Podcasts about oakland institute

In this episode of Bionic Planet, we continue our dive into the complex and often contentious world of community conservancies in northern Kenya, focusing on the Biliqo Bulesa and Cherub Community Conservancies. The episode opens with a powerful statement from community members, emphasizing that the ongoing legal battles surrounding these conservancies are not about the interests of the community but rather the agendas of a few individuals. We introduce Mustafa Mohamed Libin, a community member from Biliqo Bulesa, who shares the story of how his community took bold steps in 2007 to form a conservancy that is truly community-run, contrasting it with the historical context of land ownership in the region. The episode highlights the positive impacts of the conservancy, including the revival of traditional grazing practices and the introduction of carbon finance to support community initiatives. However, the narrative takes a darker turn as we discuss the backlash faced by the conservancies, particularly following a report from the Oakland Institute that accused the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) of various human rights abuses. We explore the subsequent media frenzy that ensued, often lacking proper fact-checking and failing to consult actual community leaders. The episode serves as a follow-up to episode 117, providing deeper insights into the crisis faced by the community and the urgent need for their voices to be heard. Throughout the episode, we hear directly from community members, including youth representatives and conservancy leaders, who express their concerns about the recent court ruling that deemed the conservancies illegal due to alleged lack of consent. They recount their shock at the judgment, which they claim was made without their knowledge or participation, and discuss the significant benefits the conservancies have brought to their lives, including access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. The community members passionately defend the conservancies, asserting that the allegations made against them are unfounded and that the real beneficiaries of the conservancy are the local people. They highlight the transformative impact of the conservancy on women's empowerment, youth engagement, and community development, emphasizing that the conservancy is a lifeline for their livelihoods. As the episode progresses, we address the misconceptions propagated by external organizations and the media, which often portray the conservancies in a negative light. The community members clarify the differences between community-run conservancies and private conservancies, asserting their ownership and the positive changes that have occurred since the establishment of their conservancy. In closing, the episode underscores the importance of community voices in the narrative surrounding conservation efforts. The community members call for transparency and engagement from external organizations, urging them to visit and understand the realities on the ground rather than relying on hearsay. This episode is a powerful testament to the resilience of the Biliko Bulesa and Cherub communities and their unwavering commitment to protecting their rights and livelihoods amidst external challenges. If you find this kind of truth-telling important, consider supporting our work at patreon.com/bionicplanet. Your support helps us continue to share these vital stories.

What if conservation efforts meant to protect our planet were actually causing significant harm to the very people who have safeguarded these lands for generations? Join us on Breaking Green as we uncover the startling truth with Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute. Through the lens of their report, "From Abuse to Power," we expose the severe human rights abuses reportedly inflicted upon indigenous communities by "EcoGuards" — funded by prominent NGOs like the World Wildlife Fund. We'll explore the deeply rooted colonial and racist undertones of the conservation industry, particularly in Africa. Discover how powerful international institutions and donor countries perpetuate a model that expels indigenous people from their ancestral lands. The conversation contrasts Western views that see humanity as a threat to nature with indigenous perspectives that emphasize harmony with the environment. On this episode of Breaking Green, we will talk with founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute, Anyarada Mitall. Anyarada is an internationally renowned expert on issues of human rights, agriculture, development and conservation policies. Under Anyarada's leadership, the Oakland Institute has unveiled land investment deals in the developing world to expose a disturbing pattern of lack of transparency, fairness and accountability. Anyarada has authored and edited numerous books and reports. Her articles and opinion pieces have been published in widely circulated newspapers and she is frequently interviewed on CNN, BBC World, CBC, ABC, Al Jazeera and National Public Radio.Find Oakland Institute's report "From Abuse to Power" here. This podcast is produced by Global Justice Ecology Project.Breaking Green is made possible by tax deductible donations from people like you. Please help us lift up the voices of those working to protect forests, defend human rights and expose false solutions.  Donate securely online hereOr simply text GIVE to 716-257-4187

Listen to an interview with Eve Devillers, a researcher at the Oakland Institute, who speaks about a recent report that outlines the contemporary colonial nature of mass carbon offset schemes in African today. The report, recently out, entitled "Green Colonialism 2.0: Tree Plantations and Carbon Offsets in Africa," is live here: https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/green-colonialism-two-carbon-offsets-africa The report is described this way: Green Colonialism 2.0: Tree Plantations and Carbon Offsets in Africa examines the African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIP) bankrolled by European development finance institutions, Japanese oil interests, and an Australian investment firm. The AFIP exemplifies the green colonialism that President Ruto of Kenya is promoting on the continent — opening the door for more extraction of Africa's resources. Despite AFIP's claim of promoting “nature-based solutions,” a troubling pattern of exploitation and greenwashing underscores its investments, stakeholders, and financial backers. Accompanying music is by Anarchist Mountains. The accompanying photo info: "Young trees in Green Resources' Kachung plantation in Uganda, 2013" © Kristen Lyons. Thanks to the Social Justice Centre for supporting my work on this weekly program. Free City Radio is hosted and produced by Stefan @spirodon Christoff and airs on @radiockut 90.3FM at 11am on Wednesdays and @cjlo1690 AM in Tiohti:áke/Montréal on Wednesdays at 8:30am. On @ckuwradio 95.9FM in Winnipeg at 10:30pm on Tuesdays. On @cfrc 101.9FM in Kingston, Ontario at 11:30am on Wednesdays. Also it broadcasts on @cfuv 101.9 FM in Victoria, BC on Wednesdays at 9am and Saturdays at 7am, as well as Met Radio 1280 AM in Toronto at 5:30am on Fridays. Now Free City Radio will also be broadcasting on CKCU FM 93.1 in Ottawa on Tuesdays at 2pm, tune-in!

The executive director of the Oakland Institute, a policy think tank based in California, is welcoming a World Bank decision to suspend funding for a tourism project in Tanzania following allegations of human rights violations. The institute complained to the World Bank a year ago about potential violations of its own policies. Executive Director Anuradha Mittal, tells VOA's James Butty, the suspension of funding should send a resounding message to the Tanzanian government that there are consequences for those who violate human rights to boost tourism.

Original Air Date 2-17-2018 We hear from activists and advocates to get a sense of the life, land, and walls that divide occupied Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Show Notes Ch. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Ch. 2: Amer Zahr on working toward rights and democracy for all in Israel - Part 1 - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-18-17 Ch. 3: The Oakland Institute's Anuradha Mittal on Life, Land and the Wall Between Them in Occupied Palestine Part 1 - This is Hell - Air Date 11-1-17 Ch. 4: Ben Ehrenreich and Amy Wilentz looking at life for Palestinians on the West Bank - Start Making Sense from @TheNation - Air Date is 7-6-2016 Ch. 5: Amer Zahr on working toward rights and democracy for all in Israel - Part 2 - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-18-17 Ch. 6: The Oakland Institute's Anuradha Mittal on Life, Land and the Wall Between Them in Occupied Palestine - Part 2 - This is Hell - Air Date 11-1-17 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

On today's show, a new report from the Oakland Institute entitled, “Meet the Investors Behind the PHC Oil Palm Plantations in the DRC” exposes the financiers of the perpetual colonization of the DRC. I'll speak to GRAIN researcher Devlin Kuyek and the Oakland Institutes Policy Director Frederic Mousseau. photo: Juan Fernández Originally aired 2/18/22 The post A Rude Awakening with Devlin Kuyek and Frederic Mousseau appeared first on KPFA.

Warum sind viele moderne Lebensmittel von minderer Qualität? Warum leidet die Gesundheit und warum werden Kleinbauern, die den größten Teil der Welt ernähren, aus der Landwirtschaft verdrängt?Ein Standpunkt von Colin Todhunter.Hauptsächlich wegen der Denkweise von Leuten wie Larry Fink von BlackRock - der größten Vermögensverwaltungsgesellschaft der Welt - und dem Wirtschaftssystem, von dem sie profitieren und das sie fördern.Im Jahr 2011 sagte Fink, dass Investitionen in Landwirtschaft und Wasser in den nächsten 10 Jahren am besten abschneiden würden.Fink stellte fest:"Setze auf Landwirtschaft und Wasser und mach es dir am Strand gemütlich."Es überrascht daher nicht, dass nur drei Jahre später, im Jahr 2014, das Oakland Institute feststellte, dass institutionelle Anleger, darunter Hedge-Fonds, Private Equity und Pensionsfonds, weltweit Agrarland als neue und äußerst begehrte Anlageklasse nutzen. ... hier weiterlesen: https://apolut.net/ein-hartkantiger-fels-wirtschaftliche-kriegsfuehrung-gegen-die-menschheit-von-colin-todhunter+++Apolut ist auch als kostenlose App für Android- und iOS-Geräte verfügbar! Über unsere Homepage kommen Sie zu den Stores von Apple und Huawei. Hier der Link: https://apolut.net/app/Die apolut-App steht auch zum Download (als sogenannte Standalone- oder APK-App) auf unserer Homepage zur Verfügung. Mit diesem Link können Sie die App auf Ihr Smartphone herunterladen: https://apolut.net/apolut_app.apk+++Abonnieren Sie jetzt den apolut-Newsletter: https://apolut.net/newsletter/+++Ihnen gefällt unser Programm? Informationen zu Unterstützungsmöglichkeiten finden Sie hier: https://apolut.net/unterstuetzen/+++Unterstützung für apolut kann auch als Kleidung getragen werden! Hier der Link zu unserem Fan-Shop: https://harlekinshop.com/pages/apolut+++Website und Social Media:Website: https://apolut.net/Odysee: https://odysee.com/@apolut:aRumble: https://rumble.com/ApolutInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/apolut_net/Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/apolut_netTelegram: https://t.me/s/apolutFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/apolut/Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/apolut Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the seasons come and go, we bear witness to the growth and decay that happens in the environment around us. And currently in the Northern Hemisphere, the leaves have fallen, and the days are shorter and colder as Winter Solstice approaches. This week on Meat and Three, we're examining the many processes of decay, from the natural decay within landfills and compost, to the manufactured decay of infrastructure and industry.Further Reading:For more on Scott Kellogg's work, check out Episode 13 of Fields.  If you would like to hear the full episode behind Matthew Martin's story, head to Episode 49 of the Big Food Question. Learn more about The Oakland Institute's research on Episode 361 of What Doesn't Kill You. Find the unabridged conversation between Jenna Liut and Ev Crunden in Episode 157 of Eating Matters.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

If it is built, the Midwest Carbon Express will be the world's largest carbon capture and storage pipeline. It's being developed by the Iowa-based company, Summit Carbon Solutions and faces strong opposition from a broad coalition of Indigenous communities, Iowa landowners and environmental groups. Andy Currier is the author of a new report on the Midwest Carbon Express for the Oakland Institute.

My guest today is Anuradha Mittal, the founder and executive director of The Oakland Institute. They recently released a report that exposes how corruption, governments, and major industrial agricultural players are sucking sub-saharan nations dry, even as they promise infrastructure that will provide food security and clean water. Instead, they pollute and displace.Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

My guest today is Anuradha Mittal, the founder and executive director of The Oakland Institute. They recently released a report that exposes how corruption, governments, and major industrial agricultural players are sucking sub-saharan nations dry, even as they promise infrastructure that will provide food security and clean water. Instead, they pollute and displace.Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

Does the environmentalist motto, ‘Think Globally, Act Locally', point us towards sustainable food systems' solutions? In this episode, Dr. Navin Ramankutty from UBC and Ken Meter from the Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis explore whether locally produced foods, provided by small-scale farmers, are inherently more sustainable than that which comes from larger producers many miles away. The discussion suggests that scale and proximity are not necessarily correlated with better environmental performance across the board, but that there are still good reasons for building strong food systems at the community level, and ensuring that small scale farmers can earn a sustainable livelihood.

Cuba developed, out of necessity, the most organic, sustainable agricultural system of any country. Is that model replicable in other parts of the world, or is it now likely to be overrun by industrial farming as ironically the easing of tensions with the U.S. opens the island up to the influx of capital and multinational corporate plutocrats? What can we learn from Cuba's food system, and what are the risks to Cuban food security and sovereignty as its economic isolation ends? With: Kevin Danaher, co-founder of Global Exchange and FairTradeUSA; Greg Watson, former Massachusetts Secretary of Agriculture; Anuradha Mittal, founder and Executive Director of the Oakland Institute.

The world economy demands clean energy and cheap commodities and these are being extracted at a furious rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So the DRC is benefiting from all this activity, right? Though extremely rich in natural resources, thanks to political instability plus a centuries-long legacy of commercial and colonial resource extraction, the value mainly accrues to the country's east and west, where corporations and governments benefit the most. Joining the show to discuss are Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute, who describes how Western investors like university pension funds and corporations profit from oil palm plantations where human rights violations and environmental abuses are common. Then Christian-Geraud Neema Byamungu, a Congolese researcher who focuses on natural resource governance, tells us about how the growing demand for cobalt to make electric-car batteries has led to increased mining, the Chinese companies that dominate the DRC's mines, and why the contracts between those companies and the DRC are being called into question. Further reading: • ”As energy needs drive demand for minerals, forests face greater threats” • ”Pension and endowment funds linked to conflict-plagued oil palm in DRC” Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, or download our free app in the Apple App Store or in the Google Store to get access to our latest episodes at your fingertips. If you enjoy the Newscast, please visit www.patreon.com/mongabay to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage: news.mongabay.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching for @mongabay. Episode artwork: palm oil production in Yalifombo village © Oskar Epelde via Oakland Institute.   Please share your thoughts and ideas! submissions@mongabay.com.

The Nicaraguan government is encouraging a gold rush in its country, opening up two-thirds of the country to mining concessions. Canadian and Australian corporations, among others, are lining up to mine that gold. But gold mining is linked to displacement, violence and environmental degradation. Anuradha Mittal is executive director of the Oakland Institute and author of the report, Nicaragua's Failed Revolution.

The current H-2A program in the U.S. is a mechanism where growers are allowed to import laborers from foreign countries to harvest crops. However, according to a new report by David Bacon, Oakland Institute, these workers are often exploited by the growers, who can set high production quotas, fire workers for little cause, and blacklist […] The post Who helps vulnerable farm workers? appeared first on WORT 89.9 FM.

The US has been through several extremely turbulent months, and we've been yearning for deeper and more genuine conversations on these developments. What does this time of upheaval and polarization mean for the USA? How do questions of race and class connect? What are we learning about power and corruption – and what does it really mean to be free? In this special edition of the Forest of Thought we speak to historian and community organizer Crystal Vance Guerra, and policy analyst and activist Victor Menotti. Crystal Vance Guerra is a Mexican-American/Chicano historian, journalist, educator and community organiser from Chicago. She has lived and worked in Latin-America for several years, most recently on conservation in Honduras. Victor Menotti is Senior Fellow at the Oakland Institute and works with governments, businesses and civil society on a range of economic and environmental issues. He lives in Bratislava, Slovakia. Links from Crystal Vance Guerra: On Abolition: level.medium.com/so-youre-thinking-about-becoming-an-abolitionist-a436f8e31894 . Essential reading on mass incarceration: www.usprisonculture.com/blog/essential-pic-reading-list/ . Movement work and mutual aid in the US: https://truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ . Links from Victor Menotti: Four Ds Of Oil's Just Transition: stanleycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CCAI-FourDsOfOilsJustTransition92820.pdf . Links to some of Victor's papers: www.oaklandinstitute.org/about/people/victor-menotti . Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/forestofthought . Share and subscribe. We're available on most podcast apps, including: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ue3XA6IQQLC05FQMINuy1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/…/podcast/forest-of…/id1508610729 Links to all platforms: https://anchor.fm/forestofthought Our theme music is by Christian Steen at stoneproduction.no.

We're taking a look at the importance of securing Indigenous & local communities’ land rights -- and the global push for privatization that can deprive such people access to their territories -- with two guests on this episode. A 2018 study found that Indigenous Peoples steward about 38 million km2 of land in 87 countries, that's more than a quarter of the world’s land surface, making them the most important conservationists on the planet, you might say. But governments and corporations increasingly want access to these lands, too, so the issue of land rights and titles is heating up. To discuss the issue and learn how people are gaining title to their lands, we welcome Daisee Francour, a member of the Oneida nation of Wisconsin (U.S.) who is also director of strategic partnerships and communications for the NGO Cultural Survival, plus Anuradha Mittal who's executive director of the Oakland Institute, a think tank that recently released a report titled Driving Dispossession: The Global Push To Unlock The Economic Potential Of Land. We now offer a free app in the Apple App Store and in the Google Store for this show, so you can have access to our latest episodes at your fingertips, please download it and let us know what you think via the contact info below. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on the Google Podcasts app, Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, via Pandora or Spotify, or wherever they get podcasts. Episode artwork: In Zambia, a resident displays a map of her village's land. Villagers confirm that individual plots of land are accurately depicted and will be given a certificate conferring rights to farm and use the land. Photo courtesy of Sandra Coburn/Oakland Institute. If you enjoy the Newscast, please visit www.patreon.com/mongabay to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonproft media outlet and all support helps! Supporting at the $10/month level now delivers access to Insider Content at Mongabay.com, too, please visit the link above for details. See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage: news.mongabay.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching for @mongabay. Feedback is always welcome: submissions@mongabay.com.

Land Grabbing is a strategy being deployed by many countries to boost their food production, grow crops for manufacturing purposes, or just to hold for investment. Anuradha Mittal explains how this predatory behavior plays out for indigenous populations, their ability to grow food, and the environmental impacts of the practice on its unwitting victims.

Land Grabbing is a strategy being deployed by many countries to boost their food production, grow crops for manufacturing purposes, or just to hold for investment. Anuradha Mittal explains how this predatory behavior plays out for indigenous populations, their ability to grow food, and the environmental impacts of the practice on its unwitting victims.

We spoke with Martin Kirk and Anuradha Mittal about the World Bank's "Doing Business" ranking which encourages countries to lower protections for workers, public health and the environment in order to attract businesses. It allows businesses to move factories and capital to countries with the lowest standards and fuels the race to the bottom. Of particular concern is the rising number of acres being sold to Big Ag which is displacing millions and destroying local food protection. The Rules and Oakland Institute are partnering in a new campaign, "Our Land Our Business" to end land grabs. They seek one million signatures by October. Visit OurLandOurBusiness.org to learn more and take action. Visit ClearingtheFOGRadio.org for more information about the program.

This week, APEX Contributors Karl Jagbandhansingh and Marie Choi bring us APEX's final segments recorded at the Moana Nui 2013 Teach In. Speaker Bios below (generated from Moana Nui conference): Kyle Kajihiro (Hawai'i) See Video American Friends Service Committee; DMZ Hawai'i/Aloha Aina Kyle Kajihiro is a board member of Hawai'i Peace and Justice, the successor organization to the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Hawai'i Area Program. From 1996 to 2011, Kajihiro served as a program coordinator, and later program director, for the American Friends Service Committee Hawai'i. Born and raised in Hawai'i, Kajihiro was involved in human rights activism, Central America solidarity, and immigrant worker organizing while living in Oregon in the 1980s and 1990s. His current work focuses on research, education, and action to counter U.S. militarization in Hawai'i.  He has published numerous articles about militarization and resistance in Hawai'i and has participated in solidarity delegations and international conferences to speak about resistance to the U.S. military occupation of the Hawaiian Islands. Dante C. Simbulan (Philippines) Professor, Author Dante C. Simbulan earned his doctorate in Political Science from the Australian National University, received his master's degree from the University of the Philippines and his Bachelor of Science from the Philippine Military Academy. He taught politics, government and sociology at the Philippine Military Academy, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and Maryknoll College. His book, The Modern Principalia: The Historical Evolution of the Philippine Ruling Oligarchy (University of the Philippines Press, 2007, 2nd ed.) based on his doctoral dissertation written in 1965, was a pioneering study of the socio-economic elite in Philippine politics and government—the ruling family political dynasties of today. Dr. Simbulan was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines when Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. A former political prisoner, he was arrested and detained for more than three years, without charges, when he actively and openly opposed the dictatorship; he was adopted as a “prisoner of conscience” by Amnesty International. While in exile in the United States, he served as the first Executive Director of the Church Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (based in Washington, D.C.), which worked for the termination of U.S. support to the Marcos dictatorship. He has since been a leader of the Philippines' protest movement opposed to U.S. military presence and intervention in the Philippines. He taught at Montgomery College in Maryland and lectured in several universities in the United States and Canada. Christine Ahn (United States) Co-founder, Korea Policy Institute Christine Ahn is a policy analyst with expertise in Korea, globalization, militarism, women's rights, and philanthropy. She is the editor of Shafted: Free Trade and America's Working Poor (2003) and contributor to The Revolution Will Not be Funded (2009). She has addressed Congress, the United Nations and the National Human Rights Commission in South Korea. Ahn has been interviewed on Al-Jazeera, BBC, CNN, Democracy Now!, NPR, NBC, and Voice of America. She is a columnist with Institute for Policy Studies' Foreign Policy In Focus, and her op-eds have appeared in The International Herald Tribune/The New York Times, Asia Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She is co-founder of the National Campaign to End the Korean War and Korean Americans for Fair Trade. Ahn is currently the Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Global Fund for Women and Senior Fellow with the Oakland Institute. She holds a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a certificate in ecological horticulture from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has been inducted into the OMB Watch Public Interest Hall of Fame and recognized as a Rising Peacemaker by the Agape Foundation. Hosted by Karl Jagbandhansingh. The post APEX Express – January 23, 2014 appeared first on KPFA.

Oakland Institute founder and executive director Anuradha Mittal details the institutional investments being made in African farmland right now as investment banks and sovereign wealth funds move to sweep up property on the cheap while driving up land and food prices.

Oakland Institute founder and executive director Anuradha Mittal details the institutional investments being made in African farmland right now as investment banks and sovereign wealth funds move to sweep up property on the cheap while driving up land and food prices.

Ten years ago, the word “globalization” was made a household term. On November 30th, 1999, tens of thousands of people shook the streets of Seattle, Washington, in protest of the World Trade Organization. The WTO symbolized the corporate takeover of human needs and the environment. On this edition, we revisit the voices from that week. And, we find out how global economic forces have shifted in the past decade. Featuring: Gopal Dayaneni, anti-globalization activist; Mohau Pheko, representative of the Africa Trade Network at the 1999 Seattle WTO meeting; Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director, Oakland Institute; Chuck Collins, co-founder of United for a Fair Economy and Wealth for the Common Good.   The post Making Contact – Trade Shifts: Reflections on the Seattle WTO Protests appeared first on KPFA.

Aired 05/20/08 Anuradha Mittal (Oakland Institute) http://www.oaklandinstitute.org on the global food crisis. World food prices rose 39% in the last year. Rice alone rose to a 19-year high in March -- an increase of 50% in two weeks alone -- while the real price of wheat has hit a 28-year high. Food riots erupted in Egypt, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Mauritania, Mexico, Senegal, Uzbekistan and Yemen. For the 3 billion people in the world who subsist on $2 a day or less, the leap in food prices is a killer. They spend a majority of their income on food, and when the price goes up, they can't afford to feed themselves or their families. Obvious causes: increased demand from China and India, rising fuel and fertilizer costs, increased use of bio-fuels and climate change. But less obvious causes have also had a profound effect on food prices. In the last 30 years, the US, the World Bank and the IMF have imposed devastating policies on developing countries. By requiring them to open up their agriculture market to giant multinational companies and persuading them to specialize in exportable cash crops, they have turned developing countries that used to be self-sufficient in food into large food importers.

President Bush on Food Security On May 1, 2008, President Bush addressed the latest global food crisis in a press conference from the White House. We'll listen in on this speech and the US foreign policy definition of 'food security'. While global efforts to respond to the food crisis may indeed be providing much-needed aid, it is this very aid and its accompanying policies that is suggested will only further push this food crisis to even more damaging proportions. In the end, the food aid effort is the very same one that has persisted for decades, and let's face it, it hasn't worked. Lending their voice to help critically examine Bush's speech, will be Anuradha Mittal of the Oakland Institute. Cross-Canada Trike Tour I On May 7, 2008, Darrick Hahn and Sinisa Grgic departed Victoria from the 0-Mile mark of the Trans-Canada Highway and embarked on a cross-Canada journey to raise awareness of Deconstructing Dinner. The pair will be travelling by recumbent tricycles (or trikes). In the summer of 2007, Hahn stumbled across Producer/Host Jon Steinman and it didn't take long for Hahn to become a fan of the show. "After listening to Deconstructing Dinner more and more, I felt compelled to spread the word about the show," says Hahn. "So as we cross the country, we will encourage everyone to listen to the show and learn more about the state of our food system." Hahn and Grgic believe that many of our current health problems are directly, or indirectly a result of an unsustainable food system that is built primarily upon profit. The trip will be focused on raising awareness and not money. "You keep your money, and with more awareness, you can choose what to do with it," says Grgic. "We hope you use it to buy healthier food from local farms in your community, or support Deconstructing Dinner, a voice that is not yet well-represented in the mainstream media today. En route, the two cyclists will stop in at farms and markets and explore Canada's food and farming culture. "We hope to eat as locally as possible along the way, and wild plants are not off-limits," says Hahn! Hahn and Grgic will be periodically updating a blog with photos and a journal and weekly updates through phone interviews will be airing on Deconstructing Dinner each week. On this episode, we hear from correspondent Andrea Langlois interviewing the cyclists as they departed Victoria, and we listen in on segments of a phone interview between Host Jon Steinman and cyclist Darrick Hahn. Hahn spoke to Jon from inside the cheese-making facility of Jerseyland Organics in Grand Forks, BC. Guests/Voices Darrick Hahn and Sinisa Grgic - Cross-Canada Cyclists Deconstructing Dinner Cross-Canada Trike Tour (Monkton, ON / London, ON) - Cyclists Sinisa Grgic and Darrick Hahn are old high-school friends based in Southwestern Ontario and are the proprietors of Fresh Entertainment. Darrick grew up on a farm in Monkton, Ontario and Sinisa, who is originally from Croatia, moved to Canada 17 years ago. Anuradha Mittal - Executive Director Oakland Institute (Oakland, CA) - Anuradha Mittal, a native of India, is an internationally renowned expert on trade, development, human rights and agriculture issues. After working as the co-director of Food First/ Institute for Food and Development Policy, Mittal established the Oakland Institute, a progressive policy think tank, in 2004. George W. Bush - President United States of America (Washington, D.C.) Duane Clarridge - ex CIA (1955-1987) (USA) John Pilger - Journalist (London, UK)  

What is Food Security and how is it defined globally? Food Security is often perceived as the ability of a community to respond to poverty by feeding the hungry. But Food Security is far more than just the number of food banks operating within a community. This perception has additionally fostered the belief that the remainder of the population is "food-secure". This broadcast will look to define Food Security and Food Sovereignty. To do so, the causes of hunger will be discussed and how nations and communities respond; we will look at examples of citizen movements taking action to defend their right to food; and ultimately, we will attempt to connect the struggles and efforts of others to our North American relationship to food. Are those of us who readily have access to food really food-secure? Are the food struggles and solidarity of others a glimpse into where our own food system has gone wrong? Can we look to these struggles as an illustration of how we as North Americans have lost our connection to food? Voices Anuradha Mittal - Executive Director, The Oakland Institute. A native of India, Anuradha is an internationally renowned expert on trade, development, human rights and agriculture issues. She worked for ten years as the policy director and then the co-director at the Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First). In 2004, she established The Oakland Institute - a policy think tank located in Oakland, California. This footage is courtesy of RadioActive at WERU Community Radio in Blue Hill/Bangor, Maine. Refugio Gregorio - Mixteca Elder, Representative of the Indigenous Women's Cooperative - Margarita Magón (Oaxaca, Mexico). In 2002 protests succeeded in keeping a McDonald's out of the central square of Oaxaca. McDonald's was seen as a threat to the cultural heritage of the indigenous people in and around Oaxaca. Refugio participated in this protest and continues to found her resistance in the celebration of food and tradition. Antonio Villanueva Feliciano - Zapotec Migrant Indigenous Leader, Youth Representative, Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca (CIPO-RFM) - CIPO-RFM is an organization representing 24 indigenous communities. They use non-violent resistance to exercise autonomy and direct action, and defend their human, territorial, economic, social, political and cultural rights, as communities and as individuals. Emilie Smith - The Ecumenical Task Force for Justice in the Americas (Vancouver) - Emilie worked for 22 years in Mexico and Guatemala helping to improve conditions of indigenous people. She represents the Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca (CIPO-RFM), and is currently supporting CIPO-RFM leader, Raul Gatica Bautista, who is now a refugee in exile in Vancouver. Emilie acted as the translator in the studio for Antonio Feliciano and Refugio Gregorio. Charles Levkoe - SunRoot Farm (Nova Scotia). Charles was most recently the Urban Agriculture Coordinator at The Stop Community Food Centre in Toronto. Charles received a Masters degree in Food Security and Popular Education from the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. He sits on the board of the American Community Gardening Association. As of July 2006, Charles is now part of SunRoot Farm - a community-supported agriculture co-operative in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. South Central Farmers (Los Angeles) - Since 1992, 14 acres of property located in the middle of Los Angeles has been used as a community garden or farm. The land has been divided into 360 plots and is believed to be one of the largest urban gardens in the country. On June 14, 2006, an eviction notice was carried out by hundreds of LA riot police.

Many victims of forced labor in the US come from Asia. We learn about forces that drive modern-day slavery from a study done by UC's Human Rights Center. And, as the sub-continent braced for Bush, we heard how India and China are new economies on the rise with more competitive clout. But learn what's behind the stories of trade tensions and booming businesses from Anurahda Mittal of the Oakland Institute. Plus music, calendar and more…. Also: Fri 3/10, Apex Outha Box is coming up at Locus Arts www.locusarts.org featuring Denizen Kane, Jenro & Not Your Average Superheros. The post APEX Express – March 9, 2006 appeared first on KPFA.