INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION NEWS

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 1997:

Greenpeace International and Greenpeace France
on January 8 sued anonymous author “Olivier Vermont” and
publisher Albin Michel for issuing purported “defamatory
statements, untruths, distortions of the facts and absurd allegations”
in a volume entitled The Hidden Face of Greenpeace:
Infiltration into the Heart of the International Ecology
Movement. According to “Vermont,” who claims to have
worked within both Greenpeace International and Greenpeace
France, only 6% of the funds the Greenpeace organizations
raise is actually spent on environmental protection. He also
asserts that Greenpeace has “secret dealings with certain states
such as China and Russia,” not surprising for an organization
engaged in international environmental diplomacy.

Greenpeace jumped into further controversy by
announcing closure of Greenpeace Ireland for not meeting
fundraising goals and operating at a loss since 1994 despite a
42% rise in membership, from 3,200 to 4,630. The estimated
break-even point was reportedly 10,000 members.
Based on wire service coverage, our
January/February 1997 cover article “Humanitarians confront
the Cold War legacy” identified Fsako Nogami as president of
the Japan Anti-Vivisection Association and Anko Shiina a s
former president. We have since received a notice from Shiina,
identifying herself as still president of JAVA, asserting that,
“After Ms. Nogami resigned from her position as director of
JAVA, the title then used in place of ‘president,’ she began to
use her former title and the address of JAVA in public without
permission.” According to Shiina, JAVA on December 27,
1995 won a court ruling that Nogami is not the president of
JAVA and has no right to use such a title. Despite the ruling,
however, Nogami appears to have represented herself thusly to
media as recently as November.