Underskog

Patenting living organisms encourages two forms of violence. First, life-forms are treated as if they were machines, thus denying their self-organising capacity. Second, by allowing the patenting of future generations of plants and animals, the self-reproducing capacity of living organisms is denied.

‘The Art of Living’ / Wednesday 31 August, 19:00

OCA presents Vandana Shiva, the environmental activist and newly appointed Honorary Professor at the University of Oslo, in a lecture addressing central concerns of the world at large – sustainable development and social justice, the integrity of living resources, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. In her research and activism and as an author and philosopher, Shiva has focused on the connection between feminism and ecology, and helped raise awareness about the living conditions for women in developing countries. Through the foundation of Navdanya in 1991, Shiva created a national Indian movement to protect diversity and integrity of living resources, while contributing significantly to the international debate around biodiversity.

Shiva was one of the inaugural speakers in ‘The State of Things’, part of Norway’s Representation at this year’s edition of the Venice Biennale. OCA invited Shiva to speak in that context on ‘The War Against Earth’, in a presentation that raised the awareness about a dominant economy that myopically focuses on the workings of the market, ignoring both nature’s economy and the sustenance economy on which it depends.

The presentation of Vandana Shiva at OCA has been made possible by a generous cooperation with SUM – Centre for Development and the Environment at University of Oslo. For more information on the lecture at OCA, please contact Marthe Tveitan.

A Green Gathering at OCA / Wednesday 31 August, 16:00 – 19:00

In recognition of the many efforts of individual producers, grassroot organisations and independent farmers throughout Norway, and sharing Shiva’s commitments and goals around sustainable development, social justice and the promotion of organic farming and fair trade, OCA calls for an informal gathering of independent farmers, growers, producers, artist enthusiasts and supporters of organic farming and local production. This informal forum aims to bring together a community of small-scale producers and goods at OCA’s location at Nedre gate 7 on the afternoon of Shiva’s presentation. OCA invites all those interested to visit its premises for a community of discussion, sampling, tasting and supporting local endeavours in the area of small-scale agriculture and food production. For those interested in taking part, please contact Asle Olsen at OCA.

About Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva (b.1952, Dehradun, India, lives and works in Delhi, India) is a philosopher, environmental activist, eco-feminist and author, one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization, and a figure of the alter-globalisation movement. She has received the Global 500 Award from the United Nations Environment Programme and the Earth Day International Award of the United Nations. Her recent publications include Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed (2007), Soil Not Oil (2008), Staying Alive (2010) and The Corporate Control of Life (2011) as part of the dOCUMENTA (13) Notebook series. She is currently associated with the Institute of Science and the Institute of Management in Bangalore, India.
Vandana Shiva visits Oslo to give her Honorary Degree Acceptance Speech at the University of Oslo on 1 September, on the occasion of recently being appointed Honorary Professor of the University of Oslo.