Five Monsanto Tribunal judges, who have in the past 18 weeks been analysing the testimonies of witnesses and experts on alleged damage caused by Monsanto, will on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 publicly present their conclusions and legal advisory opinion in The Hague, Netherlands.
The Monsanto Tribunal is an international civil society initiative to hold Monsanto accountable for human rights violations, for crimes against humanity, and for ecocide.
The advisory opinon aims to contribute to the development of international law by the inclusion of new issues, such as the responsibilities of business with respect to human rights, and by formulating new concepts, in particular the concept of ecocide. Being also an educational tribunal, the Monsanto Tribunal is a way also to enable the public to understand the impacts of Monsanto’s activities.
Eminent judges heard testimonies from victims, and will deliver a legal opinion following procedures of the International Court of Justice. A distinct and parallel event, the People’s Assembly, was a gathering of social movements from all over the world that exchanged ideas and planned for the future we want. The Tribunal and People’s Assembly took place between October 14 and 16, 2016 in The Hague.
The process of holding the “Poison Cartel” accountable for its crimes is the culmination of 30 years of scientific, legal, social, and political work by movements, concerned citizens and scientists, it was gathered.
The People’s Assembly is a gathering of leading movements and activists working to defend the ecosystem and food sovereignty, to lay out the effects of industrial agrochemicals on lives, soils, the atmosphere and climate, as well as to chart the road to the earth’s future based on Seed Freedom and Food Freedom, agroecology and farmers rights, commons and economies of sharing, rights of nature and earth democracy.
With multinationals closing ranks through mergers to become bigger and more powerful, the civil society movements at the People’s Assembly have committed to joining forces to, according to them, reclaim people’s rights to healthy food and a healthy and safe environment and to defend human and environmental rights as well as regulations gained through years of social struggle.
In 2016 more than 1,100 People’s Assemblies took place in 28 countries to join forces and collectively defend the Seed Freedom, Food Freedom and Democratic Rights to shape the future of food that protects life on Earth and the well-being of all.
This global mobilisation is now continuing and movements across the world are said to be converging in a new unity across diversity to end a century of ecocide and genocide.
As a response to the series of announced mergers of chemical-based giant corporations, the Monsanto/Bayer merger being the latest, Navdanya is organising multiple actions over the next months.
In Germany, from April 25 to 29, 2017: Along with the Coalition against Bayer Dangers eV-., IFOAM Organics International, Colabora and many other civil society movements and organisations, Navdanya is co-organising a “Stop Bayer / Monsanto” mobilisation. More and more farmers movements, environmental groups, trade unions and students organisations are joining the series of actions, which will converge in Bonn on April 28, for a demonstration in front of the World Conference Centre where the 2017 Bayer shareholders meeting will be held.
In India, Navdanya, an Indian-based non-governmental organisation which promotes biodiversity conservation, biodiversity, organic farming, the rights of farmers, and the process of seed saving, is challenging the process of the Monsanto-Bayer merger, as well as the Dow Dupont merger.
Recently, the Competition Commission of India rejected the Monsanto-Bayer merger application. Navdanya also sent a letter to the CCI warning them about the existing conflict of interest with CropLife which submitted the complete data for the evaluation of the Dow / Dupont merger and cannot be considered a “third independent party” as the same two multinationals are members of it. Navdanya is also organising a mass mobilisation from April 13 to 23, 2017. For the “Satyagraha Yatra” (Satyagraha means “Force of Truth”), Navdanya has gathered movements for democracy which will undertake a pilgrimage for Seed Freedom and Food Freedom.
In Greece, from April 20 to 22, 2017, Navdanya will join Peliti at the Olympic Seed Freedom Festival, along with people and organisations from all over the world to join forces to sow the seeds of the future and sow the seeds of another vision for the planet and its inhabitants.
Over the last months Navdanya has joined the widespread opposition against poisons in our food system and is calling citizens throughout Europe to sign the European Citizens Initiative to #StopGlyphosate and demand the EU to reform its pesticides approval procedures.
In May, Navdanya will join a day of action which will take place across Europe to raise awareness on the dangers of pesticides, while, in Italy, towards the end of May, Navdanya International will launch a Report on Poisons in our Plate, together with ASud and CDCA.
“It has become ever more critical for people to organise to stop the corporate takeover of our food, our health and our planet. We invite you to join with people and communities around the globe, in this renewed ‘Call to Action against the Corporate Takeover of our Food and Health’ and organise a People’s Assembly wherever you are to shape another future of our food and our planet,” says Navdanya.
