The Action Group on Erosion Technology and Concentration Corporation (etc Group) is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights. The acronym ‘etc’ stands for ‘Erosion, Technology, Concentration’. The group supports socially responsible developments of technologies useful to the poor and marginalized and it addresses international governance issues and corporate power. Erosion refers to not only genetic erosion and the erosion of species, ecosystems, and the atmosphere – but also the loss of cultures, knowledge and Human Rights. We are losing both our diversity and our and our eco-specific understanding of it. Technology refers to a Pandora’s Box of techniques including biotechnology and synthetic biology, nanotechnology, informatics and neurosciences.
Etc Group works in partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs) for cooperative and sustainable self-reliance within disadvantaged societies, by providing information and analysis of socioeconomic and technological trends and alternatives. This work requires joint actions in community, regional, and global fora.
The Etc Group contributes to Platform “Research & Policy” and both Core Dimensions, as well as to the Civil Society Forum.