Resources
Links: Organizations & Initiatives for Change
Addressing today’s most pressing problems necessitates acts of both resistance and renewal, that is: those that resist the process of globalization, as well as those that help renew local economies and communities. Effective (and enjoyable!) change, in both cases, requires collective action – linking hands with like-minded people. There is a flourishing of organizations everywhere working to create a better world. Use the following list to discover, support, and join some of them!*
Resistance
- Agricultural Trade Liberalization
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- California Food and Justice Coalition: www.foodsecurity.org/california/index.html
- Center for International Policy/Americas Policy Program (US/Mexico): www.americaspolicy.org
- Community Alliance for Global Justice (US): www.seattleglobaljustice.org
- Community Food Security Coalition: www.foodsecurity.org/index.html
- Food First (US): www.foodfirst.org
- GRAIN (Genetic Resources Action International – Spain, International): www.grain.org
- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (US): www.iatp.org
- IPC Food Sovereignty (International): www.foodsovereignty.org
- Land Research Action Network (Mexico): www.landaction.org/spip/?lang=en
- Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC, Mexico): www.rmalc.org.mx
- Navdanya (India): www.navdanya.org
- The Oakland Institute (US): www.oaklandinstitute.org
- Via Campesina (International): www.viacampesina.org
- Food Safety
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- The Center for Food Safety (US): www.centerforfoodsafety.org
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies/Basudha (India): www.cintdis.org
- Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (India): www.csa-india.org
- Consumers Association of Penang (Malaysia): www.en.cap.org.my/
- The Edmonds Institute (US): http://www.edmonds-institute.
org/ - ETC Group (Program on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (Canada): www.etcgroup.org
- Food and Water Watch (US): www.foodandwaterwatch.org
- McSpotlight (UK): www.mcspotlight.org
- Navdanya (India): www.navdanya.org
- Organic Consumers Association (US): www.organicconsumers.org
- Organic Farming Association of India (India): www.ofai.org
- Pesticide Action Network (International): http://www.pan-international.
org/panint/?q=node/33 - Sustain (UK): http://www.sustainweb.org/
- Thanal (India): www.thanal.org
- Corporate Globalization / 'Free' Trade
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- Action 2030 Institute (China): www.action2030.org/
- ATTAC (Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions for the Aid of Citizens (France/International): www.attac.org/
- Centro de Investigaciones Economicas y Politicas De Accion Comunitaria (CIEPAC, Chiapas, Mexico): www.ciepac.org/index.php
- Community Alliance for Global Justice (US): www.seattleglobaljustice.org
- Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (US): www.celdf.org
- The Corner House (UK): www.thecornerhouse.org.uk
- Corporate Watch (UK): www.corporatewatch.org
- Corpwatch (US): www.corpwatch.org
- Council of Canadians (Canada): www.canadians.org
- ETC Group (Program on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (Canada): www.etcgroup.org
- Focus on the Global South (Philippines/Thailand/India): http://focusweb.org
- Global Justice Ecology Project (US): www.globaljusticeecology.org/
- Global Trade Watch (AU): www.tradewatch.org.au
- Good Jobs First (US): www.goodjobsfirst.org
- India Resource Centre (India): www.indiaresource.org
- InfoChange India (India): www.infochangeindia.org/
- International Forum on Globalization: www.ifg.org
- Multinational Monitor (US): www.multinationalmonitor.org
- People's Global Action (International): http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/index.html
- Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy (POCLAD, US): www.poclad.org
- Protest.net (International): www.protest.net
- Public Citizen (US): www.citizen.org
- The Transnational Institute (Netherlands): www.tni.org
- Third World Network (Singapore) www.twnside.org.sg/
- United for a Fair Economy (US) www.faireconomy.org/
- www.bilaterals.org (International; comprehensive monitoring of free trade agreements passed or being negotiated around the globe, plus links to local groups fighting them)
- www.fightingftas.org (International; photo, audio and video archive of anti-free trade protests around the world)
- Consumer Culture / Advertising
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- Adbusters (Canada, International): www.adbusters.org
- Alternatives to Consumerism (Thailand): www.sulak-sivaraksa.org
- The Australia Institute (AU): www.tai.org.au
- Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (US): www.commercialexploitation.org
- Center for a New American Dream (US): www.newdream.org
- Commercial Alert (US): www.commercialalert.org
- The Compact (for simplicity and against consumerism) (US/International): sfcompact.blogspot.com
- Greenwashing and Corporate PR
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- Carbon Trade Watch (UK): carbontradewatch.org
- Center for Media and Democracy: www.prwatch.org, and their project Source Watch (US): www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch
- Corporate Watch (UK): www.corporatewatch.org
- Corpwatch (US): www.corpwatch.org
- The Corner House (UK): www.thecornerhouse.org.uk
- The Transnational Institute (Netherlands): www.tni.org
- Wal Mart Sustainability Initiative: A Civil Society Critique (US): www.bbc.wikispaces.net/space/showimage/CounterSustainability
- Big-Box ‘Supercenters’
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- Big Box Collaborative (US): www.bbc.wikispaces.net
- Breaking the Chains: Buy Local, Organic, Fair Made (US; a project of Organic Consumers Association): www.organicconsumers.org/btc.cfm
- Good Jobs First (US): www.goodjobsfirst.org
- New Economics Foundation (UK): www.neweconomics.org
- Wal-Mart Watch (US): www.walmartwatch.org
- Environmental Justice / Toxics / Waste
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- Advocates for Environmental Human Rights: www.ehumanrights.org
- Center for Health, Environment and Justice (US): www.chej.org
- Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL, US): www.ciel.org
- Collaborative on Environmental Health (US): www.healthandenvironment.org
- EarthRights International: www.earthrights.org/home.html
- Environmental Working Group (US): www.ewg.org
- GAIA (Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance/Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) (Int'l): www.no-burn.org
- Global Witness (US): www.globalwitness.org
- Health Care Without Harm (US): www.hcwh.org
- Indigenous Environmental Network (US): www.ienearth.org
- International Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network: www.ipen.org
- Pesticide Action Network (International): http://www.pan-international.org/panint/?q=node/33
- Thanal (India): www.thanal.org
- Toxics Link (India): www.toxicslink.org
- Climate Action: www.350.org
- Carbon Trade Watch (UK): carbontradewatch.org
- Climate Justice Now (International): http://climatejustice.blogspot.com
- Climate SOS (US): www.climatesos.org
- The Corner House (UK): www.thecornerhouse.org.uk
- The Wuppertal Institute (Germany): www.wupperinst.org/en/home
Renewal
- Local, Sustainable, Traditional Food
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- American Community Garden Association (US): www.communitygarden.org
- City Farmer (CA): www.cityfarmer.org
- Center for Ecoliteracy (US): www.ecoliteracy.org
- Certified Farmers Markets (UK): http://www.farmersmarkets.net/
- Community Food Security Coalition (US): www.foodsecurity.org/index.html
- Farm – The Independent Voice of Farmers (UK): www.farm.org.uk
- Eat Grub Eat Local Challenge (US): http://204.200.217.48/wordpress/
- Eat Local Challenge (Canada, US): www.eatlocalchallenge.com
- Eat Well Guide: www.eatwellguide.org
- Farm to College (Canada, US): http://farmtocollege.org/
- Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (UK): http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/home
- Food Fairness Alliance (AU): www.sydneyfoodfairness.org.au
- Food Routes (US): www.foodroutes.org
- Food Share (Canada): www.foodshare.ca/
- Garden Organic (UK): http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/index.php
- Growing Power (Milwaukee, WI, US): www.growingpower.org
- Grupo a Grupo (Spain): http://www.grupoagrupo.net
- Homeless Garden Project (US): http://www.homelessgardenproject.org/index.php
- Just Food (NYC, US): http://justfood.org/
- Local Harvest (US): www.localharvest.org
- National Association of Farmers Markets (UK): http://www.farmersmarkets.net/
- People's Grocery (Oakland, CA, US): www.peoplesgrocery.org
- Permaculture Institute (US): www.permaculture.org
- Pigs Will Fly (AU): www.pigswillfly.com.au
- Robert Van En CSA Center (US): www.csacenter.org
- Santos online organic food (Australia): www.santostrading.com.au
- Seed Savers Exchange (US): www.seedsavers.org
- Seed Savers' Network (AU): www.seedsavers.net
- San Francisco Bay Area local food info (Bay Area, US): www.locavores.com
- Slow Food (International): www.slowfood.org
- Small Farms Association (UK): http://small-farms-association.co.uk/default.aspx
- Soil Association (UK): www.soilassociation.org
- Sustain (UK): http://www.sustainweb.org/
- Sustainable Table (US): www.sustainabletable.org
- Thanal (India): www.thanal.org
- Thousand Varieties/PunPun (Thailand): http://www.punpunthailand.org/
- UK Food Directory 2007 (UK): http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/interactive/2007/nov/03/fooddirectory.foodanddrink
- Vermont / New Hampshire localvores (Vermont, US): www.uvlocalvore.com
- Wholesome Food Association (UK): http://www.wholesome-food.org.uk/
- Young Farmers (US): http://www.youngfarmers.org/
- Ecovillages / Permaculture / Sustainability Education
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- Centre for Human Ecology (UK): http://www.che.ac.uk/index.php/
- Ecovillage Design Education (International): www.gaiaeducation.org
- Gaia Education (US, International): www.gaiaeducation.org
- Global Ecovillage Network (International): http://gen.ecovillage.org
- Institute for Social Ecology (US): www.social-ecology.org
- Permaculture Activist (US): www.permacultureactivist.net
- Permaculture (UK): www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk
- Cultural Affirmation / Rethinking Development
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- Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies/Basudha (India): www.cintdis.org
- COMPAS (Comparing and Supporting Endogenous Development, Netherlands): http://www.compasnet.org/
- Decroissance (Degrowth) (France): http://www.decroissance.org/
- Ecojustice (US): www.ecojusticeeducation.org
- Garden Organic (UK): http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/index.php
- InfoChange India (India): http://infochangeindia.org/
- Institute Intercultural Montreal (Canada): www.iim.qc.ca
- International Institute for Environment and Development (UK): www.iied.org
- International Network of Engaged Buddhists (Thailand, International): http://www.inebnetwork.org/web/
- Ladakhs vänner - Friends of Ladakh (Sweden): http://www.ladakh.se/
- The Network of Growh Objectors for Post-Development (ROCADe) (France): http://www.apres developpement.org/accueil/index_en.php
- PRATEC - Projecto Andino de Tecnologias Campesinas (Andean Project of Peasant Technologies, Peru): www.pratec.org.pe
- Progressio (UK): http://www.progressio.org.uk/
- Rethinking Schools (US): http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml
- Shikshantar: People's Institute for Rethinking Education and Development (India): www.swaraj.org/shikshantar
- Survival International (UK): www.survivalinternational.org
- TerraLingua (US): www.terralingua.org
- Thousand Varieties/PunPun (Thailand): http://www.punpunthailand.org/
- Universidad de la Tierra (Unitierra) (Mexico): www.unitierra.org
- Urban Foraging in the US
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- Earthworks Boston (Boston, Massachusetts, US): http://earthworksboston.org/
- Flagstaff Wild Foraging Project (Flagstaff, AZ, US): http://environmentdev.nau.edu/cswf/index.htm
- Forage SF (CA, US): www.foragesf.com
- Forage Oakland (Oakland, California, US): http://forageoakland.blogspot.com/
- North Berkeley Harvest: http://northberkeleyharvest.org/
- Philadelphia Orchard Project (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US): http://phillyorchards.org/
- Portland Fruit Tree Project (Portland, Oregon, US): http://portlandfruit.org/
- PUEBLO (People United for a Better Life in Oakland/Urban Youth Harvest): http://peopleunited.org/uyh.html
- Village Harvest Project (San Jose, California, US): http://villageharvest.org/
* We do not claim this list to be comprehensive, but rather, an entry point to action. If you know of organizations/initiatives that you feel should be included, please let ISEC know about them – especially in countries/regions of the world that are, regrettably, under-represented above.
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