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Verónica Villa, Asistente de Administración e investigación

Verónica nació en la Ciudad de México, estudió etnología y tiene experiencia trabajando con comunidades indígenas en los estados del sur de México, sobre todo en el área de educación. Ha participado como relatora para las reuniones del movimiento indígena en México.

En su tiempo libre, se reúne con un grupo de estudios sobre música y danzas del Medio Oriente y la región de Andalucía.

Carta de la Red en Defensa del Maíz contra la liberación de maíz transgénico en México

Enviada al Convenio sobre Diversidad Biológica en mayo de 2009

Esta carta se publicó en varios idiomas y salió a circulación contanco con firmas de más de 700 organizaciones y miles de personas. Hacia fin de 2009, habían suscrito la protesta más de 8 mil organizaciones y personas de todo el planeta. Consultar el PDF.

 

Ministro Sigmar Gabriel

Presidente de la Mesa del Convenio de Diversidad Biológica

z.H. Sören Heinze

Platz der Republik 1

11011 Berlin

Alemania

Declaración de la Red en Defensa del Maíz contra la liberación de maíz transgénico en México, su centro de origen

Enviada al Director de la FAO el 19 de mayo de 2009

Esta declaración contra el maíz transgénico fue enviada a la FAO y al CDB en mayo de 2009. Al hacerse pública, contaba ya con el apoyo de más d 700 organizaciones y miles de individuos. Para finales de 2009, la declaración de la Red en Defensa del Maíz contra la liberación de maíz transgénico en México era suscrita por más de 8 mil organizaciones y personas en todo el planeta. Ver los PDFs.

 

 

 

Dr. Jacques Diouf,

Director General

Organización Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO)

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla

NGOs disappointed at nano outcomes from International Conference on Chemical Management

Geneva -- “The actions on nanotechnology that were agreed upon today do not reflect the urgency of the issue. The delegates were made aware that nanomaterials are an intergenerational risk, with nanoparticles being passed from mother to child via maternal blood. Yet these risks appear to have been ignored in the response by ICCM2," said Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, IPEN CoChair.

“We are a long way from the statement that was adopted less than a year ago at the meeting organized by the International Forum on Chemical Safety in Dakar,” said Diana Bronson from ETC Group. “There, governments, industry, trade unions and non-governmental organizations had agreed that the precautionary principle needed to be applied, that countries should have the right to say no to nanotechnology and that special measures need to be taken to protect vulnerable groups. We got none of that in Geneva.”

ONGs frustradas ante las conclusiones sobre nanotecnología de la Conferencia Internacional sobre Manejo de Químicos

Ginebra - “Las acciones sobre nanotecnología que se acordaron hoy no reflejan la urgencia del tema. Se alertó a los delegados de que los nanomateriales constituyen un riesgo intergeneracional, puesto que las nano partículas se pasan de madre a hijo vía la sangre materna, sin embargo esos riesgos parecen haber sido ignorados en la respuesta que dió la 2a Conferencia Internacional sobre Manejo de Químicos-ICCM2”, expresó Mariann Lloyd Smith, co Presidenta del IPEN.

Past Actions

Published by ETC Group, 2009-05-13

 

These campaigns are no longer active, but you can search our publications for any updates or follow-ups.

The Campaigns:

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter on the scale of the nanometer (one billionth of a meter). Nanoscale science operates in the realm of single atoms and molecules. At present, commercial nanotechnology involves materials science (i.e. researchers have been able to make materials that are stronger and more durable by taking advantage of property changes that occur when substances are reduced to nanoscale dimensions). In the future, as nanoscale molecular self-assembly becomes a commercial reality, nanotech will move into conventional manufacturing.

BANG (Bits Atoms Neurons and Genes)/ Converging Technology

The ability, through nanotechnology, to manipulate matter atom by atom is enabling a new fusion of powerful technologies as nanotech, biotech, information technology and neurotechnologies (brain technologies) converge into one common technology platform. ETC refers to this convergence as BANG (Bits Atoms Neurons and Genes) since it allows flexible manipulation of the bits of information, the atoms of matter, the neurons of the brain and the genes that code for life. Examples of 'convergent' technologies include nanobiotechnology, synthetic biology, DNA computing and neuroengineering.

Biological Warfare

Biological warfare is defined as the deliberate use of microorganisms or toxins derived from living organisms to induce death or disease in humans, animals or plants. This topic includes military applications of biotechnology and its impact on democratic institutions.

Corporate Concentration

Concentration in corporate power is the defining feature of today's global economy. The life sciences industry is converging into new corporate structures that have profound implications for every aspect of commercial food, agriculture and health. In addition to our traditional focus on the "Gene Giants," (seeds, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, genomics, food & beverage processing and mega-food retailers) the ETC Group will monitor the control and ownership of emerging technologies.

Human Genomics

The ETC Group has been working on issues related to the collection and patenting of human genetic material since 1993. Commercial trade in human tissue is accelerating. Human genetic diversity is being collected world-wide in the absence of intergovernmental oversight, and without consistent regulations concerning the collection, exchange and use of human genetic diversity and the protection of human subjects.

Intellectual Property & Patents

The term "intellectual property" refers to a group of laws-such as patents, Plant Breeders' Rights, copyright, trademarks and trade secrets - that are intended to protect inventors and artists from losing control over their intellectual creations-their ideas. Intellectual property has become a powerful tool to enhance corporate monopoly and consolidate market power. Monopoly control over plants, animals and other life forms jeopardizes world food security, undermines conservation and use of biological diversity, and threatens to increase the economic insecurity of farming communities.

"New Enclosures"

Corporations are developing a variety of new mechanisms to secure monopoly control of biotechnology and other emerging technologies. These new mechanisms - what ETC Group refers to as "New Enclosures" - will supplement or even replace intellectual property as a means of strengthening corporate dominance over new technologies.

Public / Private Relations

A rapidly changing intellectual property environment and declining research budgets have marginalized the role of public sector agricultural research in both OECD countries and the South. We are witnessing a variety of new partnerships and alliances between the public and private sectors. The ETC Group is concerned about the neglect of the public good and the appropriation of public research for private profit.

Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology brings together engineering and the life sciences in order to design and construct new biological parts, devices and systems that do not currently exist in the natural world or to tweak the designs of existing biological systems. Synthetic biologists, engaged in a kind of "extreme genetic engineering," hope to construct artificial living systems to perform specific tasks such as produce pharmaceutical compounds or energy.

Terminator & Traitor

The genetic modification of plants to produce sterile seeds (dubbed "Terminator" technology by RAFI - now ETC Group -- in 1998) has been widely condemned by civil society, scientific bodies and many governments as an immoral application of biotechnology. If commercialized, Terminator would prevent farmers from re-using seed from their harvest, forcing them to return to the commercial seed market. "Traitor" technology refers to the use of an external chemical inducer to turn "on or off" a plant's genetic traits - the same mechanism used to control seed sterility in Terminator plants.

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