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| According to some sources Greenpeace was founded in 1969, 45 years ago, |
Greenpeace
is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty
countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to
nurture life in all its diversity" and focuses its campaigning on worldwide
issues such as global warming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic
engineering, and anti-nuclear issues. It uses direct action, lobbying and research
to achieve its goals. The global organization does not accept funding from
governments, corporations or political parties, relying on 2.9 million
individual supporters and foundation grants. Greenpeace has a general
consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is
a founding member of the INGO Accountability Charter; an international
non-governmental organization that intends to foster accountability and
transparency of non-governmental organizations.
Greenpeace is known for its direct actions and
has been described as the most visible environmental organization in the world.
Greenpeace has raised environmental issues to public knowledge, and influenced
both the private and the public sector. Greenpeace has also been a source of
controversy; its motives and methods have received criticism and the
organization's direct actions have sparked legal actions against Greenpeace activists,
such as fines and suspended sentences for destroying a test plot of GMO wheat.
