-From International Green Network Japan

CONTENTS: 1. ACTION ALERT: SAVE VAST KOREAN WETLAND/TIDAL FLAT 2. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DUGONG CAMPAIGN 3. IGN ECOSTUDY GROUP – FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2003 4. PGL2 ONLINE REGISTRATION STARTED 5. VEGETARIAN WEBSITES IN JAPAN 6. QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY STUDY 7. JAMBO JUNE EVENTS 8. ALISHAN/TENGU TID BITS 9. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TOKYO 10. TELL’S 4TH ANNUAL CHARITY WALK/RUNATHON 11. MERCURY IN JAPANESE WHALE MEAT 12. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DUGONG CAMPAIGN 13. DATABASE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS 14. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: PULSE MAGAZINE, FALL 2003 15. FOOD REPORT IN THE GUARDIAN 16. ORGANIC COTTON: AT LAST, FREEDOM FOR FARMERS 17. ABOUT WWOOF JAPAN 18. SPENCER KAGAN JAPAN TOUR UPDATE 19. INTRODUCING ECOSIG 20. FRIENDS OF THE EARTH HIKES IN JUNE 21. INFO ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK 22. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK ECOSTUDY GROUP ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. ACTION ALERT: SAVE VAST KOREAN WETLAND/TIDAL FLAT (from Richard Evanoff) Forest Networking: a Project of Forests.org, Inc. May 30, 2003 (current until June 6, 2003) TAKE ACTION: Save Vast Korean Wetland/Tidal Flat http://forests.org/emailaction/south_korea.htm On June 5 the president of South Korea is expected to announce whether his government will permit the destruction of one of the world’s most ecologically important tidal flats. Saemangeum is a huge tidal flat and wetland on Korea’s west coast. A government project seeks to destroy these huge tidal flats and adjacent marine area by cutting it off with a 33 kilometer long dike/dam in order to undertake the largest land reclamation project in the world. Most South Korean citizens oppose this project, and it has been condemned by environmental organizations worldwide. Religious leaders are only now finishing a 350 kilometer “Three-steps-one-Bow” March. Every third step they fall to their knees and bow their heads to the ground. They will reach Seoul on May 31st, to be joined by a massive rally. June 5th is Environment Day in Korea, and many expect President Roo Moo Hyun to say something about Saemangeum. Please demand that the President cancel this poorly conceived project by responding to this alert: http://forests.org/emailaction/south_korea.htm By Forests.org, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DUGONG CAMPAIGN (submitted by Richard Evanoff) A Japanese activist and acquaintance of mine is looking for volunteers who can help edit and rewrite material for the current campaign to save the dugong, a sea mammal that lives in the waters off Okinanawa. The dugong is threatened by the construction of a heliport by the U.S. military. The Japanese organizers need volunteers who can help get information about this campaign to people living in the U.S. and elsewhere in English. If you can help, please contact . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. IGN ECOSTUDY GROUP – FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2003 DATE: Friday, June 13, 2003 TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. PLACE: Aoyama Gakuin University, Shibuya (Tokyo) Campus, Building #8, 3rd floor (10 minutes walk from Shibuya station; 5 minutes walk from the Omote-sando subway station) DIRECTIONS: Come in the main entrance to the university (with the statue of John Wesley at the second floor level of the the building just to the right), walk down the tree-lined walkway until you reach the chapel (on your right). Building #8 is the next building after the chapel (between the chapel and the library). Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. As soon as you come out of the elevator follow the signs to the meeting room. PRESENTER: Dan Wolf TOPIC: “The Role of Personal Growth in the Political Realm” FUTURE PRESENTATIONS: July 11: Erik Kaye, “A System for Non-violent Confrontation, Part II” August: Summer vacation — no meeting September: Corinne Sutter, “Working Class Life” David Loy has also volunteered to possibly give a presentation sometime in the autumn and an invitation has also been extended to Hilary Nicholson to do a presentation in the autumn if she can. Richard Evanoff’s presentation “In Defense of Anarchism” will be postponed until there’s an opening. Richard Evanoff and Guy Exley serve as co-coordinators for the IGN EcoStudy Group. If you would like to give a future presentation or have any questions about the EcoStudy Group, please [see the end of this newsletter and] contact Guy Exley at Azalea Garden B-108, 2-2-25 Mure, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 108-0002. Tel: 0422-72-0315. E-mail: tnmr@asahi-net.or.jp>. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. PGL2 ONLINE REGISTRATION STARTED (from Kikuchi Keiko) The registration for the 2003 Peace as a Global Language conference has started online and there’s a discount for registering early online! Conference fee : 3000 yen for two days (2000 yen for one day) Students 800 yen for two days (400 yen per day) 4000 yen for two days (2500 yen for 1 day) Students 1000 yen for two days (500 yen per day) Please go to our website and register! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. VEGETARIAN WEBSITES IN JAPAN (from Richard Wilcox) Here are some vegetarian websites with info on health and nutrition etc. In Japanese: http://www.jpvs.org/index.html http://www.ivu.org/japanese/ http://www.san-iku.co.jp/ (this one’s got all the info on nutrition at: http://www.san-iku.co.jp/knakamoto/knakamoto-index.htm) and also English/Japanese site for veg’s in Japan http://www.vegietokyo.com/ One more site below has quite a few links to healthy food (organic, veg, macrobiotic, etc.)promoting sites. http://allabout.co.jp/health/healthfood/subject/msub_naturalfood.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY STUDY Belinda Woodhead, a post-graduate QUT university student, is undertaking an online study of foreign women’s nutritional behaviours in the Tokyo area. She would greatly appreciate your participation in this study to help with the advancement of research in this area of womens` health in Japan. Please send email to Belinda for information regarding how you can participate. Also, please feel free to email any questions you may have regarding the study. Email: b2.woodhead@student.qut.edu.au ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. JAMBO JUNE EVENTS http://rocky71.hoops.livedoor.com 6/8 (Sunday) – Kamakura Hiking, Documentary movie, and Kamakura Beach clean-up! We will meet at the ticket gate of Kitakamakura Station (on the Yokosuka Line) at 10:00AM.$B!!(BFrom Shinagawa Station, take the 9:14AM Tokaido Line train (arriving at Yokohama at 9:30) and change at Yokohama to the 9:34 Holiday Kamakura Express train. This arrives at Kitakamakura at 9:55AM Hiking Course (about 7.5 Kilometers) – Ajisai (Hydrongea) Temple – Kenchoji Temple – Han-sobo Sculpture Gardens – Suizenji Temple (Should be a pretty easy hike) 1:30 PM – Documentary Movie – CHOMSKY – 9/11 Power and Terror This film will show at the Kamakura Shougai Gakushuu Center Hall (a 1 minute walk from Kamakura’s East Ticket Gate). Advanced tickets are 800 and tickets bought on that day are 1000. Please call Ms. Furukawa (0467-22-4997) for more information. The film is put on by Amnesty International. After the film, we will meet at Kamakura Station at 3:15 and go to the beach for fun, clean-up, and to see the sunset. Cancelled in case of rain! 6/14 (Saturday) – 7:00 – 10:00 PM – Charity Party at Jambo International Center (Takadanobaba) 1000, Please bring some snacks/drinks. The proceeds will go to Mpumalanga Parks Board (SOUTH AFRICA), a group in South Africa that works to protect the environment while, at the same time, promoting the development of the local people. 6/15 (Sunday) – 10:00AM – 12:00 Noon at JAMBO International Center in Takadanobaba – The monthly spirituality discussion group is for people who are interested in talking about how to make their lives more spiritual and joyous. It is informal, and today we will discuss “In 10 years, what kind of life do you hope to have? How can you start moving there?” (PART II) We’ll enjoy a potluck lunch after the discussion. 6/28 (Saturday) BIG Tomodachi Jamboree Party in Shibuya at Forum 8 on June 28 (Sat.) from 6:00 to 9:00pm. on the 3rd or the 5th Floor. About 100 people will attend. Find language exchange partners, international friends, private students or teachers, homestays. Beer, wine, soft drinks and food for Y2,000 w/reservations (Y2,500@door) Contact me (David) by 6/26 by email if you want to make a reservation. Half of the each JAMBO member entrance fee will go to Mpumalanga Parks Board (SOUTH AFRICA), a group in South Africa that works to protect the environment while, at the same time, promoting the development of the local people. You can find the map at http://www.kokusaika.org/e/tomodachi.html or simply meet me at Hachiko (the dog statue next to Shibuya Station) at 6:30PM. 6/29 (Sunday) – Ooyama (Big Mountain) Hiking Course (in Tanzawa) – Meet at the Odakyuu Line’s Isehara Station’s Ticket Gate at 11:00 AM. From Shinjuku, take the 10:01 Odakyuu Line Express train. This arrives at Isehara at 10:58AM. From the station, we take a bus for about 30 minutes and have a four and a half hour hike which has waterfalls, shrines, temples, and views of Mt. Fuji (in nice weather). Hope you’ll be able to join us for some of these events. The outdoor events will be cancelled in case of rain. If you have any questions, call or fax David at 03-5996-3687. My PHS number is 070-6612-9052. Or email me (jambo@tky.3web.ne.jp). Peace, Love, Joy and Laughter, David ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. ALISHAN/TENGU TID BITS Alishan Market Day May 17, 2003 – Report A huge warm thanks to everyone that chanced the dark skies and came out to enjoy the second (of many to come) Alishan Organic Market Day. Last year we held our event in August, and thinking it was too hot opted to try our second event in May. It was almost too cold (though it threatened, it never did rain). Jack’s famous banana smoothy / drink bar was closed before it even opened. Sales at the cafe of the hot dishes like Thai Curry, Veggie style Chilli Con Carne and hot chai and coffee were “hot sellers”. Sunday a regular cafe day was warmer and we sold mainly cold dishes. Oddly the cold beer sold well on both days. Outside we had 30 vendors ranging from Thai massage therapists to homemade breads, jewellery, soaps, etc. One fresh made bagel baker sold over 400 bagels (pumpernickel etc.). On the cafe deck we enjoyed the musical offerings of a number of talented artists. I have to admit that life felt nearly perfect with children running around, a warm cup of soy chai, and an acoustic guitar duo singing Neil Young covers. We had a number of people say “Today felt like I’m not in Japan.” It did feel nostalgic. Hope to see more of you next time. Interested in being a vendor? Please contact us. Especially craft makers. For a QuickTime slide show or video (requires QuickTime 6+) via our homepage. http://www.alishan-organic-center.com/en/news.html Need Your Workplace Rights Explained? The General Union, a union and NPO for both Japanese and non Japanese workers. Their aim is to obtain fair and legal working conditions for language teachers and other foreign workers in Japan. Have a problem with your job? Contact them via their homepage. http://www.generalunion.org Cooking Classes The Alishan cafe will begin cooking classes in June. Our first teacher will be presenting South and North Indian Dishes. Learn things like uppma, fresh roti breads that are easy to do on a single burner and desserts. The first series will be 4 classes offered on every other Wednesday midday. Y3,000/per class or Y10,000 for the full series. Anyone interested in taking or teaching a class please contact Leon at tengu@gol.com BOSSA NOVA AND JAZZ In the Alishan cafe Saturday June 7th, April Perkinson (a professional) presents an evening of Bossa Nova and Jazz. From16:30 – 20:30. No Table charge. Contact us if you need directions or a map Check out Jack’s June specials and everything else at: http://www.alishan-organic-center.com/en/tengu/shop/index.htm Komahongo 185-2, Hidaka Shi, Saitama Ken, 350-1251 ph.0429-82-4811, fax.0429-82-4813 tengu@gol.com http://www.alishan-organic-center.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TOKYO Reply-To: ignj@yahoogroups.com If anyone would like to join amnesty international japan, we have an english-speaking group (group 78) here in tokyo and there are some other english-speaking groups elsewhere in the country and of course lots of japanese-speaking groups too. please contact annette ajkaye@gol.com for group 78. Other groups can be found through the www.amnesty.org webpage under japan. The more we can do to increase numbers and participation, the better. Looking forward to hearing from you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. TELL’S 4TH ANNUAL CHARITY WALK/RUNATHON Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) thanks the 650 runners and walkers and all the donors and volunteers who helped to make TELL’s Fourth Annual Runathon on May 3 the best ever. Participation increased by nearly 100% over the 2002 Runathon, and the net income for TELL rose by 170%, to 2,500,000, thanks to generous cooperation from all facets of the international community. That income supports the work of TELL in providing free telephone counseling and fee-based face-to-face counseling to all in need, regardless of ability to pay. TELL was founded in 1973 to provide telephone counseling in English. Celebrating 30 years of service in 2003, it has expanded its telephone counseling service (03-5774-0992) hours to 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Its clinicians offer professional face-to-face counseling in English, Japanese, and French as well as workshops and training programs for schools and other groups (03-3498-0231). The only accredited, nonprofit counseling center serving the international community in Japan, TELL’s goal is to provide comprehensive mental health services. Thanks the success of the Fourth Annual TELL Runathon, it is one step nearer that goal. Photographs of the event are available for downloading at http://homepage.mac.com/wordworker/ For further information, contact the TELL office (03-3498-0261; admin@telljp.com) or External Communications chair Ruth McCreery (045-314-9324; rsm@gol.com). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11. MERCURY IN JAPANESE WHALE MEAT (from Richard Evanoff) ** PACKAGED WHALE MEAT IN JAPAN CONTAINS HIGH LEVELS OF MERCURY An international moratorium on commercial whaling has been in place since 1986. But many people in Japan still consume cetaceans, particularly toothed whales. New research suggests that eating these whale products may have unexpected consequences. The findings indicate that packaged whale meat in Japan contains dangerously high levels of mercury. http://sciam.rsc03.net/servlet/cc?lJpDWZUEkKHOplFRpgDhkDqiE0EC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DUGONG CAMPAIGN (submitted by Richard Evanoff) A Japanese activist and acquaintance of mine is looking for volunteers who can help edit and rewrite material for the current campaign to save the dugong, a sea mammal that lives in the waters off Okinanawa. The dugong is threatened by the construction of a heliport by the U.S. military. The Japanese organizers need volunteers who can help get information about this campaign to people living in the U.S. and elsewhere in English. If you can help, please contact H. Takeuchi directly at ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 13. DATABASE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS (from Kimiharu To ) Dear Friends and Colleagues, Hi, this is Kimiharu To of Japan Environmental Education Forum(JEEF). On behalf of the JEEF, I am pleased to announce the launching of our new database site on organizations working in the area of neivornmental education among East Asian countries. www.jeef.or.jp/EAST_ASIA/index.html This database has been developed as a part of the Japan Environmental Education Forum’s international projects in order to assist educators, associations, researchers, students, and others in understanding the diversity of organizations, activities and perspectives in the area of environmental education among the East Asian countries. As of April 2003, there are approximately 100 entries representing 8 different nations in the East Asia, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh. By the end of FY2003, we plan to add approximately 75 organizational data representing Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Papua New Guinea. Since this site is not perfect one yet, we will keep on maintaining and upgrading this site. So, if any of you would like to express concerns on this site, such as advice, criticism or/and question, please kindly inform us. We will try to incorporate them in timely manner after examining the feasibility and plausibility. Let’s hope our efforts in saving and restoring natural and cultural diversities prevail for future generations. JAPAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FORUM TWINZ bldg. 4th. Floor Shinjuku 5-10-15, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 TEL.+81-3-3350-6770 FAX.+81-3-3350-7818 E-mail : to@jeef.or.jp URL : www.jeef.or.jp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: PULSE MAGAZINE, FALL 2003 (from Planet Drum ) The PULSE for Fall 2003 will tackle challenges to bioregionalism as a model for political action and its relevance for social change. We want to address three obstacles to broader acceptance of bioregional principles: 1. “real-world” economic and political boundaries; 2. bioregions in a changing biosphere; 3. urban living. These “Hard Questions for Bioregionalism” are intended as areas for “edgy” thought-provoking discussion to prime further thought and action. PULSE is published for its members and relies on their initiative and creativity for its content. Your submission can be any of the following: personal account, interview with a remarkable individual, report on an organization, announcement of an upcoming event or conference, book or video review, recommended reading, suggested course of action, manifestos, diatribes, stories, artwork, photos. Submissions should not exceed 2500 words. Deadlines for submission is August 1, 2003. Please send submissions or direct any question via email or post: Planet Drum Foundation PO Box 31251 San Francisco, CA 94131 planetdrum@igc.org Please read below for more detailed descriptions of the “Hard Questions for Bioregionalism.” We look forward to receiving your contribution to the next edition of the PULSE. “Hard Questions for Bioregionalism” 1. “Real-world” economic and political boundaries:?Bioregionalism implies that historically arbitrary political boundaries should be replaced by demarcations such as watershed, mountain range, and biotic community. Presumably, that means challenging power structures and states. What are ways that you confront the political impositions of county, state and federal jurisdictions and economic pressures of multi-national corporate rule? How are these political boundaries made visible on the landscape? Are you taking action that directly challenges political boundaries that disrupt or divide natural systems? How does bioregionalism affect political practice and discourses of power? Are there pragmatic actions that can actually alter bureaucratic structures to facilitate feedback on the bioregional level? 2. Bioregions in a changing biosphere: The debate among climatologists is no longer whether or not the climate is changing, but what will be the eventual effects of global warming. The questions faced by bioregionalists in regards to global warming are not only about how to decrease levels of greenhouse emissions but also about how to respond to long-term climatic changes that are already underway. Beyond Kyoto Protocols and alternative energy, what does bioregionalism have to say about a changing biosphere? How are you facing the realities of global warming and how do bring a bioregional perspective to these global changes? What are the changes you are witnessing in your local bioregion as a result of global warming and climatic change? Are you noticing shifts in the biotic community where you live? Are you seeing new species migrating from neighboring bioregions as rainfall patterns, sea levels, and growing seasons change? How does a changing biosphere affect our conceptual understanding of the bioregion? As people begin to migrate/relocate in response to climatic changes such as increased frequency of droughts or floods, what will happen to our understanding of community and local culture? 3. Urban living: Call it bio-urbanity or eco-hip, there are a growing number of city-dwellers who are applying notions of reinhabitation, sustainability, and permaculture to the urban centers they’ve chosen to reinhabit. The relevance of bioregionalism to urban living is continuously called into question. Are you living bioregionally in the city? Are you an urban pioneer or urban neohomesteader??~What is your style of “reinhabitation” in the city? How do you bring a bioregional sensibility to an urban setting? How can it be made more relevant to city-dwellers? Where do you find “wildness”? What is the relationship of the city to the bioregion where it is located? What does the bioregional principle of “local culture” mean in terms of a cosmopolitan city? What are ways that you?celebrate the emerging biourbanism? What is the bioregional role of indy-media websites, community radio, zines, alternative newspapers, community event/art spaces, etc? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 15. FOOD REPORT IN THE GUARDIAN (from Andrew Welford) The Guardian newspaper in London recently published a series of articles on food – where it comes from, how it gets to us, what’s in it, what it’s doing to us… Naturally it has a bit of a UK bias, but lots of interesting, useful and frightening stuff. http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/focus/0,13290,951051,00.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 16. ORGANIC COTTON: AT LAST, FREEDOM FOR FARMERS By Meena Menon (from The AgBioIndia Bulletin) Anandrao Mukundrao Subedar from Tivsa village, Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, is one of the pioneers of organic farming in Vidarbha. But Subedar, one of the largest landholders in the district, was also the largest user of chemicals and pesticides at one point. “I achieved record-breaking yields of 14 quintals (one quintal= 100 kg)/acre in 1984. We thought we had conquered all pests in cotton. Synthetic pyrethroids rid us of the American bollworm but then we got the white fly. In 1985 we lost all our cotton to white fly. It was an insect we had never even heard of before. Our losses made us think and when we analysed the reasons, obviously the rampant use of pesticides was the cause. Yields had come down to 2-2.5 quintals/acre from an average of 6 q/acre,” he reminisced. “We knew the answer was not to use chemicals. At that time we had no options, not a single university could help us and even the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, was unable to give us any advice,” he said. “It was Fukuoka whose book revolutionised our way of thinking — here was a man saying we could grow crops without any chemicals. Bharat Dabholkar was also instrumental in changing my farming practices and after I met him, in 1990, I decided not to use any chemicals. I want to repeat what Dabholkar (one of the pioneers of non-chemical farming) has said, “The only input we need is our grey cells.” Now he farms 260 acres in Tivsa, 19 km from Yavatmal. Subedar loves to experiment and to this day keeps growing several varieties of cotton to select the best. “I found that high yields have no relationship with chemicals or fertilisers — we can prove that on our field. The other trick is to get a suitable variety of crop — we want an indeterminate type. And the third factor affecting yield is the distance between two rows and two plants. There must be room for cotton to grow.” He grows sugarcane, banana and tuvar (lentil) but cotton is planted alone. “In 2002, I planted cotton on 45 acres, of which 35 acres is rain-fed.” He has grown 18 varieties in 2002 and wants to prove that not a single cotton type requires spraying. Since 1990 he has stopped all chemicals and is in search of a suitable variety of cotton. It has taken him five years to stabilise the yield. Last year yields were 8 q/acre. He uses 30 kg cowdung, 30 litres cow urine and 300 litres of water along with black jaggery and ferments it for five days. This solution is mixed in 20 times the amount of water and sprinkled on the field. The use of chemicals and pesticides is very high in this district and five years ago Rs 100 crore was spent in this district alone. Now spraying is considerably reduced and the amount spent on chemicals and pesticides has come down to Rs 40 crore (estimates from various local farmers and dealers). Subedar’s expenses for cotton are about Rs 4,000 per acre; it was double that when he was using chemicals. Large landowners and rich farmers can spend upto Rs 12-14,000 on chemicals and pesticides with about 20 sprays in one season for cotton. Subedar and other large farmers like Om Prakash Mor and Baburao Wankhede have inspired scores of farmers to stop using chemicals in this region. Subedar has managed to inspire his neighbour, a small farmer and his employee to stop using chemicals. Around 1993, when Kisan Mehta visited CICR, Nagpur, to suggest organic farming, he was met with disbelief. Mehta has been involved with organic farming since 1986 when a small group of Gandhians became concerned about the large-scale use of chemicals in agriculture. They formed a trust called Prakruti which aimed to develop an environmentally sustainable society and decided to work towards discontinuing the use of chemicals and fertilisers, hybrid seeds and heavy machinery in agriculture. Cotton which in 1993 used up more than 50% of pesticides on just 5% of land, was the main target and since Vidarbha was the largest cotton-growing area in Maharashtra, they targeted that area. Mehta made 20 trips to the region to meet farmers and convince them of the need to stop using chemicals. A German group, Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), Hamburg, which was interested in supporting organic cotton efforts, visited Vidarbha to confirm that many farmers were growing cotton without chemical fertilisers. Jens Soth of EPEA contacted the director of CICR, Nagpur, in 1993 for information on non-chemical ways of growing cotton. The interaction with the CICR scientists, who were working on the low/no-pesticide option for pest management in cotton led to a project that EPEA took up with GTZ of Germany. Subedar said, “When EPEA showed an interest in our cotton, Soth came here and took samples and it was confirmed that we were growing organic cotton.” Mehta’s efforts and those of the farmers and later of CICR laid the foundation for an organized platform to grow cotton organically and export it. Meetings started in August 1994 with farmers over five districts of Nagpur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Amravati and Akola and resulted in 135 farmers committing1,200 hectares of land to organic cotton by June 1995, according to Mehta. On December 19, 1995, the Vidarbha Organic Farmers Association (VOFA) was formed with 132 farmers as members The idea was to have an independent organisation for farmers to help in marketing of cotton on a non-profit basis. Agreco agreed to certify the farmers and each farmer was provided a diary to record cultivation practices. The season of 1996 brought a bumper crop of cotton organically grown without much hindrance from pests, notes Mehta. “We had prepared a complete 70-page booklet for farmers who were interested in organic cotton cultivation. The cotton was grown under international organic standards certification guidelines and the German support ensured certification and other requirements. Over 1,200 hectares were soon under organic farming, making it (then) the largest area in the world under such cultivation,” Mehta said. Subedar was made president of VOFA, Manohar Parchure vice president and Om Prakash Mor, secretary. Though it was decided that VOFA was not a commercial organisation and would help market produce, differences developed and there was a dispute which ended when Mor walked out and founded Eco Farms which also sells and markets organic cotton and other produce. Subedar adds, “We want to promote organic crops and we feel farmers should get a good price. Cotton is being exported since 1995 and we sell 1,500-2,000 quintals every year.” VOFA has distributed Rs 51 lakh in incentive wages to its members since 1995-96 . In 2002 too farmers got Rs 700 per quintal as bonus, apart from the premium per quintal. It is also making efforts to sell organic produce other than cotton from this year. Of VOFA’s 205 members, 90 are practicing organic farming. The total area under cotton is 1,250 acres and the minimum landholding is 3 acres; the maximum is 54 acres. The total land under organic cultivation is 3,500 acres (spread over Wardha, Amravati and Yavatmal districts). When VOFA began in December 1995 there were 132 farmers; that number rose to 250 in 1994. Members donated the first year’s profit per quintal of Rs 130 to VOFA to form a sort of corpus which has swelled to Rs 6.4 lakh. In 1999-2000, the Japanese company Fair Trade which buys their cotton, gave the cottonpickers a bonus of Rs 2 lakh for clothing. The Fair Trade company also donated Rs 1 lakh towards the corpus. For farmers like Raosaheb Dagadkar from Usalgavhan, Dhamangaon taluka, Amravati district, exporting organic cotton is the only reason to grow it. He is India’s Fukuoka and closely follows his mentor’s principles of do-nothing farming which sets him apart from other farmers. A member of VOFA, he is a certified organic cotton farmer. His farm is also a pilgrimage place for farmers from near and far. On the day I visited him, he was taking around a group of farmers who had come to see how he grew crops without any chemicals or fertilisers. He grows til, jowar, bajri, cotton, vegetables and fruit over 110 acres. Farmers were amazed to see that he neither sprayed insecticides nor used urea. To a purist used to seeing crops in neat rows, his farm can appear very untidy. Weeds grow everywhere and there is barely any space between two plants. “Fully-grown cotton fields become like a forest — I can’t enter,” he joked. His farms are full of weeds but that does not bother him. Weeds are a goldmine and he uses them to mulch his land. The trick he says is to know which ones to keep on top and which down. “I find compost expensive so I use what is there in nature. All we need to do is create conditions for earthworms to grow and then there is no need for bullocks or ploughing.” “When I read One Straw Revolution in 1990, I decided to adopt do-nothing farming. First there was a reduction in yield but now I usually get 4-6 quintals a year for cotton. This year I expect around 6 quintals per acre.” VOFA is one of the few commercial organic cotton ventures in the country. Maikaal bioRe Ltd, which claims to be the largest organic cotton venture in the world, in Bheelaon, Madhya Pradesh, has over 1,000 farmers involved in organic cotton production. The production of organic cotton started in 1991 as a private initiative of Mrigendra Jalan, Managing Director of the spinning mill, Maikaal Fibres Ltd, and Patrick Hohmann, Managing Director of the Swiss cotton yarn trading company, Remei AG, according to a report from Maikaal bioRe. A pilot project was initiated in 1992 with a few farmers on 15 acres. It has since expanded to over 1,000 farmers and 7,600 acres in 80 villages of Khargone district. Remei developed partnerships with manufacturers to produce a whole range of quality, fashionable, ecological-social garments made of Maikaal bioRe’s organic cotton. The entire supply chain was integrated in 1995 when Coop, the retailer joined. Coop is Switzerland’s second-largest supermarket chain and Europe’s market leader in ecological-social products. According to Hohmann this was the world’s largest project on organic cotton, from the cultivation to the marketing and product sale stage with the active and conscious participation of farmers, spinners, retailers and purchasers. Every year since 1993 at the open house in the ginning factory, hundreds of farmers meet their production partners from abroad, apart from designers, researchers and others involved in this cooperative venture. Farmers are encouraged to practice biodynamic agriculture, while certification is as per the requirements of organic agriculture only. In Kogawa village in Kasrawad taluka of Khargone district, Sher Singh grows cotton on 8.5 of his 10.5 acres. He is a certified organic farmer since the last four years, part of Maikaal, and last year his yield of cotton was 12 q in 7 acres. He also grows tuvar, makai (maize) and mung. His cost of inputs for chemicals and pesticides used to be Rs 2,500-3,000 per acre, but since the last three years, the costs are down to Rs 1,300 per acre. All the inputs are provided by the company. There are 12 or 13 organic farmers in this village who get premiums of 10-20% on organic cotton. After switching to organic farming, Singh found that yields dropped to 12 q in 8 acres in the first year from 25 q in 8 acres. He tried to keep his morale up by visiting other organic farmers and did not lose his nerve. In the second year he harvested 16 q from 8 acres. He feels things will be better this year. Farmers with Maikaal now believe that pests are fewer and expenses less in organic farming. Organic farmers get a premium of 10-20% above market rates. However, price need not be the only incentive for organic farming. The importance of organic farming in regions like Vidarbha which is marked by poverty and drought, cannot be overstressed. Every year many farmers commit suicide in this region and NGOs like Dhara Mitra and YUVA are trying to promote organic farming among small farmers in a bid to reduce their cost of cultivation. It is not only for that extra premium that farmers must adopt organic farming — in some cases it may save their lives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 17. ABOUT WWOOF JAPAN WWOOF (weekend workers on organic farms) Japan is a program facilitating travellers and holiday makers to visit hosts around Japan and receive meals, boarding, learning and be part of the family or community at no financial cost, in return for assisting the host with the work they do. WWOOF hosts include farms, holiday inns, ski resorts, and more. A 12 month membership is 4000 yen allowing you to visit as many places as you like. We do have hosts that will accept people all year round. Please have a look at http://www.wwoofjapan.com/index_e.html and see information on what a WWOOF Japan membership will give you. One can see a preview of some (not all) of our hosts at http://www.wwoofjapan.com/preview_e.html You can join and pay online via our website or pay at any post office throughout Japan – see the website for details. Members have access to bilingual forms from our website to use to communicate with hosts and make plans that best suit them. WWOOF is a great way to see Japan away from your daily grind. You can arrange to visit a host for just a day or two or for longer periods, or start out with a day or two and extend if you like it. Check out our website for all the details at http://www.wwoofjapan.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18. SPENCER KAGAN JAPAN TOUR UPDATE (from Jane Nakagawa) This is a great chance to see Spencer in Japan and learn more about coop learning, multiple inteligences and brain research re how people learn. The attendance fees for workshops (experiential–focus on practical teaching tips/demonostration of same) below range from free to 3000 yen. Please contact the listed contact persons below for more detailed info re the workshop at each location below. Also please be advised that there could be some small changes to this schedule/possible additions in the coming weeks. Spencer Kagan Japan workshop tour schedule as of May 21, 2003 Monday, Sept. 15, 2003 (Nagoya) 1:00-5:00 PM “Cooperative structures and language learning” Contact: Linda Donan Cooperative learning is a natural catalyst for language learning. Cooperative learning structures can be incorporated easily as part of any lesson, with a powerful impact on comprehensible input and frequency of language output opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, the cooperative structures reduce the affective filter and provide a positive, natural context for language learning. Come learn a range of simple cooperative learning structures that can be included in any lesson to promote language learning, including Draw-A-Gambit, Three Pair Share and Same Different. Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2003 (Nagoya) Nanzan University 6:30-8:30 PM “Brain friendly instruction through cooperative learning structures” Contact: Louise Haynes The brain readily learns information when presented through brain-friendly instructional strategies, but retains little when information is presented in ways contrary to the way the brain best learns. In this presentation Dr. Kagan presents five principles of brain-friendly instruction and how those principles can be implemented through simple instructional strategies called structures. In this presentation Dr. Kagan shows brain-imaging scans that demonstrate greater engagement when brain-friendly instructional strategies are used. Come deepen your understanding of the brain and of the revolutionary instructional strategies called structures. Structures such as Visualize Share, Take Off/Touch Down, and Categorizing will be demonstrated. Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003 (Tokyo) at Teachers College, co-sponsored by Teachers College, JASCD and GILE “Kagan Cooperative Structures to Promote Language Learning, Caring, and Peace” Contact: Michele Milner Dr. Kagan’s simple cooperative structures are transforming instruction in classrooms world-wide. His simple structures dramatically increase comprehensible input, language practice opportunities, and a safe context in which to try on unfamiliar language forms. At the same time students learn to accept and celebrate diversity, and understand and care for each other. The ultimate outcome is a transformation of social orientation from a “Us versus Them” to a “We” orientation. Come experience the power of Kagan’s simple cooperative structures like Timed Pair Interview, RoundRobin, and Mix-N-Match. Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003 (Tokyo) TBA. Please contact Jane Joritz-Nakagawa in June, 2003, for further information. Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2003 (Tokyo) Location TBA. “Cooperative structures for any lesson” Contact: Diane Nagatomo Dr. Kagan presents a revolutionary approach to instruction: Structures. There is always a structure in the classroom. Structures determine academic achievement as well as a host of non-academic outcomes. Knowledge and implementation of a range of structures dramatically improves educational outcomes. Come learn the theory of structures and experience the power of Kagan structures like Numbered Heads Together, RallyRobin, and Team Statements. Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 (Tokyo) Soka University “Multiple intelligences: visions, myths, and structures” Contact: Prof. Sekita Multiple Intelligences Theory offers education three powerful visions: 1) teaching the way students best learn; 2) developing a range of intelligences; 3) celebrating diversity. Dr. Kagan and his co-workers have developed dozens of easy-to-use, easy-to-implement structures such as Kinesthetic Symbols and Visualize Share for each of eight intelligences. The structures allow any teacher to realize all three visions as part of any lesson. Come deepen your understanding of Multiple Intelligences Theory and of structures such as Kinesthetic Symbols, Window Panes, and RallyRetell; novel ways to align instruction with the three visions. Friday, Sept. 26, 2003 (Tokyo) Seisen University, 5:30 – 8:30 PM “Positive human relations via cooperative structures” (Pre-conference workshop at Peace as a Global Language II conference) Contact: Alison Miyake or visit: Classroom structures determine academic achievement as well as a host of non-academic outcomes. Traditional classroom structures undermine positive social relations. Cooperative structures, in contrast, enhance understanding of self and others, respect for differences, empathy, self esteem, as well as liking for school and classmates. Remarkably, cooperative structures improve human relations without taking time from academics. Students actually learn and retain more when cooperative structures are used. To help you build positive peer relationships in your classroom, while maximizing student learning come learn structures like Team Interview, Agree-Disagree Line-Ups, and Timed Pair Share. Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003 (Tokyo) Seisen University “Cooperative structures, character, and peace” (Experiential plenary at Peace as a Global Language II conference) Contact: Alison Miyake or visit: There is always a structure in the classroom, and the structures we use on a daily basis form character. A teacher cannot choose not to impact on character formation. An important question is the direction of that impact. Traditional classroom structures (individual worksheet work; having students raise their hands one at a time to be called on) if not balanced by cooperative structures, have a demonstrable negative impact on character and diminish our long-term hopes for peace. In this experiential plenary session, we will examine a fifteen-virtue model of character and analyze the impact of traditional and cooperative structures on virtue acquisition. Finally we will explore how structure forms character which in turn impacts on long-term prospects for peace. To help you build character in your classroom, and increase our long-term prospects for peace, come learn structures like Three-Step Interview, Paraphrase Passport, and Corners. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 19. INTRODUCING ECOSIG (from EcoSIG, the ecological issues Special Interest Group of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) EcoSIG is interested in various ecological issues and is always open to ideas about new projects. Here is a list of our current projects. EcoSIG is intreseted in various ecological issues and is always open to ideas about new projects. Here is a list of our current projects: – Eco-SIG YahooGroups (about 250 members): an information network for current issues, upcoming events in Japan and any other relevant news. To sign up please visit . – EcoSIG website: see – PR: We have access to wider memebers of the JET community (in total there are over 6,000 JETs living in Japan) at various annual functions where we are happy to publicise the activities of other groups / interests / companies relevant to ecological issues – EcoBusinesses: we are currently compiling a directory of businesses with an environmentally friendly focus that are in Japan. – Low-impact living in Japan, organic agriculture… – The BEE (Bicycle for Everyone’s Earth): an annual bicycle ride from the North to South of Japan which aims to raise awarenss about environmental issues along the way; see the website at – The Echo: EcoSIG’s quarterly magazine publication – The Environmental Action Guide: currently being revamped – Assisting in the organization of Earth Day celebrations across Japan – Down the Earth English (see the link at : a collection of environmental education lesson plans suitable for use in the English langauge classroom – A seed bank for our members to exchange surplus seeds We are very keen to expand the number of organizations we network with. Currently, we have informal liaisons with a number of environmental interest groups and businesses in Japan. We are also affiliated with the JET Program. We have an active listserve of around 250 members, which provides a useful network for information sharing (be it upcoming events, current issues, etc), so please let us know of anything that should be broadcast on it. As mentioned above, EcoSIG is also represented at most JET events and is happy to publicise the work of other relevant groups from its booths. Members of EcoSIG come from various nations but most members are JET Programme participants and therefore currently living and working in Japan. EcoSIG, (the ecological issues Special Interest Group of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, membership is available to JETs and non-JETs) e-mail: ecosignc@yahoo.com Mail: Alli Barnes, 2-1, 1057-3, Orihashi, Satomi-Mura, Kuji-Gun, Ibaraki-Ken, 311-0506. Or, Kerry Helston , 102, Mountview Maekubo, Ikeshita 516, Sakata-Gun, Santo-Cho, Shiga-Ken, 521-0221. See our website at www.geocities.com/green_ in_japan/about.html> Join the email listserv, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EcoSIG/ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 20. FRIENDS OF THE EARTH HIKES IN JUNE (from Friends of the Earth) The following Friends of the Earth hikes are scheduled for June. There are no reservations — just turn up at the meeting point. The trips are cancelled only in case of continuous heavy rain or snow, or a typhoon warning, but the leader makes the final decision at the meeting point. Each person is responsible for buying their own train and bus tickets. JUNE 8: Myoujingatake / Myoujougatake / Yumoto (moderate). Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Shinjuku Odakyu Station at the front end of Platform 5. This course goes up the mountain slopes of the eastern side of the Hakone caldera from Doryouson Temple and along the caldera ridge from Myoujingatake to Myoujougatake. We can see fine views of Hakone National Part and Mt. Fuji from the top of Myoujingatake. The trail ends at Hakone Yumoto where is is possible to visit an onsen. Walking hours: 6. Total transportation: 2,490 yen. JUNE 15: Saitama Kenmin no Mori / Maruyama (easy). Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Seibu Ikebukuro Station at the rear end of Platform 7. This hike follows through the Ashigakubo Orchard via Kenmin no mori up to Maruyama. There are fine views of Okumusashi and the Chichibu Mountains from the top. Then we go to Ohno Touge and down to Ashigakubo Station. Walking hours: 4. Total transportation: 1,360yen. JUNE 22: Summit-of-the-mountain beer garden (moderately easy). Meet at 10:00 a.m. at Shinjuku Keio Line Station at the rear end of Platform 3. Starting fromTakao-san guchi, we walk along the Koshu Kaido for 30 minutes, and go into a mountain path from there which leads to Takao Mountain. We then go to the summit-of-the-mountain beer garden (2 hours viking and drink 2700 yen female; 3,000 yen male). The night view is very beautiful. From there it takes about 40 minutes walk on the paved road to Takao-san Guchi. Walking hours: 4.5. Total transportation: 740 yen. A donation of 1,000 yen is requested to cover organzing costs and as a contribution towards the work Friends of the Earth is doing on environmental issues Japan and through Friends of the Earth International in 68 countries around the the world. Most hikes are about six hours and many are in mountainous areas, so you should be reasonably fit. Although the leaders take every precaution, participation in all hikes is at your own risk. You should bring your own lunch and drinks (including plenty of water), a flashlight, emergency equipment (first aid kit, extra food), rain gear (not an umbrella), and health insurance card. It is advisable to wear proper hiking or walking shoes, since some of the trails can be muddy or rocky. For more information see the Friends of the Earth website at . You can also get hike info by e-mail: simply send an e-mail to with “mail member” in the subject line. Friends of the Earth can also be contacted at 3-17-24-2F Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0031. Tel: 03-3951-1081. Fax: 03-3951-1084. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 21. INFO ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK REGISTRATION: To register with the International Green Network, please request a registration form from Richard Evanoff at or at 1933-8 Hazama-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 193-0941. Registration is open to both individuals and groups. There is no registration fee or dues of any kind. Small donations (1,000 yen or less) to help cover operating expenses are welcomed, however. NEWSLETTER: The International Green Network (IGN) Newsletter will be published irregularly and sent to all people who register with the IGN. An e-mail version will be sent to those on e-mail and by regular mail to those who are not. Items for publication may be submitted by anyone and should be sent to Andrew Welford at or at Taishido 3-28-12-201, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0004. Please send general discussion items to the e-mail list (info below) rather than to the newsletter; however, if there is something you would like to share with everyone in the IGN, please send it to the newsletter so that those who are not on e-mail can receive it. We especially welcome: news items; events info; profiles of organizations and groups; alternative business advertisements (published free of charge); short articles; and opinion pieces. Please send items for publication in the form in which you would like it to be published since editing will be minimal. WEBSITE: The International Green Network maintains a website at . Information for posting on the website should be sent to Tony Boys at . E-MAIL LIST: By joining the IGN listserv, you will be able to exchange messages with other group members. To register for the e-mail list, send an e-mail message “subscribe ignj” to subscribe@yahoogroups.com>. To send messages to members of this group, simply send an e-mail to . If you do not wish to belong to the IGN e-mail list, you may unsubscribe by sending an email to . More information is available at . This information should be correct but if there are any glitches, please contact the IGN list moderator at . FAIR USE NOTICE: This newsletter may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 22. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK ECOSTUDY GROUP The IGN EcoStudy Group was started in January, 1997 by a small group of people interested in meeting informally to discuss current social and ecological issues. Meetings are held on a more or less monthly basis, usually on the third Friday, although the date varies from month to month depending on the participants’ schedules. The group focuses mainly on Green issues widely construed, including environmental problems, human rights, feminism, anti-racism, globalization, alternative politics / economics, labor issues, fair trade, cooperatives, indy media, and the like, but there are no limitations on themes. Anyone is free at any time to volunteer to give presentations or to propose possible topics for future discussion (although there are no obligations to do so). The usual format is for the person proposing a topic to give a brief introduction to the topic and then open the floor for discussion. If there are any readings, cassettes, videos, etc. that you would like people to familiarize themselves with beforehand, please make them available for circulation. Since this is a discussion group, you don’t need to be an “expert” on the topic to give a presentation; it is perfectly acceptable to either share something you already know about a particular topic with the group, to present reading materials or videos instead of giving an oral presentation, or to simply propose a topic that you would like to find out more about and discuss with others. The International Green Network is not affiliated with any political party (although political parties are welcome to participate in its activities) and has no particular ideological stance (although individual members often do!). The group is open to everyone, regardless of nationality, educational, ideological, and occupational background (or anything else!). Please feel free to invite anyone who may be interested to join us! There is no formal membership or dues. Announcements of meetings are publicized in the International Green Network Newsletter. The International Green Network also welcomes individuals to form groups in their own local areas, which we will also be happy to publicize in the IGN Newsletter. To receive the IGN Newsletter send your name and mailing address (e-mail preferred) to Richard Evanoff at 1933-8 Hazama-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 193-0941 or e-mail . Hope to see you at a future meeting! In this article written for the New Internationalist website, CEO reports on World Water Forum which took place in Kyoto, March 16-23. Read the article the New Internationalist website: http://www.newint.org/features/kyoto/index.html Activists from around the world succeeded in making water privatisation the dominant, most controversial issue during the one- week Forum. Their testimonies on the often disastrous local experiences with transnational corporations running the water delivery systems torpedoed the PR strategy of pro-industry think-tank World Water Council (WWC), which co-organised the forum. While activists took another important step in turning the tide and promoting people-centred alternatives to privatisation, there is still a long way to go. International financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank and power blocs like the European Union are stubbornly hanging on to water privatisation as the recipe for water delivery in the cities of the South. Read the article the New Internationalist website: http://www.newint.org/features/kyoto/index.html ——————————————————- Adam Ma’anit Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) Paulus Potterstraat 20 1071 DA Amsterdam Netherlands tel/fax: +31-20-612-7023 e-mail: ceo@corporateeurope.org http://www.corporateeurope.org CEO, is a European-based research and campaign group targeting the threats to democracy, equity, social justice and the environment posed by the economic and political power of corporations and their lobby groups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), is a European-based research and campaign group targeting the threats to democracy, equity, social justice and the environment posed by the economic and political power of corporations and their lobby groups. CEO publishes a quarterly newsletter – Corporate Europe Observer – featuring reports on the activities of major corporate lobby groups, issue specific overviews, news updates, analysis, reviews and more. The Corporate Europe Observer is currently published in print, e-mail and web (.html and .pdf) versions. For back issues, see: http://www.corporateeurope.org/backlist.html We also regularly produce issue briefings on various issues, such as climate change, trade and investment and in-depth expos$Bis(B of specific lobby groups. For a complete list of past briefings, see: http://www.corporateeurope.org/briefings.html Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) Paulus Potterstraat 20 1071 DA Amsterdam Netherlands tel/fax: +31-20-612-7023 e-mail: ceo@corporateeurope.org http://www.corporateeurope.org http://www.gatswatch.org