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Announcement :: Civil & Human Rights |
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Call To Action For Ice Mountain No-Shop Campaign |
Current rating: 0 |
by Aquifer
Email: aquiferaction (nospam) yahoo.com (verified) |
09 Sep 2002
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Water activists are now calling on anyone and everyone to no-shop any day, any time and all the time. Organizers also foresee no-shops taking place in other Midwestern states where Ice Mountain is marketed. |
(I posted this on Michigan IMC two days ago, but it is more than just a Michigan issue. Ice mountain is marketed all over the Midwest. They tried to land a plant in Wisconson but failed (due to popular opposition) and so went to Michigan. The precedent set by this could affect the whole Great Lakes basin (via WTO and NAFTA trade laws). This fight against corporate control of water is one of many taking place around the world, as the push for water privatization intensifies. (See global indymedia) Please read on and consider helping out. Contact: aquiferaction (at) yahoo.com ; Info: www.waterissweet.org )
Having organized two successful days of "no-shop" actions in supermarkets around Michigan, water rights activists are calling on any and all Michigan residents who care about water to take action in stores that sell Ice Mountain bottled water.
On August 15 and 23, Displays of Ice Mountain were removed from store shelves in over a dozen Michigan cities. Carts of water were left in obscure locations throughout stores such as Meijer, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Gordons, Kroger and Spartan. Signs reading "Our Water Is Not For Sale - Boycott Ice Mountain" were left on shelves. Manistee, Midland, Detroit, Mount Pleasant, Ann Arbor, Ludington, Gaylord, Petoskey, Kalkaska, Traverse City and Cadillac were some of the places where no-shops occurred.
The Ice Mountain boycott and the recent in-store actions are part of a campaign to shut down the Nestle Corporation's new $100 million Ice Mountain bottling plant in central Michigan. Nestle is stealing water from an aquifer in Mecosta county and selling it for private profits of up to $1.8 million a day. Under international trade laws, success for Nestle would give all corporations a green light to take Michigan water and sell it for private profit, even to ship it out of the Great Lakes region. Nestle Waters has already dried up or fouled wells and spring sites in Maine, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania. The Ice Mountain wells will decrease the flow of water in the Deadstream and the Little Muskegon river.
The no-shop tactic gives retailers who sell Ice Mountain a clear message - they cannot remain neutral in the struggle between the people of Michigan and private corporations for control of Michigan's water.
The Water First! affinity group organized the actions, with support from activists in the Sweetwater Alliance, a state-wide grassroots group working to shut down Ice Mountain. Instead of designating certain days for future no-shops, and in addition to asking known contacts to participate, Water First! is now calling on anyone and everyone to no-shop any day, any time and all the time. Organizers also foresee no-shops taking place in other Midwestern states where Ice Mountain is marketed.
While the large grocery chains have been unresponsive, more than 40 smaller stores around Michigan have pledged to support the boycott by not selling Ice Mountain. Sweetwater Alliance organizers say that informing small business owners and managers about the boycott and surrounding issues may be more effective than no-shopping at such stores, and are calling for a continued campaign of outreach to businesses. And while the big chains have been contacted and are aware of the issue, it can't hurt to keep sending letters and talking to store managers and employees. Meijer has been a particular focus for activists because it is a Michigan chain and also a voracious Ice Mountain marketer.
Other fronts in the battle against Ice Mountain include a lawsuit filed by Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (www.savemiwater.org) on the grounds that Nestle is violating the fair use law for Michigan water. The case will be heard in late October.
Sweetwater Alliance and other groups are organizing a legal picket and rally at the Ice Mountain plant in Stanwood at noon on September 14, following up on the July 22 action where a blockade of the plant's shipping entrance was maintained for seven hours. Find out more at www.waterissweet.org .
Here are a few tips for a successful no-shop:
* As far as we know, it is not illegal to start shopping and change one's mind. The Meijer corporation, however, has described no-shopping as vandalism and threatened arrest. Be sure to avoid any actions that could be characterized this way, for instance putting stickers on shelves during a no-shop (several no-shops have been carried out at Meijer without incident since they issued the threatening statements).
* While an arrest scenario is possible, remember that this would be extremely bad publicity for the store in question. If possible, go no-shopping in groups or in pairs. Sweetwater Alliance is in contact with lawyers who can help if you run into trouble during a no-shop, and can help get the story out to Michigan media. (contact: somesanite (at) yahoo.com or contact (at) waterissweet.org)
*Be creative with your signs for the shelves. Or not - "Our Water is Not For Sale, Boycott Ice Mountain" works fine.
*Contact Water First! at aquiferaction (at) yahoo.com with news of your successful no-shop.
* Consider sending a press release to your local media. This call to action could be modified to fit your specific action and sent to local media.
* Backgrounder info pamphlets and a sample letter to businesses can be found by clicking "resources" on the www.waterissweet.org website. Email contact (at) waterissweet.org when you get a new businesses to join the boycott.
* Have fun! |
