Ideas for Action 2015

Call To Action for Living Seed and Living Soil – 2015

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We have reverence for seeds we have received from nature and centuries of farmers’ breeding.

We do not recognise seed to be a corporate invention, therefore, we do not recognise patents on seed and life.

We will support our local seed libraries as sources of fertile and open source seed.

We do not recognise any laws, created by corporate interests, that interfere in our duty to save and share good seed so that the generations to come are as fortunate as we have been in receiving these gifts of diversity and nourishment.

We will not obey, or recognise any law that criminalises our time-tested seeds.
This is our Seed Satyagraha

From good seed comes good food.
We do not recognise tasteless, nutritionally-empty, toxic commodities as food.
For us food is, as it has always been, natural, organic, nourishing, healthy and safe,
We refuse to accept an agriculture system based on poisons as safe.

We refuse to let another bee die.

We do not recognise the unscientific fallacy of “Substantial Equivalence” of Genetically Modified food with non GMO food.

We refuse to accept Industrial Agriculture as a solution to the climate crisis because we know it is one of the causes. We also know that Organic Farming and living soils hold the key to solving the Climate Crisis.

We will grow organic food everywhere-on our farms, our gardens, our balconies, our terraces.

We will eat organic, in our kitchens, our cafeterias, our schools and offices.

Our Gardens will be sites of Satyagraha.

SIGN THE PLEDGE: http://seedfreedom.info/seed-satyagraha/

Act for Living Seed and Living Soil

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• Add your events and actions to the Seed Freedom Calendar and we will share them on Twitter, Facebook and with the Global Movement network:
http://seedfreedom.info/events/submit-your-event/
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• For events and actions near you see: http://seedfreedom.info/events/

Source: http://lexiconofsustainability.com/

Become a Seed Saver

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• Watch [VIDEO] Seed Saving at Home with Vandana Shiva, by The Growing Club

• Read Navdanya’s Seed Saving Guide

• Start a Seed Bank/Library, save your own non GMO/patented seeds: http://seedfreedom.info/start-a-seed-bank/
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• Organise Seed Swaps of non GMO/patented seeds, “deregistered” farmer’s varieties.

• Organise a ‘Seed Bombing’ event – Google!

Organise a fim screening

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Dr Vandana Shiva’s video message ‘We care for Life – The Power of caring’: https://youtu.be/biNnaoaat-I

“The Living Seed” and “The Living Soil” – New Navdanya Films: http://seedfreedom.info/the-living-seed-and-the-living-soil-new-navdanya-films/
Host seed screenings – lots of great films and documentaries here: http://www.filmsforaction.org/search/?s=seed

Source: http://lexiconofsustainability.com/

Start or join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative

• Commit to buying fresh, local, organic non-GMO/processed food from farmers’ markets.

• Commit to growing your own organic non GMO/patented food and encourage others to do the same.

• Organise a dinner, lunch or picnic with your family, friends, community or institution sourcing ingredients from farmers who are saving and using organic seeds (non GMO/patented) creating awareness and understanding on the links between seed, food, health and living economies.

• Organise a workshop/conference to create awareness about the links between Seed Freedom and Food Freedom, between Living Soil and Earth Democracy.

Source: http://on.fb.me/1VTK4MM

Become a Seed Defender

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•Learn more: http://seedfreedom.info/become-a-seed-defender/

• Declare a Seed Freedom Zone within your home, institution, village or municipality, which does not recognise patent on seed: https://seedfreedom.info/action-kit-for-seed-freedom/

• Organize protests, marches and gatherings at offices of seed multinationals, patent offices and local government bodies.

• Write letters and submit petitions to local institutions, local communities and local municipalities to make them aware of the importance of Seed Freedom for the future of their people and their environment. Get their support to declare “Seed Freedom Zones”.
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• Send a petition to your regional and national parliament to undo laws that violate Seed Freedom and human rights.

• Write to Patent Offices insisting that they stop granting patents on seed.

• Write to the World Trade Organization: http://www.wto.org/ insisting the completion of the mandatory review of the TRIPS article 27.3b (http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/art27_3b_e.htm) which forces patents on life forms. Ask them to revoke Intellectual Property Rights on seeds.

• Write to President Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments insisting he stop using the White House to bully countries on behalf of Monsanto, destroying their seed sovereignty through GMOs and patents.

Source: http://lexiconofsustainability.com/

Become a Soil Supporter

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Keep the call launched by International Permaculture Day last May 3rd alive.

Be inspired by these amazing Soil Ideas for Action:

• Learn about soils, soil problems and solutions:
https://www.soils.org/
http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/en/
http://www.saveoursoils.com/

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• Host soil screenings – lots of great films and documentaries here: http://www.filmsforaction.org/search/?s=soil

– Green Gold – documentary about large-scale soil and ecosystem restoration: http://youtu.be/YBLZmwlPa8A
– Symphony of the Soil: http://www.symphonyofthesoil.com/

• Sign soil petitions or create your own: http://soilnotoilcoalition.org/petition-letter-u-n-food-agriculture-organization/

• Avoid peat composts: http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/peat-free-compost

Become a Soil Restorer

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• Start a garden

• Make compost:
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/how-i-made-really-great-compost
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/how-make-hot-compost

• Start a worm farm: http://working-worms.com/

• Try out sheet mulching: http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Permaculture/An_introduction_to_permaculture_sheet_mulching.pdf

• Make your own biofertilizer:
http://permaculturenews.org/2013/07/13/re-mineralizing-soils-with-bio-fertilizer/

• Compost tea – what it is and how to make it:
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/what-compost-tea-and-how-do-you-make-it

• Make your own soil boosting biochar: http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/biochar-how-build-soil-lock-carbon-build-fertility-farm

• Experiment with Hugelkultur:
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/many-benefits-hugelkultur
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/videos/how-make-hugelkultur-bed

Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/international-permaculture-day/permaculture-day-2015-in-support-of-soil-ideas-for-action/856064431118254

Join the Global Movement for Seed Freedom

http://seedfreedom.info/global-movement-for-seed-freedom-our-resolve-our-commitment/

• Sign the Seed Satyagraha Pledge: http://seedfreedom.info/seed-satyagraha/
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• Sign the Declaration on Seed Freedom: http://seedfreedom.info/declaration-on-seed-freedom/

• Invite others to join and sign the Declaration

• Subscribe to Seed Freedom News & Updates: http://seedfreedom.info/newsletter/

• Contribute your art and your voice – post seed related photos, videos, artwork, articles and blogs: http://seedfreedom.info/share-your-story-your-project-your-garden-of-hope/

• Become a Seed Freedom social reporter – please send us your photos (with descriptions), news stories, ground reports and videos: http://seedfreedom.info/share-your-story-your-project-your-garden-of-hope/

• For Organisations/Movements/Associations:

Send us your logo with website/social media links and contact details by filling the form at this link: http://seedfreedom.info/join-the-global-movement-for-seed-freedom/
Feel free to share your story, your project, your Garden of Hope, your Event Report (links to your website/social media posts, photo albums, videos, articles, etc…) and we will be happy to share them on Seed Freedom Website, Facebook Page and Twitter: http://seedfreedom.info/share-your-story-your-project-your-garden-of-hope/