First Grassroots Gathering on Biodevastation: Genetic Engineering
July 17-19, 1998, Fontbonne College, 6800 Wydown (at Big Bend), St. Louis, Missouri
Friday, July 17. (Plenaries and Panels in Dunham Student Activity Center)
8:00 am. Registration in Dunham Student Activity Center (registration all
day)
9:00-10:15 am. How Can Citizens Affect Public Policy? An Open Plenary
Welcome, Barbara Chicherio, The Greens/Green Party USA
Why Should We Have an Event on Genetic Engineering?
Brian Tokar, Institute for Social Ecology
Why Should We Gather in St. Louis? Tammy Shea, Gateway Greens
Organizing the Grassroots Gathering, Don Fitz, Gateway Greens
What Should Come Out of This Event? Open Discussion,
facilitated by Ronnie Cummins, Pure Food Campaign
10:30-noon. Panel: Ethical and Legal Dilemmas presented by Genetic
Engineering, facilitated by Beth Burrows, The Edmonds Institute
Jonathan King, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wendy McGoodwin, Executive Director, Council for Responsible Genetics
Chaia Heller, University of Massachusetts, Institute for Social Ecology
Paula Giles, Irish Greens
noon-2 pm. Lunch (optional random networking)
2:00-3:30 pm Panel: Artificial Foods, Human Health & the Right to Know
facilitated by Brian Tokar, Institute for Social Ecology
Ricarda Steinbrecher, Women’s Environmental Network (UK)
Brewster Kneen, British Columbia Biotechnology Circle
Hope Shand, Rural Advancement Foundation International
Jane Akre or Steve Wilson, investigative reporters
3:45-5:15 pm Training Workshops (participants attend one)
A. What the Media Does Not Tell You About Food, Jane Akre & Steve Wilson
B. Feminism, Reproductive Technologies, and Genetic Discrimination, Wendy
McGoodwin
C. Broadening Public Discourse: Field Organizing & Media Work, Ronnie Cummins
D. The ABCs of Biotechnology, Martha Crouch & Sonja Schmitz
E. Technology and Democracy, Chaia Heller
5:30-7:30 pm. Dinner break
7:30-8:00 pm. “Rodokugeki: Nature and Us,” performance by NESSFE Niigata
Women’s Group (Japan)
8:00 -9:30 pm. Vandana Shiva:”The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge,”
Introduction by Beth Burrows
Saturday, July 18, 1998. (Panels in Dunham Student Activity Center)
8:30 am. Registration in Dunham Student Activity Center (registration all
day)
9:00-10:30 am. Panel: Corporate Control of Food Production vs. Economic
Self-Sufficiency
facilitated by Beth Burrows
Howard Lyman, Humane Society
Hope Shand, Rural Advancement Foundation International
Bill Christison, Missouri Rural Crisis Center
Vandana Shiva, Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology
Brewster Kneen, British Columbia Biotechnology Circle
10:45 am-12:15 pm. Training Workshops (participants attend one)
A. Control of World Food Production, Vandana Shiva & Brewster Kneen
B. Control of U.S. Food Production, Howard Lyman & Bill Christison
C. Building a Movement Against Genetic Engineering, Ronnie Cummins, Setsuko Yasuda, Mitchel Cohen, Brian Tokar
D. Making Patents & Biopiracy a Public Concern, Beth Burrows, Roy Taylor, Hope Shand, Jonathan King
12:15 -2:15 pm. Lunch (optional topical networking)
2:15-4:30 pm. Corporate Domination of Public Discussion: Field trip to a St.
Louis location important for biotechnology, coordinated by Mark Quercus,
Gateway Green Alliance
4:30-5:30 pm. Video: “Risky Business,” Washington Biotechnology Action
Council
5:30-7:30 pm. Dinner break
7:30-9:30 pm. Panel: Genetic Engineering vs. Ecological Balance and
Biological Integrity,
facilitated by Brian Tokar, Institute for Social Ecology
Elaine Ingham, Oregon State University
Martha Crouch, University of Indiana
Ricarda Steinbrecher, Women’s Environmental Network (UK)
Sonja Schmitz, University of Vermont
Sunday, July 19, 1998. (Plenaries and Panels in Dunham Student Activity
Center)
9:00-10:15 am Panel: Global Organizing for Citizen Empowerment,
facilitated by Ronnie Cummins, Pure Food Campaign
Mike Dorsey, John Hopkins University
Steve Emmott, Biotechnology Coordinator, Green Group in the European
Parliament
Mika Iba, Network for Safe and Secure Food and Environment (NESSFE, Japan)
Tulio Avelino, Party of the Sun (Greens, Uruguay)
10:30-noon Interactive Workshops (participants attend one)
A. Citizen Organizing in Asia, Vandana Shiva & Mika Iba
B. Citizen Organizing in the Americas, Natalia Escudero, Joan Russow, Tulio
Avelino & Mitchel Cohen
C. Citizen Organizing in Europe, Steve Emmott, Paula Giles & Daniel Hausknost
D. Threats to biodiversity vs. ecological balance, Martha Crouch, Elaine
Ingham, Ricarda Steinbrecher
E. Bioprospecting, Mike Dorsey & Roy Taylor
noon-2 pm. Lunch (state and regional networking)
2:00-3:00 pm Panel: Global Organizing for Citizen Empowerment,
facilitated by Beth Burrows,
Roy Taylor, North American Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Project
Mitchel Cohen, Brooklyn Greens
Joan Russow, Green Party of Canada
Natalia Escudero, Green Ecologist Party of Mexico
Charles Margulis, Greenpeace
3:00-5:00 pm Open Plenary: Resolutions and Network-Building, facilitated by Mitchel Cohen, Brian Tokar & Ronnie Cummins
5:00 pm Closing and evaluation
