| Renato Ruggerio is a
pseudonym. The ex-Director general of the World Trade Organisation is not, as far as I am aware, a consultant of Shifting Ground. However I did get to splat a cream pie in his face in 1998, putting his mug-shot, and the WTO, on the front page of a UK newspaper, for the first time. I have been involved in what I like to term the 'radical ecological direct action movement' for 10 years, half of that more-or-less full-time. In chronological order, my involvement highlights have been, Leeds Earth First!, Lloyds and Midland Boycott campaign, No M11 campaign, London Reclaim The Streets, and Peoples' Global Action. Another activity that occupies much of my time is science, specifically Ecology. I have a PhD in Tropical Rain Forest Ecology. I currently lead a worldwide project to better understand the responses of tropical rain forests to climate change. y academic work requires travel which I also use to make contacts with local social movements, for example writing the first articles in English about Brazil's landless peasants movement, MST, while living in Brazil. Why a pseudonym? Firstly, many people may face difficulties, particularly at work, if their political views/activities were widely known. Secondly, most grassroots political activity is a collective, often fairly anonymous effort, but only some people due to their social/economic situation can claim this, others cannot: this is unfair and can be partially addressed through anonymity. Thirdly, history shows if the boat is really rocked, attempts will be made to make you pay: anonymity makes finding who did what more difficult. Finally, those people I meet and get along with will get to know me, name and all, which is what really counts. |