[E-rundbrief] Info 215 - RB 116 - Vandana Shiva: Neembaum, Wasser

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 215 - Rundbrief Nr. 116 - Kein Patent auf Neembaumöl - 
Vandana Shiva. Vandana Shiva: World Water Day in India.

Bad Ischl, 23.3.2005

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Kein Patent auf Neembaumöl

Das Europäische Patentamt (EPA) hat das Patent auf ein Öl aus dem indischen 
Neembaum endgültig widerrufen. Aus Indien seien Beweise für eine frühere 
Nutzung des Öls zur Schädlingsbekämpfung vorgelegt worden, sagte ein 
EPA-Sprecher. Die Entscheidung sei in letzter Instanz erfolgt. Das Patent 
(EP 0436257B1) war im September 1994 erteilt worden. Indische 
Wissenschaftler und die Grünen im Europäischen Parlament hatten das Patent 
als "geistigen Diebstahl" bezeichnet und Einspruch erhoben. In Indien werde 
das Öl seit Jahrhunderten gegen Pflanzenschädlinge eingesetzt, 
argumentieren sie. Schon in erster Instanz widerrief daraufhin die 
Einspruchkammer das Patent. Die Patentinhaber die Firma Thermo Trilogy 
Corporation im US-Bundesstaat Maryland und das US-amerikanische 
Agrarministerium hatten dagegen aber Beschwerde eingelegt, die nunmehr 
scheiterte. DPA. (Aus "Die Tageszeitung/ taz" v. 11.3.2005)

Dr. Vandana Shiva, Ökoaktivistin und Alternative Nobelpreisträgerin aus 
Indien verkündete uns bei der Alternativen-Tagung im Goethe-Institut in 
München mit Freude diesen juristischen Sieg. Ausgerechnet am 
Internationalen Tag der Frauenrechte konnte sie - gemeinsam mit einer 
belgischen Politikerin und einer weiteren Aktivistin - stellvertretend für 
die Millionen indischer Bauern und Konsumenten, ihre Rechte gegenüber einem 
US-Firmengiganten und der ihn unterstützenden US-Regierung verteidigen. 
Dieser moralische Sieg ist allerdings nur eine kleine Etappe im weltweiten 
Kampf gegen die Patentierung und Ausbeutung von Leben in jeder Form.

M.R.

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World Water Day in India

Vandana Shiva

22.3.2005

Dear Friends,

World Water Day was celebrated in New Delhi, India with a massive rally 
against water pollution and water privatisation. More than 200 
organisations in the coalition Citizens Front for Water Democracy and Green 
Peace participated in the rally. The victims of the Union Carbide disaster 
in Bhopal also participated in the rally. Dr. Vandana Shiva, convenor of 
the Citizens Front for Water Democracy led the March. The march against 
water privatisation was the conclusion of the one week Jal Swaraj Yatra 
(Water Democracy Rally) organised by the Citizens Front for Water 
Democracy. More than one million citizens were reached through 1000 kms 
journey for awareness on the 10-fold increased tariffs of Delhi's water 
supply driven by the World Bank as a step towards privatisation. More than 
150.000 people signed on a river of cloth as a referendum against water 
privatisation and tariff hike.

The success of the citizens mobilisation can be gaged by the fact that the 
CEO of Delhi Jal Board, Delhi's Water Utility wrote a letter to Dr. Vandana 
Shiva to state that Delhi's water will not be privatised. The Government 
also announced that it would revise the tariff increase in the face of 
citizens protest.

Besides the mobilisation for resistance against World Bank driven water 
privatisation policies, citizens also presented conservation based 
alternatives to ensure that the water crisis does not deny half of humanity 
access to clean water.

A two week long festival on water and life put up by Navdanya in 
collaboration with Delhi Tourism Department of Government of Delhi, at 
Dilli Haat, Delhi's most popular market place exhibits included India's 
eco-friendly hand crafted water pots of Terracotta, Granite, Brass, Copper. 
Another installation displaced the growing menis of plastic water bottle 
whihc is not just leading to ground water minning but also adding to the 
toxic pollution which is turning our precious water into poison. A 
photographic exhibition "Water Thief" on Plachimada shows that the theft of 
ground water by Coca - Cola in Plachimada. This ground water mining forced 
the adivasi women to start an agitation which led to the closure of the 
plant. Navdanya also had an exhibition of water conservation and 
agriculture which showed how using water prudent crops and water 
conservation technologies, water used in agriculture can be reduced by 80% 
while production of nutritious foods can be increased by 200 times. 
Simultaneously a food festival served delicious dishes made from water 
prudent millets that require only 200 mm of water.

On display at the festival was the Living Machine for recycling of waste 
water put up by Ocean Ark Institute which with Navdanya is running a course 
for a grassrootactivists on setting up ecological waste water systems in 
rural areas.

Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology
A-60, Hauz Khas
New Delhi - 110 016
www.vshiva.org

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Matthias Reichl

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Wolfgangerstr.26

A-4820 Bad Ischl

Tel. +43-6132-24590

e-mail: mareichl at ping.at

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