The slaying of the gold corporation

Current: 25 euros (read on for details)

The following extract is from the web site of the Alburnus Maior NGO formed by the locals of Rosia Montana to fight the oppression of the gold corporation that in the last decade destroyed their community and is threatening to destroy their livelihood as well:

"Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) is 80% owned by Gabriel Resources (TSX:GBU), a small, under-resourced and inexperienced Canadian mining company which plans to uproot the people of Rosia Montana to realise Europe's largest open-cast gold mine. 19,31% are owned by Minvest, a state-owned mining company. American miner Newmont (NTSE: NEM), American Electrum Strategic Holdings LLC and American Paulson & Co. each own just under 20% of Gabriel Resources. From its' onset the venture has been beleaguered by scandals, operational problems and vehement local, national and international opposition."

You can find the rest of the article here:
http://rosiamontana.org/en/index.shtml?cmd[314]=x-314-40113&cmd[316]=x-322-40113&cmd[300]=x-299-40113

What it basically says is that the corporate dragon should be dead by the looks at the stock graphics, the fact that their most basic authorisations are illegal and that they have caused some serious civil unrest culminating with the huge protests in romania last year in December with signs pointing that they will build up this year as well.

To make it even more graphic and to link it to the local struggle in romania, I recently recycled a piece of glass and painted it to depict the slaying of the dragon by Saint George, for the auction that will end on the 23rd of April, on the saint's birthday. As you know me I am not religious AT ALL yet as the painting doesn't actually depict something that any religious person would consider as a real event but rather a symbolic representation, me and religion can come to terms on this and I hope that atheists will see the reason in using this strong symbol in romanian society to depict something as recent as the struggle going on in Rosia Montana. 

Help me and help the local NGO of Rosia Montana to continue the fight until the corporation goes bankrupt and the system in which it functions collapses. For now we will have to work with that system in that I want you to take part in the auction I am organising to raise money (grrr!!) for them. We will send all the money here:
Name: Asociaţia Aurarilor Alburnus Maior 
(CIF) code: 13411229
IBAN: RO17RNCB0008021190850001 (RON)
IBAN: RO11RNCB0008021190850012 (EURO)
Code SWIFT: RNCBROBU
Bank: Banca Comerciala Româna( (BCR), Filiala Câmpeni
Bank Address: Piaţa Avram Iancu nr.8, Câmpeni, judeţul Alba, România 
or by Paypal.

I painted it with oil paints so it takes some time to dry but by the 23rd it should be finished so I am asking you to give a symbolic approval of alternative solutions (as there are plenty possible in Rosia Montana, having seen so with my own eyes last year when I was there), of a process over an end result (as (re)building community in that area would mean) and already start writing me your bids. Write me at radu <AT> graffiti.lu for offers and I will be updating the latest offers on the top of the page. The auction will end by 18:00 on 23rd April 2012.  The bid will start from 23 euros. First bidder went up to 25.

That's the furthest I got on the 19th after struggling to cut the glass in the right way.

With some paint on it on Friday 20th.

Almost done with the only detail missing being the halo.

 Here is the inspiration for the painting with the only differences that the spear represents the stock of the corporation collapsing, the saint has no other voice other than that of conscience directing and "blessing" him, the mountains in the background are those of Rosia Montana as they are depicted on the "Save Rosia Montana" campaign logo and the lake of cyanide is the one that will drown the corporation, the dragon has the shape of the logo of the RMGC (Rosia Montana Gold Corporation) and THAT I WILL NOT PAINT THE HALO OF THE SAINT IN GOLD (the highest bidder gets to choose her/his favourite colour):

SoviEturope! Europe! Union

Today being my last program I was planning on ending on a radical note, going back to my Romanian roots, where the language still ties me a great deal to the people and their experiences. I was planning to play as in the first program I had here on Radio Ara mostly music from Romania. And I will still do that but not only. I am more than Romanian and more than a global privileged citizen and with the program I will try to humbly resonate my concerns in relation to these labels.

 In the weekend that just passed many things happened in the soil of my roots, a popular revolt taking form at first around the reforms in the health system and then spreading around all the other social issues that are plaguing Romania. I am finally at ease that people are standing up to the oppressive net of systems in which they find themselves tangled in. I do feel as if many of these systems are too subtle to find their way under the public eye and their critic. I would for example like to see a Black Bloc forming in Romania with the only goal of challenging authority and the neo liberal policies while in demonstrations while I do realize that is a reality far away from the Romanian reality. Far and wide even the most radical of reporters try to pacify the revolts and place power back in the hands of the newly discovered power system which has been growing alongside the neo liberal system: the "turtles". These are the mercenaries, neither the army, nor the regular police force but brutes, in general men (probably in Romania 100% men) who come in to beat in and smother any criticism to the system. The riot police. Having developed quietly in the background they came to be paid from public funds so by the very same people that they beat and arrest. They in times of "crisis" (in which the system of the rich is shaking) come to have full power to arrest and hold anyone for as long as they please with no justification and as well to use violence to suppress any critic as it happened and I witnessed in Copenhagen in 2009 when Denmark basically turned into a police state. There the threat was that people would actually expose the charade that are the Climate Conferences in which the leaders of the world decide who will drown and who will float. Here you can see a movie of a Danish "turtle" explaining how they have supreme power to do as they please and go without any papers on private and legally owned property: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18pVb9EEYp4

 I am posting about this because in today´s European Union the "turtles" play a critical role in preserving the status quo. And it is this status quo that is not changing if the current president of Romania changes or not. If the educational system or the health system change or not. What is at stake is as a former soviet dissident warns, the beginning of a EU dictatorship in which power structures flow towards fewer and fewer hands: http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/865

 Something hard to grasp in privileged Luxembourg, these issues will find their way to the source, the piggy bank which is Luxembourg. I hope people will be wise enough to invest in life and in life´s small and beautiful systems that make life so wonderful instead of the free trade, pension and insurance based mentality, the war with nature mentality and especially the LEADER based mentality that has gotten most of Europe in debt and in a knowledge crisis.

Stop the violence in Egypt, stop the violence in Romania! Save Rosia Montana!

Such a video as the one that is circulating around the world today of the violence against the protesters in Egypt and their killing has left me a bit numb. I can't find the right words to write as usual. I would just like to point out that although such punctual violence is imediately condemned, the violence of corporations such as Gabriel Resources involved in starting the biggest open pit mine in Europe in Rosia Montana, Romania passes unnoticed. No more! Let's start making this violence visible and relief the people of Rosia Montana of their constant fear for their livelygoods. Visit http://rosiamontana.org/en/ and get information, get in touch with me and let's talk of what can be done in Luxembourg for making the issue visible.

Transnational solidarity - Save Rosia Montana!

The 1st of December was chosen as a day of solidarity with the community of Rosia Montana in Romania because on the same day in Romania the press is busy with nationalist reports (being national day and all) in which the people of Rosia Montana hoped to make it in. Seeing that there is at the moment a media embargo on the issue of Rosia Montana in Romania the volunteers and locals part of the asociation of Alburnus Maior were running after the reporters that were going in live transmision around them. Such reporters that would ask the police to get the people out the frame or that would not go on live just because the new setting was not what they were allowed to show. Help break this media embargo and bring the issue of the LARGEST OPEN PIT MINE IN EUROPE planned in Romania's oldest recorded settlement on the discussion table. Modifications to an existing law that the gold corporation has pushed for in the Romanian parlament would give a corporation the right through the intermediary of the state to expropriate (that is to forcefuly remove) people off their lands, a desperate move from the transnational corporation in the front of which  a few brave are standing against.

And from these few brave we will be hearing during this program, first from Alina, a Romanian involved in the campaign to save Rosia Montana, secondly Lena living and studying in Vienna where together with Alina was involved on the 1st of December in expropriating local buildings, trying to raise awareness on the issue and finally an interview with Santiago Fischer from Commission Justice et Paix from Belgium who speaks about a similar struggle as that of Rosia Montana in Peru.

Here are some links to some of the actions during the 1st of December:
from Budapes: http://indafoto.hu/shamsara/rosia_montana_szolidaritas/slideshow
from Lisbon: http://gaia.org.pt/node/16122
from Vienna: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150408121753195.362263.595663194&type=3
from Chisinau: http://curaj.tv/reportaj/protest-pentru-rosia-montana-la-chisinau/#.TtlH5ZRDeUY.facebook
and articles from Romanian independent media:
http://totb.ro/de-1-decembrie-uniti-pentru-rosia-montana
http://www.green-report.ro/stiri/adversarii-proiectului-rosia-montana-au-fost-aplaudati-de-ziua-nationala-romanieinbsp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7tIjQ4o_48&feature=player_embedded

The 1st of December was a transnational day of solidarity but it doesn't stop here. You can also take part in tipping the scale in the favour of a democratic and respectful of basic human rights debate by sending letters to your local Romanian embasy, by doing small expropriation actions and by trying to reach the media, especially the free media such as free radios. Especially the expropriation actions are very valuable as this modification of an existing law that would get people kicked off their land would crush the most basic human rights and plunge Romania in the Dark ages.

If people make an action and have photos of it you are welcome to send them to this following address from where I will forward them to others that can make them visible: braducu@gmail.com

Here you can find all the documents needed for either documentation or "expropriation":
http://wtrns.fr/XSgs0pTk1xBjeY0

Here you will find the podcast for this program from today which you can distribute freely on all and any chanells:
http://podcast.ara.lu/?p=327

Macrobiotics - food and eating but not only!

When I left for Amsterdam I had a completely different goal in mind, and that was to interview sex workers in the red lights district for the "sustainable sex" series that I was planning for. I will still try to get those interviews for my future programs but while in Amsterdam and living with my friends I was pleasantly surprised to find out about macrobiotics and having the chance to make an interview on it I jumped at it.

Diego Ferioli has been involved in the Kushi Institute for Macrobiotics in Amsterdam for about a year learning while working there as a volunteer. He took from that what he needed and applyed it to his day to day life to the point that him and his friends would always find themselves in a cosy atmosphere cooking together and being close. On the Kushi institute you can find out more here: http://www.macrobiotics.nl/

As the local contact I got in touch with the owner of Ana Banana, the only vegan restaurant in Luxembourg which as it happens is also based on macrobiotics principles.  Ana Ruivo was kind enough to repeat the interview with me after the microphone stubornly didn't want to hand over the first file I got and was a pleasure to talk. You cna find her and lovely house/home/restaurant at http://www.anabanana.lu/

To wrap it up I will also mention the Critical Mass that will take place this Friday and should be quite massive for the first time in a long time as well as information evenings planned by ASTM (Action Solidarité Tiers Monde). On this organisation and others you can find out more from here: http://astm.lu/

Sustainable sex

How long can you endure? Last? Go on pleasuring your partner(s) without reaching the point of no return (of which scientists have been warning for years of course)? These might be the first puns that would come to mind when the two terms are associated. Sustainable sex seems to be a lethal duo fit for a 10 cents gossip magazine (or playboy at best). Still I am not going to invade the airwaves of a free radio such as Radio Ara here in Luxembourg with anything less than honest conversations and interviews on a topic that should be of a greater focus than that of green roofs, bikes and gardens since it lies at the base of our human interactions and as any natural builder could tell you, the secret of a sturdy, lasting building lies in it's foundation, it's base. So if we are to go on and march in the streets, protest and demand change why not do the exercise of acting locally first and foremost and change or reconsider the things that we can alter on a regular basis, with no politicians to hold our hand (or other body parts)? Whether it's starting a community garden, riding and learning how to fix a bike, going vegan or just as simple learning more about what makes us happy in our day to day life can be simple yet meaningful steps towards a more sustainable society.

So for this and many other reasons next week's program will focus on sex as part of this network of influences that could possibly give us more time on this planet, network that we call sustainability. We'll hear from an activist from Vancouver that came into the studios of Radio Ara to openly talk about subjects at hand. Also this week if hitchhiking will be possible there are plans for interviews in the red lights district of Amsterdam for a next program which will still focus on sustainable sex with interviews from ZEGG, a community close to Berlin from the website of which you can read "We want to encourage everyone to take responsibility for their own future.  Only a wide network of multifaceted life models can become a foundation for a new society." http://www.zegg.de/english.html

On Radio Ara from 2PM on the 7th of November, that being next Monday and on soundcloud you can hear the ending of the program that was left out because I could not actually fit it in the one hour available but also because it gives more detailed information about websites that I will also write bellow:


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367027/ - "Shortbus" movie
http://www.scarleteen.com/ - sexual education
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=10480174 - sex collumnist Dan Savage.
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/blackspot

Sepp Holtzer - inspiration for mountain farmers

Sepp Holtzer has been at the forefront of permaculture in Austria and now the world through the influence of his many books, website http://www.krameterhof.at/en and guided tours that he gives on his extended property in the Austrian Alps. And he has been doing that long before he was even acquainted with the term of permaculture. In doing so many people call his model of agriculture Holzer permaculture.

He is now working on presenting his techniques and sensitive way of working with the land to a large audience around the world and on Monday the 24th from 2PM on Radio Ara we will hear an interview of him conducted by Katy Fox and Rodrigo Vergara from the Center for Ecological Learning Luxembourg (CELL - http://cell.lu).

It will unfortunately only be in German but hopefully a small presentation in English will also be available since his model can benefit many in sensitive areas such as Rosia Montana of Romania where a gold corporation is threatening to destroy four mountain tops in the greatest ecological, social and architectural disaster in Europe after Chernobyl. Mountain tops that could very well be suited for Holzer permaculture. Take a look at the area and just imagine hundreds of species of edible leafed trees, fruit and nut trees, fruit bushes, pumpkins growing on rocks, chickens and goats running freely in certain areas and you might see Paradise where Hell is planned in Rosia Montana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m4G2wxskXE

Here is the same type of terrain transformed according to Holzer Permaculture:
http://youtu.be/Bw7mQZHfFVE