Page 38 RAIN July/August 1984 RUSH Aid to Nicaragua—The Fri, flagship of the Nicaragua Peace Fleet, departed from St. Augustine on May 5 with a cargo of 50 tons of medical and material aid for Nicaragua. Organizations participating in the project include the National Council of Churches, American Friends Service Committee, Oxfam America, the Ed atid Nancy Asner Family Foundation, the Central America Health Rights Network, and the Witness for Peace project. A film will be made to document the entire journey. For more information, write to Nicaragua Peace Fleet, PO Box 906, St. Augustine, FL 32085-0906; 904/824-4574. Internships in Self-Reliance for Small Cities—The Community Environmental Council of Santa Barbara, California, announces its Urban Laboratories Residency Intern Program. As part of the Santa Barbara 2000 Project, interns assist in an effort to research and demonstrate principles of local self-reliance in small cities. Research subjects include resource recovery, energy management, agriculture, land-use planning, and regional economic development. Internships operate on a quarterly basis; interns are responsible for their own living expenses. Academic credit may be available. Urban Laboratories Intern Program, Gildea Resource Center, 930 Miramonte Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109; 805/963-0583. Conservation of Genetic Resources—Traditional crop varieties, developed and nurtured by our ancestors, are being replaced and driven into extinction by new varieties, according to the newly formed International Genetic Resources Programme (IGRP). Today, we stand in grave danger of losing agriculture's diversity, the legacy of 10,000 years of agricultural history. The genetic resources found in traditional crop varieties and their botanical relatives constitute the foundation of agriculture. Plants and animals use this natural diversity to maintain pest and disease resistance. Without genetic diversity, agriculture as we know it would be severely threatened. The IGRP has recently formed to address this problem. Through the development of a network of organizations and individuals working together to preserve agricultural resources, by monitoring the seed industry's activities and documenting cases of genetic erosion, and by initiating campaigns to educate policy makers and the public, IGRP hopes to reverse this alarming trend. Among its activities are the publication of a newsletter, IGRP Report, for the genetic-resource conservation community; a forthcoming book and a forthcoming slide show on the politics of genetic resources; publication of a seed directory for North America that provides a list of sources of traditional varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and native plants ($2 through IGRP's U.S. office); and consulting work on special genetic-resource projects. IGRP, RRl (Beresford), Brandon, Manitoba, R7A5Y1, Canada; or PO Box 1029, Pittsboro, NC 27312; 919/542-5292. One Million Trees—In Los Angeles, California, the TreePeople have launched a treeplanting project with the goal of planting one million trees in time for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. In an attempt to restore the balance between plants, people, and the urban environment, school children, church groups, scouts, neighborhoods, and park departments are marshaling forces to create an urban forest in the Los Angeles basin. Trees, they believe— by filtering the air, buffering wind and dust, reducing erosion, and improving soil-^could drastically improve this urban environment. TreePeople, c/o Urban Forest, PO Box 24/1984, Los Angeles, CA 90024; 213/769-2663. Poland—Want to help build local self-reliance in post-Solidarity Poland? An organization called Alternative Poland is requesting books, magazines, and materials for urban food production, alternative energy, and home clothing production. Written material will be translated as necessary, and donated items will be packaged and sent to groups in Poland. Write Alternative Poland, c/o SAMISDAT, Box 129, Richford, VT 05476. Grants for Grassroot Projects—The Peace Development Fund in Massachusetts recently announced the opening of an affiliate foundation in Seattle, Washington—the Pacific Peace Fund. The Pacific Peace Fund will assist the Peace Development Fund in its grant making in the western part of the U.S. Groups west of the Mississippi River should address proposals and requests for information to Pacific Peace Fund, PO Box 45518, Seattle, WA 98145. Businesspeople for the Public Interest—Coop America is offering a free copy of "Entrepreneurs in the Public Interest: The First Annual MBA Public Interest Resume Book" to its members. The publication contains 37 resumes of graduating MBAs from the top business schools who are committed to pursuing careers in the public-interest sector. The book was prepared by the Corporation for Enterprise Development as a service to socially responsible organizations looking for MBAs for a management position. Contact Co-op America for more information. Co-op America, 2100 M Street, NW, Suite 605, Washington, DC 20063; 800/424-9711. New A.T. Information Service—May 1 marked the birth of the National Appropriate Technology Assistance Service (NATAS), an information and technical-assistance source funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in Butte, Montana. NATAS provides three primary services, including general information that will help people investigate or implement energy- related appropriate technologies; engineering and scientific technical assistance; and assistance to appropriate-technology innovators to help them commercialize energy-saving products and services. NATAS' toll-free number has information specialists on-line to answer questions, send out information, or refer inquiries to other sources that could best provide information. Write or call NATAS, U.S. Department of Energy, PO Box 2525, Butte, MT 59702; 800/428-2525 (in Montana, 800/428-1718) on any weekday from 9 am to 6 PM Central time. Peace Toys and Games—Founded in 1981, The Peace Museum of Chicago is dedicated to providing peace education through the visual, literary, and performing arts. Past exhibitions have included the first U.S. exhibition of original drawings by Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors; an exhibition on the history of folk and rock music and its relation to peace efforts; and the artist as social critic from the 17th century to the present. From October 14 through January 6, The Peace Museum will present an exhibition on toys and games, focusing on the ways in which toys and games can instill values and shape attitudes. Featured in the exhibit will be alternatives to "war toys," material on new electronic games and video games that are nonviolent, toys of other cultures that promote international understanding, toys that stimulate awareness of issues and understanding of traditional conflicts, and material on racism and sexism in children's toys and games. In addition to workshops for parents and teachers and storytelling hours for children, the museum will also make available a wide range of toys and games for sale. Contact The Peace Museum, 364 West Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60610; 312/440-1860. Wings of Conservation—Project Lighthawk is a nonprofit flying service for conservationists in the western United States. In full-time operation since 1980, the project offers a low- cost alternative for those groups and individuals involved in resource battles in the Rocky Mountain region. Groups have used the Lighthawk's six-passenger Cessna Turbo to increase the effectiveness of their conservation efforts by taking aerial photographs and surveying controversial lands; by policing public lands to monitor road building, drilling, and lumbering; by improving media coverage; and by educating decision makers. For more information on air services or how to support Lighthawk's efforts, write to Project Light- hawk, PO Box 8163, Sante Fe, NM 87501; 505/ 982-9656.
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