Dr Vandana Shiva - bioactivist

[rani]

Dr. Vandana Shiva is a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, and author of many books. In India she has established Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers' rights.

Vandana is one of the leading lights in the fight against the corporations that are intent on patenting life in all its forms, and owning the entire food chain, worldwide, from seed to mouth.

A lucid and joyful speaker, she has organised many direct action protests against monsanto et al.

I came across Dr Shiva when I went looking for a podcast on bees. I want to keep a beehive in the near future and I needed a break from all the conspiracy talk. And of course, I ran smack dab into more conspiracy. No longer content on 'owning' all the seeds, Monsanto now want to 'own' our key pollinators.

I have been reading her excellent book Earth Democracy, where she explains the history of the enclosure of the commons in the 1500's and it's new face in the modern world in the enclosing of the intellectual property rights of the people.

https://myhero.com/vandana-shiva

https://biobees.libsyn.com/dr-vandana-shiva-and-the-fight-against-gm-piracy

 

[enjoypolo]

Would second that! I had the privilege of attending one of her presentation a couple years ago, and most recently read Biopiracy, which I would highly recommend.

 

[joshhinnenkamp]

While I would love to see her on Higherside, and am a huge fan as well, I am unsure how her work fits into the tent that is Higherside Chats. I promise I am not trying to be a wet blanket, but I don't see this as a good fit for Greg. But like I said, I would certainly love it. There is nothing too conspiratorial about Vandava Shiva (she a radical activist that critiques the machinations of global industrial capitalism from a Leftist perspective) and she does not speak about psi, consciousness, magic, global elites (other than corporations), spirituality, etc. How long do you think Greg and her could talk about GMO seeds, bees and pollination, food safety, Vedic ecology, climate change, feminism, patriarchy, farmer suicides in India, the fallacy of the green revolution, and Indian politics? She's a much better fit for Alternative Radio with David Barsamian, Project Censored, Intercepted, For the Wild podcast. In fact, I think the only podcasts I have ever heard her on are Alternative Radio and For the Wild. She is also really really really busy, which is one reason she charges so much money for speaking engagements (I know because I tried to get her as a speaker once) and she rarely gives interviews.

Here is the test --
Higherside fans should listen to either the top link below, which is an interview, or hit the second link (no full interviews but you can sample parts of them to get a taste of whether she is a good fit for Higherside). There are also plenty of youtube speeches out there (a more recent link provided at bottom).

For the Wild podcast (an hour) http://forthewild.world/listen/vandana-shiva-on-the-emancipation-of-seed-water-and-women
Alternative Radio -- https://www.alternativeradio.org/collections/spk_vandana-shiva#

Youtube - speech -- Soil not Oil speech --

 

[enjoypolo]

You'd be surprised, Greg has done more than one podcast about health-related topics, focused on nutrition, supplements, light, and GMOs, pesticide, and Gordon White who's running a permaculture farm in Tasmania is a regular guest on THC too.

In my opinion, Food is a huge part of humanity, probably only second to consciousness or global energy, which underlies everything else. And Biopiracy was very insightful, in the lizard-ian control of natural seeds, and it really questions the whole notion of copyright, especially in the case of seeds.

But as you say, she's a very busy guest so it'll probably be a tough one.

 

[joshhinnenkamp]

I 100% agree with you. I am a farmer and have been for a long time (though am taking a break at the moment for personal reasons). And I would love to have an ecofeminist food justice warrior (an actual warrior) come onto this show and show the people what actually is going on in the world as opposed to what conspiratorially might be going on. I'm on board. You're on board. But this is not a guest that is in any way conspiratorial. She is a philosopher and activist. She cannot come on and tell people how to eat properly or differently. She knows seeds. And she knows India. She thinks with the mind of a Scientist (which is fine for what she does), an ethicist, and an activist.

Here is where I could find her most useful on a show like this. Greg, and many guests, have on more than a few occasions seemed to criticize activists on the streets, while praising armchair "one trick pony, hero's journey, fake Jungians" like Jordan Peterson (not a fan, can you tell? -- I'll side with the "social justice warrior" any day of the week as long they aren't nuts). She is a seasoned activist that has actually helped lead changes within community and society, in part, by being on the streets, by being a "social justice warrior" and working with other social justice warriors to create movements. Maybe she, or another activist, could prove to the Jordan Peterson fans of this show that Jordan's path is severely limiting if you actually want to see a better world beyond your own individuality. She is proof that warrior culture is not dead, and that we don't need to play football or go hunting (not a criticism of either) to get that fix. Activism with a clear purpose and goal, combined with internal practice (which is something Shiva wouldn't be able to talk about), and the process of large-scale politics and movements in general (something she would be good talking about), is a much better approach. And in this country, we don't always do it well (especially the stuff covered by the mainstream press).

So, I guess my proposal would be to have a show about activism. I don't know if Shiva is the right person for that show, but I think it would be a nice change of pace from guests who just kind of slam on activism in general, associating all activism with identity politics and breaking up Milo rallies. I am talking about real grassroots activism that the radical Left has been doing successfully, especially on small scales, for decades now. Now that would be a great DIY show.

 

[enjoypolo]

That's awesome that you have a background in agriculture! I'm fascinated with it too, and I've been checking more podcasts in that direction too, like Permaculture Podcast (feel free to post recommendations by the way).

There should be a grow-your-own thread on this forum, to entice people to grow at home, even small things like herbs.
I'm lucky my partner tolerates my fungi lab in the kitchen under the sink's cupboard, and growing a few herbs on nothing but a vase of water (aka, empty kombucha glass bottles).
Yesterday, I even received cannabis seeds in my mail for free, thanks to Canadian canna-activist Dana Larsen.

Rani posted a while ago a video to make seed bombs, and it seems to be the perfect timing.

Jokes aside, love the diversity of skills this community brings. A THC Perma-farm institute would be wicked.

 

[joshhinnenkamp]

Yeah, I have been saving seeds now for about ten years (on and off). I think it will become a form of currency in the future (that time may be a little ways off), but it is already happening within certain communities. i do the occasional guerilla seed bomb. You should start a thread on DIY "reskilling" -- from growing plants and herbs, to growing mushrooms, to making kombucha and kefir, to bees 101, to worm composting, to canning and pickling, etc.

 

[rani]

I agree she's not a 'conspiracist' but I thought some chat from a direct activist would be a nice break from straight researchers. I love all the different modes of protest she has organised, and she really knows how to draw people together.

I would also like to hear more women and more non-western perspectives, hence suggesting Dr. Shiva

"How long do you think Greg and her could talk about GMO seeds, bees and pollination, food safety, Vedic ecology, climate change, feminism, patriarchy, farmer suicides in India, the fallacy of the green revolution, and Indian politics?"

You know, I think I would really like to hear that conversation. : ) Maybe you should be interviewing her. : )

AS for the sugestion for a reskilling/ Life tips kind of thread - it's a great idea. Let's do it!

 

[joshhinnenkamp]

I'm down with contributing to such a thread. There are plenty of forums that do these things that are topic-specific but it just seems like it would be more rewarding to do that on a conspiracy site like this. I mean, many of the great conspiracy theorists and magicians (especially) eventually get led to gardening and permaculture (Michael Ruppert, Gordon White, Rudolf Steiner, David Abram, JM Greer, etc) and many gardeners and farmers eventually get led to magic (there must be a thousand books on herbal magic and farming by the cycles) and even conspiracy (I don't know how many farmers who reluctantly thought there was something to the chemtrail thing based on their observations.).

And I am definitely on board with more female voices. It is a tougher find in the conspiracy world (or in the podcasting world in general). I almost proposed Winona LaDuke a while back, but I didn't get the feeling she would even want to be on a "conspiracy" podcast. Ditto Wayziyatiwin (her work on decolonization is impressive).

 

[enjoypolo]

Chris Hedges just interviewed Vandana Shiva on his show today:

Some wise words for those rough times

EDIT: Funny synchronicity with latest THC episode, as Chris Hedges and Vandana talk about the cartels working together, notably Poison (Bayer-Monsanto/Ig farben) with Tech (silicon valley) and Wall St, including guys like Bill Gates with huge influence on how the economy runs, especially in India where cashless society is halfway complete.

 

[sirujux]

i thought i saw here, long story or not. theres good people

 

[enjoypolo]

Good news or April Fool’s?
It seems like Costco is dropping RoundUp from their shelves nationwide. If true, that will be a good start!
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019...dkiller-after-award-second-cancer-case-report

 

[rani]

Good news or April Fool’s?
It seems like Costco is dropping RoundUp from their shelves nationwide.

I hope it's true. Sadly, buying power is one of our strongest tools right now.

 

[enjoypolo]

https://www.independentsciencenews....te-attempt-to-further-industrialisation-food/

Vandana Shiva is such a breath of fresh air, and wisdom. I just started reading her book called “Who really feeds the World?” focusing on solutions like what she calls agroecology, or the paradigm of interconnected of Life via soil, water, plant&trees, animals and human beings.

The article above, also written by her, sheds light on the use of glyphosate in the vegan trend of Beyond Burger patties bs.

I respect people’s dietary concerns as long as they’re not proselytizing me with their dogmas. The only point I acquiesce is the savage, industrial agriculture, both meat and plants. While the former is a visceral shock akin to a holocaust, the latter is most often ignored by so-called vegans because most (in my experience) are still trapped in a materialistic framework of life. Thus, animals have feelings but plants and water can be exploited without second thoughts.

Worse yet, is that while they spread their dogmas about the benefits of plants exclusive diets, I’ve never heard of serious concerns about glyphosate from a vocal self-proclaimed vegan. Worst even, many of them admit they’d devour synthetically-produced meat burger.

It’s total, ignoramus feel-good bs that’s representative of our current bubble culture.

And for vegans out here, sorry if I offended you. Like I said, I have nothing against your dietary preferences per se, but shouldn’t all source of food, which is endowed with Life, deserve equal respect, and dignity?

I myself am forced to admit that I love eating meat (preferably meat from known butchers & small farms, but sadly, now always), and so I’m most likely guilty of projecting my views here.

But I sincerely think the answer to holocaust factory farming isn’t plant-exclusive diet, but a more dignified, smaller-scale farming without the use of gmo corn or soya beans to feed the cattle, where as possible manure and sludge is used to refertilize soil (instead of dumping it into rivers). And guess what, with more nutritious and “happy” meat, you need less of it compared to nutritionally-depleted, sad meat.

To get back to glyphosate though, another book I got from my library is called Preacautionary tale, about how a small town of Mals in Italy decided to ban the use of pesticides through a referendum, and now enjoys an agricultural (r)evolution.

Things like this give me hope, and reinforces my view that food is so much more than we’re being taught. It’s the basis for life, and for cooperation. Not that I don’t believe you can sustain yourself from just breathing air, but then isn’t that air (which is composed of 75% nitrogen) also part of our food, and our responsibility to protect, then?

Sorry for this long rant, I guess I take the subject heartily

PS: not judging any particularly diet per se, but I noticed that calorie/ nutrient restriction is a common technique used in cult, like the NXIVM one. My hypothesis is that less food & calories tend to make you weaker, and thus potentially more acquiescent, and wonder if the push towards veganism isn’t just that, albeit on a larger scale.
One thing’s for sure, those who profit from monocultures of soy beans infested with glyphosate (a by-product of weapons manufacturing) don’t care about your wellbeing.

 

[apereal]

I would love to hear a show focusing on seed saving and the potential consequences of it. I think it was Wayne on autism who touched on seed saving countries being targeted by the elite countries, which was probably my favorite part of that episode and would love to hear more on that topic. As I see it, taking people of their farm lands through eminent domain to get them into cities and working in factories was one of the ways the new world was conquered, by separating people from their own independence and forcing them to be dependent on the state. I also second a forum on permaculture and/or solutions to the debt based society.

 

[apereal]

Have y’all checked out sustainable world radio? Bout to dive in today while I work.