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Jan. 22 CITIZENS' FORUM - GENETIC ENGINEERING AND TRADE


Herewith the details of 1) the "Citizens' Forum", 2) the bus to get 
there from Ottawa, and 3) the invitation and background for the 
demonstration from Biotech Action Montréal (BAM).
I hope people will look on this as an opportunity to:
- learn more about one of the rare international initiatives worth supporting
- meet some neat people
- show that you understand and oppose the mega-corporations' plans, 
backed by our own government, to eliminate all mechanisms for 
protecting traditional farming, seeds, and knowledge -- and local, 
healthy food.

jamie


----------- Original Message from Victoria Gibb-Carsley -------------
From: Victoria <vgibb-carsley@canadians.org>
To: 'Jamie Kneen' <jkneen@web.net>
Subject: RE: Alert - Jan. 22 - COC- CITIZENS' FORUM - GENETIC 
ENGINEERING AND TRADE
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 08:25:38 -0500

Hey Jamie:  Below are the details of the biosafety protocol event in
Montreal. vgc


A day of events looking at Genetic Engineering and Trade
Montréal
Saturday, January 22nd

10 am Workshops
A day of workshops with international speakers on Genetic 
Engineering, the Biosafety Protocol, the World Trade Organization, 
the Precautionary Principle, and more.....
(Workshops in English and French)
University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Pavillon Judith-Jasmin, 405 
Ste Catherine East, 2nd floor. Room J-2930. Near Berri-UQAM metro 
station

12 noon Demonstration
Departure Berri Square - corner of Ste Catherine and Berri (Berri UQAM metro).
Rally at Biosafety meeting location - 999, University Street 
(Square-Victoria metro)
2 pm Workshops
(Same location as morning)

7.30 An evening with ....
Maude Barlow, Chee Yoke Ling and Jeremy Rifkin
Introduced by Daniel Pinard
UQAM - Pavillon Judith-Jasmin; Marie-Gerin-Lajoie Auditorium, Metro floor
(Berri-UQAM metro)
English/French interpretation available.
All events FREE - seating is limited - please come early.


Maude Barlow Political activist, author, policy critic and outspoken 
crusader against the WTO
Jeremy Rifkin: Author of  "The Biotech Century" and "Beyond Beef", 
president of the Foundation on Economic Trends in Washington, D.C.
Chee Yoke Ling: Lawyer with the Third World Network, working on laws 
to control corporations involved in biotechnology and the patenting 
of life forms.

Moderator: Daniel Pinard, Gourmet journalist, author and TV program host.

Victoria Gibb-Carsley
National Organizer
The Council of Canadians
vgibb-carsley@canadians.org
1-800-387-7177
Phone: 613-233-4487 ext 228
Fax: 613-233-6776
Website: www.canadians.org



----------- Original Message from Lucy Sharratt -------------
Subject: Biosafety Protocol demo, forum and background - we have a bus!

We have a bus sponsored by the Council of Canadians to take us to 
Montreal on Sat, Jan 22, leaving at 7:30am. Return time to Ottawa is 
to be established but will be soon after the end of the Forum. 
Pick-up location is also to be determined.

The bus has a capacity of 48 so we require RSVPs - you can RSVP to 
me, Lucy Sharratt, at the Sierra Club - 241-4611 or home 235-1672 or 
to Katherine Gunn at 729-0504.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Get on the Bus for an Action Day on genetic engineering! The Ottawa 
Public Working Group on Food Concerns and the local Council of 
Canadians and Sierra Club is heading to Montreal on Sat Jan 22 to 
join Biotech Action Montreal and other groups in a demonstration at 
the international negotiations of the Biosafey Protocol in Montreal, 
and to join a day of fantastic speakers and workshops on 
biotechnology. You are invited!

Please find below an invitation from Biotech Action Montreal to the 
demonstration they are organizing as well as to the Citizen's Forum 
that the Council of Canadians and Greenpeace are organizing.

BAM SENDS AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC FORUM AND 
DEMONSTRATION CONCERNING THE NEGOTIATION OF THE BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL IN 
MONTREAL.

Jan. 10, 2000 - Biotech Action Montreal (BAM) is organizing, January 
22, 2000, a demonstration in Montreal to protest the Canadian 
government's position in the negotiations on the Biosafety Protocol 
(in coordination with a public forum organized by the Council of 
Canadians and Greenpeace). BAM is a citizens action group affiliated 
with the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Université du 
Quebec à Montréal and McGill University. Our aim is to raise public 
awareness about the various issues and risks pertaining to 
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in order to initiate a necessary 
public debate. The following is a short overview of our previous 
and/or current actions:

- RAISE AWARENESS: distribution of literature, media interviews, 
tabling at events and conventions, public forums and lectures;

- POLITICAL ACTION: writing of a draft resolution on mandatory 
labeling of GMOs in food products, to the House of Commons (taken in 
charge by MP Hélène Alarie), petition campaign to demand mandatory 
labeling (20,000 names presented to the House of Commons, 15,000+ to 
come by February);

- PRESSURE ON FOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANIES AND GROCERS: 1-800 Phone 
Campaign to encourage consumers to demand GMO phase-out or labeling 
from these corporations.

We believe that the Protocol in its present form, although incomplete 
and flawed, is a minimal and basic measure to:

1) protect biodiversity and human health against the potential 
hazards associated with the trade of GMOs.

2) provide adequate trade regulations for GMOs

and that Canada should adopt it, or an enhanced version of it. We are 
thus urging Canada and the other countries of the Miami Group to sign 
this treaty without delay. Thus, we are presently focusing all our 
efforts on the Biosafety Conference, which will stage the last round 
of negotiations in Montreal, from January 20 to 28, 2000, at the 
I.C.A.O. building (International Civil Aviation Organization), 999 
University street, in downtown Montreal.

In addition to ensuring a physical presence outside the building 
during the formal negotiations (Jan. 24 to 28), a public forum and a 
march will take place Saturday, Jan. 22. Here is a general schedule 
of the day's events (morning and afternoon conferences to take place 
at Université du Québec à Montréal; confirmation of evening locations 
and schedule of lectures to come):

10:00 to 12:00 a.m.: Public forum, involving conferences and lectures 
by specialists and public figures, hosted by the Council of Canadians 
and Greenpeace.

12:00 to 2:00 p.m.: March (from public forum location to ICAO 
building) and demo organized by BAM.

2:00 p.m. to evening: Continuation of the Public forum.

Key figures Jeremy Rifkin, chairperson of the Council of Canadians 
Maude Barlow, and best-selling author and leader of the genetic 
engineering campaign at Greenpeace France, Arnaud Apoteker, have 
already confirmed their presence as lecturers.

We are inviting you or your organization to attend these events, to 
actively participate in the demonstration and to work towards a 
coalition with BAM, Greenpeace and the Council of Canadians 
concerning the issue of genetic engineering. We encourage you to show 
your presence by bringing your material to the demonstration. The 
preparation and planning are moving on, but, because of short delays, 
your help and input would be very welcome. We are presently looking 
for locations to lodge people from outside the city for Saturday 
night (e. g. school, church basement, community center, etc.) Please 
confirm your presence as soon as possible, with the number of people 
to accommodate.

We will provide you with regular updates on the details of the events 
and logistical considerations (locations, accommodation, etc.)

In addition, for those interested, we can provide details concerning 
the issue of the Biological Safety Protocol and the scenario of the 
negotiations. If your are aware of other groups or individuals that 
are likely to participate, please invite them and/or provide us with 
their contact information.

Yours Truly, Biotech Action Montreal
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