[Dialogue] Timely quote-- A possible response

Tue May 30 18:28:03 EDT 2006

And thanks to you Ellie for the description of the situations in which you
have been working. I was aware of the hog and chicken form pollution
problems and some of the stories around mining in East. I was a little
surprised to find the extensive problem this is in Illinois. I facilitated a
conference on food in the Chicago are organized by a voluntary group dealing
with organic food production. They had one of several speakers who honed in
on the problems of corporations in the local food production chain,
especially in terms of irresponsible release of contaminants into the
"local" ecosystem, which is of course not confined to one local. Then came
the "conversion of two of the NACCE board members at a "Democracy school"
run By CELDF. We discussed this long and hard and finally decided that the
time was ripe to promote the awareness of rights that can be used to
challenge the corporations if implemented with care. I am not one to promote
a head on attack on corporations in general or particular. But there are
ways to address this as communities and municipalities just as there are
ways for corporations to Hi-jack that capacity if the communities are not
aware of it. This Democracy school is not for those looking for a retreat or
get away. It is more of an intensive in state and municipal law. I believe
the time is ripe to begin creating some win-win models that even some
corporations are now looking for.

George P.

  _____  

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of elliestock at aol.com
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 12:01 PM
To: dialogue at wedgeblade.net
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Timely quote-- A possible response

Thanks to George H. and George P. for your emails.  For the last six years I
have been part of our presbytery's partnership with a consortium of groups
in Peru (church, NGOs, local groups), trying to address issues related to
lead and other heavy metal contamination in La Oroya, Peru (99% of the
children are lead poisoned and suffering from other metal poisoning as well)
and the Montaro River Valley (in the Andes) caused by the smelter of a
US-owned, St Louis-based company--which also owns the largest lead smelter
in the US in a community within our presbytery boundaries.  The owner of the
company is Ira Rennert (of the Hamptons--just built one of the largest
private homes in the country--36 or more bathrooms!!)--who owns Renco
Corp--which also owns Hummer 2. The experience has been a crash course in
dealing with the blatant arrogance and egregious disregard for human,
creation and community rights.  This situation was highlighted in March in
two segments of CBS news.  A reporter for CBS's St. Louis affiliate station
was in NYC last week to receive an award for his ongoing coverage of the
story.

Would be interested to hear stories from others who are dealing with
corporations and contamination.

Ellie Stock

-----Original Message-----
From: George Packard <gpackard at ica-usa.org>
To: 'Colleague Dialogue' <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Fri, 26 May 2006 11:04:23 -0500
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Timely quote-- A possible response

When I saw Lincoln's quote I couldn't help but think of the NACCE-CELDF

conference coming up in July www.nacce.org.  But, first the quote again

(thanks George Holcombe):

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and

causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. ... corporations have

been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and

the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by

working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated

in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 (letter to Col. William

F. Elkins) Ref: "The Lincoln Encyclopedia", Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan,

1950, NY)

-george holcombe

Some of you may be interested in the Conference on local action in the face

of corporate dominance. The substance of the conference is CELDF's Democracy

school.

"Legalizing the Rights of Earth and Community"

A conference of critical importance for the future of food, land, water, and

sustainable human community.

July 7-9, 2006

Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania

To register, go to www.nacce.org

Context and background:

People in dozens of pilot communities in Pennsylvania started instructing

elected officials to pass laws that say "NO" to corporate sludge, poison

producing factory farms, and mines, and other such imposition of corporate

constitutional rights over state and municipal charters. What they have

learned is that they do have rights if they claim them. They have taken the

"Democracy School" condensed and adapted for this three day format July 7-9,

2006 at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania. Fulfilling the dream of a just

society that extends to the rights of the environment requires a new kind of

proactive civic responsibility The objective in this conference is to awaken

ourselves at a national level to the neglected chapters of the American

legal, political, and economic revolution and introduce ourselves to

powerful municipal tools of governance hidden in the essence of most state

constitutions.

Resource leaders for the conference:

Richard Grossman, previous Dean of the Highlander School, Co-creator of The

"Daniel Pennock Democracy School" 

Thomas Lindsay, Co-creator of The "D P Democracy School," and founder of

CELDF, tom will be bringing a A Team of CELDEF Trainers Dr. Rosemary

Ruether, theological perspective Logistics

:

Tuition: The cost of $280 includes course materials mailed two weeks before

Location is the Washington college of Law, Massachusetts Avenue, Gettysburg

Closest Airport is Baltimore/Washington International (Gettysburg shuttle is

available by arrangement from the college)

Web site: www.nacce.org for details and application

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