WildAid, EIA and the Ruckus

Two other generous contributors to Peter Knight and the Environmental Investigation Agency are the Body Shop Foundation and the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation (now called Ruffod).  Both of these foundations are instrumental in the infrastructure of the green web.

Sir John Maurice Laing was a senior executive of British construction company. He was the first president of the Confederation of British Industry in 1965-6.  After his death, his son took over the administration of this foundation. The Body Shop Foundation was founded in 1990 by Anita Roddick, a British businesswoman whose health care product company was valued at 250 million pounds.

The Body Shop gave $40,000 to the Ruckus Society  to "develop a Direct Action Training Center." The Ruckus Society is based in Oakland CA. Notice their logo - a monkey wrench in the gears. They list Earth First!, Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network among their supporters and allies so that should tell you a little bit about them.

Check out their manuals - Ruckus Scouting, Eco-Justice Action Ideas, Bird-Dogging, Media Manual and Action Planning.  Some of this information is very informative, especially as far as using the media to further one's political agenda.  It boggles the mind to see what is considered PC these days.

I think that some of our readers will be very interested in this Ruckus news release posted on May 10th in "Support of Arizona"!  It begins, "Arizona’s racist SB 1070 anti-immigration law signed by Governor Jan Brewer April 23, 2010, has of course sparked a wave of protests in Arizona and around the U.S., as other states like Minnesota have already started proposing similar laws . . . . Ruckus sent [one of their trainers] . . . to Phoenix immediately on April 23 after a call out for support by local Phoenix organizers . . . Ruckus continued strategizing with folks about the lead-up to the big May 29th Mass Action against SB1070." Take a look at their partners and supporters in this campaign.

This is an interesting tactic they use. It's called "Bird-dogging." Another name for the tactic is called "hounding." [No offence to actual bird dogs or hounds is intended.] The ruckusters advise their followers and drones to "use to pressure on candidates or elected representatives to take a public stance on an issue, or to question a stance that they have already taken. It usually consists of one or more bird-doggers who go to a public event where a candidate or elected representative, such as a Member of Congress or a U.S. Senator, will appear. The bird-doggers ask pointed questions about issues they care about in order to elicit a response and educate the media and voters. Because members of the media often attend these events, bird-dogging plays an important role in getting candidates’ positions “on record.” We all know that politicians don’t always keep their promises once they’re elected, so this is a vital part of holding them accountable to their constituents."

That doesn't speak well for the politicians we have voted for, does it? Our tax dollars pay their salaries and we better send that message Loud and Clear!  But sometimes I wonder just how much louder and clearer we have to get before we are heard.