La Via Campesina Calls for a Proactive Boycott of the Israeli Goods- Reiterates Support for the Global BDS Campaign
by La Via Campesina
LA VIA CAMPESINA CALLS FOR A PROACTIVE BOYCOTT OF THE ISRAELI GOODS-
REITERATES SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL BDS CAMPAIGN
Press Release
(Bagnolet: November 24, 2023) In response to the genocidal war being
waged on the people of Palestine, we, La Via Campesina, reiterate our
steadfast solidarity with the peasants, fisherfolk and working families
of Palestine. Many of them dedicate themselves daily to the realization
of Peasants Rights and Food Sovereignty, engage in heroic acts such as
planting their lands, caring for their orchards, fishing in their rivers
and sea, and organizing themselves within the Union of Agricultural Work
Committees (UAWC), a longstanding member of La Via Campesina.
There are no words to describe the pain and the heartbreak felt within
all of La Via Campesina with each life lost, each child maimed and
orphaned, each home and hospital destroyed, each farm and field
abandoned for fear of death by air raids in Gaza or armed emboldened
settlers across the West Bank. This illegal Israeli occupation that has
lasted far too long now carries out what one UN official described as a
"textbook case of genocide".
Over 13,500 civilians have been killed, at the time of writing this
press release, and the numbers of lost souls continue to increase. The
majority of the casualties are women and children. Another 3,000 missing
trapped under the rubble. A ceasefire is imperative to prevent further
horrors. It is our duty as social movements, organizations, and
individuals within society to globalize the struggle and solidarity, and
put to an end these shameful crimes that do not lead to peace and
undermine sovereignty, destroying the future of generations.
Boycott Israel for a Free and Food Sovereign Palestine!
The BDS campaign's first goal is to challenge international support for
Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism. In the context of Israeli's
genocidal war increasing the global effort in boycotting Israeli
products aim at reaching as soon as possible a ceasefire, allowing
massive entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza, and pushing for diplomatic
negotiations towards the end of the illegal occupation of Palestine.
Honoring our commitment to a Food Sovereign Palestine, and in memory of
our dear Islam Ali - UAWC organizer killed by Israeli airstrikes on 13
October 2023 - La Via Campesina calls on all of its 182 member
organizations, friends and allies alike, to join in reaffirming its
collective demands of October 2023 [1] [SEE BOX BELOW] and, in addition
to actively participating in popular protests worldwide [2], public
campaigns to pressure all governments and the United Nations. We invite
all people and organizations of good conscience to take concrete
coordinated action as encouraged by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction
(BDS) campaign.
Aiming for the greatest of possible immediate impacts, La Via Campesina
invites the entire Food Sovereignty Movement and its allies to:
* Boycott all Israeli goods [3], especially food and agricultural
products from the occupation such as fruits, vegetables and wines: Many
products are wrongly labelled as "Produced in Israel" when they come
from stolen Palestinian lands. As explained by BDS, "Farming is tied to
the Palestinian people's identity, history and resistance to Israel's
colonial occupation. Israeli agricultural export companies play a key
role in Israel's destruction of Palestinian agriculture, the
dispossession of Palestinian farmers and land grabs that make way for
illegal Israeli settlements". Boycott all Israeli goods and demand that
they be removed from any and all markets and supermarkets! Buy Local -
Boycott Israel!
* As suggested by the BDS Movement [3], we call for a proactive
boycott of Carrefour, Siemens, Axa, Puma, HP, Re/Max, Ahava and
Sodastream, and other transnational companies identified by BDS as
"involved in war crimes committed by the Israeli regime of occupation,
settler-colonialism and apartheid over the Palestinian people". Join BDS
and La Via Campesina in boycotting these companies and their products
worldwide! They must cut ties with UN declared illegal Israeli
settlements! Palestinian rights are Human rights!
La Via Campesina Demands of October 2023
- Unconditional Cessation of Hostilities: An immediate and unconditional
cessation of ongoing hostilities and acts of violence against civilians.
- Safe Passage and Border Openings: The establishment of safe corridors
and the opening of all border crossings to facilitate the swift entry of
medical aid, and food, and to expediently transport the injured for
urgent medical care.
- Accountability for War Crimes: Prosecution of those responsible for
war crimes before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in line with
its mandate and international law.
- Formation of International Investigative Committees: Establishment of
international committees to investigate and report on the unprecedented
crimes committed during this conflict. In advocating for these actions,
we stand in solidarity with all civilians caught in the crossfire and
seek justice, peace, and the upholding of fundamental human rights.
See:
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesinas-petition-on-palestine-more-...
Globalize the Struggle! Globalize Hope!
Links:
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[1]
https://viacampesina.org/en/urgent-call-for-solidarity-with-palestine-sig...
[2] https://www.gazaispalestine.com/protest
[3] https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott
1 year, 1 month
La Via Campesina calls on the CFS to take immediate measures to fulfill its institutional mandate as Gaza faces an imminent risk of starvation
by La Via Campesina
LA VIA CAMPESINA CALLS ON THE CFS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE MEASURES TO FULFILL
ITS INSTITUTIONAL MANDATE AS GAZA FACES AN IMMINENT RISK OF STARVATION
Press Release
(Bagnolet, November 22, 2023) The Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
mandate is to enable UN member states to work together to combat hunger.
In the autumn of 2023, we are witnessing with horror the massacre of
already more than 12,000 civilians in Gaza and the use of hunger and
thirst as a weapon of war by State of Israel. Faced with the blockade on
all food, water and diesel imposed by the Israeli army, the Palestinian
population is faced with an odious choice: leave their land or die.
Moreover, in the West Bank, Israeli settlers are attacking and killing
Palestinian farmers in order to extend their hold over the Palestinian
territories.
Both the forced displacement of populations and the use of hunger as a
weapon of war are banned by the United Nations (REF: "The Security
Council recalls its resolution 2417 [2018] and its Presidential
Statements of 9 August 2017 [S/PRST/2017/14] and 29 April 2020
[S/PRST/2020/6], Statement by the President of the Security Council - 3
August 2023 ). Under these conditions, the silence of the CFS Plenary on
the situation in Palestine is shameful. The amendment proposed by Egypt,
even if adopted, is only a modest but insufficient step to move towards
effective and operational proposals to address the food situation in
Gaza.
La Via Campesina, as a CFS participant, and the global peasant movement
representing more than 200 million peasants and agricultural workers
around the world, earnestly calls on the CFS to adopt the following
resolutions:
* condemn the use of food and water as weapons of war in Gaza and in
West Bank;
* urge the international community to impose International Sanctions
for individuals and entities responsible for using hunger as a weapon in
Palestine;
* condemn the violent attempts of eviction of Palestinian farmers and
land grabbing in the West Bank by Israeli settlers;
* call for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire to enable the
supply to the civilian population of Gaza and the Occupied Territories
the humanitarian aid they urgently need to cope with the current dire
situation and also allow them access to water, food and medical aid;
* call for specific protection to be granted to farmers and their
activities in Gaza and the Occupied Territories, as they are the only
possible source of food supply for the Palestinian people now and in the
immediate future;
* call for the Establishment of an International Inquiry Commission
under the supervision of the United Nations to investigate the use of
hunger as a weapon in Gaza and the West Bank and to document and report
on the violations committed against Palestinian civilians and farmers;
* call for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),
Food and Agriculture Organization and other UN agencies to take an
ambitious initiative to rebuild Palestinian farming sector and support
Palestinian farmers to recover their productive capacity to sustainably
provide food to all Palestinian people.
We call on all Governments and social movements to push for these urgent
demands.
1 year, 1 month
Urgent Aid to Gaza: Call for Donations
by La Via Campesina
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
URGENT AID TO GAZA: CALL FOR DONATIONS
-------------------------
* Este artículo está disponible en
* English [1]
* Français [2]
The Palestinian people have been subjected to a genocidal war in Gaza
and a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank by the Israeli
military. Israeli warplanes have been bombing homes, hospitals, mosques,
and churches, resulting in more than ten thousands killed and tens of
thousands of wounded and missing. More than 60% of homes in the Gaza
Strip have been completely or partially destroyed. Tragically, up to 69%
of the victims are children and women. The Israeli occupation is
wielding starvation as a weapon against civilians to force them to leave
Gaza and migrate to Egypt. This brutal tactic has already displaced more
than 1.5 million Palestinians from the north to the south of the Gaza
Strip.
In response, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) [3] is
spearheading an international campaign to provide aid to Gaza and the
West Bank targeting thousands of affected Palestinian families by
providing food, water, and life essentials to bolster their resilience
against the crimes of the Israeli occupation and thwart the plans for
their forced displacement.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR DONATION HERE
DONATION [4]
At this stage, because of the blockade, we rely on procuring food from
the limited local supplies in Gaza. Your donation can be the difference
between life and death for a Palestinian family facing starvation.
Raise your voice against this terrible injustice and illegal occupation!
-------------------------
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[3] https://uawc-pal.org/index.php?&lang=en
[4] https://stopgazastarvation.org/
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1 year, 1 month
#25Nov23 | With conviction, we pave the way for peasant and popular feminism, build Food Sovereignty, and fight against crises and violence
by La Via Campesina
*|MC:SUBJECT|* *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
#25Nov23 | With conviction, we pave the way for peasant and popular
feminism, build Food Sovereignty, and fight against crises and violence
10 November 2023 8 - Bogota (2023)
<https://viacampesina.org/en/who-are-we/our-conferences/8-bogota-2023/>,
Campaign to End Violence against Women
<https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-against/patriachy/campai...>,
Patriachy
<https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-against/patriachy/>,
Women <https://viacampesina.org/en/who-are-we/women/>
* This article is available in
* Español
<https://viacampesina.org/es/25n23-con-conviccion-allanamos-el-camino-al-f...>
* Français
<https://viacampesina.org/fr/25nov23-cest-avec-conviction-que-nous-ouvrons...>
*Bagnolet, 10/11/23* | *Call to Action – International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women*
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On 25 November, the */International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women/*, La Via Campesina is sounding the alarm about the
various forms of violence experienced by women around the world. During
crises and violence such as wars, occupations and expulsions from our
territories, peasant women, fisherwomen, shepherds, indigenous women,
quilombolas and indigenous peoples, landless, migrants and agricultural
workers continue to resist in Palestine, Haiti, Cuba, Niger, Peru and
other territories around the world, making history in the struggle
against capitalism, patriarchy, racism, colonialism and the advance of
fascism.
In Palestine, in the span of 25 consecutive days of these attacks
against civilians, 8,525 Palestinians have tragically lost their lives,
and 67% of the victims were women and children. This has not only
resulted in loss of life but has also led to the widespread destruction
of numerous homes, hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure, all
of which occurred without any prior warning of evacuation. Women
enduring the harsh realities of this occupation are forced to live in
appalling conditions as they have been forcibly displaced. Among them
are pregnant women who need essential medical care and other basic
necessities to feed their babies, while enduring the lack of even the
most basic standards of living. The Israeli occupation has imposed a
total siege, severely limiting access to food, water and fuel for the
past three weeks. This siege employs starvation as a cruel and inhumane
tactic, causing immense suffering among women who have no safe place to
live and provide urgently needed care for their children.
On this day, we denounce the inability of the States to guarantee their
commitments in the construction of a public policy of equality, the
complicit and patriarchal judicial system that protects aggressors and
promotes a culture of impunity and violence against women, girls and
diversity.
As Morris Tidball-Binz, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary
or arbitrary executions, noted in his 2023 report,
<https://news.un.org/es/story/2023/10/1525152> “Femicide is a global
tragedy of pandemic proportions, with tens of thousands of girls and
women, including transgender women, murdered every year because of their
gender, and many more at risk of dying from gender-based violence
because States don’t fulfil their duty to protect victims’ lives and
ensure their safety.”
Since the foundation of our movement, in these 30 years of struggle and
organisation, food sovereignty as a political principle has allowed
rural women to denounce the capitalist system, the generator of the
multiple injustices and inequalities that we are experiencing today,
which has turned food into a commodity for agribusiness, putting market
interests first, poisoning the soil and threatening the subsistence of
humanity and life on the planet.
Rural women are essential in the fight against hunger and in the defence
of food sovereignty, in the care of biodiversity, in the recovery of
indigenous seeds, in the care of water, soil and ancestral knowledge. At
the same time, we are a front of struggle, resistance and resilience in
the face of political, economic and environmental crises. Through
agroecological practices we ensure the sustainable management of Mother
Earth and promote a feminist, supportive and just economy.
At the same time, we denounce the neoliberal and fascist policies on
women’s bodies and lives: the lack of fundamental rights such as
education, housing, health, sexual and reproductive rights, as well as
freedom of mobility, organisation and communication.
The world is currently experiencing a setback and a serious loss of
fundamental and historical rights in multiple crises caused by wars, the
climate crisis, poverty and pandemics, which have a clear gendered
impact and unequally affect women and girls.
Before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as peasant women we have
affirmed food sovereignty as a concrete way to face these crises, and we
continue to produce more than 70% of the food we represent 50% of the
labour power in the field. However, we own less than 2% of the land,
infrastructure and necessary services.
In this sense, we see the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants,
adopted in 2018, <https://viacampesina.org/en/undrop-illustrations/> as
a political tool to defend and fight for our rights, and to guide public
policies that guarantee a dignified life in the countryside and healthy
food for humanity and life on the planet.
*On this day of action #25Nov23,* together with organised and rebellious
women from all over the world, we will call for a day of mobilisation,
training and exchange, with forums, direct actions, fairs and other
events denouncing the daily and structural violence that women and
peasants experience. We will take to the streets and networks to put
forward our political proposals to condemn capitalism, patriarchy, the
states and the judiciary as the main accomplices of the violence and
crises we are experiencing today.
Towards our 8th Conference and 6th International Women’s Assembly in
Bogotá
Since its birth, La Via Campesina has sought to guarantee the
participation of rural women at all levels of action, power and
representation, in order to build a broad, democratic, international
movement, politically and socially committed to the defence of peasant
agriculture, food sovereignty, the struggle for land, justice, equality
and the fight against all forms of gender violence.
Since the First Conference and the Women’s Assembly of La Via Campesina,
we have achieved key objectives such as gender parity, peasant and
popular feminism and the fight against violence
<https://viacampesina.org/en/graphic-book-the-path-of-peasant-and-popular-...>.
We have also gained recognition for our strategic role in food
sovereignty and food systems and in the construction of the Declaration
of Peasant Rights.
“These spaces are key to talking about the context, the strengthening of
the right, fascism and neo-fascism. All this means a lot in the lives of
rural women. There is still a lot of political violence, so during the
Assembly we have to deal with the causes of this violence. With
conviction, as our slogan says, but without fear,” commented Adriana
Mezadri of the Brazilian Women’s Peasant Movement and the Women’s
Articulation of the South American Region of La Vía Campesina.
The International Women’s Assemblies that have been held during these
years, within the framework of our International Conference (1-8
December 2023), give the movement a political base and a horizon, since
it is here that the actions for the following period are evaluated and
planned. Our 1st Assembly took place in Bangalore, India, in 2000; the
2nd Assembly in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2004; the 3rd Assembly in Maputo,
Mozambique, in 2008; the 4th Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2013;
and the 5th International Women’s Assembly in Derio, Basque Country, in
2017.
Petra Ortiz, from the Panamanian Peasant Union of the Central American
Region, says that several face-to-face and virtual meetings, schools
<https://viacampesina.org/en/video-we-are-going-to-till-and-study-internat...>,
gatherings and assemblies have taken place in the run-up to the 6th
International Women’s Assembly
<https://viacampesina.org/en/6th-international-womens-assembly-of-la-via-c...>,
which will take place in Bogotá on 2 December.
“We have reviewed the history of articulation, the journey of
articulation in La Via Campesina, and the advance of peasant and popular
feminism in the search for justice. Also to look inwards and say that
there is still violence in organisations, so we are also working on
training our colleagues in feminism and new masculinities against all
patriarchal practices. We have the challenge of continuing to integrate
young people, strengthening solidarity, and migration is also a serious
issue in the region and globally, as is the environmental crisis, which
is aggravating the situation in the countryside,” she says.
Global Campaign to ‘Stop the Violence Against Women’ – 15 Years of
Breaking the Silence
The International Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women is celebrating
its 15th anniversary since it was launched at the 5th Conference in
Maputo in 2008, where La Via Campesina “broke the silence” and conceived
it as a way of dialogue within the movement and with society on the
importance of building new and better human relationships as part of the
construction of new societies.
Anuka De Silva, from MONLAR Sri Lanka and the Asian continent, says that
the peasant population is a large one, with a lot of rural areas and
cultures. This region is promoting a campaign against micro-lending,
which enslaves peasant women with unpayable bills.
“This is also a form of violence. We want to include it in our campaign,
which will celebrate its 15th anniversary at the 8th World Conference.
We don’t have land in our patriarchal societies. That’s why we demand
changes in the laws and fight for joint ownership.
At the same time, she mentioned the importance of stepping up the
campaign against agrochemicals, which are not only related to food. In
Asia, they are causing the deaths of women and children. “Migration is
also a serious problem in a number of countries in the region. There are
no labour rights. We are calling for women and countries to be mobilised
for rights. In addition, the environmental crisis has caused floods and
droughts, so we demand climate justice and real policies,” she adds.
Food sovereignty cannot be sown with violent and toxic relationships! It
also seeks to denounce the violence of agribusiness, which greatly
affects rural women, peasants, fishermen, shepherds, landless women,
migrants and farm workers, displacing, poisoning, exploiting,
criminalising and killing them.
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*Download our communication materials and campaign poster here
<https://comms.viacampesina.org/s/9Zxjkf7gccDckHc>.*
Follow us on social media using the hashtag: *#PopularPeasantFeminism
#StopViolenceAgainstWomen #25Nov23 #8ConfLVC*
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1 year, 1 month