Monday, July 23, 2012

Vandana Shiva talk

Just recently a group of us from Greater South Eastern Permaculture went to Montsalvat to hear Vandana Shiva speak. This talk is now on YouTube.

Dr Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya International, radical scientist, ecofeminist, author and environmental leader, was in conversation with Dr Susan Hawthorne of Spinifex Press for this special event at Montsalvat. Dr Shiva has been an active campaigner against the corporate-led globalisation of food production and genetic engineering, and a passionate advocate for organic farming and community-led social movements.
This event was an opportunity to hear one of the world’s major environmental advocates discuss the wars waged against the planet, wars about land, water, climate, forest and biodiversity. Importantly, she helped us envision a future in which human rights and the earth’s rights are aligned.
What did I learn? In answer to a question about the 8 millennium development goals – she stated that all of them can be achieved with becoming food self reliant.
She spoke about a common plant growing wild that her mother used to feed her family with. It was rich in Vitamin A and iron. It is now sprayed with herbicides as a weed. What a waste. After the talk I went straight to my library catalogue and looked up her book Soil not Oil: Environmental Justice in an age of climate crisis and I am looking forward to reading it.

No comments:

Post a Comment