PRESS RELEASE
February 10th 2004
Carleton Students Against Corporate Crime
105 Dagmar Avenue
Vanier Ontario
K1L 5T3
Carleton University students to protest Carleton University's
relationship with Monsanto
(Ottawa) - A group of Carleton University students announced their
intention to protest at Carleton's Arthur Kroeger College Awards Dinner
this Tuesday evening (5pm, 10 February 2004, Ottawa's Chateau Laurier
Hotel). The group is concerned that the awards are being sponsored by
Monsanto Inc., the embattled biotechnology multinational corporation.
"We don't want Carleton to be on Monsanto's payroll," said Mike Whiten,
the spokesman of the informal group.
Along with the awards dinner, Carleton is holding a forum on US-Canadian
relations. John Manley, former US Ambassador Gordon Giffen, and former
Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo are scheduled to speak at the Kroeger
Forum which precedes the awards ceremony. The advisory committee for
this forum includes former provincial premiers Bob Rae and Peter
Lougheed. It also includes Ken Battle, the president of the Caledon
Institute.
This year, Carleton is giving awards to The Caledon Institute, Lt-Gen.
(Ret.) Rom�o Dallaire, and the National Roundtable on the Environment
and the Economy, which is receiving the Monsanto-sponsored award for
"policy leadership".
In 1998, the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry heard
testimony that Monsanto officials tried to bribe Health Canada
scientists. "Given what we've heard about Monsanto, it's pretty cynical
for Carleton to let them sponsor an award on how to advance policy
issues," said Mr. Whiten. In 1999, Health Canada refused to approve
Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone because they concluded that the hormone
increased the risk of mastitis, infertility and lameness in dairy cows.
The Supreme Court of Canada is currently considering the case where
Monsanto Canada sued a Saskatchewan farmer for payment after his fields
were contaminated by the company's genetically-modified seed. Monsanto
is also being sued on behalf of 3 million Vietnamese who have
contracted diseases relating to Agent Orange poisioning. Monsanto was
one of the major manufacturers of the chemical which was used by the US
military during the Vietnam conflict.
Other sponsors of the awards include Glaxo-Smith-Kline and The Globe and
Mail. The selection jury this year included Ed Broadbent, the NDP
candidate for Ottawa-Centre.
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Contact Information:
Mike Whiten,
Carleton Students Against Corporate Crime
(613) 746-6412
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