NASSP Conference/fwd

[STEFANIE S. RIXECKER]

FYI...Stefanie

--- Forwarded Message Follows ---

CALL FOR PAPERS

The 14th Annual International Social Philosophy Conference
  July 18-20, 1997
  Queens University, Kingston, Ontario

Conference Theme: Global Justice and Democracy
Focus:  World Community and Democracy: Is the State Obsolete?

Papers may be on any topic in Social Philosophy.  Deadline for submitting
completed papers is May 1, 1997.  Program Chairs: William Aiken and Larry May

Send papers to:  William Aiken - NASSP
 Philosophy Department
 Chatham College
 Pittsburgh, PA 15232

For more information write or email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Dear NASSP members,

The North American Society for Social Philosophy has a web page.  It is
located at http://www.pitt.edu/~nassp/nassp.html. It currently contains
information on the upcoming conference, the Journal of Social Philosophy,
Philosophy Today book series, an E-mail directory of the membership,
information on renewing memberships, and links to other sites.  I hope to
keep it a very timely source of information on deadlines and other
announcements, though a couple of sections are currently incomplete since I
am still gathering information.  Please feel free to suggest any other
information you would like to see posted.

Yours,

Bill Pamerleau




Stefanie S. Rixecker
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: RE: Hog Farming (fwd)

[STEFANIE S. RIXECKER]

Hello All:

Faye asked me to forward this to the list as she's experiencing some 
technical problems w/ her ECOFEM account at the moment.

Please reply to the list or to Faye, as I have no further details.

Stefanie

 --- Forwarded Message Follows ---

> ---
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I thought I would post the following information in response to 
> Glynis Carr's posting about large scale hogs farms.  This phenomenon
> is taking place in many locales around North America (and has been 
> going on in Europe as well).
> 
> I am involved with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and this is a major 
> issue we have been working on.  I have just put up a Web Site for the ISA
> and info on Hog Farms is available there.  The url is:
> 
> http://www.uwin.siu.edu/~isa
> 
> I will be putting up an extensive lists of links related to this issue
> within a week or so.
> 
> Email me and I can give you the phone number of an ISA staff member who
> does organizing around this issue.
> 
> You can contact Rhonda Perry or Roger Allison of the Missouri Rural
> Crisis Cenetr at 710 Rangeland St in Columbia, Mo (again, I can give you
> their phone #).
> 
> Their are many communities in Minnesota, Illinois, North Carolina, and
> Western Canada facing the same scaenario in your town.  We are looking 
> into forming a network and I may start a listserv if there is enough
>  interest.
> 
> Thanks for passing this along to your friend.
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> Faye Anderson
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
> 
> 




Stefanie S. Rixecker
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Book Recommendation

[R . TWINE]

"Ecopolitics-The Environment in POststructuralist Thought"
by Verena Conley (1997, Routledge) ISBN- 0-415-10306-1
Includes some comment on Ecofeminist Philosopher Val Plumwood (1993)
Cheers,
Richard,
London
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Jan 27 10:58:37 1997
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:58:32 -0500 (EST)
From: jAkE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Ecofeminism and Drug Use
In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

  I'm doing a research paper focusing on Ecofeminist views of drug use.
Could people point me towards potential materials on that subject?

Thanks,
Jacob Weigler

Re: susan hekman gender and knowledge

[Liam Campion]

Richard, 
some thoughts:  and thank you for the quote.

from my of view women who are denied power in a dominant culture may 
turn to nature for pragmatic reasons.  although in doing this they may 
continue their lower status from the point of view of the dominant 
hierarchy, perhaps their alignment with "nature" uncovers an ecological 
niche or truth which will continue past the prime of culture or emerge 
as yet another. and perhaps not. 
 
> "Bothe radical and conservative feminists who argue for a distinct
> nature for women ground their arguments in women's close association with
> nature.  

( this association, pragmatic, heightened by exclusion from other 
resources for power, may have been claimed once in order to initiate 
dialog as outsiders.  as more and more women "succeed" to hierachic 
levels of power it becomes increasingly obvious that both victimization 
and affinity with wilderness are no longer universal to all women or 
intrisically gender related)  

The notion that woman has a distinct nature...

(clinical studies without cultural bias?  to the extent that women's 
"nature" is marginalized and exploited but not sustained it may be 
similar to ecological "nature"...  as a moiety women may respond in 
similar ways or use ecology as metaphor or the obvious wild energy of 
nature as guide to generate new cultural standards.  breaking down the 
nature culture dichotomy becomes a powerful political argument for 
claiming explicit power within a culture.  however, inclusion does not 
always mean enlightenment.  the dialog between inside and outside is 
interesting.  if investing in cultural power means creating new outsider 
status... there may be more power for creative change when the outside 
of the dichotomy is heard.)

 and that her nature is
> tied in a special way to the natural world is thus central to a discussion
> of the implications of the nature/culture dichotomy that has permeated
> western thought. Rejecting the notion that women have a distinct, universal
> "nature" and the essentialism entailed by that notion is crucial to the
> deconstruction of the nature/culture dichotomy" 

(and perhaps also to cycles of exploitation of women.  when do we begin 
to invest all "nature" and how? with political rights?)
> 
> "This essentialist impulse leads to the same sterile 
(or sterilizing?)
dichotomies
> of enlightenement thought that have been used to keep women in an inferior
> position"
> Susan Hekman (1990:106-108) _Gender and Knowledge:Elements
> ofa Postmodern Feminism_
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Jan 28 13:12:42 1997
 29 Jan 1997 09:11 +1300 (NZD)
 29 Jan 1997 09:14:02 +1300
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 09:13:29 +1300
From: "STEFANIE S. RIXECKER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Nature/Culture and Essentialism
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Organization: Lincoln University

Dear Richard,

Thanks for posting your message regarding "essentialism."  It 
certainly has been one of the hottest topics in feminism, and it 
consistently creeps into conversation soon after the word 
"ecofeminism" is spoken.

My theoretical approach to ecological feminism tends to follow the 
argument you quoted from Hekman (see below).  Dichotomizing concepts 
isn't overly useful for feminist theory for the reason she states.  
It's also not very accurate.  The nature/culture split predisposes us 
to think of humans outside nature--yet another dichotomy 
(inside/outside; public/private) some strands of feminism have argued 
quite strongly against. 

The conundrum is that people perceive inside/outside relations and 
set them up (perpetuate them), i.e., they use power (in whatever form 
it can be expressed) as a means to create a nature/culture, 
insider/outsider split and then believe that split.  While these 
dichotomies are reductionist and sometime useful ways of "coping" 
with the world, i.e., they remove the complexity of relationships, 
they also "speak to us" because there is SOME truth to them.  Perhaps 
this "truth," has more to do with what is in our minds (how we are 
socialized) than what is "natural." 

Hmm, but then, how can we be sure of what is "natural"?  This then 
becomes yet another conundrum for the theoretical side of ecological 
feminism to consider.  By the way, it has practical consequences.  
For example, if "natural" is everything derived from processes 
created by or through organic entities, then the ecological 
destruction which humans (as organic entities) create could be 
regarded as "natural."  Does this make it "right" or "good"?  How do 
we determine what types of environmental policies/practices we should 
create?  What does "sustainability" look like when natural is defined 
in this manner?  

Well, just a few extra ideas to ponder.  I'd love to hear more from 
others.  I've added a couple of references below for further reading 
on the "essentialist" issue.

Cheers,

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Recommended Readings:

Grant, Judith.  1993.  Fundamental Feminis

Re: mary mellor

[R . TWINE]

Well nothing to do with Mary Mellor at all actually..Just hopefully
a catalyst for discussion...

"Bothe radical and conservative feminists who argue for a distinct
nature for women ground their arguments in women's close association with 
nature. The notion that woman has a distinct nature and that her nature is
tied in a special way to the natural world is thus central to a discussion
of the implications of the nature/culture dichotomy that has permeated
western thought. Rejecting the notion that women have a distinct, universal
"nature" and the essentialism entailed by that notion is crucial to the
deconstruction of the nature/culture dichotomy"

"This essentialist impulse leads to the same sterile dichotomies
of enlightenement thought that have been used to keep women in an inferior
position"
Susan Hekman (1990:106-108) _Gender and Knowledge:Elements
ofa Postmodern Feminism_

Any thoughts?
Richard,
London
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Jan 27 04:09:26 1997
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 11:07:27 GMT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Ecofeminism on the web

I found a couple of articles, 1 by Spretnak and one by Kheel, probably in
breach of copyright
http://diogenes.baylor.edu/WWWproviders/Larry_Ridener/ECOFEM.HTML

Add a "2" after ECOFEM for the other one, then try a "3", you never know...
Richard, 
London
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Jan 27 06:53:13 1997
Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:54:32 +0200 (EET)
 (rfc931-sender: galilcol@localhost)
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:54:29 +0200 (EET)
From: Sylvia Walters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: STUDY FREE IN ISRAEL 

Dear List Member: 
We would like to introduce Galillee College, the leading higher 
education institute in Israel training senior officers and planners from 
European, Mediterranean, and African countries in Environmental
Management.
 
The College Board has established an International Department 
Scholarship Plan (IDSP) through which qualified candidates 
who hold at least a first (B.A.) degree and who are fluent in 
English may participate in this programme under a full 
tuition scholarship. 

Once a candidate is admitted,if he/she is qualified, a full tuition
scholarship shall be granted and thus, only the return airfare and local
living expenses need be covered while the participant is at our study
center. 
 
Attached is the detailed study programme for 1997 which  
lists course dates. Scholarships will be available to 
each of these courses. 
 
If you are interested in recommending a candidate to our program, we would
appreciate it if you would e-mail our International Department 
([EMAIL PROTECTED]). We would then send the detailed study programme 
for your review. Each candidate should fill out the registration form and 
send it together with his/her curriculum vitae.

We look forward to hearing from you soon. If you need any additional
information, please do not hesitate to e-mail our office. 

Sincerely yours,
 
Sylvia R. Walters, Deputy Director International Programmes

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>>>Galillee College International Department - Admissions Committee
>>>P.O. Box 1070, Kiryat Tivon, 36000, Israel >>>Fax: Int'l 972-4-983 0227
>>>E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 

Please register me for the following International Course on the date
indicated: 

>>>Environmental management [  ]

>>>a) February 19-March 12/97   [  ] 
   b) March 17-April 5/97   [  ]
   c) May 5 - May 24/97 [  ]


>>>Mr. [  ] Ms. [  ]Dr. [  ]
>>>Name ___Surname  ___
>>>Passport No. _Date of Expiry  _
>>>Date & Place of Birth: _ _
>>>Mailing Address:___
>>>Telephone:_  FAX:___
>>>Employer Name & Address: _
>>>
>>>Present Position:__
>>>Education:   No. years completed   [  ]Degree:   __
>>>Knowledge of English:Spoken  Written
>>>Excellent[  ][  ]
>>>Good [  ][  ]
>>>
>>>Computer Literacy:   Proficient  Need Help   Never Used
>>>Windows [  ][  ][  ]
>>>Lotus 123   [  ][  ][  ]
>>>Excel   [  ][  ][  ]
>>>Other ___   [  ][  ][  ]
>>>Person/Organization responsible for payment of Local Expense Fees:
>>>__
>>>How did you learn of this programme: ___
>>>*PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT ALL INFORMATION & ATTACH  C.V.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>>>GALILLEE COLLEGE

>>>1997 

Re: "Piggery"

[STEFANIE S. RIXECKER]

This message was stuck in the ether.

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

--- Forwarded Message Follows ---

Greetings EcoFem-list!
Here outside of Lewisburg, PA some people living on land zoned
agricultural have become alarmed by plans to build an intensive hog
operation, a "factory farm," in their neighborhood.  The woman leading the
community response asked me to search the internet for information on the
Missouri Rural Crisis Center.  I found her a few interesting things in a few
hours on the web, but would like to research this more.  Does anyone on this
list have ideas and/or suggestions about more reading, how-to mat'ls, etc.
she might find helpful?  As an academic, I feel obligated to put my research
skills at this woman's disposal, but I'm really out of my area (literature
and ecofeminism).  Any ideas?  Thanks so much! 
Glynis Carr
Associate Professor of English
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA  17837
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.bucknell.edu/~gcarr




Stefanie S. Rixecker
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

cfp:Women, Science, & Development

[STEFANIE S. RIXECKER]

FYI...Stefanie

--- Forwarded Message Follows ---

{[EMAIL PROTECTED]}) at 1/23/97 10:25p

  Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
-
## author : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
## date   : 14.01.97
-

  CALL FOR PAPERS

WOMEN, SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT
 FROM INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE TO NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, will host the VIII

Pacific Science Association Inter-Congress from 13-19 July, 1997.  A

special sympposium, "Women, Science and Development: From Indigenous

Knowldege to New Information Technologies' is being organized under the

auspices of the Pacific Science Association and the Gender, Science and

Development Programme of the International Federation of Institutes for

Advanced Study.  These topics have evolved from successful sessions on

Women and Development (Honolulu, 1991) and Human Resources for the Future:

Women and Young Scientists in Asian and Pacific Science (Beijing 1995).

The symposium will also build on the recommendations of the Gender Working

Group of the U.N. Commission on Science and Technology for Development and

highlight the SPACHE ECOWOMAN and the WAINIMATE Traditional Medicine

projects.  Sessions will be organized around two major themes: 'Women,

Science and Indigeious Knowledge (women's traditional knowledge,

'indigeious' and 'western' science, the integraion of women's knowledge

into development planning, etc.) and 'Women, Science and New Information

Technologies (gender dimensions of information and communication

technologies, empowerment through access to information, women and

information technologies in Asia and the Pacific, etc.) There is

increasing international interest in 'science in other places' as well as

'science with other faces' and these sessions will provide an arena for a

regional exploration of both.  Co-organizers are Nancy D. Lewis,

University of Hawaii, Leba Haolfaki Mataitini, University of the South

Pacific, and Titilia Naitini, SPACHE.  The early registration deadline for

the Inter-Congress is January 31, 1997.  Registration deadline is April 1,

1997.  Registration must accompany submission of abstracts.  Information

on the Inter-Congress can be found at http://ruve.usp.ac.fj/~psa or c/o

VIII Pacific Science Association Inter-Congress Secretariat, The

University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Islands (FAX 679 314007).  For

information on the symposium, contact Nancy Lewis ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) at

the address below.  (please note that I will be away from Hawaii unitl

1/16)


Nancy Davis Lewis, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, College of Social Sciences
Professor, Geography
105 Hawaii Hall
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: (808) 956-6070
FAX: (808) 956-2340
-






Stefanie S. Rixecker
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: A New Homepage has opened concerning MS

[STEFANIE S. RIXECKER]

This didn't make it through the ether initially.

Stefanie

--- Forwarded Message Follows ---

A New Homepage has opened concerning MSS


   The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for 
Military Sexual Slavery
   


The address of the homepage is http://witness.peacenet.or.kr
Serviced both in English and Korean

A homepage for advocating MSS issue has opened on internet space. The homepage 
is established by The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual 
Slavery by Japan(folk called Jongdaehyup), the leading  organization for the rights  
of former MSS by Japanese during the war, for the  purpose of calling international 
attention  to the issue, and building a solidarity with the other concerned NGOs of 
the 
world. It was stimulated by the recent development, that the Japanese government 
started  to pay compensational fund  to  the  former  MSS  under  "personal  and   
individual" bases,   without prior consultation with the Korean government or related 
NGOs.


The issue  has been  publicized world  widely since  UN Human  Rights Commission 
adopted the investigative report on the MSS,  in early last year. However, the 
Japanese government refused to  accept the recommendations  of the UN  report, 
and insisted  to compensate through the "Asian Peace Fund" under "personal basis" 
to  avoid taking any offical responsibility to the case.


By supplying informations  on historical facts,  witnesses related  to the MSS  on the 
homepage, The Korean Council expects more responses from the international 
community to the current decieving  distortion of  history by  Japanese government.  
And they  also will appeal to the  people of  the world  to join  the on-line  sign-up 
campaign  calling for Japanese government to accept the resolutions  and 
recommendations that internationally agreed upon.


The address of the homepage is http://witness.peacenet.or.kr
Serviced both in English and Korean


The homepage consists of;


  What's New : The recent news and movement on MSS.

  Voice : A series  of statement on MSS  issued by Jongdaehyup  in chronological order.

   Newsletter  :  On-line newsletter   of Jongdaehyup both   in periodicals  and 
non-periodicals. -Under Construction-

   FAQ : Questions  specifically on  the relationship  between Korea  and Japan. 
 -Under Construction - 

   Comments : Opinions, Advices, Answers. On-line discussion also available.

   Resource  : Over  hundreds  of pages  of resources   on major discussion  and 
 documents about MSS.

Witness : Stories of former MSS, based on their personal witness stories.

Photo gallery : A collection of photographies on MSS.

Library : Various documents on MSS, including the  Report of UN Human 
  Rights Commission,  The  3rd Asian   Solidarity Meeting, Report   
  of World  Women's Conference in Peking, etc..

 News Articles  : A collection  of articles of  Newspapers published in domestic 
and 
  international media.

 Links : Linkage to  the homepages of individual  or NGOs on the  internet of 
which 
thier specific concerns are MSS issue.


The homepage is prepared by the volunteers  of PeaceNet. For those who are 
willing to  help  or needed  more  information, contact   The Korean Council 
(82-2-365-4016,Fax 82-2-527-2988) or PeaceNet (82-2-527-2990, 
Fax 82-2-365-4017).
 
  
~oOOo-(_)-oOOo~

  The Korean Coucil for the Women Drafted  
for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan   
 Rm. 101 CIS JD Bidg, #35 Chungjungro 2-ga 
  Seodaemungu, Seoul 120-012   
Tel:82-2-365-4016, Fax:82-2-365-4017   
  E-mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED], Me-Hyang,Yun  
___
 



Stefanie S. Rixecker
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

IWTC Globalnet 78/FWD

[STEFANIE S. RIXECKER]

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

--- Forwarded Message Follows ---


>
>GLOBALNET 78
>
>International Women's Tribune Centre, 777 United Nations Plaza, New
>York, NY 10017, Tel: (1-212) 687-8633.  Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 .  e-mail:
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH OTHER NETWORKS.
>
>January 22, 1997
>
>by Anne S. Walker
>
>CEDAW EXPERTS HOLD COUNTRIES ACCOUNTABLE TO HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS
>
>It's been an interesting first week at the 16th Session of the Committee
>on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). CEDAW, the
>committee that monitors the implementation of the Convention on the
>Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (also known as
>CEDAW or The Women's Convention) has been meeting in New York since Jan.
>13, 1997. So far, reports have been heard from Morocco, Slovenia, St.
>Vincent and the Grenadines, Zaire and Turkey, with reports to come this
>week (Jan.  20-24) from Venezuela and Denmark, and next week (Jan.27-31)
>from Philippines and Canada. A major theme that has emerged from
>questions posed by the experts has been the importance of using human
>rights as the standard for accountability in the eliminatio n of
>discrimination against women. Recommendations from the Committee Experts
>(see list below) will be made available at the CEDAW website
>() for all those who have access
>to the World Wide Web. Others can get this i nformation from the UN
>Division for the Advancement of Women, United Nations, New York, NY
>10017. Ask for the Recommendations from CEDAW Experts.
>
>NGOs prepare "shadow" reports: Of particular interest and importance
>during this first week of CEDAW meetings has been the input from women
>representing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in some of the
>reporting countries. UNIFEM and the International
> Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) co-sponsored a CEDAW orientation
>programme and brought several NGO representatives to New York to take
>part. "Shadow" Reports of the situation in their countries were
>presented to CEDAW experts and delegates, adding an
> important, collaborative dynamic to the process. Amongst the NGO
>representatives were women from Bangladesh, Canada, Zaire, Turkey,
>Morocco, and the Philippines. The Advisory Group for the programme
>included women experts from UNIFEM, IWRAW, Internationa l Human Rights
>Law Group/Women's Rights Advocacy Program, the Philippines, Malaysia,
>and Costa Rica.
>
>NGOs share examples of how the Convention is being utilized at community
>level. Examples were given at an informal gathering in New York this
>week, of ways in which NGOs are using CEDAW in grassroots situations.
>IWTC is keen to share more of these example s, and invites NGOs to send
>in stories from their own experiences. Some of these may be used in a
>future issue of The Tribune. Send them to IWTC (see above).
>
>How can we improve linkages between NGOs and CEDAW? CEDAW (which,
>beginning in 1997 now meets twice a year with another session planned
>for July 1997), convened a meeting to discuss with NGOs more ways to
>improve linkages. NGOs were advised that if they w ant to submit
>information and/or questions to CEDAW, they need to submit these
>directly to committee members well in advance. For members' addresses,
>contact UN/DAW, Fax: (1-212) 963-3463 or e-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>.
>
>CEDAW membership in 1997: The 23 expert members of the Committee, who
>are elected for a four year term and who serve in their personal
>capacity, are: Charlotte Abaka, Ghana; Ayse Feride Acar, Turkey; Emna
>Aouij, Tunisia; Tendai Ruth Bare, Zimbabwe; Desire
> Patricia Bernard, Guyana; Carlota Bustelo del Real, Spain; Silvia Rose
>Cartwight, New Zealand; Ivanka Corti, Italy; Aurora Javate de Dios,
>Philippines; Miriam Yolanda Castillo, Ecuador; Yolanda Ferrer Gomez,
>Cuba; Aida Gonzalez, Mexico; Sunaryati Hartono , Indonesia; Salma Khan,
>Bangladesh; Yung-Chung Kim, Republic of Korea; Ahoua Ouedraogo, Burkina
>Faso; Anne Lise Ryel, Norway; Ginko Sato, Japan; Hanna Beate
>Schopp-Shilling, Germany; Carmel Shalev, Israel; Lin Shangzhen, China;
>Kongit Sinegiorgis, Ethiop ia; and Mervat Tallaway, Egypt.
>
>Please lobby your governments about a claims procedure for the Women's
>Convention! The 1997 session of the Commission on the Status of Women
>(CSW) (March 10-21, 1997) will be critical to the future of the proposed
>optional protocol for the Women's Convent ion. This protocol would
>create a procedure for individuals and groups to seek remedies at the
>international level for violations of their rights under the Convention.
>WE URGE YOU TO LOBBY YOUR GOVERNMENTS NOW IN PREPARATION FOR THE CSW!
>See Faxnet # 77 o n ways to get information that will assist you with
>your lobbying.

Deeper Ecology: Essays on Ecological Spirituality

[KingFsher]

Deeper Ecology: Essays on Ecological Spirituality

Dear Colleagues:

 I am the moderator to the Wildlife Ecology Digest (WED) mailing list,
and I have recently published a book entitled "Deeper Ecology: Essays on
Ecological Spirituality," which outlines and discusses a protocol for the
preservation and restoration of global ecology, wildlife populations, and
ecosystems based on the degradation due to human exploitation.  This book
also delves into the "connectedness" aspect of humans to the natural world,
with my own personal reflections on our role in the scheme of the finer
workings of the world's flora and fauna.  The Journal of Mammalogy and
The Canadian Field Naturalist, as well as a dozen other publications, are
planning to review this book in the near future.  I invite you to read
samples of the text; directly following.  Ordering instructions for
the book are shown at the end of these abstracts from the entire,
50 page text (8 1/2” x 11” format).  Please share this information
with others, and enjoy!  Please note that my views do not necessarily
reflect those of WED list members. 
**
 "The figures are astounding in their portrayal of the worldwide rape
of the land:  Nearly 100% of the face of the earth in Ethiopia, Japan, and
The United Kingdom has been disturbed; with a similar 75% rate in the U.S.,
Mexico, and China.  Also, 95% of the forests in the U.S. have been lost,
while only 10.5% of the total land area in the country is protected there
(The rest (89.5%) is exploited).
 As can be seen, the cancerous growth of human invasion has spread to
the far reaches of every continent on mother earth.  We have set aside for
parks and refuges, which have shown to be increasingly ineffectual, because
of the island biogeography theory of poor dispersal and geographic isolation,
which causes populations of wildlife to go extinct.
 We simply can't section off a small plot of real estate in the midst of
civilization and expect it to function as a micro-ecosystem with unlimited
potential.  Furthermore, zoos and captive breeding programs are hardly
a match for true wilderness, for these animals are far less keen to
predators, and often become habitualized and imprinted to humans
and their interactions.
 Healthy populations must consist of a great amount of individuals
in order to persist.  This is because of genetic traits, mutation,
inbreeding, and general heterozygosity of alleles in the traits shared
and passed on to the offspring.  Dispersal, via proximate patch
availability and transportation corridors is the salvation of these
remnants of the dissolved landscape, within which the flora and fauna
have free reign.
 A long time before I learned this in my college courses, I keyed in to
this process in the city park bordering nearby hillsides, which at that time
were undeveloped due to rough, mountainous terrain.  Over the years, as I
hiked there, I noticed that the city was spreading up the hill, and probably
now over, spilling into another valley, like an explosion with no end.
What was once a wilderness park, with it’s coyotes, deer, and rattlesnakes,
readily witnessed; has now become just what I described: A city park,
with a manicured lawn equipped with sprinkler systems and picnic tables
for a Sunday afternoon for the family to “get out into nature.”
 I bring to this discussion the recurrent buzzword called rainforest,
which evokes majestic visions of valleys filled with rivers of fog, brightly
colored birds; and low and behold, a pair of massive tractors, with a
50-meter length of chain sweeping every tree in it’s wake, decimating
a grove in a matter of minutes.
 Yes, the tropical rainforest is the most diverse ecosystem on the
planet, primarily because of the highly-specialized niches, incredible
nutrient availability, and proportional energy influx from the rich
and abundant biomass, which seemingly litters the terrain.
Unfortunately, a large proportion of this quality habitat is found
in undeveloped countries, where conservation is a luxury.
 A common practice which nearly literally brings tears to my eyes
is the slash-and-burn technique of agricultural clearing of land of which
impoverished, indigenous peoples practice for their livelihood.  For, after
a minimal amount of time, the soil in one area becomes nutrient-depleted,
thus a new site must be obtained to produce viable crops, thus forests
are decimated at a sickening and utterly evil rate.
 I became morbidly depressed in ecology course years ago when I saw
satellite photographs of the earth taken at night, which showed scores
of  “wildfires” burning across the planet, primarily located in rainforests,
caused by what I have just described.  The feelings that are conjured by
this atrocity are those of deep pain and a very strong motherly instinct
for the nurturing and healing of this sickness, which is plainly seen to
those, who, like me, have t