La Vía Campesina | "Ceasefire" Bulletin | Sept-Oct. Edition 2020
Donate [1]
This bulletin is the result of a collective effort by La Via Campesina
to share information on the implementation of the Peace Agreement in
Colombia.
To subscribe click here [2]
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS PERSIST UNDER THE DUQUE GOVERNMENT |
#URGENTACTIONCOLOMBIA
"Feelings of helplessness and pain for what the communities are
experiencing," is how one of the participants summed up the Humanitarian
Missions conducted by social organizations and human rights groups in
Colombia. Since the national government decreed its lockdown to fight
the Covid-19 pandemic, the violence has strangely increased against the
country's rural population at the hands of official and irregular armed
groups. Read more ... [3]
FEATURED ARTICLES
COLOMBIA: DUQUE INSISTS ON ENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR
THE REPLACEMENT OF ILLICIT CROPS
The implementation of the PNIS (Integrated National Program for the
Substitution of Illicitly Used Crops), laid out in point 4 of the Final
Agreement, is facing serious difficulties under the Iván Duque
administration.
Read more ... [4]
STATEMENT: HUMANITARIAN MISSION FOR LIFE AND PEACE IN THE EASTERN PLAINS
AND ORINOCO, COLOMBIA
Social and human rights organizations and communities of faith carried
out this Humanitarian Mission to respond to the urgent call of the
communities in the south of Meta and the north of Guaviare. FOR TEN DAYS
(JULY 18 TO 27, 2020), WE TRAVELED THROUGHOUT THE REGION. Read more ...
[5]
COLOMBIA: LITTLE PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE
RURAL REFORM
Even if the implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Reform is
advancing at a snail's pace, the government's actions don't embrace the
spirit of the agreement and are aimed at faking compliance with the
Agreement. There are several reasons for this: Read more ... [6]
COLOMBIA: HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACE IS BLEEDING DRY
Thanks to the peace agreement, the FARC-EP left the territories, but the
Duque Government's inability to fight the new forms of paramilitarism
and criminal gangs has allowed illegal armed actors to take over the
territories abandoned by the FARC. This has led to continued human
rights violations such as forced disappearances, forced displacements,
massacres, sexual assaults and the confinement of communities. Read more
... [7]
THE COLOMBIAN ARMY IS ANOTHER THREAT TO COMMUNITIES | #FALSEPOSITIVES
The murder of civilians by the military with the objective of presenting
them as firefight casualties is a crime popularly known as "false
positives" in Colombia. This common practice of the Army since 1994
peaked in the first decade of this century when 5,763 people were
murdered. The post-agreement process has had to deal with the
persistence of this practice which has apparently become a part of the
public force's modus operandi. Read more ... [8]
COLOMBIA: MARCHERS HIGHLIGHT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
"As marchers for dignity, we're walking for life and in this way, we
aren't drawing attention from the national government. We're sounding a
warning call to the international community and human rights defenders,
because its the State that is killing us." Read more... [9]
YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE AUTONOMY OF OUR MOVEMENT
-------------------------
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Campesina, and as an activist who joins us on the streets and in the
fields, your support is always welcome and put to good use.
You can renew your contribution to La Via Campesina by clicking here
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Control over land and related resources reflect the power relations in a
country/region, and are an indicator of existing social injustices. At
the same time, these resources are central to the rights, livelihoods
and identity of small scale food producers, and they have been at the
heart of the food sovereignty movement from its beginning.
This issue of the Nyéléni Newsletter is the second edition this year
dedicated to the theme of land. In a historical review, we look at how
land-related struggles have evolved over the past decades, starting with
demands for agrarian reform to a more comprehensive framing, which
asserts people's and communities' close and multi-faceted relationships
to their territories.
Despite persistent challenges to people's struggle for land, this issue
celebrates important victories and features the ingeniousness of
communities around the world to assert their rights and manage their
territories. Social organizations are finding ways to include emerging
issues such as the challenges of climate change and digital technologies
into their struggles.
In the light of aggressive digitalization, financialization and
authoritarianism, as well as an increasing overlapping of agrarian and
ecological questions, we point out the need for movements to revive and
refocus their strategies.
DOWNLOAD THE EDITION HERE [1]
Links:
------
[1] http://www.nyeleni.org/ccount/click.php?id=149
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
"Globalize Solidarity,
Localize Agriculture"
_La Via Campesina Web-Dialogue_
13h00 - 15h30 (Harare time)
10 September 2020
REGISTER [1]
On 10 September 2020, La Via Campesina will once again mark the
International Day of Action against WTO and FTAs. On this day, in memory
of Lee Kyung Hae's sacrifice, we intend to hold a web-dialogue between
peasant leaders and activists from Asia, Africa, Europe and the
Americas. They will elaborate and argue why agriculture must remain out
of all Free Trade Negotiations that take place both inside and outside
the WTO.
The dialogue titled "GLOBALIZE SOLIDARITY, LOCALIZE AGRICULTURE" will
focus on people's alternative that emerges from centuries of peasant
experiences and evidence.
Speakers:
- Jeongyeol Kim, La Via Campesina Asia
- Shalmali Guttal, Focus on the Global South
- S Kannaiyyan, La Via Campesina Asia
- Festil Pierre Doudou, La Via Campesina Americas
- David Otieno, La Via Campesina Africa
- Million Belay, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa
- Vincent Dauby, European Coordination Vía Campesina
Moderated by:
Peter Rosset, ECOSUR
REGISTER [1]
Links:
------
[1] https://bit.ly/LVC-Trade-Webinar-2020
La Via Campesina | e-newsletter | June - July 2020
Donate [1]
This edition of the newsletter is the result of a collective effort of
organisations, which are part of_ La Via Campesina_ movement worldwide.
To subscribe click here [2]
LA VIA CAMPESINA #TIMETOTRANSFORM
SOW THE SEEDS OF STRUGGLE AND RESISTANCE, AND CULTIVATE OUR RIGHTS! –
#TIMETOTRANSFORM
The world is currently living through a different and intense context
and historical moment, with a much-accelerated change in the balance of
forces and the political struggle. Taking into account the peculiarity
of each country or territory, as the working-class and peasants in the
countryside, we face two great enemies of the people; (i) A visible
enemy like Covid-19 ... Read more ... [3]
#THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING HARDER: COVID-19 UPDATE ON PEASANTS,
RURAL WORKERS AND OTHER MARGINALIZED GROUPS!
_Within the framework of our strategy of formation/training, information
and political analysis in defense of Food Sovereignty and Peasant
Agriculture, with the slogan "Sow the seeds of struggle and resistance,
and cultivate our rights!", we share a second report on the COVID-19 and
the situation of the peasantry._
It has been five months since most countries imposed lockdown measures,
including travel restrictions both within and across borders, to control
the spread of COVID-19 pushing millions of hungry people over the edge.
During this period, tens of millions of people have contracted COVID-19,
and over half a million people succumbed to death. ... Indeed, COVID-19
has shown that we can no longer return to business as usual, that we
have to change how we live and interact as a society. It is time to
transform. Read more ... [4]
FEATURED ARTICLES
LA VIA CAMPESINA CONDEMNS THE COLONIALIST ANNEXATION PLAN IN PALESTINE
(Harare, July 2, 2020) Steadfast in our solidarity with all those who
struggle for Food Sovereignty and the full realization of peasants'
rights, La Via Campesina expresses our unwavering support for the
Palestinian people and peasant movement united against U.S.-backed
Israeli attempts to annex the vital lands, waters, and territories of
occupied Palestine's Area C. Read more ... [5]
SIGN THE CALL FOR GERMAN EU COUNCIL PRESIDENCY TO STOP THE EU-MERCOSUR
AGREEMENT
Negotiations between the EU and Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina,
Paraguay and Uruguay), underway for over 20 years, culminated in a
political agreement in June last year. The European Commission has since
been preparing the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement for signature. But
the agreement is highly controversial. Read more ... [6]
MST'S INTERNATIONALIST BRIGADES AND THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 AND FOR
LIFE IN AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA
The world is currently undergoing a serious health crisis and is
possibly facing the biggest social and economic crisis of the 21st
century. While scientists strive to find ways to overcome the COVID-19
pandemic, hypotheses about the origin are being made. The fact is that
there is a high probability that the virus that caused this pandemic may
have originated from the environmental crisis we are also facing and the
actions of the capital, especially in agriculture. Read more ... [7]
INDIA: KRRS FARMERS PROTEST IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS ACROSS KARNATAKA
AGAINST AMENDMENTS TO LAND LAW
Since the time Karnataka government announced that it would bring
amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act-1961, thousands of farmers
organized under the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, and Hasiru Sene
(KRRS) are protesting [8] against the government's move throughout the
state. Read more ... [9]
SAY THEIR NAMES! ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT; HONORING OUR BLACK FARMWORKER
SAY THEIR NAMES! George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all
the others, whose lives have been lost senselessly, needlessly and
tragically because of an ever-pervasive and inherent racism that infects
our country....like a pandemic. Read more ... [10]
UNION LEADER PROTEST THE TREATMENT OF MIGRANT WORKERS
On Tuesday, June 16, the USB unionist Aboubakar Soumahoro chained
himself near Villa Pamphilj, in Rome, where the "General State of the
Economy" are underway , a series of meetings organised by the government
between the government itself, international institutions, trade unions
and trade associations. Read more ... [11]
NEPAL: NOW IS TIME FOR SOCIALIST ECONOMIC REFORMS
The COVID-19 pandemic has given a few messages to the world. The
countries with centralised public services, public healthcare system,
planned economy, and better public policies such as China, Cuba,
Vietnam, and Kerala state of India are dealing it more effectively than
the capitalist countries like the USA, the UK, France, Spain and Italy.
Read more ... [12]
MILLIONS FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HUNGER OR COVID-19
The Quilombo Campo Grande camp is currently resisting an attempted
eviction which began early on Wednesday August 12. The camp located in
the municipality of Campo do Meio, in the state of Minas Gerais, is home
to 450 landless families. Dozens of police officers and vehicles have
been brought in from neighboring cities to carry out the action. Read
more ... [13]
INDONESIA: SPI CALLS FOR URGENT SOLIDARITY WITH IMPRISONED PEASANT
LEADER
Serikat Petani Indonesia, one of the country's prominent peasant unions
and a member of La Via Campesina, has issued a letter seeking solidarity
from social movements and civil society, in connection with the
imprisonment of one of their leaders. Read more ... [14]
LA VIA CAMPESINA MEXICO ISSUES LETTER IN DEFENSE OF SEEDS AND PEASANT
AND INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURE
_We, La Via Campesina Mexico, claim our right, as peasants and
indigenous people, to conserve, use, exchange and selling seeds and
other propagation preserved in the production units peasant and
indigenous production units _ Read more ... [15]
"PROTECT PEASANT AND AGROECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION." LA VIA CAMPESINA AT THE
MEETING OF THE UN DECADE FOR FAMILY FARMING
On 27 July, Elizabeth Mpofu, General Coordinator of La Via Campesina,
reminded everyone who attended the global exchange meeting in the
framework of the UN Decade for Family Farming that the COVID 19 Crisis
reveals to us the limitations of the industrial food system. Read more
... [16]
UAWC'S REPORT ON ISRAELI OCCUPATION VIOLATIONS AGAINST PALESTINIAN
FARMERS IN THE WEST BANK DURING JUNE 2020
Palestinian LVC and agricultural committees documented more than 81
violations against farmers in various areas in the West Bank mostly
classified as C. including, setting up fires where 55 dunums were
burned, destroying and confiscating crops where 40 Stacks of wheat hay
and 3 tons of fodder were stolen, Bulldozing More than 1080 dunums,
cutting down more than 116 productive trees, and confiscating more than
50 dunums. Read more ... [17]
COLOMBIA IS MILITARISING ITS TERRITORIES INSTEAD OF PROMOTING PEACE
States must respect, promote and guarantee human rights; however, it
seems necessary to remind Duque's government of the existence of these
international obligations.
Since 2016, when the Peace Agreement between the Colombian State and the
extinct FARC-EP guerrillas was signed, violence against human rights
defenders, land restitution leaders, social leaders, people in
reincorporation process and, in general, rural communities, has
gradually increased. Read more ... [18]
THE GAZA BLOCKADE IS ENTERING ITS FOURTEENTH YEAR
_In solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and the rest of
Palestine, La Via Campesina's Arab and North Africa region is calling
for the immediate lifting of the brutal blockade._
As on June 14, 2020, thirteen years have gone by since the Israeli
occupation first imposed this brutal blockade on our brave people in the
Gaza Strip. In this period, 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza have lived
in a virtual prison, under the weight of a land, sea, and air blockade.
Read more ... [19]
WHAT KIND OF AFRICA AND WORLD SHOULD EMERGE FROM THIS CRISIS?
The COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps the biggest global event in recent
decades. The crisis is highlighting and exacerbating existing
inequalities in the globalised neo-liberal and patriarchal
socio-economic system. Read more ... [20]
MILLIONS FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HUNGER OR COVID-19
GRAIN
On the eve of May Day 2020, in full coronavirus pandemic, the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) released some hair raising
statistics. About 1.6 billion workers from the informal sector are in
dire straits because of the lockdowns governments have imposed to stop
the spread of the virus. Read more ... [21]
FEATURED PUBLICATION
DIGNITY FOR MIGRANT WORKERS AND THE MOVEMENT FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY ARE
THE SAME STRUGGLE!
Land is the basis for social life. It is a foundation not only for
agricultural production, but also shapes and is shaped by societies'
political, economic, and cultural dynamics: POWER AFFECTS LAND ACCESS,
AND LAND ACCESS GRANTS POWER.
Given land's central role to human society, it is unsurprising that it
has also been CENTRAL TO PROFIT ACCUMULATION IN THE EXPANSION OF GLOBAL
CAPITALISM. DOWNLOAD HERE [22]. [23]
FEATURED VIDEO
[24]
GLOBALIZE HOPE (1H 13 MINS)
New film on the history of La Via Campesina
This film chronicles how La Via Campesina was born more than 28 years
ago, as an alternative that brings together struggles, dreams and
challenges to build solidarity and secure our collective human future.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Select English, French or Spanish subtitles by clicking
on the "CC" button on the Vimeo player.
YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE AUTONOMY OF OUR MOVEMENT
-------------------------
As a supporter who has contributed financial resources to La Via
Campesina, and as an activist who joins us on the streets and in the
fields, your support is always welcome and put to good use.
You can renew your contribution to La Via Campesina by clicking here
[25]. [26]
[27]
Twitter [28]
[29]
Facebook [30]
[31]
Vimeo [32]
To unsubscribe from the distribution list click here [33]
For questions or comments, email LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG
WEBSITE: www.viacampesina.org [34]
TV: www.tv.viacampesina.org [35]
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La Via Campesina · 197A Smuts Road · Prospect · Waterfalls · Zimbabwe
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URGENTLY SEEKING SOLIDARITY FROM SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY!
10 JULY 2020
RELEASE JUNAWAL BIN SUKINO, THE DEFENDER OF AGRARIAN REFORM!
On May 26, 2020, police arrested Mr Junawal Bin Sukino, Chairperson of
Serikat Petani Indonesia's (SPI) Tebo District division, who has been at
the forefront of the struggle against eviction in Napal Putih Village,
which falls in the Jambi province of Indonesia. Napal Putih is a village
built through the collective efforts of peasant families, enabled by the
Agrarian Reform program of the Indonesian government. Police have
accused Junawal of setting fire to five units of heavy equipment owned
by PT Lestari Asri Jaya (PT LAJ) - a subsidiary company of PT. Barito
Pacific (Indonesia) and the Michelin Group (France) - on May 14, 2019.
However, what these arrest discount are the countless violations carried
out by PT LAJ in the region, in the name of sustainable rubber
plantation.
Since 2012, SPI Peasants in Tebo Regency, Jambi Province, have been
protesting large scale land encroachment by PT LAJ. This company has a
permit area of 61,495 hectares and has received funding from Tropical
Landscapes Financial Facilities (TLFF), a partnership between the UN
Environment, World Agroforestry Centre, ADM Capital and BNP Paribas.
Under a US$ 95 million Sustainability Bond [1], this partnership
finances a sustainable natural rubber plantation in two provinces in
Indonesia, one of them in the Jambi province. Since May 2018, PT LAJ
carries out forestry plantation at Bukit Tigabuluh National Park (TNBT).
Peasants allege that in the name of "natural rubber plantations" and
forestry what is indeed happening is large scale corporate land
grabbing, with the backing of international institutions.
In Tebo, Napal Putih is among the many villages built and maintained by
peasant families organised under Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI). Over
the years, the peasant union (SPI) has made significant steps towards
ensuring people's food sovereignty. Here, the peasant families have
created a self-sustaining ecosystem where they grow crops through
agroecological methods. The union has also built houses, schools, places
of worship and developed a local peasant market and distribution system
run by local people-led cooperatives. PT LAJ's acquisition in the region
is derailing years of efforts of the peasant families in creating a
self-sustaining livelihood mechanism. Instead of holding the Corporation
accountable, the local authorities have arrested and criminalised a
young leader of the union.
Serikat Petani Indonesia, one among the prominent peasant unions in the
country, has organised several mobilisations, demanding Junawal's
release and dismissal of all charges against him. One such
demonstration, held outside the Police headquarters in Tebo district,
had nearly 4000 peasants participating in it. As a movement of peasant
families across Indonesia, Serikat Petani Indonesia is firm on its
demand and is seeking solidarity from social movements within and
outside the country to stand with us, until Junawal is released and
until PT LAJ withdraws from its operations in the region. We appeal to
our sisters and brothers around the world to step up the pressure on
local authorities and alert this violation to global institutions.
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH YOU COULD HELP EXPRESS YOUR SOLIDARITY;
* Organisations/Individuals could prepare a letter of solidarity
addressed to the Government of Indonesia as well as the French Embassy
in Indonesia, and echo the demands of Serikat Petani Indonesia.
* In your phone, you could record a video/audio message of solidarity
and
THE MESSAGES, AS ALREADY STATED, COULD ECHO OUR TWO MAIN DEMANDS;
* Release Junawal immediately and dismiss all the charges against him
* PT LAJ should be held accountable for large scale land grabbing and
should immediately withdraw from the region.
Please send these messages before July 12, 2020, by email to
spi(a)spi.or.id .Let us truly globalise our struggles and globalise our
hope for a better, and just world that respects people's food
sovereignty.
-------------------------
SERIKAT PETANI INDONESIA
09 JULY 2020
_Further information: Zainal Arifin Fuat - +62 812 8932 1398 /
zainal(a)spi.or.id_
Links:
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[1]
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LA VIA CAMPESINA CONDEMNS THE COLONIALIST ANNEXATION PLAN IN PALESTINE
2 JULY 2020 INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY [1], PEASANTS' RIGHTS [2]
_"Peasants and other people working in rural areas have the right to be
protected against arbitrary and unlawful displacement from their land or
place of habitual residence, or from other natural resources used in
their activities and necessary for the enjoyment of adequate living
conditions..." _ - Article 17.4 of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of
Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas[1] [3]
(Harare, July 2, 2020) Steadfast in our solidarity with all those who
struggle for Food Sovereignty and the full realization of peasants'
rights, La Via Campesina expresses our unwavering support for the
Palestinian people and peasant movement united against U.S.-backed
Israeli attempts to annex the vital lands, waters, and territories of
occupied Palestine's Area C. On behalf of our 200 million members
organized in 182 local and national organisations around the world, La
Via Campesina adds our voice to global opposition[2] [4] to Israel's
illegal annexation plans and reiterates our demand for an end to the
entire Israeli occupation.
_"In the Palestinian context, the issue of Food Sovereignty is of great
importance, considering the Israeli military occupation that has full
control over Palestinian natural resources, including land, water,
pastures, and fisheries." [3] [5]_
THE CRIMINAL ANNEXATION OF PALESTINE'S BREADBASKET
Israel's occupation of Palestine has included, since 1967, a system of
control whereby natural resources are appropriated and exploited for the
benefit of Israelis at the expense of Palestinian lives and livelihoods.
It has created increasingly unlivable conditions for Palestinians in the
occupied territories in order to force them to relocate and allow Israel
to permanently annex lands, waters and territories. In the Jordan
Valley, for example, unlivable conditions led to a significant drop of
the Palestinian population over the past several decades - from 320,000
in 1967 to only 58,239 today[4] [6]. According to the Palestinian
Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, the Jordan
Valley "is the most fertile and resource-rich area of the West Bank,
with key land reserves for natural expansion. It is known for its rich
agricultural production, warm climate, abundant water resources, and
also attracts tourism with over 80 historical and cultural sites".
During July 2020, the Israeli government intends to push through an
illegal annexation of 30% of the occupied West Bank and roughly 50% of
Area C - Palestinian territory under full Israeli administrative and
security control as per the Oslo Accords. Area A - administered
exclusively by the Palestinian Authority - makes up only 18% of the West
Bank while Area B - supposedly under Palestinian civil control and joint
Israeli-Palestinian security control - makes up about 21% of the same
area. Area C, meanwhile, includes over 61% of the West Bank, runs
between both Areas A and B, and is under complete Israeli control,
including security, planning, and zoning. As part of Oslo I and Oslo II,
the entirety of Areas A, B, and C were supposed to be under the full
governance of the Palestinian Authority before the year 2000 but respect
for the Palestinian Right to Self Determination has not materialized, to
say the least[5] [7].
The Jordan Valley, as noted above, is considered the breadbasket of the
future Palestinian state. It contains vital land and water resources for
the natural expansion of Palestinian towns and cities and Palestinian
agriculture industries. It has the richest water resources in the whole
of the West Bank and is essential for the lives and livelihoods of most
Palestinian farmers, their families and urban fellows. In short, Its
annexation would gravely violate the rights of all Palestinians -
especially its peasant farmers. Israel already controls most of the
water resources in the area, causing Palestinians in the Jordan Valley,
especially those in Area C, to suffer from water inaccessibility.[6] [8]
By blocking access to land, water and territory, Israel is attempting to
consolidate its control over Palestinians' food production and prevent
any attempt towards self-sufficiency, Food Sovereignty, and
disengagement with the occupation economy.
La Via Campesina stands in solidarity with our member organization in
Palestine - the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) - and calls
on friends and allies alike to join us in denouncing the U.S.-backed
Israeli Annexation Plan. We consider it an explicit violation of
international law, including the UN Declaration on Peasants Rights, and
point to its prevention of people from accessing their own natural
resources such as land and water, producing their own food and choosing
the most sustainable, resilient, productive, diverse, locally
appropriate food system that suits them.
WE CALL ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND ALL WHO STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS TO:
- Take urgent and effective actions to reject the US proposition which
is in violation of UN resolutions and stop Israeli plans of illegal
annexations in Area C. The UN itself, together with the international
community, must act immediately to halt Israel's annexation plans,
defend the rights of Palestinians, and uphold both international law and
UN credibility;
- Take decisive action, including employing all available lawful
countermeasures to uphold accountability in order to halt further
annexation and severance of Palestinian territorial integrity and ensure
rapid reversal of those measures announced or already implemented.
-------------------------
[1] https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/73/165 [9]
[2]
https://www.eccpalestine.org/un-rights-experts-call-for-global-opposition-t…
[10]
[3] [11]
https://viacampesina.org/en/declaration-of-the-international-conference-on-…
[4] [12] http://www.passia.org/maps/view/74
[5] [13] Union of Agricultural Work Committees: "Reality of
Area C: A human rights perspective", 2019.
[6] [14] Union of Agricultural Work Committees: "Factsheet 1-
Current Status of Jordan Valley", 2019.
Links:
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[1]
https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-for/international-solidari…
[2] https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-for/human-rights/
[3]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[4]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[5]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[6]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[7]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[8]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[9] https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/73/165
[10]
https://www.eccpalestine.org/un-rights-experts-call-for-global-opposition-t…
[11]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[12]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[13]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
[14]
https://viacampesina.org/en/la-via-campesina-condemns-israelis-annexation-p…
Land is the basis for social life. It is a foundation not only for
agricultural production, but also shapes and is shaped by societies'
political, economic, and cultural dynamics: power affects land access,
and land access grants power.
Given land's central role to human society, it is unsurprising that it
has also been central to profit accumulation in the expansion of global
capitalism. Long distance land grabs - the expropriation,
commodification, and privatisation of distant lands - have been a
central feature of world history for 500 years.
Governments have always sought to control land, but since the enclosures
of peasants' land in England and European conquests of indigenous lands
starting in 1492, land grabbing has been entwined in the colonial and
imperial interests of private capital alongside states. The result:
continuing waves of dispossession, genocide, and enslavement of
Indigenous, Black, and Brown peoples. So while recent land grabs reflect
continuity, contemporary drivers and impacts must also be understood in
their current context.
This issue of Nyéléni is the first part of two editions (June and
September) dedicated to the theme of land. This issue examines the
challenges of the current rush for land by financial and corporate
actors, from the local to the global. It assesses current opportunities
and maps out strategies and solutions to promote change. Land is a site
of contention and injustice; it is also an area of struggle, and
advancement, for food sovereignty and justice.
DOWNLOAD THE NEWSLETTER [1]
Links:
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[1] http://www.nyeleni.org/ccount/click.php?id=146
LA VIA CAMPESINA: 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
SUMMARY: This annual report [1]highlights the struggles and activities
we had and the progress we made in 2019. These happened in the context
of a world faced with many complex and interconnected challenges that
heightened political crises and triggered mass mobilizations and
protests broke out in all corners of the earth. What is clear and common
among the protests is that economic inequality, poverty, and climate
crisis can no longer be tolerated. In the context of contradictory
realities of hope and desperation, the people, both rural and urban, are
fed up and disillusioned with the current neoliberal political-economic
order. Only a radical societal transformation upheld by food sovereignty
can repair the current polarization and bring peasants, workers, and the
majority of the poor into the center stage of the political and economic
questions facing the world today. We need to build greater unity and
solidarity to struggle against exploitation and criminalization in all
its forms. One way to do this is to strengthen the existing solidarity
mechanism by developing an emergency response system and giving legal
support to those imprisoned for defending our rights. UN Declaration on
the Rights of the Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas is
one of the legal instruments we will use to strengthen local and
national struggles for agrarian reform, agroecology, popular peasant
feminism, and food sovereignty.
Download PDF Report [1]
Publication date: May 2020
Available in Spanish [2] and French [3]
Links:
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[1]
https://viacampesina.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/EN-WEB-Annua…
[2] https://viacampesina.org/es/la-via-campesina-informe-anual-2019/
[3] https://viacampesina.org/fr/la-via-campesina-rapport-annuel-2019/