Foundation for Ecodevelopment
(Stichting Mondiaal Alternatief / MA)
P.O. Box 151, 2130 AD Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
Mail:
 
In 1972 MA was founded by Ernst Bartels and Fanny Rosenzweig.
It operates on a worldwide social and ecological need for a
conservation strategy for the entire biosphere. The Foundation
is not directly connected to any political or religious organization.

MA is a full member of:

- the European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
- the International Federation on Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM).
- the Pesticides Action Network (PAN) and the Seeds Action
Network (SAN)
- Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN)
- EU advisory group for the EU Council's Directive of the 2nd
of April 1979 on the Protection of birds.
- national (Dutch) council group in regard of Appendix V of
this EU Bird Directive.
- the Environmental Liaison Centre International (ELCI) = the NGO
counterpart organisation of the United Nations Environment
Principal activities of MA:

- Democratic public pressure upon the European Union (EU),
by means of a campaign called: SAVE THE MIGRATORY BIRDS, SAVE
OUR CHILDREN, has led to the EU Bird Directive of 1979. This
Directive sets minimum rules/obligations of the Member-States
in regard of the protection of birds throughout the EU and expresses
ecological arguments in the preambles. From this activity
originated the following projects:

* Ecological and Economic Significance of Birds (EESB) Project
Aims: survey implementation of the EU Bird Directive by the
Member-States.
Action: promoting ecologically sound methods to prevent the
occurrence of damages caused by birds and get a better
insight in the ecological and economic significance of birds.
(WSPA)

* AGRibusiness and ECOLogy (AGRECOL) Project
Aims: aimed at ecological screening and restricting agro-
inputs exports to developing countries, with a special
emphasis on substances that are banned or restricted in
western countries.
Action: promoting sustainable and ecological sound, economic
and socially acceptable agricultural methods throughout the
world but with emphasis on Third World low-input agriculture
aiming at food self-sufficiency of the poor. Affiliated to a.o.  LEISA
Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture.

* Agrecol Agro-forestry Project
Aims: ibid AGRECOL-Project
Action: promoting the sustainable potential of low external
input Agro-forestry techniques and systems in order to
increase food self-sufficiency of the rural poor in Third
World countries. Affiliated to a.o. Taiga-News.

* Agrecol Biotechnology Project
Aims: verifying that enough is done to minimize risks and
dangers and that there will be good regulations in which
loopholes are anticipated.
Action: using ecologically sound, economically viable and
socially acceptable agricultural methods and only using
biotechnology in the pharmaceutical industry where there is
really need for it.

* Family Cooker and Medical Cooker (FC/MC) Project
Aims: raising inside the western countries consciousness about
the energy problems of the Third World poor.
Action: reducing the demand for fuelwood inside developing
countries by promoting the use of fuel-saving cooking stoves,
like the family cooker.

* The Camelsnose Project
Aims: The promotion of international communication between
environmental organizations the world over (Internet) and to
provide a private flow of information on international
environmental issues. Affiliated to a.o. Tiempo (Climate Change)

* Chemical Time Bombs Project
Aims: Making an inventory of Chemical Time Bombs (CTB's) in
Europe. Action: drawing a plan, internationally accepted, to
unfuse these CTB's. Affiliated to a.o. the Worldwatch Institute
& the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

- During the action for the EC Bird Directive of 1979 MA in the period of
1974-1978 also the export of forbidden pesticides to the Third World was
criticized, which directly led to the foundation of in 1982 of PAN.
- promotion, in collaboration with other organizations, of the World
Charter of Nature and implementation of the 1980 World Conservation
Strategy and of the Strategy for Sustainable Living "Caring for the Earth"
(1991). Affiliated to the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS).
- publication of a series of original publications, reprints and
translations in the field of ecology and ecosophy, called ecoscripts. With
these publications we aim at furthering mankind's ecological consciousness.
Affiliated to o.a. Soka Gakkai International (SGI)

Fundamental approach of MA:

THE BIOSPHERE EVOLVED AND FUNCTIONS AS A WHOLE; IT MUST,
THEREFORE, BE TREATED AS A WHOLE. OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT
CONTINUE TO FUNCTION.


MA kindly requests that anyone who may wish to support the Foundation to
pay an annual donation of (20 Ecu's) minimum.


MA-secretariat
P.O. Box 151
2133 ER Hoofddorp,
The Netherlands
tel.: +31.(0)23.5632305
E-mail/Internet: mondiaal@freemail.nl
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