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August News Wrap | LVC
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AUGUST NEWS WRAP: NEWS AND UPDATES FROM LVC MEMBERS WORLDWIDE!
_Monthly news wrap of updates and articles posted by the members of La
Via Campesina on various social media platforms. Here are the updates
from August!_
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Pakistan is in the grip of unprecedented flooding that has already taken
over 1300 lives and affected more than 50 million people. The torrential
rains have also washed away roads, crops, homes, bridges and other
infrastructure. The country's Federal Minister of Climate Change, Sherry
Rehman, described the situation as a "climate-induced humanitarian
disaster of epic proportions."
Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, the LVC member in Pakistan, has worked
with other citizen groups to mobilise materials and volunteers for
relief camps [3] in Southern Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan. Civil
society members in Lahore came together to collect materials [4]and put
together a team of volunteer doctors who could work in the relief camps.
Monstrous floods in Pakistan are not isolated events. News of heatwaves,
droughts and wildfires have been increasingly hogging headlines
worldwide. In May, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicted
that the world is poised to break a crucial heat barrier by 2025.
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YET, DESPITE THESE EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS, WHICH DISPROPORTIONATELY
AFFECT PEASANTS, FISHERFOLKS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, GOVERNMENTS AND
AGRIBUSINESSES ARE UNRELENTING IN REPRESSING THOSE WHO RESIST AND
QUESTION THE STATUS QUO.
The July Newswrap ended with an alert about Thailand's growing
repression against protestors and students. In August, instances of
repression of social movements and human rights activists only grew
further, with the news of the arrest of Chintaka Rajapaksa of MONLAR [5]
and other activists in Srilanka for taking part in peoples' protest, and
then detention, imprisonment and criminalisation of five peasants in
Indonesia [6] for protesting land grabbing by a plantation firm.
Chintaka was granted bail [7] on August 26. La Via Campesina also
condemns [8] the recent arrest of Walden Bello in the Philippines over
statements he made during the electoral campaign.
It is unacceptable that governments everywhere are resorting to brutal
police actions and illegal detentions to silence and intimidate us. In
another shocking incident this month, the offices of six Palestinian
human rights organisations, including LVC's member organisation UAWC,
were illegally raided and locked up [9] by the Israeli Occupation's
military forces. Multiple International institutions, such as the UN
Human Rights Council [10], denounced the intimidation and
criminalisation tactics followed by the Israeli army. Yet, these illegal
and criminal acts continue with impunity.
In another instance in Peru, the headquarters of the National Agrarian
Confederation, a member of LVC, was attacked [11] on August 9. A pellet
shot destroyed the glass façade of the building. The attack occurred
after several national peasant and indigenous leaders announced a press
conference regarding the country's political crisis. This building is
usually a meeting point for several national organisations to build a
process favouring Food Sovereignty and the recent Agrarian Reform Law.
Part of this trend of persecution and harassment by private groups
interested in land grabbing is what is happening in Santiago del Estero,
Argentina, where several peasant families have been violently evicted
from their homes [12] with the backing of court orders.
These actions blatantly violate the many provisions cited in the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural
Areas and many other International Humans Rights Instruments.
DESPITE THESE HARDSHIPS, THE PEASANT MEMBERS OF THE MOVEMENT CONTINUE TO
ADVANCE THEIR STRUGGLES FOR PEASANTS' RIGHTS.
In Thailand, the Assembly of the Poor held webinars [13] and public
meetings [14] on land reform and land use in the country's South and
Central regions. The Northern Peasants' Federation (NPF) held a public
demonstration [15] against the Forest Reclamation Policy, which, in
essence, accuses the people who live in "forest areas" of causing
climate change and natural disasters. In related news, to mark the World
Amazon Day, the Mouvement d'Action Paysanne [16] and other associations
have called for a demonstration at the central station in Brussels on
September 4. They insist that governments must assume their
responsibilities regarding the climate crisis, which ravages populations
with heat waves, forest fires, torrential rains and droughts worldwide.
The peasant and indigenous movements in Chile are living a crucial
moment [17] for advancing their struggles. On September 4, the
government will put the proposal for a New Constitution to referendum.
The peasant and indigenous peoples' organisations that are part of the
process have included, among their main recommendations, the right of
peasants and indigenous peoples to the unrestricted use and exchange of
traditional seeds. If approved, this would mean a significant advance
against the neoliberal policies that the country has been promoting for
years.
India's peasant movements caught the world's attention in 2021 after a
year-long protest against attempts to introduce market-friendly reforms
in the agricultural sector. They also demanded a legally guaranteed
minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. The historic protest had
forced the Indian government to withdraw the controversial laws, and the
State had guaranteed to set up a consultative committee to review the
Support Prices. Yet, several months later, the coalition of farm unions
that led the protest remained disillusioned by the lack of meaningful
and concrete actions to bring MSP. In August, they held a 75-hour-long
rally at Lakhimpur Kheri [18] in India, the site of a gruesome murder of
protesting peasants last year, demanding the resignation of a Senior
Minister whose son is allegedly involved in the crime. Similar protests
were also held in other locations. They have warned of widespread
agitation [19] if their demand for a legally guaranteed support price is
not met. Bhartiya Kisan Union and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, both
LVC members, are part of the coalition of farm unions leading this
agitation.
Tea garden workers in Bangladesh are protesting on the streets. [20]
Nearly 150,000 tea garden workers, among the lowest paid in the country,
demand an increase in daily wage by 150 per cent. Meanwhile, even as
workers struggle for basic wages, grain traders to supermarkets,
transnational corporations are binging on profits [21] throughout the
food chain!
In similar news from Florida, United Farm Workers and the farm workers
in California completed a 335-mile walk to the state capitol [22] to
tell Governor Newsom to sign the bill giving farmworkers greater voting
rights for workplace unionisation.
The Union Paysanne in Canada [23] alerts us about a collective action
against Syngenta, a herbicide manufacturer, in Quebec: it is being filed
on behalf of all Quebecers diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after
being repeatedly exposed to this herbicide traded mainly under the
Gramoxone brand. The Union Paysanne has also announced its participation
at the Urban Harvest Festival [24] in Quebec City on September 10, where
members will share their knowledge of organic and peasant agriculture.
PEASANT AGROECOLOGY IS AT THE HEART OF THE MOVEMENT
La Via Campesina has repeatedly pointed out [25] that a radical overhaul
of the global food system is urgent and necessary to address the ongoing
crises of hunger, migration, poverty and global warming. The movement
has insisted that food sovereignty achieved through peasant
agroecological methods is a critical pillar in this fight for systemic
change.
The agroecological schools run by peasants demonstrate how pragmatic
these solutions are. As part of a series on agroecology for Mongabay,
author and sustainable food advocate Anna Lappé had a chance to catch up
with peasant leader Chukki Nanjundaswamy in August (via Zoom), where
they explained this philosophy [26] further.
On similar lines, in the last episode of a three-part podcast series -
[27]_Agroecology and Building a Food System that Works!_ [27]- Jessie
MacInnis, a peasant farmer, academic, activist, and NFU board, explains
how agroecology is helpful for her farm and can benefit farmers of all
scales.
Similar educational processes are taking place in France, where our
members, MODEF and the Confédération Paysanne, are organising a
conference [28] to raise awareness of food sovereignty on September 3
and a meeting of women land workers [29] on September 17-18,
respectively.
To connect these solutions to our peasant struggles in the United
States, our members, the National Family Farm Coalition and Rural
Coalition, are participating in a joint event on land grabbing [30]this
September 7, addressing land rights issues, eco-justice, climate and
financial speculation.
In Uganda, the Eastern Africa Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale
Farmers' Forum Uganda (ESAFF Uganda) started an initiative [31] to train
journalists and communicators on agroecology [31]. Small-scale farmers
in Uganda are determined to scale agroecology through practice and
policy actions. The organisation believes that if the journalists and
communicators understand agroecology, they will report more and help
upscale the practice.
Brazil's Latin American School of Agroecology (ELAA) [32] offers a
course for students and young adults who have already finished high
school and are looking for political and technical training in
agroecology. The school is a product of the struggle of peasant
organisations of LVC Brazil and has just celebrated its 17th
anniversary.
>From the Caribbean region, a political declaration of the XVII CLOC -
Via Campesina Youth Camp [33], held from August 25 to 28 in the
Dominican Republic, tells us about the process of political and
agroecological formation in which young people from several countries in
the region are protagonists. The Dominican Republic also hosted the
Training School of the Articulation of Women of the Caribbean Region.
The Korean Women's Peasant Association held a policy workshop for its
peasant members to study and analyse the legal status of women farmers
in the country. KWPA and the Korean Peasant League members also attended
an agroecological learning exchange hosted by Serikat Petani Indonesia
[34]. They use the peasant-to-peasant learning method at the workshop to
share agroecological practices. The Sister's Garden continued to promote
its agroecological produce [35] on its Facebook page. Korean Peasant
League also issued the latest edition of its peasant newsletter [36]
that summarises the many actions in the country.
The Land Workers Alliance Film Club will kick off its second season by
screening the critically acclaimed, award-winning feature documentary
'The Island and the Whales' on Sunday, September 18, followed by a live
Q&A. You can either watch along live [37] or on catch-up until September
25. They will also participate in the People's Food Summit [38], with
workshops, talks, food and music on how to build food sovereignty in
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In the Western and Central Africa region, our members have started
preparing for the 8th International Conference (scheduled to be held in
Nicaragua). La Via Campesina members from Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Gambia,
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Congo and Togo gathered to discuss
various issues affecting the peasants in the region.
In Mali, CNOP organised an exchange workshop between producers and
consumers on marketing products from Peasant Agroecology. The exchange
establishes dialogue and modalities on pricing and supply. Over 40
participants from the peasants and consumers attended the meeting.
In rural Vermont in the USA, the agroecological meeting "Each One, Teach
One" witnessed the participation of a large delegation of farmers from
the area and different countries. The host organisation was Vermont
Rural, part of the National Family Farmers Coalition. The event
facilitated an exceptional sharing of the various agroecology training
experiences that the movement has through the IALA and more.
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_Have we missed an important update? If so, you can email the links to
__communications(a)viacampesina.org__, which we will include in the next
edition. Only Updates from La Via Campesina members will be part of this
news wrap. For a thorough update of different initiatives __in August,
visit our website_ [39]_._
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[1] https://mail.viacampesina.org/lists/listinfo/Via-info-en
[2] https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/viacampesina
[3]
https://viacampesina.org/en/floods-in-pakistan-solidarity-and-urgent-appeal…
[4]
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02JxDQQG5BZnNti58H1B…
[5]
https://viacampesina.org/en/sri-lanka-stop-illegal-arrests-of-activists-now/
[6] https://viacampesina.org/en/indonesia-stop-criminalising-peasants/
[7] https://www.facebook.com/vimukthi.desilva/videos/378779234421276
[8]
https://viacampesina.org/en/freewaldenbello-speaking-the-truth-to-power-is-…
[9]
https://viacampesina.org/en/the-israeli-occupation-attacks-the-headquarters…
[10]
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/08/un-experts-condemn-israeli-…
[11]
https://www.facebook.com/cnaperuoficial/photos/a.115522036917535/5911227526…
[12] https://twitter.com/MOCASE_VC/status/1563211391842291714
[13] https://www.facebook.com/2015384848580832/videos/1438310763316166
[14]
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02A4XMN2aHxwgGLGsp39…
[15]
https://www.facebook.com/northernpeasantfederation/posts/pfbid0G85A5dxypavX…
[16]
https://www.facebook.com/MouvementActionPaysanne/photos/a.2991686587774930/…
[17]
https://resumen.cl/articulos/las-semillas-tradicionales-en-la-nueva-constit…
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjOOOi-cis0&feature=youtu.be
[19] https://www.facebook.com/kisanektamorcha/videos/960197768713291
[20]
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/21/why-are-bangladesh-tea-workers-pro…
[21]
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironm…
[22]
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-20/united-farmworkers-marc…
[23] https://www.facebook.com/unionpaysanne/
[24] https://www.instagram.com/p/ChctGlXrRtT/
[25]
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/10/17/food-sovereignty-manifesto-fu…
[26]
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/farmer-to-farmer-agroecology-qa-with-chuk…
[27]
https://anchor.fm/who-will-feed-us-podcast/episodes/Agroecology-and-Buildin…
[28] https://twitter.com/ModefNational/status/1564188754046324739
[29] https://twitter.com/ExpansiveInfo/status/1542834099588562948
[30]
https://twitter.com/GrassrootsIntl/status/1559226500536213505/photo/1
[31]
https://www.esaffuganda.org/blog/?link=esaff_uganda_to_start_training_journ…
[32] https://www.facebook.com/escolalatinoamericanadeagroecologia/
[33]
https://cloc-viacampesina.net/xvii-campamento-juventud-cloc-lvc?fbclid=IwAR…
[34]
https://www.facebook.com/serikat.petani.indonesia/photos/a.1015135296404692…
[35]
https://www.facebook.com/kwpasistersgarden/posts/pfbid02HpgsHRbJhptSxGFwCiQ…
[36] http://ijunnong.net/go/index.php?mid=achive&document_srl=52178
[37]
https://www.facebook.com/LandWorkersAlliance/photos/a.635714083188952/53815…
[38] https://www.instagram.com/p/CgMjqEJIny6/
[39] https://viacampesina.org/en/2022/08/
[40] http://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/via_campesina
[41] http://www.facebook.com/ViaCampesinaOfficial
[42] http://www.viacampesina.org
[43] http://instagram.com/la_via_campesina_official
