R A T I O N A L I S T I N T E R N A T I O N A L
P O Box 9110,
New Delhi 110 091, India.
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RATIONALIST INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN # 20
15 October 1999
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Editor: Sanal Edamaruku
Phone: +91-11-2253255, +91-11-8539526
Fax: +91-11-2256042
E-mail: <edamaruku@yahoo.com>
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Recipients may reproduce, forward, publish or quote from
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2nd INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE
and the Golden Jubilee celebrations of
INDIAN RATIONALIST ASSOCIATION
17-22 January 2000
Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
PREPARATIONS IN FULL PROGRESS AT TRIVANDRUM
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Dear friend,
We cordially invite you to celebrate with us fifty years of
history, which created the largest and the most vibrant rationalist
movement in Asia. The Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Indian
Rationalist Association and the Second International Rationalist
Conference will be held at Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala
state from 17 to 22 January 2000. We invite you to spend six
days in next January with rationalists from all over India and
from around the world. With a wide and manifold programme,
including an academic seminar, lectures, panel discussions,
workshops, plenaries, performances and films, the Second
International Rationalist Conference promises to be a festival
of ideas. The theme of the conference is
"RATIONALIST AGENDA FOR THE 21st CENTURY."
We invite you to meet thought leaders from around the world,
to share informations and experiences, to take time for new
ideas and visions and to open new horizons.
TRIVANDRUM is the capital of Kerala, one of the most beautiful
places in India. An affluent sub-tropical vegetation blossoms
an unusual state, much different from the rest of India:
all its people are literate, many highly educated, the birth
rate is low, extreme poverty is unknown and health care system
complies with western standards. This tiny southern coastal
state in India is a land of spices, lush greenery, swaying
palms and surf washed beaches. The government of Kerala
calls it "God's own country." In fact, Kerala is the land of
a strong atheist-rationalist movement.
Conference Theme and Speakers
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Rationalists argue for a rational approach to human problems,
suggest reasoned alternatives to religious dogmas, defend
freedom of thought and civil liberties and strive for the
secularisation of politics, society and educational system.
Rationalists counter superstition, aim to promote an open
and just society, endorse scientific method and also
recognise importance of emotions and imagination.
At the dawn of a new century as per the common calculation of
time, rationalists from around the globe (atheists, freethinkers,
humanists, secularists and secular humanists) discuss the
future of the world. What shall we do to make it a better place?
The theme of the conference is: "Rationalist Agenda for the
21st Century."
Speakers and delegates from all continents. Thought provoking
lectures, symposia, seminars, workshops... a festival of ideas.
Practical Information
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REGISTRATION FEE: The conference registration fee is $ 150
or equivalent in Sterling or Euro. If more than one participant
register together, the accompanying participant's registration
fee is only $ 100. The registration fee includes participation
in all plenary sessions and workshops, all conference papers,
conference kit, tea/coffee during breaks, working lunch on
18, 19, 20 and 21, cultural events, transport from airport
to hotel on arrival and hotel to airport on departure, transport
from hotels and venue on all days.
Subsidy for delegates from the developing world: The registration
fee for the delegates from the developing world is subsidised.
For more details, please contact <sakthy@giasdla.vsnl.net.in>
ACCOMMODATION: A list of hotels where rooms are reserved for
the conference participants will be sent to you on registration.
The rates of hotel rooms range between $ 15 and $ 70 for single
occupation and $ 20 to $90 for double occupation.
IS TRIVANDRUM EXPENSIVE? Trivandrum is not an expensive town.
There are a wide variety of restaurants and shops. Food and
other services are moderately charged. There shall be rationalist
volunteers at the conference who are willing to give you
guidance, if necessary.
CLIMATE: Climate in January is moderate in Kerala. No rains
are expected during this time of the year. No warm cloths
required.
FLIGHT RESERVATIONS: You are advised to book your flights
well in advance. Trivandrum has an international airport
and some flights directly reach Trivandrum. There are daily
flights from all major global centres to Bombay (new name Mumbai)
New Delhi, Calcutta, Madras (new name Chennai) and Colombo
(capital of Sri Lanka). Direct flights and trains from all
these cities (no train from Colombo) are available daily.
If you need any assistance in obtaining travel bookings,
please do not hesitate to discuss with us. Our travel agents
are always willing to help you.
SPECIAL EVENTS: There are some special events and group journeys
during and after the conference. These are optional. Depending
on your travel plan and time you may opt to join any or all these
events. These includes a get together dinner; a grand
boat journey through the lagoons to Alleppey, the Venice of
the East; Guided sight-seeing of the historical Trivandrum city;
a trip to Cape Comorin, the southern tip of India where
Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean meet; a trip to
Thekkady wildlife resort and the cardamom hills. More details
are available on registration.
For an online registration form, please write to:
<sakthy@giasdla.vsnl.net.in>
We look forward to seeing you at Trivandrum in
January 2000.
For Conference Organising Committee,
-Sakthy
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Reports from the USA and India
MONSANTO WITHDRAWS TERMINATOR SEEDS - FOR NOW
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In the face of world-wide protest, the trasnational seed and
pesticide producer Monsanto has finally been forced to stop
all further marketing efforts for seeds with the controversial
terminator gene. This announcement in the first week of
October is a major victory for all those who fight for the
principle that science and technology should be used for human
welfare, not for exploitation.
Monsanto is one of the handful of transnational "gene giants",
on way to control production and marketing of seeds, pesticides
and pharmaceuticals the world over. Amongst the transnational
corporations reigning supreme over different segments of the
world market and commanding immense economic power, Monsanto
and their ilk are a new species, which does not just milk the
needs and wishes of the world consumer community. To secure
their monopoly, they have developed a technique which, in its
last consequence, aims at suspending the reproductive capacity
of nature. The so-called terminator gene, developed in Monsanto's
laboratories and currently being introduced into various
high breed seeds, create sterile crop plants. Imposed on
uninformed farmers, especially in Third World countries, these
terminator seeds start a disastrous cycle. Unable to use seeds
from their crops for replanting and forced to pay in every future
season for every sack of seeds, the farmers are sliding into
the trap of total dependence from the producer. Meanwhile,
the terminator seeds affect the reproductivity of other crop plants
in the area and can even cause their extinction. Far reaching
ecological, socio-economic and political consequences of such a
development and the vision of traditional agricultural systems
breaking down the food production of entire countries coming
under the grip of the Monsanto empire, have alarmed the
international public.
While announcing market stop, Monsanto continues the research
on terminator seeds in Bangalore, India. After silently
investing estimated $ 4 billion to buy into leading seed
companies, the corporation runs since March a $ 20 million
genetic engineering research laboratory in the premises of
the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and conducts
field trials with genetically altered cotton. Recently they
have asked official permission to import special gene constructs
from their mother laboratory and test possible introduction
into Indian crop varieties. The permission has not yet been
given.
It needs the monitoring of a watchful public, mobilising
governments, courts and institutions, to stop the establishing
of new colonial empires.
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Superstition!
BJP SAYS 13 IS LUCKY NUMBER
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India's ruling Hindu flavoured Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
claimed that they considered 13 a lucky number as Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee took oath for the third time since 1996,
on 13 October 1999.
The BJP said they decided to have the swearing-in ceremony at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday despite it being the 13th.
"Thirteen is unlucky only according to the Western civilisation",
said M. Venkaiah Naidu, official spokesperson of the party.
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