Monsanto And Its ‘Crimes Against Humanity:’ Agri-Chem Giant In The Dock At The Hague For Mock Trial
It was the Trial of the Century, and the mainstream coverage had its collective talking head up its collective news hole, yammering on about the two most dismally disliked candidates in the history of U.S. presidential elections.
Well, to be honest, it was the mock-trial of the century. Still, it was an important moment, more than a mere publicity stunt or an empty protest: Friday October 14 marked the first day of a three-day trial accusing Monsanto of crimes against humanity, and it may already be having repercussions.
But it could mean even more in the future: Someday, perhaps if humans come to their senses about taking care of ourselves, the rest of the species on the planet, and the planet itself, someday, if there are future historians, they may look back on this moment as a defining one in the battle of Man versus Money.
The mock-trial was set up by a diverse and international group of anti-GMO activists, scientists, journalists and more in an attempt to create a legal mechanism to hold corporations accountable for the damage they cause as they extract money and resources from the earth and its humans.
It was excellent timing too, as a report was just published causing great consternation among the board room-types at Monsanto–and its new would-be suitor Bayer as well, no doubt–that Monsanto’s GMOs and pesticides and herbicides are not only harmful to living things, the company is also harmful to democracy itself, and has wreaked environmental chaos and caused massive social injustice in pursuit of filthy lucre.
The tribunal will feature a panel of five international judges who will hear testimony from over 30 witnesses and experts from around the world, with the stated goal of providing a forum to hear grievances from actual people who have been harmed by the company’s activities.
The judges will also hear from experts who can attest to the environmental damages the biochem giant has imposed on the world, seeking to add the term Ecocide as a crime under international law.
The other hope is that the testimony the trial produced will provide future litigants against the corporation with a well-prepared dossier of testimony, facts, statistics and other information to use in preparation for their own trials. But the avenues to pursue justice against Monsanto don’t begin and end with legal proceedings, mock or not.
“Our endeavor is based on the observation that only through civic action will we be able to achieve compensation for victims of the American multinational,” reads the tribunal’s website.
Indeed, in the future–if there is a future involving humans–people may look back on this as a watershed moment in the war of life against death.
Where do you stand? Which side are you on?
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http://yournewswire.com/monsanto-crimes-against-humanity-hague/
http://en.monsantotribunal.org/How