Posted 14th September 2001

GE Free Aotearoa NZ Day
by Bruce Dyer

Saturday, October 6 Due to overwhelming demand, there's going to be a National Day of Action (NDA) for a GE Free Aotearoa New Zealand on Saturday, October 6. The NDA will advance the growing nationwide campaign to insist that the Government chose a GE Free future for Aotearoa NZ.

It is up to each community/locality to decide the focus of the day. However, in the light of recent Government announcements that they are looking at a commercial moratorium on food crops and animals, our work is cut out for us. Under this proposal, field trials of GE organisms would continue to take place. We need to make clear that the GE Free means that we want to be field trial free as well. The Coalition is working on a basic info sheet, and a run of stickers to focus on the field trials. The info sheet is in drafting now, and we are looking at a finished version September 14. It will be available on the website www.gefree.net.nz

Local coordinators As with the July 27 day of action, please drop a line to nzgefree@yahoo.co.nz with the local coordinator details. We'll do a national level media work, incorporating news and information on what is happening around the country.

Organising Locally If you are interested in organising a large rally you may wish to consult with the Auckland group who organised the Sept 1 event. They have written records of their organising that can be made available to other groups (contact Russel Norman on 09 3361455). We suggest that you call a meeting of all the individuals and groups in your area that will come behind organising a national day of action. There is enormous energy out there around GE Free and it is a matter of finding a way to allow all that energy to be harnessed. Congratulations to you all for all the incredible work that you are doing for a GE Free Aotearoa New Zealand!

Bio-Gro, Biodynamic Gardening and Farming Association of New Zealand, ECO, GE Free New Zealand, Greenpeace New Zealand, Green Party, Jews for GE-Free Food, Organic Dairy Producers Group, Pesticide Action Network, Safe Food Campaign, Soil and Health Association and many others. * bdyer@prout.org.. ..