Diversity in Asia

Third World Network's objectives are to conduct research on economic, social and environmental issues pertaining to the South; to publish books and magazines; to organize and participate in seminars; and to provide a platform representing broadly Southern interests and perspectives at international fora such as the UN conferences and processes.

Greenpeace exists because this fragile Earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.

DDS is a grassroots organisation working in about 75 villages with women's Sanghams. The 5000 women members of the Society represent the poorest of the poor in their village communities. Most of them are dalits, the lowest group in the Indian social hierarchy. At the heart of all activities of DDS is the fundamental principle of access and control, which leads to the autonomy of local communities. The women of the DDS sanghams have worked towards the following autonomies: Autonomy over food production, Autonomy over seeds, Autonomy over natural resources, Autonomous market, Autonomous media.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has" - Margaret Mead

The Seikatsu Club Consumers Co-operative Union (SCCU), which consists of an association of 26 consumer co-operatives has altogether 268,400 members, most of whom are women. In addition, there are 7 associated companies such as a milk factory. The SCCU carries out the development, purchasing, distribution, and inspection of consumer materials (food, general daily goods, clothes, publications), operates a mutual assistance fund, and publishes PR and ordering information for pre-order collective purchase. In addition, the entire union works on problems such as GMOs and the environmental hormones issue by setting up committees and establishing projects which are run by SC members and SCCU staff.

In the Asia Pacific region CI aims to improve the quality of life of the people in the region with particular attention to the poor, marginalised and vulnerable groups. Programme areas have included projects on health and pharmaceuticals, food security and safety, trade and economics, consumer protection and law, sustainable consumption and consumer education.

Biodiversity Action Thailand emerged from the cooperation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), local community organizations, academics, and government officials who realise the importance of biodiversity and its close connections to the livelihood systems of local communities.

Participating groups from Caucasus and former Soviet countries decided to create the GM-Free Caucasus network in order to better address existing problems regarding GMOs and biosafety in the Caucasus countries.

We, NO! GMO Campaign was established in 1996 by citizens of Japan in　 order to stop genetically modified foods (GMOs). The purpose and goals of No! GMO Campaign are: 1. We won't buy, won't eat, won't sell and won't farm GMO. 2. We demand proper labelling of GMO. 3. We work for increased food self sufficiency (food security) and we support local farming. 4. We encourage Japanese farmers to save the seeds, in order to keep Japan's biodiversity and to develop agro-genetic resources. No! GMO Campaign organises seminars and conferences, and publishes information materials. No! GMO Campaign prints and distributes a monthly newsletter for members. No! GMO Campaign has been active in the boycott of products manufactured by pro-GMO companies. We have tested and analyzed a hundred of foods in Japan. No! GMO Campaign has collected 2 million signatures against GMOs in Japan.

Paddy cultivation and duck farming have always been closely interlinked in the Trivandrum district of Kerala, the southeast state of India. However, the challenges of development have increasingly encroached on the sustainability of this practice. This is the story of how local farmers have employed new tricks to keep duck farming profitable.

Gene Campaign is a research and advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the genetic resources of the South, and the rights of farming and tribal communities. It works to strengthen self-reliance in agriculture and the basis for sustainable food security. Our charter is to work for establishing the rights of local communities over biological resources and to develop an alternative paradigm of development, by seeking to influence legislation, policies and programmes to empower local communities.

Navdanya means nine crops that represent India's collective source of food security. The main aim of the Navdanya biodiversity conservation programme is to support local farmers, rescue and conserve crops and plants that are being pushed to extinction and make them available through direct marketing. Navdanya is actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge and culture. It has created awareness on the hazards of genetic negineering, defended people's knowledge from biopiracy and food rights in the face of globalisation. It has its own seed bank and organic farm spread over an ares of 20 acres in Uttranchal, north India.

GREEN Foundation began its work in 1996 with 5 women farmers and a handful of seeds in 2 villages; Today 2000 farmers in 161 villages participate in seed conservation programmes throughout the Indian State of Karnataka. Our Vision is to enable and empower farmers, who are the back bone of our country to * lead a life of dignity * sustain their livelihood in agriculture in a manner which is ecologically & economically viable & beneficial * provide food security for themselves & the country Since its inception GREEN Foundation has facilitated the on-farm conservation of approximately 382 indigenous seed varieties of Millets, Paddy, Vegetable and Oilseeds that would otherwise have been threatened by extinction in the face of the advance of large-scale non-organic agriculture. In the process of so doing, it has been instrumental in developing women's economic status and reviving traditional methods and culture. Read the Story of Vanaja Ramprasad

Unique to THREAD's training is the integration of principles of Vipasana meditation ? its emphasis on complete well-being through positive techniques in strengthening inter-personal relationships and social fabric of society. For THREAD, 'self-exploratory experiential praxis' is both an approach and methodology. The emergence of 53 tribal women's organisation and the state level movement called Orissa Nari Samaj itself is a testimony to the robust principles of this approach.

Ganja Agribusiness Association (GABA) is a regional non-governmental organziation in agrarian sector of Azerbaijan, which connects activity of juridical and physical persons, who are engaged in entrepreneurship, supports their economic and juridical rights, and has a purpose of providing informational, consulting assistance to agriculture in development of entrepreneurial activity with account of environmental protection.

Fighting Pesticides in China Around the world there is growing recognition of the dangerous risks that the use of chemical pesticides pose. Pesticides detrimentally affect human health, biodiversity and the environment. Yet despite the increasing amount of research showing the harmful effects of pesticide use, pesticide issues have still to receive extensive attention from Chinese farmers, consumers and policy-makers. Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center Yunnan Thoughtful Action (PEAC) was created in February 2002 to address this problem. The mission of PEAC is to reduce the use of harmful pesticides in China and to promote alternative ecological forms of pest control, and eventually protect the human health and ecological health for sustainable development.

SWISSAID has contributed to pioneering work in Myanmar setting up direct partnerships with local base groups. Because national conflicts and the cultivation of opium poppies are having serious consequences for the economy, SWISSAID has made organic agriculture a priority for its work in Burma. The goal is for the rural population to have enough food and a higher income. Sustainable use of natural resources is another important area of work, due to logging of hardwood trees for export.

ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) is one of the CGIAR Centres with the mission to contribute to the improvement of livelihoods of the resource-poor in dry areas by enhancing food security and alleviating poverty through research and partnerships to achieve sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and income, while ensuring the efficient and more equitable use and conservation of natural resources.

SEVA is a grassroots organisation and promoted pastoralists association in Tamil Nadu, South India. Six pastoralists groups are identified with the specific animal breed / pasture land system viz Umbalacherry cattle, Pulikulam cattle, Malaimadu cattle, Toda buffalo, Kachakatty black sheep, Vembur sheep, Korangadu pasture land. We are also documenting indigenous knowledge of traditional livestock keepers and organise training programme for women and youth on indigenous veterinary medicine.

Well-known academic institution in Thailand which has various researches on dialogue among diversities of religions and believes.

Environmental legislation drafting /Water code RA, Water Policy, Forest Code and Forest Policy, Agricultural Policy of RA, National Reports on Biodiversity Convention, Aarhus Convention, etc/, advocacy and lobbing, organization of trainings and seminars. Implementation of a forestation and reforestation projects /740ha/, GMO-free production, organic farming and people?s access to healthy food projects, public participation in decision making on environmental and health issue, protection of human rights.

The mission of the CAREC Uzis to assist in the solving of environmental problems through the promotion of co-operation at a local, national and regional level among NGOs, government, business, local communities, and all other environmental stakeholders, in order to develop an easy exchange of information; providing assistance to environmental NGOs and other stakeholders; and increasing public participation in the decision-making process, thereby assisting Uzbekistan in the further development of democratic civil societies. Activities The CAREC Uz: ? assists in the exchange and dissemination of information on issues of environment and sustainable development; ? provides access to national databases, making use of already existing structures and facilities; ? produces newsletters and other publications; ? provides support for education, training and capacity building; ? provides support wherever possible for initiatives aimed at increasing environmental awareness; ? promotes public participation in the decision-making processes of society, which relate to the environment; ? provides a forum for discussion of environmental issues; policy analysis relating to environmental issues and sustainable development, and inter-action between governments, NGOs and other stakeholders; ? provides a framework for regional co-operation at a governmental and non-governmental level

Restoring the arts of on-farm conservation and crop improvement. The southern Fertile Crescent is the ancient center of origin for wild wheat, the mother of all cultivated wheats. Wild wheat still grows in undisturbed meadows and field edges. Indigenous Fertile Crescent wheats have been selected by generations of traditional farmers have richer flavor and complex disease resistances than the modern wheat bred for yield and uniformity. However today about 90% of the wheat eaten in Israel, Palestine and Jordan is imported from the US. Mideast traditional wild foods, vegetables and wheats, many of which date back to Biblical times, are in critical danger. In a creative response, regional seed curators, artisan bakers and farmers are pooling our resources together to restore our ancient wheats for the common good.

Huang, Huei-Hsien Project Manager Publications ‧Co-author of Exploring the Intertangled Biotechnology Law, Shu Chuen Publishing Co.,(1st ed. November 2005) ‧Co-author of Pharmaceutical technology development and IP Protection, Ching-Kang Foundation for Pharmacy Promotion Publishing.,(1st ed. June 2006)

TEBTEBBA is an indigenous organization which is mainly pre-occupied in linking local indigenous peoples organizations and concerns to the global and linking the global gains and developments with the local. It does capacity building for indigenous peoples to be able to strengthen their own organizations and do advocacy work at the global, regional and national level. It does research on key issues being addressed by indigenous peoples and also on issues addressed by the UN and other multilateral organizations and how these are impacting on indigenous peoples. It publishes a regular journal (Indigenous Perspective) and books which contain the results of the research or capacity-building training workshops it has done. It engages with the various UN processes and other multilateral processes which are relevant to indigenous peoples, i,e. UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Convention on Biological Diversity, UNFCCC, Human Rights Council, UNEP, etc. It hosts the secretariat of the Asian Indigenous Women's Network and does extensive capacity-building work with indigenous women.

The Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization (PRWSWO), a non-profit making non-governmental organization was founded in 1994 by a group of community workers interested in the improvement of the standard of life of the disadvantage sections of the society particularly rural masses through a variety of socio economic services by adopting multi-disciplinary approaches. The PRWSWO is engaged in the socio-economic development activities on self help and participatory basis particularly in the areas of Education, Health, Sanitation & Drinking Water, Organic farming and Sustainable Agriculture and others with emphasis on Environment, Child Welfare, Women Development, Human Rights.

Our objective is to promote advocay, human rights, protect environment and build people capacity via media training.

Mixed activities( vocational training, community pump wells, integrated agriculture, community rice bank, open well digging, drainage infrastructure construction, basic human rights and decentralization, and Rural English literacy)

A SEED Japan (Action for Solidarity, Equality, and Environment and Development) is a Japan based, international youth environmental organisation. The ASEED international campaign was founded in October, 1991 in order to give youth a voice at the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development), held in Brazil in June 1992. This campaign drew participation from 70 organizations from 50 nations. Following the Earth Summit, ASEED Japan was established as an organisation based on a membership system. A SEED Japan strives for a sustainable and fair society and focuses on cross border environmental problems and the social injustices found within these. We aim to change the present pattern of mass production, mass consumption and mass waste, and eliminate the gaps between north and south, different regions, and between different generations. In order to make these changes, the youth of today, who bear the generations of the future, have taken action.

We are an organic farm that is saving seeds and practicing traditional Japanese agricultural farming methods. We have a 75 member CSA farm and have been involved in educating people about the threat GM agriculture is to communities and nations.

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN), was established as a member-based non-profit organization in April, 2003 by a group of motivated people concerned with the protection of the environment and the natural resources in Arab countries against all hazards including the destructive impacts of wars and foreign occupations.

Aims 1. To give back people belief in traditional medicine system. 2. To develop system of alternative medicine which is cheap, safe and effective. 3. To develop social consciousness on health issues.

I am an organic farmer from Sragen (a small city in Central Java), who starts an organic farming since 2005. I am continuing an organic farming systems because of the information that I got from friends who came to my place and told me all about the organic farming.

Theory should be transformed into practice: our youth camp in a rural area introduces organic agriculture to the participants. It will show the difficulties to obtain fertile crops. The trap for small farms consists in the contracts the farmers have to sign with powerful seed companies. To ?look over the rim of your plate? is a german expression which means, ?travel and form your own opinion about the world?. This intercultural project gives you the opportunity to collaborate freely with others. It is not organized by any specific church NGO or government programme . We are simply people who wish to stay together as friends, discover the world together and change things in a spirit of emancipation.

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) has been conserving an irreplaceable part of our natural heritage: those vanishing varieties of rice that indigenousl farmers created by selective breeding over generations, to ensure the country s food security over centuries. These folk varieties require none of the synthetic agrochemical inputs, and nothing by way of augmented water supply. India had some 65,000 distinct varieties of rice until the advent of the Green Revolution. In West Bengal, over 5500 rice varieties were grown until 1970, but today only about 550 are surviving on farmers fields. Working against the Green Revolution s push towards homogenisation of crop genetic diversity. CIS is growing 542 folk rice varieties on its ecological farm Basudha (Bengali name of Earth Mother). Read the story of the CIS

The issues on which CDP has played/is playing an active role include :- Water-logging in the Coastal Embankment Project areas; Movement of the land-less for Khas land in Satkhira district; The Sunderbans Bio-diversity Conservation Project (SBCP); Environmental Degradation and Socio-economic upheaval caused by Shrimp Cultivation; Fundamentalism. Development of Sustainable Agriculture. Local Resource Management. Appropriate Participatory Development of the Ganges Dependent Area of Bangladesh.

AWHHE is a national network of focal points working for sustainable development, protection of human health and environment and poverty reduction. We work in close partnership with international environmental and health networks such as WECF, IPEN, HCWH, GAIA, PAN Europe, EPHA,HEAL, EEB. (see Our Partners) We promote to solve the problems related to health and environment through education, information and research programs, lobbing the decision makers, creation of publications and distribution of information materials, participation in international and national conferences and forums. AWHHE supports and empowers the participation of Armenian women in decision making at local and national levels. read their story here

The Representative Office of Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia in Uzbekistan (CAREC UzB ) is an independent, noncommercial and not political (non governmental) organization. CAREC Uz has good experience of promotion of projects related to development of environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) in partnership with the Ministries of Environment, Education, NGOs and CAREC. Read a story from CAREC

Diverse Women for Diversity is a programme of Navdanya. It seeks to herald a global campaign of women on biodiversity, cultural diversity and food security. Diverse Women for Diversity echoes women's voices from the local and grassroots level to global fora and international negotiations. It seeks to strengthen women's grassrots movements and provide women with a common international platform to air their views. Over the years, Diverse Women for Diversity has evolved a non-violent resistance and opposition to globalisation, emergency of genetic engineering and patents on life forms. Women of the world join hands under Diverse Women for Diversity.

UBINIG, a Bangladeshi NGO which has set up one of the biggest community seed banks in the world. Seed management is important to maintain diversity. There is a conscious policy to emphasise local seed varieties and farmers facilitate seed exchanges. Because of careful seed management, we have more than a thousand varieties of rice, 37 vegetable varieties and more than 40 varieties of chillies alone.

Let us be aware that happiness has become a transformative force in global development. Inspiring us to re-examine our inner development, social development and our world views.

Working on food rights means promoting sustainable agriculture, justice in food distribution and just laws for international trade while protecting the rights of poor farmers.

Biological Farming Association Elkana is a Georgian non-government, non-profit, public organization, which facilitates improvement of social economic state of population of Georgia and environmental protection trough fostering development of sustainable organic farming and increasing self reliance of the rural population. Since 1996 Elkana has been a member of the international - International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Elkana is a holder of ISO 9001/2000 Certificate. The head office of the organisation is located in Tbilisi. At present Elkana is active in 7 regions of Georgia (Guria, Samegrelo, Shida Kartli, Qvemo Kartli, Imereti, Javakheti, Kakheti). Expertise, process competence and services of Elkana are grouped around four principal working domains: Organic farming development; Community mobilization and rural development; Agrarian diversity recovery and conservation; and Rural tourism development.

Anthra is a resource group that was started by a team of women veterinary scientists in 1992 to address the myriad constraints that faced rural livestock rearers. In 1995, Anthra was registered as a trust with an all-women governing board. In Sanskrit, Anthra means an expression of joy, and in Hindustani classical music, Anthra is the opening verse. The initial aim of the organization was to search for alternative systems for delivering livestock health and management practices to poor people, especially women in rural areas. Today, Anthra is a resource centre offering training, research and advocacy initiatives in the areas of livestock, biodiversity and people's livelihood. Anthra has two operating offices in Hyderabad and Pune.

APNFS demands the rights and control of poor peasants, artisanal fishers, indigenous peoples and rural women to land, water and other resources [including genetic resources] that will provide them sustainable livelihoods. APNFS also promotes the merits of sustainable development initiatives on the ground, specifically the experiences of NGOs and peoples` organizations [POs] in promoting sustainable farming technologies as well as agro-ecological models of food production and community-based practices in natural resource conservation and management.

AFRD is an NGO. It works for protection of Organic Farmers Rights and provides educational, technical and management services for our Local Farmers. AFRD is a Member of IFOAM, Countdown 2010, IYPF, world Poultry Science Association, Avalon, and etc. We have 1290 Small and Big Farmer members. Most of them are organic and GMO Free working Farmers. We are participants of the Most important farmers events from 2001. Among them is world Young Farmers Congress which take place in Paris 2003, Biodiversity Events in Poland, (IUCN) and etc. AFRd has made Draft Bill on Farmers Cooperatives. We have a Project for saving the Biodiversity of the wild Plants, Agricultural Breeds and Species Lifestock, Poultry, Goats and Sheap. Also conservation and save Project of the Medical Plants and Herbs in Georgia. We are full members of the Planta Europa.

Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge, BARCIK is a non-governmental non-profit development organization, established in 1997. BARCIK has been involved in exploring and incorporating indigenous knowledge and local practices into contemporary development programmes. Policy Advocacy: The objective is to organize review government and international policy to understand key socio-economic and environmental issues to make advocacy and campaign to influence the policy makers. Some of the key advocacy issues, which BARCIK has been involved with previously include: o Seed Rights o Genetic Resource o Disaster management and Local/Indigenous Knowledge o Water Rights o Climate change adaptation and local/indigenous knowledge o Gender and access to natural resource Action Research BARCIK has been actively conducting various research initiatives and studies involving issues of agro-biodiversity, livelihood change and access to natural resources. Having a capable staff well experienced in onsite research and equipped with contemporary participatory tools have led BARCIK to be a leading organization in social research. Some of the leading Action Researches include: · Action research on Local rice cultivation, etc. · Action research on Wetland biodiversity · Action research on the Agro-biodiversity in Madhupur · Action research on climate change adaptation by traditional means.

Respected development of human resources in the most important aspect in the struggle to advance a nation. BITRA Indonesia has been established with a strong concern for the poor, weak, alienated and unfortunate community. Founded on this basic principle, as early as 1986, BITRA Indonesia has been initiating activities of human resource development in rural areas of North Sumatera province.

Read the story of Rambati Pujari, one of the women leader of Nari Sugyani Samaj

From a very modest beginning as a relief agency, Cecoedecon has evolved into a civil society organization pursuing integrated participatory development and advocating human rights. The organization has an authentic and informed perspective of micro-macro dynamics. The criterion for undertaking interventions is that they should lead to community self-reliance and empowerment. Thus, its work centers on the unfulfilled needs and ignored rights of partner communities.

The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) was established in 1973 as a non profit Society in Delhi. The CPR is an autonomous institution and has been established with the objective of studying major policy issues before the nation and suggesting alternative policy options. The CPR conceives of its larger role as one of contributing to the clarification of the continuing national debate on the present and future development of the Indian society. The CPR works in close cooperation with policy makers both political and administrative, academic policy researchers and the media. It seeks to bring together on each issue, the key policy actors, namely, politicians, policy thinkers, and administrators. The CPR has been involved in several important policy making exercises in political, economic and social fields. By its very character the CPR is designed to promote highly focussed research on the short, medium and long term policy problems.

Diverse Women for Diversity is a programme of Navdanya. It seeks to herald a global campaign of women on biodiversity, cultural diversity and food security. Diverse Women for Diversity echoes women's voices from the local and grassroots level to global fora and international negotiations. It seeks to strengthen women's grassrots movements and provide women with a common international platform to air their views. Over the years, Diverse Women for Diversity has evolved a non-violent resistance and opposition to globalisation, emergency of genetic engineering and patents on life forms. Women of the world join hands under Diverse Women for Diversity.

The underlying philosophy of GREEN Foundation(GF) has been to accept traditional knowledge with its technical, social, and spiritual dimensions to encourage endogenous development within the community. GREEN Foundation has now been working over a decade in close participation with the local community and individual farmers to Conserve Biodiversity and Improve Food Security. From a starting point which concentrated on the identification and conservation of traditional seed varieties of millets and paddy which were fast disappearing from the local farms, GF activities have progressed to reviving traditional storage and exchange of seeds through Community Seed Banks, to the revival of traditional agricultural methods reintroduced in conjunction with modern organic techniques. It has encouraged the creation of Kitchen Gardens, the one-acre integrated farming practice and Community Farming for landless and marginal farmers. It has also promoted Integrated Agroforestry and Livestock Management to meet the communities' needs for fodder and fuel and to Reduce Dependence on External Inputs. Conserving & Enhancing Natural Resources has clearly been an essential element of these programmes as has Training & Infrastructure Creation as active participation by the community is essential for sustainability. GREEN Foundation is now involved in encouraging Biodiversity Based Income Generation schemes and setting up Community Marketing arrangements for ecological agriculture products and craft products, grains and seed. Advocacy and Lobbying are also important activities. In developing linkages with various regional, national and international organisations to create awareness of the issues GF faces, GF has been able to make a significant contribution to the development of organic farming policy of the Government of Karnataka. Work on a Community Seed Bank Network has established strong regional links with other organisations engaged in natural resource management and to effect further change GF organises national level seminars, workshops, and conferences.

German Studies Centre is an organization under Gadjah Mada University that has many programs concerning in education development such as giving German Course; and many programs concerning in community development such as national/international seminar (e.g. International Youth Conference, Bio Diesel as a Renewable Energy). We have a lot of activities and programs such stadium general presented by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. mult Franz Nestmann, Prof. Dr. sc.agr. Dieter Prinz, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Norbert Einsenhouer, Prof. Dr. Steinbach and many more. German Studies Centre mission is for improving cooperation between Indonesia and Germany in many areas such as research, education, and community development. Youth and Connection is a youth community that become part of German Studies Center. Cooperate with German-Indonesian Network Association ?SATU? and Kejar Street Art Community, we were success to organize ?The 5th International Youth Conference: ?Save Our Seed? in Indonesia (Yogyakarta and Surakarta) from August 5-12, 2007 and together with (German Alumnus) and Education Department of Indonesia Goverment, The 1st Meeting of Network For Indonesia-German Education Development on December 15, 2007 was also succes organized by us.The Youth and Connection is participated by youths, which coming from various background. They have aim at enhancing mutual dialogue and collaboration among youths in a world wide to face problems related with environment, education and art culture. beside that I also join with KEJAR Street Art community. In KEJAR, I learn many thing about how to develop local community especialy farmer.

Policy Research Institute for the Civil Sector (PRICS) is a think tank for the Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative and its affiliate organizations.

The People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty is a growing network of various grassroots groups of small food producers particularly of peasant-farmer organizations and their support NGOs, working towards a People's Convention on Food Sovereignty.

KEJAR is an art community who is focusing on art, social culture and also environment. We are doing a lot of activities connected with those subject in Indonesia. Most of the time, we play some art performance in our city. And we also had been invited to several youth conferences in Europe to join the conference and also play traditional or contemporer art. International Youth Conference (IYC) is a program dedicated for youngsters in Indonesia especially and also from foreign country. Here we discuss everything which are connected with our problems as human. Whether environment, social or cultural problems. In the last youth conference our title is ?Save Our Seeds? which become a big problem in our country. From there I met another community and together we planned to make a Seeds Bank in our place.

The Institute For Global Justice was formed in 7 August 2001 to address some of the globalisation issues such agriculture in relation with fta agreement, wto, also to support biodiversity and pluralism

Lessan is an NGO's in Yogyakarta Indonesia found in 1990 which concern in developing Herbal Medicine as an alternative medication for poor people in the rural areas. Unfortunatelly the knowledge of herbal medicine as Indonesian local wisdom has threaten dissapear caused of modern life style which adapted from western life style. Hospital, doctors never give traditional medicine for their patient although the price of chemist medicine are very expensive. That why poor people have no acces to medication. Lessan encouraging people mainly women and children to use herbal medicine and make conservation for herbal plants and their indigenous knowledge. Up to now there are 426 farmers and 10 elementary schools being Lessan partner for it.

Apart from PAN AP?s contribution in strengthening peasants? and women?s movements, PAN AP?s work has also been continuously recognised in the areas of campaign work that is grassroots-based. This development is seen through the acceleration of the Community Pesticide Action Monitoring or CPAM. Developed as a tool for community documentation of the impact of pesticides on health of communities, this tool has become a method not only to document but also to organise communities to take action against pesticides.

MASIPAG is a farmer-led network of people's organizations, non-government organizations and scientists working towards the sustainable use and management of biodiversity through farmers' control of genetic and biological resources, agricultural production and associated knowledge.

PPSC is an NGO founded in 1977 by peace activists , human rights advocates and peasant groups leaders.Its present membership comes from the ranks of academicians, trade unions ,fisherfolks and agricultural workers from the different regions of the Philippines.

APNFS demands the rights and control of poor peasants, artisanal fishers, indigenous peoples and rural women to land, water and other resources [including genetic resources] that will provide them sustainable livelihoods. APNFS also promotes the merits of sustainable development initiatives on the ground, specifically the experiences of NGOs and peoples` organizations [POs] in promoting sustainable farming technologies as well as agro-ecological models of food production and community-based practices in natural resource conservation and management.

Objectives To provide easier, more affordable and rapid access of information to users in governmental, research and educational, non-governmental, and entrepreneurial organizations. To develop simple, cost-effective and replicable information technology /systems that would enhance the capacity for information networking of individuals and organizations in sustainable development.

Not so long ago, Dahod situated in Western India was covered with thick dense forests ? a home for wild tigers and elephants. The tribals of the region earned their livelihood from the forests. For the last fifty years there has been immense natural resource destruction and inappropriate management leading to loss of biological diversity. The organization Sadguru Water Development Foundation, an NGO, established in 1974, dedicated itself to the betterment of rural and tribal people by helping them make better use of available resources, appropriate technology and participatory managerial practices. The aim is to help the tribal people break away from the vicious circle of poverty and once again restore the lost natural resources. By making best use of available water resources and demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of afforestations and watershed development, Sadguru Water Development Foundation has reversed the exodus of tribal people forced out from their land by drought and erosion. This is bringing in new prosperity and a potential impetus for environmental improvement. It has transformed large semi-aird area into lush green fields where once again interdependence between humans and nature flourish.

MSSRF is doing research in the following five areas: Coastal Systems Research, Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Ecotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture, Reaching the Unreached, and Education, Communication, Training and Capacity Building. The Foundation operates through the following pathways to agricultural and rural development: conservation and enhancement of natural resources, promotion of sustainable livelihoods, gender equity and voicing the voiceless as well as information and skill empowerment. Through the Hindu Media Resource Centre the Foundation promotes public understanding of science through media practitioners. The Foundation is known for its emphasis on bottom-up participatory approach, which places people before technology.

The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) is a collective of lawyers and social activists dedicated to the use of legal system to advance human rights. HRLN collaborates with social movements, human rights organizations, and grass-roots development groups to enforce the rights of children, dalits, people with disabilities, farmers, HIV positive people, the homeless, indigenous people, prisoners, refugees, religious and sexual minorities, women, and workers, among others. HRLN provides pro bono legal services, conducts public interest litigation, engages in advocacy, conducts legal awareness programmes, investigates violations, publishes 'know your rights' materials, and participates in campaigns.

Institute for Integrated Rural Development (IIRD) is a premier development organization of Marathwada region in Maharashtra State in India, promoting development alternatives through the initiatives of groups of rural poor. The Institute strongly believes that environmental enrichment is intertwined with overcoming oppression and poverty in society. With this perspective, the vision of IIRD is to work towards building of a society which is socially just and environmentally sound.

LPPS - is an organisation which promises support to the pastrolist communities of thar desert. Its goal is widen to embrace people centered livestock development and the sustainable managment of bio diversity and rich agro-system.

Richharia Campaign is a campaign dedicated to promote the work and struggles initiated by world renowned rice scientist late Dr.R.H.Richharia.He opposed and fought rice research and development pushed by IRRI / US Foundations and US state.The Campaign countinues the In-situ consevation efforts he had initiated in central India and facilitate such work in civil society groups and communities of indigenous people.The Campaign also Initiated an award named Richharia Samman to honour outstanding Farmer-breeders in India.

AME Foundation is a development-oriented, non-government organization, committed to improving the livelihoods of resource poor farm families in the dry land areas through promotion of ecological agriculture. Towards this objective, AME works with the small and marginal farmers of the Deccan Plateau region by generating farming alternatives, enriching the knowledge base, training, linking development agencies and sharing experience. AME promotes LEISA technologies (Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture) through participatory capacity building processes and experience sharing. It encourages farm level innovations through the processes of Participatory Technology Development (PTD) and Farmers Field Schools (FFS). AME fosters institutional linkages and promotes networking with a number of development organizations, particularly at the grass root level, to scale up its activities. AME promotes information sharing through documentation and dissemination of relevant information. LEISA India, is one such initiative that has evolved into a meaningful platform for sharing eco-farming alternatives. It reaches a large number of people through exchange of information on practical field experiences on Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture. The magazine reaches NGOs, development workers, research institutions, academics and the government and is well appreciated.

The underlying philosophy of GREEN Foundation(GF) has been to accept traditional knowledge with its technical, social, and spiritual dimensions to encourage endogenous development within the community.

At present the Bureau has fully developed Information System on Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources. The Bureau is engaged in the characterization and evaluation of Livestock and Poultry genetic resources of the country.

The Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary is a forest garden in the Western Ghat mountains of Kerala, India, dedicated to conservation and education. This mountain system is bordered by the Arabian Sea on one side and vast arid areas on others. It supports a unique and endangered flora, and has been identified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the 25 centres of biodiversity in the world.

Kerala reiterates its NO to GM crops and foods Our vision: Conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable utilization for the benefit of human beings.