulfill this promise, we must commit ourselves to adopt and promote the values and objectives of the Charter.

This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility. We must imaginatively develop and apply the vision of a sustainable way of life locally, nationally, regionally, and globally. Our cultural diversity is a precious heritage and different cultures will find their own distinctive ways to realize the vision. We must deepen and expand the global dialogue that generated the Earth Charter, for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom.

Life often involves tensions between important values. This can mean difficult choices. However, we must find ways to harmonize diversity with unity, the exercise of freedom with the common good, short-term objectives with long-term goals. Every individual, family, organization, and community has a vital role to play. The arts, sciences, religions, educational institutions, media, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and governments are all called to offer creative leadership. The partnership of government, civil society, and business is essential for effective governance.

In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development.

Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.

Video link here
EWTT: Bolivia Climate Change Conference and the Rights of Mother Earth

EWTT: Why We Need a Law on Ecocide by Polly Higgins

Share/Save

We bring here a synopsis of the International Coastal Cleanup, a yearly effort to clean up the coastlines of the world and improve ocean health. Each year on the third Saturday in September (in 2011, it’s on 17th September), several hundreds of thousands of volunteers clean up litter from lakes, rivers, and beaches around the world.

We also cover the efforts being taken for International Coastal Cleanup in Singapore. Your participation with friends, family and colleagues would make a big difference in cleaning up coastlines and also generating awareness about how our consumption habits are linked to ocean trash, and the effects it has on marine life.

The International Coastal Cleanup is a yearly campaign by The Ocean Conservancy, a Washington D.C, US based non-profit organisation. The Ocean Conservancy was founded in 1972, with goals to promote healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems, and to oppose practices that threaten oceanic and human life.

OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup has become the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean health. Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year.

Along with the cleanup, every item found is weighed, counted and recorded, and cumulative data from the countries are compiled, giving a clear picture of the kind of items that affect humans, wildlife and economies.

The Ocean Conservancy’s 2011 report, ” Tracking Trash: 25 Years of Action for the Ocean” summarises what the data collected over 25 years shows and how it has inspired action.

The information collected is quite telling:

• During the 25th annual Cleanup in 2010, over six hundred thousand (615,407) people removed more than eight million (8,698,572) pounds of trash.
• In 2010, volunteers collected enough tires to outfit almost fifty-five hundred (5,464) cars.
• In 2010 the amount of cigarettes/cigarette butts collected is equal to nearly ninety-five thousand (94,626) packs of cigarettes.
• The eight million pounds of trash collected during the 2010 Cleanup would cover about 170 football fields.

Highlighted Results from the Past 25 Years of Cleanups

• Fifty-three million cigarettes/cigarette filters that have been found would fill 100 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Appliances collected over 25 years of Cleanups (117,356) would fill 32,600 dump trucks.
• Over 863 thousand (863,135) diapers would be enough to put one on every child born in the UK last year.
• Over the past 25 years, more than eight and a half million (8,763,377) volunteers have removed one hundred and forty-five million (144,606,491)pounds of trash in 152 countries and locations.
• Volunteers have collected enough cups, plates, forks, knives and spoons over 25 years to host a picnic for 2 million people.

(Summary from ICCS)

TAKE ACTION: Action begins with each of us. Join schools and organisations within your country or city participating in The International Coastal Cleanup, or Plan your own International Coastal Cleanup Event.

Here are 10 things you can do to stop marine debris recommended by The Ocean Conservancy.

 The International Coastal Cleanup in Singapore (ICCS) 2011

If you’re in Singapore on 17th September 2011,  do join the International Coastal Cleanup here as an independent volunteer. Bring your family, friends and colleagues along too.

Interestingly, today Vincent Kang had posted a comment in Today Online about the sudden surge in trash found in the East Coast.  So your helping hands will be much appreciated!

If you’ve missed the briefing conducted on August 27th by N. Sivasothi, National Co-ordinator, International Coastal Cleanup Singapore 2011, here’s a full recording of the session where he gives an excellent overview of marine life in Singapore, the experiences from past cleanup events, and tons of housekeeping tips on what to do on September 17th, as regards to safety tips and data collection and recording.

Ria Tan summarises the efforts of ICCS well in today’s Wildshores post.

ICCS is NOT just about picking up litter. It is about educating people and collecting data about the litter on our shores. Like Vincent Kang asked in his letter above, ICCS helps answer the question: where does the litter come from?

Marine Debris at Changi - Photo: Wild Singapore

ICCS involves thousands of people. It is the single most important event in the year to raise awareness about marine litter. All the shores are targeted. From mangroves to recreational beaches. Remote shore to accessible shores.

Trash on our shores costs us money. More than $1million to be precise. And that’s just on the recreational shores. A report for the 21 APEC economies reveals a conservative estimate of damage caused by marine litter to be US$1.265 billion. This is just the cost to fishing and boat industries. This does NOT include costs to wildlife, loss of tourism and lost capital development opportunities, like building a hotel or resort. It also does NOT include the clean-up bill.

Marine debris KILLS! In Jun 2011, a dead sea turtle was found to have swallowed 317 plastic pieces in Australia. Even something as seemingly innocent as balloons, often released in masses during celebratory events, can kill. More about how balloons and soft plastic kill sea turtles slowly and painfully.

You CAN make a difference. Individual sign up is open for 17 Sep 2011 (Sat) 8am – 12pm. More details on the ICCS website with online registration.  You can also sign up with the ICCS mailing list or subscribe to theICCS blog or twitter for updates.

Further links you may be interested in:

TED Talks:

1. Capt. Charles Moore on the seas of plastic

2. Sylvia Earle’s TED Prize wish to protect our oceans

3. Chris Jordan pictures some shocking stats

Share/Save

The Coalition for a GM-Free India is a voluntary group of individuals and NGOs who are fighting against the introduction of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill (easing the introduction of GM crops) in the Indian Parliament. It was meant to be tabled on August 17th, 2011 but was forestalled due to other political issues concerning the anti-corruption campaign in the country. 

Earlier this year, On February 10, the former environment minister, Jairam Ramesh had ordered a moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified brinjal (Bt brinjal), an eggplant with 2,500 natural varieties. The Ministry sought long term safety studies before lifting the ban.

However the BRAI Bill is rearing its ugly head again. Here’s the latest press release by the coalition on the reasons why this bill must not go through.

If you support the cause, please sign the petition by Greenpeace India, “Save Your Food – Stop the BRAI Bill” 

Press Release: COALITION FOR A GM-FREE INDIA 

BRAI BILL 2011 IS NO BETTER THAN ANTI-PEOPLE, ANTI-NATURE BRAI 2009: IT IS A BLATANT ATTEMPT TO BULLDOZE STATE GOVTS’ & CITIZENS’ RESISTANCE AGAINST AND CONCERNS ABOUT GM CROPS:

“WRONG BILL BY WRONG PEOPLE FOR WRONG REASONS: ALL PROGRESSIVE PARTIES AND THEIR MPs SHOULD REJECT THE VERY INTRODUCTION OF THE BILL”

New Delhi, August 16th 2011: The BRAI Bill is a blatant attempt to bulldoze through the public resistance and genuine concerns about Genetically Modified crops, and to deny state governments their Constitutional authority over Agriculture and Health, said the Coalition for a GM-Free India in its reaction to the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India 2011 Bill to be introduced in the Parliament tomorrow. The Coalition urged Parliamentarians to object to the very introduction of the Bill in the Parliament tomorrow, stating that ‘it is a wrong bill by the wrong people for the wrong reasons’. The scam-ridden UPA government will only take a further beating in the eyes of the public if it tries to introduce and pass this Bill, warned the Coalition.

“This BRAI mechanism makes the regulatory system even weaker than the existing GEAC mechanism. As the nation remembers, the Bt Brinjal public hearings process saw state governments, farmer organizations, scientists, environmentalists, health experts and rest of civil society come out with huge concerns about GM crops, and the Government through its moratorium decision admitted the failure of GEAC regulatory mechanism and promised to strengthen the regulatory system. How can the same Government bring in a regulatory mechanism which is actually much weaker than GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) and which overrides the state governments, local governments and public inputs?” demanded the Coalition.

“As we have said all along, regulation of modern biotechnology is not like regulation as in other sectors like telecom, where corrupt politicians and bureaucrats can hope to make money. The fundamental basis of regulation lies in the risks associated with modern biotechnology, and the requirement is for a prudent and responsible regulation based on precautionary principles. Therefore, there should only be one primary mandate or objective to this statute: to prevent risks to the health and safety of people of India, its environment and its biological diversity in particular, from the development, handling, transport, use, transfer and release of any living modified organisms. Given such a mandate, this Bill should be introduced not by the Ministry of Science and Technology whose very mandate is to advance biotechnology, but by the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Environment & Forests. The current Bill is objectionable on such fundamental grounds apart from its other failings,” said the Coalition in a press release.

The following are the main objections listed out by the Coalition in response to this Bill: (available here )

1. Wrong Ministry introducing it with wrong objectives: As mentioned above, there should be only one reason why this Bill should be enacted and that should be to uphold the biosafety of the people of India and its environment from the risks of modern biotechnology. If a technology is inherently unsafe, no amount of regulation can make it safer as is the case with the use of Genetic Engineering in our food and farming systems. Given that this statute is trying to replace the current regulatory regime as governed by the EPA’s 1989 Rules which have been expressly formulated to protect health, Nature and environment from the risks of modern biotechnology, there should be a strong, rational reason why the same will not be the objective for BRAI. What new scientific evidence or other evidence has emerged since then that this objective is being changed to also introduce fast-track clearance systems in the name of ‘effective and efficient’ regulatory procedures?

2. Over-riding state governments’ authority over their agriculture and health: This Bill has a clause in the very first chapter (Section (2)) which seeks to keep the regulatory control in the hands of Union Government, in the name of “public interest”. This is unconstitutional and retrogressive, especially given the recent change in regulatory norms in India, rightfully so for the first time, allowing state governments to have a greater say in the deployment of modern biotechnology especially in the context of field trials/environmental release of GMOs.

3. Bypassing the citizens’ Right to Information: This Bill, through Section 28, expressly seeks to classify some information as Confidential Commercial Information and leaves it to the discretion of officials of the Authority to share or not share this information. This once again is regressive, given that the Bt brinjal controversy saw express Supreme Court orders to the regulators asking them to put out all the biosafety data in the public domain. What is the point in incorporating a component of obtaining public feedback through Section 27 (5) if the biosafety data is not put out in the public domain? This is completely objectionable and no political party should support clauses like this.

The same is true to the Oath of Secrecy that the Authority Chair and Members are expected to take in addition to other officials. Why is modern biotechnology and its deployment a secret affair, unless there is something to hide from the public? How can this Authority be trusted to act in the best interest of Indians with such clauses built in?

4. 3-member Authority to decide for all of us?: The Bill essentially proposes that a 3-member Authority, with support from 2 other part-time members will take decisions, even though certain new mechanisms like the Environment Appraisal Panel have been introduced, compared to the last version of the Bill seen in 2010. However, this Authority has been vested with all powers to decide and while it appears that the authority will take recommendations of Risk Assessment Unit and Products Ruling Committee, the entire authority of decision-making rests with this small group of scientists! There are even clauses which prevent invalidation of the proceedings of the Authority by mere vacancies (sic) etc., in this Bill. When an inter-ministerial body 30-member body like the GEAC, which was also taking biosafety recommendations from a group of scientists called the RCGM and acting accordingly, could be found lacking rigour or independence so often in the past, how can this Biotech Regulatory Authority with its 3 full-time and 2 part-time members be trusted and how can Indians place their faith on them? Further, biotech regulation is not just about biosafety for decisions to be taken based on someone declaring something to be ‘safe’. There are issues related to farmers’ rights, consumers’ rights, trade security, sustainable development etc., all linked to modern biotechnology and its applications.

5. Conflict of Interest issues: The clauses meant to prevent conflict of interest are quite weak and only involve restrictions on future employment for one year after cessation of office. Therefore nothing prevents some appointee getting a hefty sum before joining the authority and then clearing applications in the corruption-laden systems all around us. There are not even such restrictions for the officials in the Biosafety Assessment Units or Product Rulings Committee etc., even though they would be doing the recommendations that would form the basis of decision-making later on! As we know, conflict of interest has emerged as a major concern in the current regulatory system.

6. No Needs Evaluation: One of the fundamental recommendations of the Task Force on Agricultural Biotechnology led by Dr.Swaminathan was that “transgenics should be resorted to when other options to achieve the desired objectives are either not available or not feasible.” The BRAI doesn’t talk about any needs evaluation and assessment of alternatives, which was also stressed by the Government in its Bt brinjal moratorium decision – and assumes that all biotechnology and GM crops are a fait accompli.

7. There are no proposals at all for independent testing which is a great problem witnessed time and again in the current regulatory regime too. Worse, there are proposals of notifying labs under this Act that have not even been accredited!

8. There are no improvements being made in terms of open air trials not happening before biosafety is thoroughly, independently and democratically assessed. Using quaint terms like ‘environmental release’ for actual commercial cultivation and using other terms like field trials for open air releases even though they are environmental releases too, the proposed Bill has no improvements to suggest to address the serious lacunae with field trials which are making state government after state government reject the possibility of any open air trials taking place in their state.

9. The Bill has very weak penal clauses (Chapter XII on Offences and Penalties) and in fact does not address liability issues at all: without a liability regime in place, no regulatory regime is complete on this issue. Liability should put the onus of violations on the crop developer primarily and not the users. Further, liability should cover criminal and civil liability as well as redressal/compensation to affected parties like farmers in addition to remediation for damage caused.

10. It is unacceptable that the Bill has a clause (70) which says that no court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Act save on a complaint made by the Authority or any officer or person authorized by it! What is the rationale for this other than to protect offenders? Equally objectionable is Section 77 which prevents civil courts to have jurisdiction on any matter which the Appellate Tribunal under the Act is empowered to determine, wherein there is a bar on any injunction to be granted by any court in respect of any action taken by the Authority.

11. It is also objectionable that this Act will have an over-riding effect over other laws in force since this Bill is indeed inconsistent with legislations like the Biological Diversity Act.

The above few points are only some of the main objections. There are several other problems with the Bill in terms of the Appellate Authority proposed, in its Inter-Ministerial Governing Board and its role and constitution etc. etc.

For more information, contact:

Kavitha Kuruganti, at +91-9393001550
Kiran Vissa at +91-9701705743
Sridhar Radhakrishnan at +91-09995358205

 Your action can make a difference:

If you support the cause, please sign the Greenpeace petition: Save Your Food – Stop the BRAI Bill” 

Further information you may be interested in:

1. India GM Info: Website of the Coalition for a GM Free India

2. EWTT: Dr Vandana Shiva: Traditional Knowledge, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development

3. EWTT: Dr Mira Shiva: Health Effects of GM Food

4. EWTT: Lim Li Ching : GMO Free

Share/Save

In Asia this year, at least three environmental activists that we know of have lost their lives, and perhaps countless others that we may never get to hear about in mainstream media.  Dr Gerry Ortega was killed in January 2011 this year in the Philippines for anti-mining protests and campaigning for the Palawan community’s share in the Malampaya natural gas project. In Thailand, Thongnak Chewakchinda lost his life in July 2011 for his high-profile protests against the persistent problem of air pollution from dust and fumes from coal depots and separation factories.

Shehla Masood

When India’s attention was focused on the arrest of anti-corruption campaigner, Anna Hazare; a quiet and swift decimation of a heroic life was effected in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Central India).  Shehla Masood, an wildlife conservationist, environmental campaigner and an RTI (Right to Information) activist was shot dead outside her home by an unidentified assailant on 16th August, 2011. She was leaving to attend a demonstration supporting Anna Hazare.  She had been raising a lot of questions about Rio Tinto’s mining activities, and was seeking to save the watershed of the Panna Tiger Reserve and the Shyamri River in Madhya Pradesh. 

We share here the statement made by Toxics Watch Alliance which will be submitted to the Indian central and state governments, relevant committees and agencies.

Please send an email to the signatories mentioned below the statement, and/or leave a comment here endorsing this.

And somewhere, somehow, we must all see a connection with tragic events like this to our own mindless consumption. As the Indian middle class becomes wealthier, consumption of gold and diamonds is ever on the rise. Do we ever question what the real and hidden costs to it are?

Joint Statement on Martyrdom of Shehla Masood (for your endorsement)

16 August, 2011

“I am proud to be an Indian. Happy Independence Day.”
Shehla Masood, 15 August, 2011

Gandhi “the purpose of civil resistance is provocation”. Anna has succeeded in provoking the Govt and the Opposition. Hope he wins us freedom from corruption. Meet at 2 pm Boat Club Bhopal”
Shehla Masood, 16 August, 2011 – Her last Facebook update a few minutes before her martyrdom

Shehla Masood, a Madhya Pradesh based civil rights and environmental rights activist was was shot dead by an unidentified person in front of her residence in Koh-e-Fiza locality in Bhopal around 11 AM on 16th August, 2011.

We the undersigned are aghast at the irony that tigers, tribals, trees and civil rights and environmental rights activists are being hunted and killed in the same manner.

We demand that the possible connection between her murder and her raising the issue of illegal Diamond mining project in Chhattarpur district, Madhya Pradesh by Rio Tinto, a transnational mining company headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange must be investigated along with other suspicions by a high level probe team. (Factsheet on Rio Tinto’s illegal mining activity given below). 

She was active to save the watershed of the Panna Tiger Reserve and the Shyamri River, one of the cleanest in the country from Rio Tinto’s mining activity along with other activists.

We suspect that the considered timing of her elimination during the ongoing anti-corruption campaign when she was on her way to support Anna Hazare’s fast is meant to overshadow the issue of illegal Diamond mining project in Chhattarpur district, Madhya Pradesh by Rio Tinto and the political Mafiosi.

The mining block is inside a forest which is the northernmost tip of the best corridor of teak forests south of the Gangetic plain. It is an established law that mining is non-forestry activity. There is an immediate need for a probe to determine who allowed the mining to take place in such an ecologically fragile area.

The Bunder mine project, near the city of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, about 500 kilometres south-east of Delhi, is likely to be one of the largest diamond reserves in the world. It is estimated that there is a ”inferred resource” of 27.4 million carats, a diamonds resource seven times richer than the Panna mine, country’s only working diamond mine.

A statement dated March 22, 2011 was laid in the Parliament (Lok Sabha) on “need to review the diamond mining project in district Chhattarpur, Madhya Pradesh posing serious threat to environment in the region”.

We have learnt from senior journalists that two Collectors have been transferred to facilitate the ongoing illegal mining and the fact that the new Collector has allowed mining which came to light when a PIL was filed stating that Rio Tinto has been carrying on exploitation of mineral resources in Chattarpur district violating the prescribed provisions.

Prior to the statement in the Lok Sabha, on March 10, 2011, the FOREST ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING of Ministry of Environment & Forests listed Agenda no. 6 on “ Prospecting of diamond at 143 additional locations in 2329.75 ha. forest land located in 18 compartments in Buxwaha Range in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh by M/s Rio Tinto Exploration India Private Limited. [File No. 8-49/2006-FC-(Vol.)]” to discuss it but did not do so stating, “Due to paucity of time the proposal could not be discussed during the meeting”.

We had written to the Union Environment Minister and Parliamentary Petitions Committee separately drawing its attention towards Madhya Pradesh High Court’s notices to the Centre and the state government on illegal mining of diamonds by international mining companies. The court had asked both the governments to reply in this matter within four weeks. Considering the act of illegal mining as a serious offence, a double bench of Chief Justice Sayed Rafat Alam and Justice Sushil Harkauli criticised the Forest Departments, Mining Secretaries of the state as well as the Centre and issued notices against them in addition to the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Chattarpur Collector.

We take cognisance of the fact that Corporate Watch, a London based group had chosen Rio Tinto to award it for its display of heinous, misguided, and altogether anti-social behaviour over the last ten years in 2010.

We take note of ‘Rio Tinto: the Tainted Titan,’ the Stakeholders Report, www.cfmeu.asn.au, 1997, which states “It’s (Rio Tinto’s) activities in some of the wildest and the most pristine places in the world and their impact on the environment of those places, the people who live there, the life-style of the indigenous people and also its corporate culture, are subjects of real concern.”

We submit that Rio Tinto project is threatening unique forest resources in the area affected by the mine in Chhattarpur, MP. In this context, it may be noted that Roger Moody, a veteran journalist in his book Plunder, describes Rio Tinto’s activities as ranging from “brow-beating opponents, leaning on governments and price-fixing, to violating international law, union-busting and management of one of the world’s biggest commodity cartels”. His book outlines numerous examples of its environmental irresponsibility.

It is germane to recollect what Sir Roderick Carnegie, as Chairman Rio Tinto-Zinc (RTZ) had said at its 1984 shareholders’ meeting: “The right to land depends on the ability to defend it”.

We salute the struggle and martyrdom of Shehla Masood who defended our forests, rivers, land and wildlife in the face of unscrupulous corporate assault in nexus with ruling political regimes.

Shehla Masood used to conclude her messages with a proud “Roarrrrr” that cannot be silenced by the bullets of her assailants.

Signatories

Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), New Delhi (krishna2777@gmail.com)

Prakash K Ray, Jawaharlal Nehru University Researchers Association (JNURA), New Delhi (pkray11@gmail.com)

Fact sheet on Rio Tinto, Chhattarpur, Madhya Pradesh

May, 2004: ACC Rio Tinto of Australia, De Beers of South Africa, BHP Minerals of Canada and the National Mineral Development Corporation are set to start survey and exploration of diamond mines in the Panna, Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh, Sagar, Angor and Majhgawan areas of the state. ACC Rio Tinto has been issued four reconnaissance permits for 10,000 sq km area in the Panna Damoh and Chhatarpur districts.

2004: Rio Tinto discovered a significant diamond deposit in Chhattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

2006: Rio Tinto was given the prospecting licence

17 January 2007: Bunder Project is a proposed new diamond mine , located at Janpad Panchayat Buxwaha, Tehsil Buxwaha, District, Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. If the project is approved and proves viable, it could be the “first significant world class diamond mine in India”, according to the Rio Tinto Group, who have proposed the mine. The foundation of the plant was inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on 17 January 2007. Government accorded pollution clearance certificate by its letter no. 213/EPCO/SEIAA/08 dated 22.11.08 for DMS plant.

July 2007: Australian multinational mining company, Rio Tinto has applied for prospecting license for locating diamond area in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna and Chhatarpur districts. Diamond Officer J S Solanki said Rio Tinto has discovered a ‘Kimerlite Pipe Line’ at Bakswaha in Chhatarpur and Amjhiria and Rampur in Panna district. The company has applied for prospecting license. After receiving no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department, the application would be forwarded to the state government. The company would begin its work as soon as it receives permission from the government. National Mines Development Corporation (NDMC) has also started surveying the area in view of new possibilities.

23 June 2008: Rio Tinto announced on 23rd June that it had filed for a mining lease to proceed with the project. They are also waiting permission from the pollution control board for a Dense Media Separation Plant which would allow samples taken from the mine to be processed on location.

December 2008: Rio Tinto has discovered diamond deposit in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Rio Tinto Diamond – one of the largest producers of rough diamond – has sought the mining lease from state government for running its commercial business in Chhatarpur, he added. Chhatarpur is the second district after Panna in the state where diamond deposit was discovered. They were expecting 30 million carats of diamond deposit in Chhatarpur and the state government is hopeful of getting Rs 100 crore royalty from this project’s commercial production. Rio Tinto would begin mining diamonds using latest technology. Rio Tinto has put in around USD 25 million in exploring and discovering the diamond deposit. The firm was exploring diamond reserve for well over four years and eventually discovered it some months ago. Rio Tinto is the first in the last five years which has got prospecting license for diamond exploration in India.

August 2009: Virbhadra Singh, India’s Steel Minister said that National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is exploring for diamond reserves in the Chattarpur District. “We have requested the Madhya Pradesh government to allow NMDC to explore more areas adjoining the Panna mines so that the area could emerge as a diamond hub. Moreover, Chattarpur district is also rich in diamond reserves,” he said. Maintaining that this would attract investments in diamond cutting and polishing

2010: The presence of diamond deposits has been detected in Chhattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh during an aerial survey by an Australian company. “The process for granting permission for a land survey to confirm the presence of diamonds is underway”. Diamonds were earlier found in Panna district, which is close to Chhattarpur. Australia’s Rio Tinto Exploration Company had been carrying out aerial surveys for diamonds over the past three years in the northeastern part of the state. The central government had given permission to the Australian firm for such surveys.

31st August, 2010: The second largest mining company of the world Rio Tinto has began production of diamonds from its Bunder Diamond project at Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh. “Rio Tinto has commenced production and bulk sampling at Mumbai diamond auctions,” said SK Mishra, MP Mining and Mineral Secretary. The company has so far invested about Rs 250 crore and mining lease had been offered on 475 hectares. Rio Tinto was given prospecting licence for the project in 2006. The company will gradually scale up investment and will cover 5,000 hectares over a period and the investment is expected to touch Rs 2,500 crore. Madhya Pradesh’s Additional Chief Secretary (Commerce, Industry and Employment), Satya Prakash said, the company will invest Rs 370 crore over the next three years. The state government has also earmarked 280 acres near Indore for a diamond park for value addition like cutting, polishing and jewellery. MP is the only diamond producing state with prospect of 1200 thousand carats of diamond reserve.

November 2010: Environmentalists and conservationists raise serious objections about the Madhya Pradesh government giving full support to global diamond giant Rio Tinto’s Indian subsidiary planning commercial mining of diamonds in an eco-sensitive zone close to the Panna tiger reserve. Tiger expert Valmik Thapar, asked about Rio Tinto’s Bunder diamond project in Chhatarpur district, a few kilometers from the Panna reserve’s western border, said: “It’s an example of a completely dysfunctional system of government from top to bottom.” He said that if Panna were to recover (the loss of all its tigers), it would need at least another 10 years of complete protection of surrounding forests and (their) connecting corridors. Asked about Rio Tinto’s plan to start commercial diamond mining in an area which is also the watershed for the Panna reserve and the Shyamri river, considered one of the cleanest in the country, Thapar said the water regime was also essential for life and no water resource should be negated by those bent on commercial exploitation of mineral resources in forest areas. Almost 99 per cent of the Bunder diamondiferous block is inside a forest which is the northernmost tip of the best corridor of teak forests south of the Gangetic plain. “It is an established law that mining is non-forestry activity — if pitting is involved, prospecting is also mining activity,” a senior state forest officer said, adding that a probe was needed to determine on what grounds clearance to prospect in this area was given in the first place.

March 10, 2011: PROCCEDINGS OF THE FOREST ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING of Ministry of Environment & Forests refer to Agenda no. 6 on “ Prospecting of diamond at 143 additional locations in 2329.75 ha. forest land located in 18 compartments in Buxwaha Range in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh by M/s Rio Tinto Exploration India Private Limited. [File No. 8-49/2006-FC-(Vol.)]” It states, “Due to paucity of time the proposal could not be discussed during the meeting”.
March 22, 2011: Jeetendra Singh Bundela, MP from Khajuraho laid a statement in Lok Sabha on “need to review the diamond mining project in district Chhattarpur, Madhya Pradesh posing serious threat to environment in the region.”

April 2011: Rio Tinto applied for a mining licence for what could be the largest diamond mine in India. The global mining giant is carrying out pre-feasibility exploration at the Bunder Mine project near Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh. The mine can have reserves of 27.4 million carats, making it the largest diamond find in the last 10 years in the world. The Bunder mine is likely to hold resources seven times more than Panna, the only operating diamond mine in the country. It is estimated that the grade of the Bunder reserves is 0.7 carats per tonne. Diamond traders in Delhi estimated the value of the roughs at $4-5 billion.

The grant of the licence to Rio may get delayed as environment activists have filed a case against the firm in Madhya Pradesh High Court. The company claims that it is fully compliant with all laws, including environmental norms. The domestic diamond processing industry generates revenues of more than Rs 70,000 crore annually but is facing a shortage of 30 per cent in its requirement of roughs. Rio, a Reliance Industries’ subsidiary has been prospecting for diamond in the country. The Reliance subsidiary holds a prospecting licence for about 1800 sq km spread over Rewa, Siddhi and Satna in Madhya Pradesh.

9th April, 2011: Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the Centre and the state government on illegal mining of diamonds by international mining companies. The court has asked both the governments to reply in this matter within four weeks. Considering the act of illegal mining as a serious offence, a double bench of Chief Justice Sayed Rafat Alam and Justice Sushil Harkauli rapped the Forest Departments, Mining Secretaries of the state as well as the Centre and issued notices against them in addition to the MP Pollution Control Board and Chattarpur Collector. The issue of illegal diamond mining came to light when a PIL was filed by a social activist. The PIL stated that an Australian mining company, Rio Tinto, has been carrying on exploitation of mineral resources in Chattarpur district violating the prescribed provisions. The PIL said that under Section 2 of the Forest Preservation Act, permission from the Central government is required to carry on mining trade in any part of India. Other than this, a no objection certificate (NOC) from Pollution Control Board is mandatory. The counsel of the petitioner, Vipin Yadav, told the court that the Collector of Chattarpur had written a letter to the Revenue Department in this context, but no action was taken. Yadav added, “This proves that the officials of Forest and Revenue departments are working hand-in-hand and foreign companies are making profit at the cost of our country’s natural resources.”

25th July, 2011: A letter on Illegal Diamond mining project in district Chhattarpur, MP was submitted to the Parliamentary Petitions Committee by ToxicsWatch Alliance.
Subsequent to this a letter was sent to Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan by Shehla Masood on 25 July, 2011. She had also filed Right to Information application in this regard.

16 August, 2011: Shehla Masood killed in Bhopal

Further links you may be interested in:

Latest news on Shehla Masood on RTI Happenings Website.

Facebook Event : Silent Support to Shehla Masood, Sunday August 21 2011

 An interview on OUTLOOK India a month before her death:

Long pushing for protection of whistle-blowers, Shehla Masood might have made her point most forcefully in death. She had long learned to live with threats to her life, as she revealed in the last interview before she died. Excerpts:

How difficult is it for a whistle-blower to function?

I was threatened by local MLA Vishwas Sarang because I exposed corruption relating to forest produce. He sent me a court notice just to put me under pressure. I exposed Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s expenditure on household entertainment which ran into lakhs every month. The money was spent on chaat, sweets, lunches, bouquets, telephone bills and mobile bills. I was threatened by principal information officer (general administrative department) Aruna Gupta. She wrote a letter to the information commissioner saying I had stolen some records and lodged an FIR against me. It was a blatant lie because when she was asked to furnish details of the records stolen from her office, she failed to give anything. She was served with a showcause notice. I was also threatened by the protocol officer of the CM’s house, Sanjay Chauhan, because I exposed how lakhs were spent on sitting judges of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The money was spent on their stay in luxury hotels and travel. I also drew attention towards the 12 serving judges who were involved in corruption. These judges came to the wedding of the son of principal secretary (law) in December 2010 and the expenses were borne by the state government. I draw strength from these threats. But at the same time, I realise that the government is not serious in protecting whistle-blowers. I believe this is because of political pressure. There is no political will to fight corruption. And I am sorry to say that there is very little unity among the activists as they also have vested interests.

How does one work in this situation?

See, I am being constantly threatened. I was threatened by Pawan Shrivastava (currently IG, police training institute, Indore) in 2008. He is thoroughly corrupt. His proximity with politicians allows him to commit deeds which are immoral and against the law. He is a perpetual law offender. He is close to a few RSS leaders and to the vice-president of BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit, Anil Dave. I filed an RTI application in 2008 to gather information on the tender process adopted by the cultural department. The day I filed it, Pawan Srivastava called me on my mobile and not only threatened me with dire consequences but also abused me. I have recorded part of his conversation which corroborates my claim. However, that recording and complaints to senior police officers and to Union home minister P. Chidambaram have hardly helped me. I fear for my life. But I will continue working and carry on.

What issues are you fighting for?

I’m fighting for good governance, transparency, police reforms and environmental issues like tiger conservation. I’ve been using the RTI Act since 2005 as a tool to collect evidence. It is the nexus between politicians and babus which is slowly poisoning our country. The fight is between the powerful and weak and I represent the weakest and the poorest of society.

 

Share/Save

One of the things I noticed during my recent visit to Sydney was the lane markings for bicycles. Markings such as the ones that I am about to share below would really make riding a bicycle safe and convenient in a place like Singapore, where the roads are already well laid out and maintained.

Picture 1: Two way lanes for cyclists merging from a pedestrian pavement

Picture 2: Narrow green lane for cyclists planning to ride straight on, where other vehicles may want to turn left.

Video: A bike box, like the one here in the city of Toronto, is a safe zone for cyclists to stand ahead of other vehicles at the traffic lights, to get an early start.

Video link here

The public transport infrastructure in Singapore is quite comprehensive, serviced by buses and underground tube trains, better known as Mass Rapid Transport (MRT). Developing cycling as a complementary and alternative means of transport would greatly improve the quality of life for many – enhancing good health through exercise and reduced air pollution. It would also help lower the country’s carbon emissions.

The city state has total land area of 712.4 sq km and one end to the other  from east to west in the mainland is only 48.2 kms.  Distance wise, it’s a perfect place for cycling.

However, it isn’t such a safe thing to do. At the moment, there are very few separate lanes for cycling, and it can be quite dangerous for cyclists to share roads with cars and buses.  Sometimes cyclists use pavements meant for pedestrians, but that is not officially encouraged.

The only exception is in parks and the area of Tampines East Zone in eastern Singapore, where a pilot programme is being carried out. Cyclists are legally allowed to share the pavement with pedestrians at least during a transition period till separate cycling paths are carved out. There’s even a special Bicycle Patrol to catch errant cyclists.

The solution to safer cycling lies in public education (Tampines promotes cycling talks and clinics in community clubs), but also in allowing for more cycling space directly on the roads.

Though cyclists in Singapore are allowed to use bus lanes, separate lane markings on roads shared with cars would make life simpler and easier for them. Some argue that this will clog up already narrow lanes and slow down vehicular traffic during peak times. Not a bad thing, if you ask me, if this encourages more people to take up cycling instead!

It’s not yet clear if demarcation of separate cyclist lanes on roads is on the Land Transport Authority(LTA)’s agenda. What has been planned for however are cycling paths to be created by extending footpaths.

Separate bicycle paths on pedestrian space in Tampines

Besides Tampines, six other towns – Yishun, Sembawang, Taman Jurong, Pasir Ris, Changi-Simei and Bedok - as well as Marina Bay will be given such cycling paths to link cyclists up to transport nodes and key local amenities.

Works for 7.5km of cycling paths in Yishun have also begun earlier this year.

Construction of the paths in the first five towns – except Changi-Simei and Bedok – will be completed by the third quarter of 2012, while that in Marina Bay will wrap up in 2014. Plans for Changi-Simei and Bedok are still being discussed.

The Government has set aside $43 million to construct the cycling paths in the first five heartland areas, and $26 million to build the 16km stretch in Marina Bay.

I visited Tampines recently, and was pleasantly surprised that a simple policy change such as allowing cyclists a shared space with pedestrians had actually created a cycling culture within the town. For a moment, I found it hard it believe that this was Singapore – mums and dads with children, the old and young alike – all on two wheels happily riding away to their destinations.

There is some hope then, in the future of cycling in Singapore, even though cycling paths may be restricted to pavements, rather being extended to roads which is the desirable for more long distance travel.

What are your thoughts? We’d like to hear of your experiences about cycling whether within or outside Singapore.  If you have pictures of lane markings or signposts, do share them with us on facebook  or here in the comments section, so we can in turn share with our readers.

**********************************************************************************************************
About the writer:

Bhavani Prakash is the Founder of Eco WALK the Talk.com and enjoys walking and riding bicycles, especially when she doesn’t have to look over her shoulders too much. She can be contacted at bhavani[at] ecowalkthetalk.com .  Join EWTT on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

**********************************************************************************************************

Further links you may be interested in:

1. EWTT: Bike the Talk: The green solution to urban transport contains a lot of interesting videos on how cycling has been promoted and made safer in many cities.

2.  Cycling in Singapore : A blog dedicated to ” Issues, views, solutions and opportunities for transport and urban cycling in Singapore.”

3.  Join Everyday Traffic, a facebook group and “discussion portal and a resource portal for all things transport and traffic.”

3. Wikipedia on “Shared Space”

The concept of “shared space” has a lot of nuances, and I would encourage you to read this excellent wikipedia entry on the topic. In particular, it is interesting to see the different approaches, with some towns like Makkinga and Drachten in the Netherlands doing away with lane markings altogether, under the premise that this would make all road users more conscious of each other.

4. YouTube: Cycling Friendly Cities

Video link here

5. Straits Times: Tampines deters bicycle thiefs with unique identification lables

Share/Save

India is a land of extreme contrasts. While there are pockets of unimaginable wealth and prosperity due to the rapid economic growth of recent decades, these co-exist with a vast population of poor who can barely feed or clothe themselves, whether in urban slums or in villages. Women are the worst affected by lack of access to water, sanitation, and crucially to a piece of clean cloth which they desperately need every month during their menstrual cycles.

Anshu Gupta, Founder of GOONJ

In a culture where broaching the subject of menstruation is taboo even amongst women, it is indeed unusual to find a man championing the issue. Anshu Gupta discovered the gravity of the problem over his two decades travels throughout India. He is the founder of GOONJ, one of India’s leading social enterprises channelising underutilised materials from urban homes like clothes, stationery, utensils etc., and turning them into valuable resources for the rural poor. Today GOONJ sends out more than 70 tonnes of material every month to parts of 21 states of India. GOONJ is a recipient of multiple national and international awards and our previous talk with Anshu Gupta last year, brings out the innovative efforts made by the organisation in solving important but often overlooked problems of the poor in India.

In this very forthright, poignant and shocking interview, he delves into the nuances of the sanitary napkin problem, an issue which warrants serious and urgent attention, after decades of neglect by the government, the health sector, NGOs and development agencies, both nationally and globally. He is best placed to speak on the subject because GOONJ was one of the very first organisations to open up this much hidden issue and bring the same to public attention.

He is also concerned about the Indian government’s proposal to implement a huge annual subsidised scheme of distributing non-biodegradable, disposable sanitary napkins which has the potential of becoming another fiscal and environmental disaster. Find out more here.

EWTT: How did you start the programme for recycling cloth into sanitary napkins?

AG: GOONJ works on the basic issue of clothing. Usually one talks of ‘roti, kapda aur makaan’ meaning food, clothing and shelter, but most agencies forget about the need for clothing.  As a poor person, if you don’t have even have enough to wear, where and how are you going to bring that particular piece of cloth that is needed for your periods every month?

In the absence of a clean piece of cloth it’s an ongoing disaster for a woman, which goes on for 30 to 35 years in the life of a woman. Despite that, the subject is taboo. In 2004, when we started talking about the issue, we discovered how even urban women feel uncomfortable talking about it, so you can imagine the situation amongst rural women.

EWTT: What did you find when you started the program on providing sanitary napkins from recycled cloth?

Team GOONJ cutting cloth for sanitary napkins

AG: When we first started, we wanted to find what was happening across the globe on this issue, especially in India. In 2004, when we googled  ‘sanitary pad’ or ‘sanitary napkin,’ there was hardly any research or discussion or work happening on this. We could only find information about fancy disposable products from different countries.  We also realised that though nearly half the world is women, and that even though the target market is women, for self- help groups, the microfinance sector, the health sector and even corporate CSR – the subject of sanitary napkins was not talked about at all.

It was all very new to us. The only asset we had was a thought, a solution, something like an old piece of cloth in our head. We started travelling around the country just to find out what was happening. What we found was absolutely scary. It was absolutely unimaginable for us especially as we didn’t belong to the hardcore health or development sector.

We found that poor women actually use the dirtiest piece of cloth, if at all it is available to them, because for them, menses is a synonym for dirt. For a large number of women, it is a one way process; when they see blood, they think something bad is coming out, almost equating it to ‘paap’ or sin. They don’t understand it’s a two way process, and a lot of infection and disease can actually go in. Using the dirtiest piece of cloth, they wash it but cannot even dry it under sunlight for reasons of privacy.  Also we found that washing itself is a very big problem, because most places in India are dependent on hand-pumps. Hand pumps are always put up at an open, public place and there is no privacy. If you do not have a place to bathe in, how can you wash the piece of cloth in public?

Please click on the icon at the bottom right hand corner of the slide to see enlarged version

EWTT: What were the other things women were actually using?

Layers of recycled cloth fillers in GOONJ's sanitary napkin

AG: The women basically use a piece of cloth, with a lot of moisture as they are not dried properly. In the slums, they actually dry the cloth behind the door. In the evening, before the men come, they pick it and dump it in the corner of the house, and then with moisture and dust they wear it again. Sometimes we find that there are two to three women in the family with different cycles, and they actually share the same piece of cloth. We also found cases where this is shared even amongst neighbours.

If you go to Sunderban Delta of West Bengal today, you will even find women using the same piece of cloth for over a year. Even if it is almost like stone, they still use it, because there is no access to a piece of cloth.  That is the level of poverty, the level of non-accessibility to basic necessities – a result of not addressing these fundamental issues for decades.

Then we found that millions of women are actually using gunny bags, sand, ash, jute, “dhari ka tukda” (piece of a rug), newspaper, rice husk, even plastic which is quite gruesome. A woman died of tetanus as she used a piece of a blouse with a rusted hook. In many of the villages that we reach, women tell us that they have lost their uterus, because the moment an infection happens, the local health system tells them there are chances of cervical cancer, so it is better to remove the uterus. Imagine at a child bearing age if you have to lose the uterus. This is the scale of the problem.

EWTT: You also found that most of villages had no common toilets, or infrastructure for sanitation?

Sanitary pads made from recycled cloth getting ready for packing

AG: Toilets are a very large issue in India, Africa and the Indian subcontinent countries. If you talk about toilets, we have really crushed women on this issue. We have forced women to go against nature. Every single person gets up in the morning and goes to the toilet.  But if you imagine the villages, there are millions of people across the country, where women are forced to shit in the evening, because there is no privacy in the morning. What eventually happens is that you go against nature. Women wait till the evening to ease out. But there are a lot of problems in the evening in the bushes such as insects and snakes, so they can’t go deep into the jungles and have to ease out by the roads. Once they see the headlights of a vehicle approaching, they will get up in the middle of the process, and once the vehicle passes, they sit down again. Where can we talk about the health and hygiene issues?

So both lack of access to water, and lack of access to toilets compounds the problem for women during the monthly cycles.

EWTT: Do you see the impact of the lack of sanitary napkins, or sanitation in general on education, especially for teenage girls?

Making paper bags with recycled newspaper and homemade glue

AG: Many girls leave school at the age of 12 or 13. In the villages they may have reached only 2^nd or 3^rd standard (grade), so most of the girls don’t study beyond the primary stage. People also think the child has matured and is hence of marriageable age, especially where child marriages are prevalent.

If you solve the issue of sanitary napkins and treat it at the source, many of the women’s health and reproductive issues won’t even come up. A critical aspect is spreading awareness on the health and hygiene aspects of the issue, removing the taboo from this basic biological process, so that women, especially young girls who don’t have anyone to talk to them about this issue, open up and share their problems and difficulties.

What girls are looking for is some closed area such as a small 2ft by 2ft enclosed space, with a dustbin and access to at least an old but clean piece of cloth.

Some Hard Facts (from GOONJ’s notice board in New Delhi, India)

* One in 6 girls in India begins child bearing between the ages 13 and 16
* Maternal mortality accounts for 15% of all deaths of women of reproductive age in India
* The Nutrition Foundation estimates that the average age of menarche is 13.4 years, yet 50% of all girls both urban and rural have no understanding of this basic biological process
* As many as 40-45% of girls report menstrual problems
*Across the developing world, the lack of appropriate and adequate sanitation facilities, prevent girls from attending schools, particularly when they are menstruating. Of the 113 million children currently not attending school worldwide, 60% are girls. There is conclusive evidence that girls’ attendance at school is increased through improved sanitation.
* About 34% of Indian women use disposable napkins, the other 66% use cloth

EWTT: Tell us about GOONJ’s work on sanitary napkins. How do you actually sit and discuss this issue with the women?

Awareness Exhibition by GOONJ to open up the taboo subject

AG: In 2004, we started making sanitary napkins out of old cloth. We collect clothes for our other initiatives like Cloth for Work, and Vastra Samman, and a small part of what we collect is cotton or semi-cotton cloth which can’t be used for other things. We wash and dry the cloth under sunlight, and make it into a sanitary pad. We make about 150,000 to 200,000 pads in a month.

Most of these women have little access to preventative medical care. Even where there are doctors, many don’t want to examine them because of hygiene issues,

We’ve developed an exhibition which we put up in the villages, to create awareness about the issue, as well as to listen to the people there to understand their realities. Usually when we go to the villages, we notice in our first meetings that women don’t want to talk about the subject of menstruation. In the first couple of minutes, they are quite shy and don’t want to lift up their heads when you broach the topic. We get stereotypical responses like ‘how can we talk about this?’

But then slowly they start opening up, and when they open up, they really, really open up and share their suffering. After all, for them it’s a monthly disaster, about which they haven’t been able to speak about to anyone.  It’s such a taboo subject, they don’t even talk to their husbands about it. Their only outlet is their peer group which in any case is ill informed.

We have heard hundreds of stories on how women suffer due to this taboo and lack of clean cloth. I remember for example, talking to a lady who in the peak of summer, desperately used the leftover of a winter quilt. She used the torn outer cover of a quilt  which was extremely warm against the body due to summer. She had an infection and ultimately had her uterus removed.

When we talk to women about the health aspect of this issue they are able to relate to what is going on in their lives, and connect the dots that it’s all because of a piece of cloth. That’s why we say, it’s not just a piece of cloth but much more . Over the years we have seen that when women are given a decent piece of cloth, they feel a difference in their menses experience; a sense of comfort and relief in itching,wounds, boils and discharge. They are able to connect the problem to what they were doing before.

Awareness and opening up the issue is critical to addressing this neglected  basic need of a woman apart from accessibility and affordability of the napkins. Doing one without the other will only nullify the impact in the long run.

EWTT: Why is there still such a big neglect in this critical area of women’s health. What are your concerns about the solutions to the sanitary napkin issue?

Packing and sealing the cloth sanitary napkins in recycled paper bags

AG: In 2007, when we won the Global Development Marketplace Award from World Bank, for our efforts on recycling cloth into sanitary napkins, we were in Washington. A lot of people came and asked us about “sustainability”, “measurability” and so on – some of today’s buzzwords. We asked a basic question to them. We said, “there are so many organisations in the health sector, but how many of them have a budget for sanitary napkins? Do you really need a qualitative or quantitative research or is it just common sense?”

In places like Arunachal Pradesh and Assam (North Eastern states of India), there are landslides, floods and natural disasters every year. Even in their basic disaster relief material, there is nothing like sanitary pads included.  At least during normal times, you have a hut where you can hide yourself but after a disaster, even that hut is taken away from you. Only recently, some organisations have started doing this – giving a piece of cloth or cotton.

What’s shocking is that the government or public health sector has not focused on all the aspects of this basic issue.  Obviously there’s a big gap. That is why, in my opinion it is very important to open up the subject.

The Government of India recently came up with a plan, to bring napkins at a subsidised rate to 150 districts of India. But I don’t know how they are going to implement it, because I don’t really think the grassroots people are really involved in making the napkins. They also need to understand the disposal issue, and how long can this be subsidised to this extent.

Ruchika of GOONJ explaining the logistics and packing system

This issue has not been addressed in the last 50 years, and NGOs and other organisations need some time to build up their capacity. It should not become an excuse to give entry to the typical market based products. If the market can innovate and come up with a biodegradable napkin, it should enter. If they enter with the present product which has plastic sheet in the pad, as well as plastic in the wrapping as well, it will be a total mess.

I will tell you how, for example typically there are around 400 houses in a village with about 1000 women or so as users of sanitary pads. Every women needs about 7-8 pads, so 7000 to 8000 pads are required a month or about 70-80,000 pads per annum. Imagine if you use a non-biodegradable product in a village where there is no proper sanitation or disposal facilities. The soil is already worsened due to fertilisers and pesticides. The disposal of a sanitary pad typically happens near a water body. If the plastic goes into the soil, imagine what kind of an environmental damage this would cause. Similarly in a city slum, you’d be walking on sanitary pads as most of the toilets would be choked without a separate channel to dispose.

This should not become a marketing gimmick for the government or for corporate CSR.  Even if corporates distribute napkins, it will not solve the problem. They must take the effort to educate people about the issue in a locality and then supplement with a biodegradable product. That’s the best approach. They shouldn’t just come on one day, distribute a few pads and then go away.

This is a very serious issue, and before it becomes a glamorised subject, with superficial solutions, people need to understand the gravity and depth of the issue.

Free sanitary napkins – A scam in the making?

Ever so quietly, the Indian Health ministry is making plans to help multinational sanitary napkin makers with a mega project that is expected to cost the government Rs. 2000 crores annually.

According to a report in The Hindu last Sunday, the government plans to supply about hundred free sanitary napkins to an estimated 200 million rural women annually to boost female health and hygiene in rural India. At the rate of Re one per napkin, the project cost is evaluated at Rs.2000 crores annually.

Many may not be aware that the lion’s share of the Indian sanitary napkin market is controlled by two MNCs, Procter and Gamble (makers of Whisper) and Johnson and Johnson (makers of Stayfree and Carefree). It is likely that the government may strike a deal with one of the two companies for the napkin project. A distant third player in this market is Kimberly Clark Lever, a joint venture between Kimberly Clark and Hindustan Lever Limited.Ever so quietly, the Indian Health ministry is making plans to help multinational sanitary napkin makers with a mega project that is expected to cost the government Rs. 2000 crores annually.   Read more here

From former Tehelka reporter, P.C. Vinoj Kumar’s blog Breakfree on Feb 23, 2010

EWTT: What change would you like to see happen?

Teaching women at Muzaffarnagar, India to make sanitary napkins

AG: The government needs to be worried about this. When there is crocin (paracetemol) and condoms in public health sector, you should also have  sanitary pads. But the right kind of sanitary pads.

We need to find a local solution. If there is a village which has been using wood pulp or wood ash or sand, there may be problems with that but the women are still surviving. Can we work on improving the existing products and processes, instead of saying outright that these are very bad? Ash for example is used for healing wounds, it could even be a good thing, but the quality of the ash may be an issue as is the quality of a piece of cloth.  We need to understand the issues, improve upon what is already available, and come up with a localised solution.

Most of us interact with at least 4 to 5 women including the helper maid , presswalli (lady who does the ironing), subzi walli (vegetable vendor); everywhere you see women. If we just start talking to these women about the issue and help them, you’ve actually taken care of 5 families. We need awareness, and action on a huge scale; at the micro and macro levels.

Help GOONJ in various ways:

*  Join GOONJ on Facebook. Visit GOONJ’s website, and find out more about their initiatives and how you can help .
*  If you wish to visit GOONJ’s offices, volunteer,  arrange for collection centres for old clothes, stationery, toys, books or other materials in your town or city in India, contribute to GOONJ’s efforts or seek any information, kindly write to ruchika@goonj.org

*  GOONJ requires resources to process and reach the collected material to the remote villages across India. Every penny matters for a tightly run operation like GOONJ. If you have any financial contributions to make, please see details below.

************************************************************

For contributions made from OUTSIDE India (Foreign transfers only)

Make a direct transfer, rotate it- through Wacovia Bank, New York , Swift code- 2000193008933, GOONJ, A/C No- 2591101004644, Bank- Canara Bank, H block, Market Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 110076, Swift Code-CNRBINBBDFS

* Please mail your full name, address and cheque/draft or wire transfer details to priyanka@goonj.org for receipt purpose.

For contributions made from India You can directly deposit the cheque in GOONJ’s account or transfer as per details given below-
In favor of- GOONJ ; Bank Name – HDFC BANK ; Account No – 04801450000130 , Bank Address – Plot No-9,H & J Block,Local Shopping Complex, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi-110076
Bank Branch Code – 0480 ; IFSC Code – HDFC0000480 ; Bank Swift Code – HDFCINBB ( *Please note– That this account will accept the contribution with in India only and no foreign transaction is allowed as per guidelines of Ministry of Home & Finance.)

You can also drop the cheque /draft in the name of GOONJ in any of HDFC branch. For any queries, please call GOONJ on 011- 41401216, 26972351 or write to priyanka@goonj.org for receipt purpose.

********************************************************************

You can also help in these 6 critical ways:

1. TEAM 2000 is GOONJ’s fund raising initiative to bring together a strong team of 2000 people who can contribute a sum of Rs. 10,000/- or more in a year (About $ 250 a year or just about Rs. 800/- a month) for as long as they feel comfortable. Apart from taking care of major regular expenses, the money will be used for growth, expansion and wider replication. A simple form is enclosed giving the money transfer options. Contributions in India are tax exempted u/s 80G of IT act.
2. Vehicles: With the spread, transport cost has gone up and material inflow at GOONJ is increasing. Pick up vans are an immediate need in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata & Jalandhar (@ approximately Rs 4.5 lakh or US $ 10,000)
3. Computers/laptops: GOONJ is trying to use technology to make its operations more efficient, and scalable. They need good, high end systems. Laptops are preferred as most team members spend a lot of time in the field. Their requirement is of 25 Computers/laptops and 7 printers/photocopy machines .

One of GOONJ's collection and delivery vans

4. Transport support or linkages with transport companies to reach out material to hundreds of towns/villages across the country.
5. Space: GOONJ is looking for about 2000 sq. ft. space for a processing centers/storage in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Jalandhar, Chennai and Hyderabad either pro-bono or on minimum possible rent. Chennai and Hyderabad are most urgent.
6. Linkages with garment industry people, primarily dealing with cotton and hosiery surplus, under/non utilized material. GOONJ produces about 2,00,000 (2 lakh) sanitary pads and undergarments for women right now and the demand is much more.

YouTube: Global Oneness Project – Not Just A Piece of Cloth

Video link here

YouTube: Watch Anshu Gupta at TEDxMICA here

EWTT: Anshu Gupta’s GOONJ: Recycling Urban Waste For The Rural Poor

Share/Save

Here’s a video recording of some of the hightlights of the Earth Day celebrations at Bottle Tree Park on 22nd April 2011

From the previous post:

A lot of excitement is building up at Bottle Tree Park, Singapore owing to the hectic preparations being done by Tay Lai Hock, the Founder of Ground-Up Initiative and a team of volunteers for Earth Day on 22nd April 2011.

Here’s a prelude to the event:

The flyer to the event is as below. For more details do look at the Earth Day Singapore 2011 website



More information about Earth Day:

According to the Earth Day Network,

“The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.”

MNN: In honor of Earth Day’s 41st anniversary, MNN takes an animated look back at the past four decades of U.S. environmentalism in this video.

ABC: April 22nd 1970 First Earth Day

National Geographic: Earth Day Facts: When It Is, How It Began, What To Do

Share/Save