25 March: First morning in Luxembourg
Maurice proved to be really precise and phoned us not to oversleep. That was smart of him. I do not remember the breakfast very well, maybe because it was the usual intercontinental one You can get in any hotels of Europe, but also because we were briefed by Maurice about the importance of each meeting during breakfast. Everyone thought that Luxemburg is much smaller, but we travelled to so many places today – all the time in a hurry to meet busy allies and members of NOGM, the GMO-Free Luxembourg coalition.
Largest number of directors at one place – at the same time
Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International (Front) and Sarah Burton, Deputy Programme Director (right), board the GE Free Bus showing their support for a GE-Free Europe.
Luckily Greenpeace directors from all over the world met in Luxemburg this year, so we surprised them right after their breakfast and introduced our bus and the purpose of it to them. This was a really good rehearsal as well, to see if the crew can realize what we discussed and practiced last night.
I have never seen so many directors at the same place at the same time – first hand experience on Greenpeace, a global organization. They were curious about the farmer kitchen interior and video-message recording system, the route of the bus, they all wanted to sign the bus themselves then ran to their meetings. Maurice got the message later from his boss, that they liked the whole project and was really worth to go.
Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, signs the Greenpeace GE-Free bus.
I was really happy to meet Kumi Naidoo, the executive director of Greenpeace International, who was an all-round activist and campaigner of environmental and human rights organizations in Africa for years. I have seen him before, not like the Indian board member, Lalita Ramdas, who was really proud when she mentioned their latest success to stop genetically modified Brinjal (eggplant) in India a month ago.
Hard life of the crew
The whole thing seems to be really easy: "get" one person and "take" them inside and record the statement they say. Give them a marker to sign the bus. Today we realized that it is not that easy – especially if You have a crowd around the bus.
Several roles we have to fulfill when we stop. Organizing the traditional farmer "grandma" kitchen - since everything is fixed within the room while we are on the road. Parallel to that go to meet the people we had an appointment with for an interview and ask them to come out and visit the bus outside their office. Switch the videocamera on inside, find the markers and get the ladder from the roof for the person signing or for Emma who sometimes took photos from the ladder.
Meeting the local pioneer of organic farming.
Our crew met the pioneer of the organic farming movement in Luxemburg. We could see the centre where Aender Schanck works every day, the proud president showed us around. This place was the centre of organic farmers’ organizations from Luxemburg. They have established together a cooperative with the main purpose to sell and to promote their good quality products. This cooperative had a supermarket on the spot, in which the president talked to us about the dangers of the authorization of GE-potato, Amflora. We found organic potato on the shelves.
Activating important allies, the GE- and GMO-free cities and unions.
Aender Schanck (left), the organic farmers president, stands with Greenpeace campaigner Maurice Losch at the GE-Free Future bus.
The crew met the major of Esch-sur-Alzette, the second biggest city of Luxemburg with its’ 30.000 habitants. The office of Greenpeace Luxemburg can be found here. The major, Lydia Mutsch drew the symbol of the city, a nice tower, onto our bus, agreeing that her settlement wants and does act for a GE-Free Future. As well as Emile Calmes, the major of Préizerdaul, the first GE free municipality in Luxembourg. He told us that Préizerdaul joined the growing community of GMO-Free cites and regions on the 5th of February, 2003. Since then 85 municipalities followed their example, covering almost the whole country.
Not only municipalities and farmers, but consumer organizations and trade unions are also against GE. The president of the biggest trade union and the representative of the Luxembourg’ consumer organization has visited our bus as well. The last one is currently the largest NGO of the country, so their voice is really heard and count.
Bob Tomori Balazs
Did YOU sign our petition to Barroso already? You do not need the bus, it can be done online as well!
Picture credit: © Emma Stoner / Greenpeace, 26/03/2010, The Netherlands