From mosa@netcom.com Wed Nov 22 21:34:51 1995 From: mosa@netcom.com (Michele Lord) To: dave@sgi From: rich@pencil.math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel) Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive Subject: FRENCH BOYCOTT - WORLD UPDATE NO.6 Followup-To: alt.activism.d Date: 18 Nov 1995 20:40:08 GMT Organization: PACH Lines: 557 Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu Message-ID: <48lgb8$ka9@news.missouri.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: pencil.math.missouri.edu Resent-From: rich Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu /** disarm.ctb-npt: 258.0 **/ ** Topic: BOYCOTT - WORLD UPDATE NO.6 ** ** Written 12:35 PM Nov 14, 1995 by gn:ipb in cdp:disarm.ctb-npt ** INTERNATIONAL PEACE BUREAU: CAMPAIGN AGAINST NUCLEAR TESTING WORLD UPDATE OF BOYCOTT ACTIONS AGAINST FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING Nov 1st, 1995 Note: This update includes material published earlier, in order to provide a more complete picture for those who have not received previous versions. We do not have the resources to provide an update on non-boycott actions against testing. Suffice to say that the outrage is nearly universal and that a huge range of actions is continuing. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND US INFORMATION. EMAIL IS BEST: IPB@GN.APC.ORG. OR FAX: +41-22-738-9419. Tel: +41-22-731- 6429. Address: IPB, 41 rue de Zrich, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland. Please quote IPB as information source where possible. Background Support for the international boycott against France in reaction to Chirac's decision to resume nuclear testing has been gradually increasing. IPB launched a worldwide appeal on June 14, for a consumer boycott of French goods and services. A number of groups appear to have had the same idea, and the variety of responses so far has been most encouraging. Much spontaneous activity has been going on and this is often well reported in local media. There is now clear evidence that there is considerable alarm in French business circles, notably in vulnerable sectors like wine, food, clothing and cosmetics, as well as armaments. Labour unions in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific islands have been in the forefront of calls for consumer boycotts and and other economic actions against French interests in the region. French- Australian relations are developing into a trade war. Other countries could follow suit, but this will only have a political impact if the French commercial sector reacts quickly enough. Already pear growers have pelted the Agriculture minister over nuclear testing and falling prices. Wine growers are demanding compensation from the government, and have requested an injunction against Greenpeace to prevent them from taking up the boycott. In several countries there has been a strong response to boycott the `Beaujolais nouveau'. Perfume and champagne manufacturers are worried about the Christmas trade. It is clear that if more tests do go ahead, each of the next few months will provide another opportunity to intensify the protests, and to build a bigger snowball of consumer reaction. Demonstrations may come and go; the boycott is an ideal long-term campaigning tool. What to boycott? Different groups have different targets. Most popular are wine, cheese, cosmetics and airlines, but some feel strongly we should focus on cars, gasoline and all French government services and nationalised industries, such as Air France, ELF and Renault. IPB now has various types of lists, available on request: a) Contractors: a list of companies engaged in contract work at the Test Site - these need to be heavily targeted, though their products and services are largely technical. b) General products and companies: two different lists of over 100 French companies in Australia, and of French companies operatingin Europe. There is an Italian list from Naples. c) French companies who have declared themselves against thetests. (`Positive-list') All are urged to give this maximum publicity. We do not wish to alienate our friends. EACH ORGANISATION MUST MAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS ABOUT THE SCOPE AND METHODS OF THEIR OWN BOYCOTT. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO WORK TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT IS ALREADY BECOMING VERY UNFASHIONABLE IN SOME CIRCLES TO BUY FRENCH. IPB supports only actions that are non-violent in character. More research is needed into product and company names, as well as compilation of lists of media contacts, fax numbers etc. - any offers? IPB BOYCOTT PLEDGE: In May 1995, when the Non-Proliferation Treaty was made permanent, the 5 nuclear weapons states committed themselves to make "systematic and determined" efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons, and to conclude a Comprehensive Test Ban by 1996. The French plans to resume nuclear testing threaten us all by increasing the risk of the spread and development of new nuclear weapons, and they menace the health and environment of the Pacific region. I/We demand that President Chirac cancels all future tests. In order to exert political pressure on France to comply with her international obligations, I/we will not buy French products or services. * Please send your group's endorsement of the boycott to the IPB office. * Order your IPB boycott stickers now! Price approx 1 CHF (Swiss francs) (or $1) per A4 page (8 stickers) or 100 for 10 CHF, from Secretariat. Groups are encouraged to make their own bumper stickers, buttons, posters and other material. Please send us samples. * Also available: basic fact sheet on the boycott; and a `Responding to Sceptics' article on the boycott. * Donations are vital too, since this campaign is costing the IPB a lot of money and is draining our very limited reserves. (See below for details of how to transfer cash). How about holding a boycott party or other event and sharing the proceeds between your local group and IPB? How to transfer money to IPB Our 1st choices (no charges for IPB): * in Swiss Francs (CHF) direct to our Geneva Post Office Giro account (CCP. 12-2014-6). * in Swiss Francs by bank transfer to our main bank account (Banque Centrale Cooperative, Geneva, no.140049.290090-9); or by cheque in sterling sent to our Geneva office. Alternatively: * by cheque in US dollars OR Swiss francs, sent to our Geneva office. For a $ cheque we have to pay up to $8 just to cash it. * cash in any major currency (this saves us bank charges but could be risky if sent by standard mail). * International Postal Reply Coupons - for small amounts . Whichever method you choose, please indicate `fees 95', `literature', `donation' etc and sender's name and address. Note: All donations are tax-deductible; IPB is a non-profit association registered under Swiss law. URGENT - Nouveau Beaujolais the next target! On Oct 25 the International Peace Bureau issued a call for a worldwide focus on Nouveau Beaujolais as the next stage in the boycott campaign. This is because the product is emblematic of France's export drive and unlike other wines is a perishable commodity. (Text of Press Release available on request). France's largest exporter of Beaujolais, DuBoeuf, ships annually 6 million bottles, one in every 5 produced in the region. They have already suffered cancellations for 44,000 cases, valued at $200,000. "Beaujolais is very French" their export manager said. "If they want to hurt us, they will do it through such a product". Particularly upsetting to the winemakers is that 1995 is considered a particularly good year for Beaujolais Nouveau, quality-wise. Denis Verdier, President of the Wine Industry Office in Paris told a news conference that he is "not panicking" but planned to ask the state to compensate winemakers for any losses suffered as a result of the nuclear tests. (Source: Reuters) NOTE: NOV 16 is the day the new wine will be released. This is traditionally a major media event. This year, the industry is worried. All supporters are urged to get the message out rapidly via their local and national media. And then for the Christmas season. . . . Think about champagne, cosmetics, haute couture/fashion items, luxury goods etc. And for the New Year. . . The holiday industry! PLAN AHEAD - ENTHUSIASM FOR THE BOYCOTT MUST BE MAINTAINED AT A HIGH LEVEL EVEN AS THE END OF TESTING PERIOD BEGINS TO APPROACH. ----------------------------------------------- COUNTRY REPORTS AUSTRALIA "Certain businesses are on the edge of bankruptcy" according to the French Chamber of Commerce in Sydney. "Whatever is perceived as French by the general public - cafs, bakeries - is out of bounds". Australia hosts 200 French companies and represents a market of 3 billion francs. A French water company, Lyonnaise Des Eaux, is making a bid tooperate Adelaide's water and sewage systems for the next 20 years. Activists are encourage to protest this deal, which is expected to top $20billion. (See UK section). French wine sales reported as down by 20%, Evian water by 40%. Most department stores say there are significant decreases in French perfume sales. For over 3 months activists have mainatined a vigil outside the French Consulate in Sydney where they publicise the boycott. Many politicians distribute details of French companies in Australia via party/union branches. Sale of Australian uranium to France continues to be an issue for peace and environmental groups. After the second test various container ships and Air France flights were detained by union action. BELGIUM The For Mother Earth organisation, who this year organised a 5,500km anti-nuclear walk from Brussels to Moscow, have now launched a `coordinated selective boycott campaign'. Main targets are: cheese, wine, liquors, cosmetics, Air France, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, ELF, Total and French tourism in general. The are inviting a representative of Hiti Tau (Polynesian NGO) to tour Europe in November in support of the boycott. A Business managers working Group against Testing has been set up to encourage other business people to replace French products with non-French alternatives. A major Belgian travel agent has stated he will only sell Air France tickets on special request by the client. After For Mother Earth distributed 15,000 posters saying `Champagne Chirac - Non Merci', the Information Centre on Champagne Wines threatened to start a court case if For Mother Earth spreads this poster further. They represent 8,000 champagne types and 15,000 producers. The controversy made national news. . . . A poster reprint for the Christmas trade is under consideration. On Nov 18 there will be a day of action in shopping areas and supermarkets. For Mother Earth has support groups in Belgium, Netherlands, Slovakia and the USA. FME have red-white-&-blue stickers - in French, English, Russian and other languages. CAMBODIA On Oct 17 a dozen anti-nuclear protesters presented an alternative menu rich in radioactivity to guests at the opening of a French festival in a luxury hotel in the Cambodian capital Phnomh Penh. Dishes offered included `Irrigated Carrots la Polynesienne', `Fish au Gratin with radioactive fallout and a puree of GreenPeas', accompanied by drinks such as `Grand Cru Acid Rain, Hiroshima 1945 vintage'. The menu carried a warning that the government's tax of 4 billion French francs was not included in the price. The organisers unfurled a banner on the facade of the hotel and handed out leaflets. FINLAND State alcohol monopoly Alko had to destroy 400,000 bottles of French wine after it received a threat in September saying 5 bottles had been laced with cyanide. FRANCE At the end of August, after a Greenpeace advert in Le Monde asking for "help in avoiding a boycott by declaring yourselves against the tests", the Comit National Interprofessional des Vins et Eaux de Vie (CNIVE) were so worried that they, in collaboration with the Association Interprofessionale des Fruits et Lgumes Frais (INTERFEL), took out an injunction against Greenpeace. This took some weeks; meanwhile Greenpeace renounced the whole idea of a boycott. The tourist industry in France has been severely hit in recent months on account of terrorist attacks and the economic austerity policies as well as the anti-testing feeling. By the end of August hotel occupancy rates had dropped by 6.4% compared to 1994. (Reuters). Financial experts complain of `France-bashing' by investors after reports of poor earnings by French companies. The nuclear testing policy is cited as one factor in France's poor showing and the franc's difficulties on the currency markets. The government is mobilising diplomats, agricultural missions and export organisations to counteract boycott appeals and to promote sales. GERMANY Principal focus is letter-writing to French companies, getting them to declare themselves against testing, thus increasing the number of businesses on the `positive-list'. A list has been put together which comines information from IPPNW, BUND and Greenpeace. Main organisations involved in the campaign are IPPNW, BUND (Baden-Wrttemburg) and Atom TestStopp. `The Australian' recently reported that French (wine?) exports to Germany are down by over 30%. IRELAND Irish CND are very active on the food/wine boycott. A famous restaurant called Toscas have ceased selling French wine. However one main supermarket chain, Dunnes, has started selling it off cheap due to lack of demand. ITALY European Counter Network/Radio Sherwood in Padova have issued a call for a general consumer boycott of French products and government interests, coupled with demonstrations at the French consulate in Venice. They have issued a list of French products sold in Italy. Several peace and solidarity groups in Naples have formed a coalition called Il Cherchio dei Populi and are planning city-wide leafletting. They are doing a selective boycott based on a list of about 25 main companies/sectors. They are including information about the World Court case against nuclear weapons, now under way at the Hague. (More information from Tel: +31-70-360-3479, fax: 362-2470, email: pmeidell@igc.apc.org. - or from IPB). JAPAN The Seiko Cooperatives (18 million members) have withdrawn French wines from their shelves. Japan's consumption of Beaujolais is likely to slump by more than half, according to Air France, who last year transported around 1,100 tonnes (1million bottles) to Japan. This year volume is likely to drop to 400-500 tonnes, according to a Reuters report. The main reason quoted is the anti-testing boycott. Posters have appeared in front of a major Toyko department store Big Camera, denouncing sales of French handbags and luxury items. NETHERLANDS Milieudefense (Friends of the Earth) have begun an action against 2 Dutch companies involved in the French nuclear industry, Heidemaatschappij and Hollandse Signaal Apparaten. Some importers are raising retail prices for French wines and donating the part of the profits to Greenpeace. NEW ZEALAND Non la Bombe, currently involved in a schools letter writing campaign, are planning an international chain letter about the boycott. The NZ Beaujolais market represents 33m bottles, worth 500m French francs. This year's sales figures will surely now be rather feeble. . . NORWAY Coalition now has 77 member organisations. Wine Monopoly workers are wearing anti-nuclear T shirts; the Union of Food and Restaurant Workers (IUF-affiliated) also advise against French products; Society of Norwegian Haute Cuisine Chefs did this already in July. Retail sales of French wines have dropped by 30%. Estimates of wine sales losses in whole Nordic region have reached $160m. SWEDEN Sales of French wines have dropped by 50%, especially lower-priced wines. A group of fashionable Stockholm restaurants have agreed not to serve French wines, and have called on others to follow suit. The French Agricultural Attach is outraged. Many private stores have boycotted French products, and a major cheese importer has lost 50% of French orders. This is especially as a result of cancelled orders for corporate events. (One lost Volvo banquet order was worth $3,600). Major consumer-owned stores like Domus and Konsum have put a large sign next to French products in 5,000 shops. Cafe au Lait shops have been renamed `Cafelatte' shops. Many political and other organisations have come out against the French nuclear policy and are supporting the boycott. "It isalmost a test of their credibility" said one activist. The mayor of Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost city (largest Communist stronghold) declared unwelcome a visit by Chinese officials as an anti-testing protest - this led to the cancellation of the whole tour. TAHITI Reports from Australia indicate some 23,000 room reservations have been cancelled in Polynesia (mainly by German and Japanese tourists) in the wake of the first nuclear test alone. This is calculated to represent a loss of $9m to French interests. UK Liberal Democrat party has come out in favour of the boycott and are compiling a campaign pack to send to members. Avon City Council are joining and are urging people to contact their twin towns in France. Canterbury City Council also. An opinion poll conducted for Greenpeace shows 85% against French testing and 10% already actively boycotting French goods. Another poll, taken at a TV show with an audience of 200, showed 68% in favour of taking part in the boycott. Nicolas, a wine shop chain, has lost 10-20% of their turnover. A French water company, Lyonnaise Des Eaux, was thwarted in an attempted $1.2 billion takeover of a newly-privatised water comopany in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Newcastle City Council voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer stating " The French tests are outrageous. We have no problem barring their bid for our business". The decision was welcomed by British CND. Local groups report die-ins and wine-pouring ceremonies at French Chambers of Commerce and other commercial outlets. CND are getting members to write to supermarket managers asking them not to stock French goods. USA The US Boycott Coalition has now 40 organisations. They have written to the Chief Executive Officers of major French companies informing of the boycott announcement. They have an activist kit for all supporting organisations. Next major action is the visit of Chirac to Washington on Nov 3. (Greenpeace will do an action). Congressmen Ed Markey and Pete Stark introduced legislation on Oct 25 to increase import fees on French Beaujolais wine by 800% until the tests are stopped. A group of 11 organisations has issued a statement of support, including key groups in the US Coalition: Physicians for Social Responsibility, Peace Action, Union of Concerned Scientists, Women's Action for New Directions, 20/20 Vision, Veterans for Peace and the World Federalists. The bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means and International Relations Committees. Several co-sponsors have signed already. A consignment of 6,000 cases of Beaujolais is scheduled to be shipped to the USA around Nov 23. Beaujolais represented a large share of the $185 million in French table wines consumed last year in the US. Veterans for Peace are considering a set of simultaneous press conferences all across the US at which VFP leaders will pour a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau down the drain. The Unity Foundation and the Heart Warrior Foundation, California launched on Oct 21 an Electronic Citizens' Petition and Boycott to end nuclear testing. This uses a variety of communications systems to collect signatures and boycott pledges. ------------------------ CHINA Some groups are calling for the consumer boycott to be extended to Chinese goods and services. For a variety of reasons - including the differences between French and Chinese nuclear policies, and the difficulties involved in organising a second worldwide boycott of goods from mainland China - IPB has decided not to call for a boycott at this stage. ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING THE INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT * Hawai'i: Hawai'ian Coalition Against Testing - 51 organisations, - contact: Ihitai No Te Hau (the Peace Flotilla) * Norway: Norwegian Campaign Against Testing - 77 organisations, national and local - contact: Norwegian Peace Alliance * USA: over 40 disarmament, religious and environmental organisations - contact: Physicians for Social Responsibility Americans for Democratic Action, USA Association des Etudiants pour la Prvention de la Guerre Nuclaire, Belgium Atomteststopp Kampagne, Germany BOOM (Bombs Out Of Moruroa), New York British Test Ban Coalition c/o National Peace Council British Campiagn for Nuclear Disarmament Bund fr Umwelt und Naturschutz Baden-Wrttemburg, Germany Catalunya Contra las Armas Nucleares Catalunya: Greens Centre Party, Sweden Committee of 100, Finland ContrAtom, Geneva, Switzerland Ecumenical Coalition on Third World Tourism, Bangkok. For Mother Earth, Belgium Fund for New Priorities in America, USA German Peace Society- United War Resisters (DFG-VK) Grup de Cientifics i Tecnics per un Futur No Nuclear, Catalunya Hiti Tau - French Polynesia Il Cerchio dei Populi, Naples, Italy Institute for Security and Cooperation in Outer Space, USA International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, IPPNW IPPNW Germany International Freedom - Australia International Peace Bureau International Transport Workers Federation Asia-Pacific Dockers Irish CND LAKA/WISE Amsterdam Lega Ambiente, Italy National Peace Council, Sweden Norwegian Peace Alliance Nuclear Resister, USA Omslag: Workshop for Sustainable Development, Netherlands Peace Action, USA Physicians for Social Responsibility, USA Plutonium Challenge, USARadio Sherwood, Padova, Italy Social Democrats Women's Organisation, Sweden 20/20 Vision National Project, USA Union of Concerned Scientists, USA Unity Foundation, San Francisco, USA Veterans for Peace, USA Women Strike for Peace, USA Women's Action for New Directions, USA World Federalist Association, USAWWF, Italy (44 organisations + 168 in coalitions listed above = Total 212 organisations) CONTACT DETAILS FOR ABOVE ORGANISATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. A PHONE AND FAX LIST IS IN PREPARATION. THE ABOVE SUPPORTERS' LIST IS INCOMPLETE - PLEASE SEND MORE NAMES! (AND ANY CORRECTIONS) TO: International Peace Bureau, 41 Rue de Zrich, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: +41-22-731-6429, Fax: 738- 9419, Email: ipb@gn.apc.org ------------------- PRESS RELEASE BOYCOTT BEAUJOLAIS, SAYS PEACE BUREAU Geneva, Oct 25 - Nouveau Beaujolais is a perishable commodity, and unlike most wines will deteriorate soon after the French put it on sale in mid-November along with the annual marketing razmatazz. Unless President Chirac calls off the remaining nuclear tests in the current series, we want everyone to stay away from this year's Beaujolais and thus deal yet another blow to President Chirac's nuclear arrogance. That is the call issued today by the Geneva- based International Peace Bureau to its members and supporters all over the world. The International Peace Bureau called for an international consumer boycott of France only hours after Mr. Chirac announced the new tests in June, and the IPB is very satisfied with the steadily mounting pressure on the French government. Earlier in the year the Peace Bureau had also called for the Nobel Committee to boost nuclear disarmament by awarding this year's Peace Prize to Professor Joseph Rotblat, thus honoring Pugwash and the efforts of scientists to abolish nuclear weapons.The success of this nomination and the growth of international pressure on France convinces us that the tide is now finally turning against the nuclear weapons industry.This change of public mood will be in evidence at the Hague next week, where the International Court of Justice begins public hearings on the legal status of nuclear weapons. IPB insists that the boycott is not aimed at the French in general, but at putting pressure on the Chirac administration. Despite efforts by Paris to downplay the effects of the international protests and to adopt a more conciliatory tone, there is mounting evidence that several key sectors (food and drink, tourism, finance) are suffering as a result of France's unfashionable image, and there have been demands for compensation. "France must begin to act as a responsible member of the international community", says Colin Archer, the IPB General Secretary. "We all share the sense of outrage at the terrorist attacks against civilians in French cities. What Chirac and his nuclear allies have yet to realise is that defence policies based on nuclear terrorism are equally unacceptable." In IPB's view, consumers must not allow Chirac to disregard the massive majority of public opinion, both around the world and in France itself. Popular movements everywhere must step up the protests at every new test. We cannot be content with a reductionin the number of tests and the signature of the S.Pacific Nuclear- Free Zone Treaty, welcome though these steps are. France must abandon its programme immediately and join the international community in insisting that China falls in line. Persistent and innovative forms of pressure are the only way to compel the nuclear states to implement the agreement made at the NPT conference in May, obliging them to move towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. ENDS ** End of text from cdp:disarm.ctb-npt ** *************************************************************************** This material came from PeaceNet, a non-profit progressive networking service. For more information, send a message to peacenet-info@igc.apc.org ***************************************************************************