Dr. Vandana Shiva, PhD is a world-renowned environmental activist, physicist, feminist, writer, philosopher of science and director of The Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy. She was a keynote speaker at the Traditional Agriculture and Sustainable Living Conference, held at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, New Mexico on Oct. 25-26, 2013.
The 8th Annual Traditional Agriculture and Sustainable Living Conference was organized by Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray, Emigdio Ballon, Patricio Dominguez and the Four Bridges Traveling Permaculture Institute.
Dr. Shiva is a truly heroic figure in India, and in the human rights battle to save and protect traditional agriculture and food systems. She is a PhD in quantum physics who learned deeply from contemporary tragedies of farming in India. She is well-known and has authored many books on the topic. She recognized that the corporate invasion of traditional community food systems around the world is based on genetically modified seeds (GMOs). When she recognized this, she also recognized that the freedom to live happily and productively in one’s own community was also at stake.
Dr. Shiva witnessed the tragedies of the suicides of hard working Punjabi farmers whose way of life and ability to support themselves and their families was destroyed by corporate farming strategies. She decided to devote her life, her talents and her stature as a renowned scientist to this all-important human rights effort. Her movement has been highly successful, as today (except for GMO cotton) genetically modified foods and farming are banned in India. The global movement to ban GMOs and the patenting of life forms started in India, largely through her leadership. GMOs are mostly banned in Europe and South America. Mexico has just recently banned GMO corn. She represents a force to be reckoned with, and she recently spent two days in Espanola, New Mexico, at the Conference for Traditional Agriculture and Sustainable Living. This conference was entirely focused on food, culture and agriculture from the perspective of the traditional Pueblo people.
On Saturday evening, October 26, 2013, the Sikh community in Espanola hosted a reception for Dr. Shiva and the organizers and speakers from the conference. Dr. Shiva spoke about her connection to Sikhs and to the Punjab. This cell phone video captured her talk.
Excerpt from "Pueblo People Thriving in the Espanola Valley" by Krishna Singh Khalsa.