Vandana Shiva

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Vandana Shiva, PhD (b. November 5, 1952, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal State), is a physicist, ecofeminist, environmental activist and author. Shiva, currently based in New Delhi, is author of over 300 papers in leading scientific and technical journals.

Dr. Shiva participated in the Chipko movement during the 1970s. The movement, whose main participants were women, adopted the tactic of hugging trees to prevent their felling. In 1982, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. Initiatives of this foundation include Navdanya, an organic farming programme, the Bija Vidyapeeth' (or Seed University, International College for Sustainable Living), and Diverse Women for Diversity. Another of her initiatives is the Living Democracy Movement.

Shiva is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization, (along with Jerry Mander, Edward Goldsmith, Ralph Nader, Jeremy Rifkin, etc.), and a figure of the global solidarity movement known as anti-globalization movement.

Contents

1 Early life and education
2 Career
3 Recognition
4 Publications
5 See also
6 External links

Early life and education

Shiva was born in the valley of Dehradun, to a father who was the conservator of Forests and a farmer mother with a love for nature. She was educated at St Mary's School in Nainital, and at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun. Shiva was trained as a physicist and wrote on the "Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory" at the University of Western Ontario, where she received her PhD. She later went on to interdisciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy, at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.

Career

Shiva has fought for changes in the practice and paradigms of agriculture and food. Her books, "The Violence of Green Revolution" and "Monocultures of the Mind" challenge the dominant paradigm of non-sustainable, reductionist 'green revolution' agriculture. Intellectual property rights, biodiversity, biotechnology, genetic engineering are among the fields where Dr. Shiva has contributed intellectually and through activist campaigns. She has assisted grassroots the Green movement in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ireland, Switzerland and Austria with campaigns against genetic engineering. Critics of Shiva insist that she represents the interests of Western environmental and green ideology to a larger extent than she represents the interests of the majority of the rural poor in developing countries.

In 1982, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology in Dehra Dun. The foundation is dedicated to high quality, independent research addressing significant ecological and social issues, partnered with local communities and social movements. In 1991, she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect the biodiversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seeds.

Shiva has brought her intellect and activism to bear on gender issue. Her book, "Staying Alive" helped redefine perceptions of third world women. In 1990 she wrote a report entitled, "Most Farmers in India are Women". She also founded the gender unit at the International Centre for Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu.

Shiva has also served as an adviser to governments in India and abroad as well as non governmental organisations, including the International Forum on Globalisation, the Women's Environment and Development Organisation and the Third World Network.

Recognition

In 1993, Shiva received the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize) "...For placing women and ecology at the heart of modern development discourse."[link]. Other awards she has received include the Global 500 Award of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1993 [link], and the Earth Day International Award of the United Nations (UN) for her dedicated commitment to the preservation of he planet as demonstrated by her actions, leadership and by setting an example for the rest of the world.

Additional awards include:

2001, HORIZON 3000 Award of Austria in recognition to rendering useful service for defending Human Rights and Preservation of Peace and for the vision of a world wide fair development in the third millennium
2000, Pellegrino Artusi Award, Italy for original contribution to reflections on relations between humans and food
1998, Commemorative Medal by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on the occasion of the Celebration of the 18th World Food Day, organised by FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok; Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic from the International Scientific Committee of the Pio Manzu Centre at Rimini, Italy during the XXIV Pio Manzu International Conference on "The Horizons of Hermes"
1997, The Golden Plant Award (International Award of Ecology), Denmark, for the remarkable contribution for Ecology and Environment; Alfonso Comin Award, Barcelona, Spain, for important contribution both scientifically and personally to the ecologist and feminist movement in India
1995, "Pride of the Doon" Award from Doon Citizen Council, Dehra Dun, India, in recognition of distinguished contributions to the region
1993: Order of the Golden Ark, by his Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for outstanding services to conservation and ecology;VIDA SANA International Award, Spain, for her contribution to Ecology and Food Security

Publications

2005, Earth Democracy; Justice, Sustainability, and Peace, South End Press, ISBN 089608745X
2005, Breakfast of Biodiversity: the Political Ecology of Rain Forest Destruction, ISBN 093502896X
2005, Globalization's New Wars: Seed, Water and Life Forms Women Unlimited, New Delhi, ISBN 8188965170
2002, Water Wars; Privatization, Pollution, and Profit, South End Press, Cambridge Massachusetts
2002, Vedic Ecology: Practical Wisdom for Surviving the 21st Century, Mandala Publishing Group, Novato, California, ISBN 1886069654
2001, Water Wars, South End Press, Boston
2001, Patents, Myths and Reality, Penguin India
2000, Tomorrow's Biodiversity, Thames and Hudson, London, ISBN 0500282390
1999, Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply, South End Press, Cambridge Massachusetts, ISBN 0896086089
1997, Biopiracy: the Plunder of Nature and Knowledge, South End Press, Cambridge Massachusetts, I ISBN 1896357113
1995, Biopolitics (with Ingunn Moser), Zed Books, United Kingdom
1994, Close to Home: Women Reconnect Ecology, Health and Development Worldwide, Earthscan, London, ISBN 0865712646

1993, Ecofeminism, Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva, Fernwood Publications, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, ISBN 1895686288
1993, Monocultures of the Mind: Biodiversity, Biotechnology and Agriculture, Zed Press, New Delhi
1993, Women, Ecology and Health: Rebuilding Connections (editor), Dag Hammarskjold Foundation and Kali for Women, New Delhi
1992, Biodiversity: Social and Ecological Perspectives (editor); Zed Press, United Kingdom
1992, The Violence of the Green Revolution: Ecological degradation and political conflict in Punjab, Zed Press, New Delhi,
1991, Ecology and the Politics of Survival: Conflicts Over Natural Resources in India, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, ISBN 0803996721
1988, Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Survival in India, Zed Press, New Delhi, ISBN 0862328233
1981, Social Economic and Ecological Impact of Social Forestry in Kolar, Vandana Shiva, H.C. Sharatchandra, J. Banyopadhyay, Indian Institute Of Management, Bangalore

External links

[Shiva in Helsinki] speaking on Earth Democracy, script and online video! SHALIN Suomi ry 2006
[Shiva the destroyer?]
[Critique of Vandana Shiva's views by ecologist David Wood]
[Big Picture TV] Free video clip of Vandana Shiva
[Dr. Vandana Shiva CV]
[Vandana Shiva biography], Right Livelihood Award homepage
[Vandana Shiva's ZNet HomePage]
[ZNet audio: Vandana Shiva]
[Resurgence Magazine: Vandana Shiva]
[In the Footsteps of Gandhi - An Interview with Vandana Shiva] by Scott London (From the Radio Series 'Insight & Outlook').
[Vandana Shiva page], Third World Traveler.
[Vandana Shiva on McDonald's, Exploitation and the Global Economy], One-Off Productions, 1997.
[Whose Freedom? Which Fredom?], Working TV, June 15, 1998.
Vandana Shiva. [Corporate Terrorism], Resurgence Magazine, January 2002.
Vandana Shiva. [Privatizing water will lead to war], Resurgence Magazine, July 2003.
[Shiva on Coca-Cola's involvement in water depletion and contamination in India], NOW with Bill Moyers. September 5, 2003.
Amy Goodman. [An Hour With Vandana Shiva], Democracy Now, November 27, 2003.
Vandana Shiva. [Gift of Food], Resurgence Magazine, January 2005.
Vandana Shiva. [Celebrating Food Economies], Resurgence Magazine, March 2005.
[Video of Shiva's lecture at Michigan State University], Internet Archive, April 7, 2005.
Vandana Shiva. [Two Myths That Keep The World Poor], Ode Magazine, October 2005.