BEYOND BIODEVASTATION: THE 5TH GRASSROOTS

GATHERING TO CELEBRATE BIODIVERSITY

AND QUESTION GENETIC ENGINEERING

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 22-27, 2001

From June 24th to 27th in San Diego, CA, leaders from the

same chemical companies that brought us DDT, PCBs and Agent

Orange will be meeting for the Biotechnology Industry

Conference, (BIO), to discuss how to expand the biotech

industry. Those attending BIO will be leaders of

multinational biotech and pharmaceutical corporations,

bureaucrats, marketers and industry scientists. This

promises to be the largest convention ever of the

Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Be part of the growing global movement to stop genetic

engineering and protest BIO 2001.

Buses are being organized from communities throughout

California and outside of the state to attend what

promises to be the largest teach-in and public protest

against the genetic engineering of our food, bodies and

environment.

**TEACH-IN**

JUNE 22-23, 2001

San Diego, California

**BIODEVASTATION - DAYS OF ACTION**

JUNE 24-27, 2001

San Diego, California



TEACH-IN DETAILS

Explore the effects of genetic engineering on our

health, the environment, our farms, and society as a whole.

Consider the future being planned for us without our

consent.

If you would like to attend the teach-in and join a bus

or carpool in your community, please call 415-981-6205 x 383

or check out www.biodev.org.

Panel and workshop topics include:

· patenting of seeds and other life forms/biopiracy

· globalization and biotechnology

· monopolization and commodification of food, agriculture,

and biodiversity

· activism and consumer power

· impacts of genetic engineering on farmers

· human genetic engineering

· biotechnology and the environment

· assaults on food security

....and best of all,. . . THE ALTERNATIVES

Confirmed featured speakers and emcees include:

*Jim Hightower, author, radio commentator and former Texas

Secretary of Agriculture

*Dr. Vandana Shiva- scientist and anti-GMO activist

from India

*Percy Schmeiser, a farmer from Canada who was sued by

Monsanto for having his field contaminated with their seed

*Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, Fox TV reporters fired for

doing a story about Monsanto's GE milk hormone

*Dr. Doreen Stabinsky, Greenpeace genetic engineering

science advisor

*Marcy Darnovsky, a human genetic engineering specialist

and many other scientists and activists from around the world

BIODEVASTION - DAYS OF ACTION DETAILS

There will be marches, street theater and protests while

the BIO convention is taking place.

Come celebrate the global campaign for a just and

sustainable food system and take back our communities

and our biodiversity.

You can also check http://www.biodev.org for

regular updates!!!

In the Bay Area call (415) 981-6205 x383.

cosponsors include: The Edmonds Institute,

Institute for Social Ecology, Organic Consumers Association,

The Ecology Center, GE-Free LA, Street Liberation Art

Project, Pesticide Action Network, Greenpeace and many,

many others.

I've been trying really hard to get official permission to try to cover the events inside the bio conference june 22-june 27.

I think that indymedia has plenty of people who will be covering the voice of the activists. The mainstream corporate media will be covering the events inside the bio conference, but as usual with very little coverage. I'm really interested in getting all the issues out, from inside. But the bio people have denied my press pass.

I'm sure that there will be the bio magazines etc. who will be covering the issues inside as well, but I don't see any harm in allowing me to witness the events.

I think that there are also those who would be interested in a person with a less corporate perspective to cover the events inside the Convention.

My roommate, a bioinformatics major, already volunteered to help out in the event, and today his participation was confirmed, and he's going to be able to enter the conference.

I wish he could ask if they'd allow him to take pictures or something, but I doubt it.

If they let me in, I could take my pictures, and not have to infringe copyright laws by having to "steal" pictures from cnn or from abc sites etc.

besides, I think we have a right to the information being disseminated inside too.

I don't think that it is just that they denied my press pass.

Well, I guess they are afraid of indymedia.

I did request that they give me a press pass, representing indymedia, and so I'm almost positive they're afraid of me representing them.

I have contacted their media liasons

Dan Eramian

Carrie Houseman and

Lisa Dry

but to no avail.

they won't respond to my phone calls.

I'll try to reach them tomorrow, again.

z



From: Pressroom Pressroom@BIO.ORG>

To: "'zulma@ucsd.edu'" zulma@ucsd.edu>

Subject: BIO 2001

Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 10:06:15 -0400

>

BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION

1625 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006-1604

202-857-0244 * FAX 202-857-0237

Your request for media registration for the BIO 2001 International

Biotechnology Convention and Exhibition, June 24-27, in San Diego has been

denied.

If you would still like to attend BIO 2001, you may register as a

participant on BIO's Web site (www.bio.org) http://www.bio.org)> .

Contact Dan Eramian at BIO with any questions (202-857-0244).



BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION

1625 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006-1604

202-857-0244 * FAX 202-857-0237



Before we can process your request for media registration for the BIO 2001

International Biotechnology Convention and Exhibition, June 24-27, in San

Diego, we need a copy of the publication you write for.

Please send a copy of your publication to the following address:


Attn. Carrie Housman.


Biotechnology Industry Organization


1625 K Street, NW


Suite 1100


Washington, D.C. 20006-1604



If we do not receive this information before the June 1, 2001 deadline, your

request for media registration will be denied.

Contact Carrie Housman, Dan Eramian and Lisa Dry at BIO with any questions

(202-857-0244).

I've been trying really hard to get official permission to try to cover the events inside the bio conference june 22-june 27.

I think that indymedia has plenty of people who will be covering the voice of the activists. The mainstream corporate media will be covering the events inside the bio conference, but as usual with very little coverage. I'm really interested in getting all the issues out, from inside. But the bio people have denied my press pass.

I'm sure that there will be the bio magazines etc. who will be covering the issues inside as well, but I don't see any harm in allowing me to witness the events.

I think that there are also those who would be interested in a person with a less corporate perspective to cover the events inside the Convention.

My roommate, a bioinformatics major, already volunteered to help out in the event, and today his participation was confirmed, and he's going to be able to enter the conference.

I wish he could ask if they'd allow him to take pictures or something, but I doubt it.

If they let me in, I could take my pictures, and not have to infringe copyright laws by having to "steal" pictures from cnn or from abc sites etc.

besides, I think we have a right to the information being disseminated inside too.

I don't think that it is just that they denied my press pass.

Well, I guess they are afraid of indymedia.

I did request that they give me a press pass, representing indymedia, and so I'm almost positive they're afraid of me representing them.

I have contacted their media liasons

Dan Eramian

Carrie Houseman and

Lisa Dry

but to no avail.

they won't respond to my phone calls.

I'll try to reach them tomorrow, again.

z



From: Pressroom Pressroom@BIO.ORG>

To: "'zulma@ucsd.edu'" zulma@ucsd.edu>

Subject: BIO 2001

Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 10:06:15 -0400

>

BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION

1625 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006-1604

202-857-0244 * FAX 202-857-0237

Your request for media registration for the BIO 2001 International

Biotechnology Convention and Exhibition, June 24-27, in San Diego has been

denied.

If you would still like to attend BIO 2001, you may register as a

participant on BIO's Web site (www.bio.org) http://www.bio.org)> .

Contact Dan Eramian at BIO with any questions (202-857-0244).



BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION

1625 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006-1604

202-857-0244 * FAX 202-857-0237



Before we can process your request for media registration for the BIO 2001

International Biotechnology Convention and Exhibition, June 24-27, in San

Diego, we need a copy of the publication you write for.

Please send a copy of your publication to the following address:


Attn. Carrie Housman.


Biotechnology Industry Organization


1625 K Street, NW


Suite 1100


Washington, D.C. 20006-1604



If we do not receive this information before the June 1, 2001 deadline, your

request for media registration will be denied.

Contact Carrie Housman, Dan Eramian and Lisa Dry at BIO with any questions

(202-857-0244).