Vandana Shiva (born 5 November 1952) is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalisation author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is often referred to as "Gandhi of grain" for her activism associated with the anti-GMO movement.

Shiva is one of the leaders and board members of the International Forum on Globalization (with Jerry Mander, Ralph Nader, and Helena Norberg-Hodge), and a figure of the anti-globalisation movement. She has argued in favour of many traditional practices, as in her interview in the book Vedic Ecology (by Ranchor Prime). She is a member of the scientific committee of the Fundacion IDEAS, Spain's Socialist Party's think tank. She is also a member of the International Organization for a Participatory Society.

Vandana Shiva was born in Dehradun. Her father was a conservator of forests, and her mother was a farmer with a love for nature. She was educated at St. Mary's Convent High School in Nainital, and at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun.

Shiva studied physics at Punjab University in Chandigarh, graduating as a Bachelor of Science in 1972. After a brief stint at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, she moved to Canada to pursue a master's degree in the philosophy of science at the University of Guelph in 1977 where she wrote a thesis entitled "Changes in the concept of periodicity of light". In 1978, she completed and received her PhD in philosophy at the University of Western Ontario, focusing on philosophy of physics. Her dissertation was titled "Hidden variables and locality in quantum theory" in which she discussed the mathematical and philosophical implications of hidden variable theories that fall outside of the purview of Bell's theorem. She later went on to pursue interdisciplinary research in science, technology, and environmental policy at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.

Vandana Shiva has written and spoken extensively about advances in the fields of agriculture and food. Intellectual property rights, biodiversity, biotechnology, bioethics, and genetic engineering are among the fields where Shiva has fought through activist campaigns. She has assisted grassroots organisations of the Green movement in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria with opposition to advances in agricultural development via genetic engineering.

In 1982, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. This led to the creation of Navdanya in 1991, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. Navdanya, which translates to "Nine Seeds" or "New Gift", is an initiative of the RFSTE to educate farmers of the benefits of maintaining diverse and individualised crops rather than accepting offers from monoculture food producers. The initiative established over 40 seed banks across India to provide regional opportunity for diverse agriculture. In 2004 Shiva started Bija Vidyapeeth, an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley, Uttarakhand, in collaboration with Schumacher College, UK. ...

Source: Article "Vandana Shiva" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Vandana Shiva, née le 5 novembre 1952 à Dehradun (Uttarakhand), est une conférencière, écrivaine et militante féministe et écoféministe indienne.

Elle dirige la Fondation de la recherche pour la science, les technologies et les ressources naturelles (Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy). Elle a reçu le prix Nobel alternatif en 1993.

Après avoir obtenu une licence de physique en 1972, puis un master en 1974, à l'université du Panjab, à Chandigarh en Inde, Vandana Shiva poursuit ses études au Canada. Elle y obtient un master de philosophie des sciences à l’université de Guelph en 1977, puis un doctorat dans la même discipline obtenu en 1978 à l'université de Western Ontario. Elle réoriente ensuite ses recherches dans le domaine des politiques environnementales à l'Indian Institute of Science.

Elle est l'une des chefs de file des écologistes de terrain et des altermondialistes au niveau mondial, notamment pour la promotion de l'agriculture paysanne traditionnelle et biologique, en opposition à la politique d'expansion des multinationales agro-alimentaires et au génie génétique. Elle lutte contre le brevetage du vivant et la biopiraterie.

Dès les années 1980, elle a été très active dans le «Narmada Bachao Andolan» (Mouvement Sauvons le Narmada) qui s'oppose à la construction d'énormes barrages sur la rivière Narmadâ, barrages bouleversant les écosystèmes et obligeant aux déplacements de millions de paysans pauvres.

En 1991, Vandana Shiva fonde l'association Navdanya», association pour la conservation de la biodiversité.

Elle est membre du comité de parrainage du Tribunal Russell sur la Palestine dont les travaux ont commencé le 4 mars 2009.

Tout en poursuivant sa lutte contre l'introduction des OGM dans son pays, Vandana Shiva s'engage dans une forme d'activisme mondial en faveur de la paix, la biodiversité et du droit des peuples de disposer d'eux-mêmes.

En 2001, Vandana Shiva, avec quatorze lauréats du Prix Nobel alternatif ou du Prix Goldman, demande au Congrès mexicain la reconnaissance constitutionnelle des peuples autochtones et de leurs droits, au Mexique, en insistant sur leur rôle dans le développement et la conservation de la biodiversité naturelle et culturelle. En 2004, après deux ans de combat, Vandana Shiva obtient la fermeture de l'usine Coca-Cola du Kerala.

Combat contre les OGM: sa fondation de recherche a surveillé les activités liées aux OGM depuis 1997 et mené une campagne anti-OGM au niveau national et international. ...

Source: Article "Vandana Shiva" de Wikipédia en français, soumis à la licence CC-BY-SA 3.0.