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“The Colombian people cannot be denied the right to Peace”, Via Campesina
by La Via Campesina 28 Mar '19

28 Mar '19

Via Campesina's Third Solidarity Mission to Colombia HARARE, 28 MARCH 2019: Via Campesina International is conducting its Third Solidarity Mission to Colombia in a new political context, with the recent election of President Iván Duque and the ongoing debate on the Statutory Law that provides the legal framework for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. Among the Third Mission's goals is that of denouncing the alarming incidence, within the context of the peace process, of the targeted killings of women and men peasant leaders, as well as of the criminalization faced by peasant leaders. According to the United Nations report, during 2018 in Colombia, there was an increase of 164% in the number of such killings. In addition, the Mission is seeking to identify critical factors for the implementation of the points in the Peace Accord, which was signed two years ago by the Colombian government and the FARC. As part of the international guarantor component, Via Campesina has been participating in following up the implementation of Point 1 of the Accord, related to Integral Agrarian Reform. >From March 29th to April 2nd, seventeen Via Campesina delegates from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa will take part in meetings with members of the Colombian Congress and in meetings with social organizations and movements. The delegates will also carry out visits to different parts of the country, and their Mission will conclude with a unified event in the center of Colombia, near Bogotá. During the visits, the LVC delegation will gain a firsthand acquaintance with the main problems faced by peasants who are engaged in building peace: the interests of transnational corporations; security and the presence of other armed groups (paramilitaries, other guerrilla movements, and criminal organizations). They will also learn about alternatives that are already being developed at the local level: productive projects; educational and social reintegration projects. Upon completion of its Mission, Via Campesina will make an assessment, indicating the precautions that should be taken in order for the peace process to advance in a democratic and participatory manner. Via Campesina believes that guaranteeing human rights is essential. In order to attain a lasting peace based on social justice, we must eradicate this phenomenon of unending and unpunished killings. We cannot deprive the Colombian people of their right to peace! PRESS CONTACTS: Nury Martínez (+57 3107720098) - Fensuagro - Poticial Coordinator of Vía Campesina South America. Andrey Hernandez (+57 3176358066) - Communication Cloc - Vía Campesina South America.

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For the life and dignity of women, we fight together against the exploitation and oppression of the capitalist and patriarchal system!
by La Via Campesina 07 Mar '19

07 Mar '19

FOR THE LIFE AND DIGNITY OF WOMEN, WE FIGHT TOGETHER AGAINST THE EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION OF THE CAPITALIST AND PATRIARCHAL SYSTEM! 6 MARCH 2019 CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN [1], WOMEN [2] * La Via Campesina Press Release * International Women's Day (Harare, March 8th, 2019) The goals that gave rise to INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY continue to inspire us. They have become the rallying cry of the women and men in all parts of the world who are engaged in organised resistance to capitalism and patriatrchy. This is the reason why, today, in a spirit of UNITY and solidarity, we, La Via Campesina women from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe fighting for our rights and for life, are taking part in all of the activities and demonstrations organised by rural and urban women workers. THIS MARCH 8TH, WE TOO ARE GOING ON STRIKE! On this day of global action, we will be in the streets and public spaces, in peasant communities and rural areas, imbued with our strength and our capacity for resistance and organisation, re-affirming our message of struggle. In the current world context of an onslaught by capitalism in its most savage and overwhelming form, there have been increases in social inequality, in conflicts, and the incidence of xenophobia and homophobia, as well as in the criminalisation of those of us who are struggling for human rights and for life. In a climate of war-mongering and a context of migratory crisis, millions of people, including millions of women, are subjected to extreme poverty and violence. For this reason, we La Via Campesina women are mobilising today, March 8th, 2019, as we have done in years past. We are organising; we are struggling; we are calling for an END TO NEOLIBERALISM AND AN END TO THE PATRIARCHY! We are putting forward our proposalfor the construction of abetter world, celebrating our DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE WORKING [3] [3]IN RURAL AREAS [3], a political instrument that was adopted by the United Nations as a result of our concerted struggles. This declaration safeguards the right to a life with dignity for those of us who feed the world's peoples, and who are the custodians of land, water, and forests. For us, La Via Campesina women, food cannot be commodified in a globalised market that is driven solely by profit and that leaves millions of people hungry. For us, food production should be grounded in Food Sovereignty that is built on agroecology. In this context, we are the principal actors, promoting peasant agriculture on the basis of respect for the rights of peasant women and men. This would require a change in regional policies for rural areas, accompanied by a feminist perspective - a popular peasant feminism that guarantees the rights of women and ensures their participation in political decision-making. We believe that in order to end gender-based violence it is essential to empower women and to guarantee their rights and bring about their emancipation. This is why the women and men of La Via Campesina, in a single expression of struggle and liberation, are saying today: FOR THE LIFE AND DIGNITY OF WOMEN, WE FIGHT TOGETHER AGAINST EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION! We remain firm in our mission of planting the seeds of hope and liberation for rural and urban women all over the world. We are therefore expressing our sisterly solidarity with all of the women of the INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S STRIKE, the aim of which is to show that women's work is a crucial element in the maintenance and reproduction of life and of the global economy. Only through social organisation and through training and political study, in cooperation with other feminist organisations of women and women workers, will we be able to advance towards a dignified life for women and men. FOR THE LIFE AND DIGNITY OF WOMEN, WE FIGHT TOGETHER AGAINST EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION! Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-against/patriachy/campaign… [2] https://viacampesina.org/en/who-are-we/women/ [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/03/UN_Declarati…

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La Via Campesina | newsletter| We will be stronger in 2019!
by La Via Campesina 24 Dec '18

24 Dec '18

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* La Via Campesina | e-newsletter | Sept - Dec 2018 "Special Edition" 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. This is also a SPECIAL EDITION that celebrates the adoption of the _UN Declaration on Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas_. We are ending 2018 on a high note, with renewed energies and a high momentum that will make us stronger in 2019! To subscribe to our monthly newsletter click here [2] FINALLY, THE UNITED NATIONS ADOPTS PEASANTS RIGHTS DECLARATION! _On 17 December 2018, the 73 Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 73) in New York adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Now that the declaration is an international legal instrument, La Via Campesina (LVC) and its allies will mobilise to support regional and national implementation processes. With 121 votes in favour, 8 votes against and 54 abstentions, the forum of UNGA representing 193 Member States, ushered in a new promising chapter in the struggle for the rights of peasants and other rural communities throughout the world._ Read our press release [3] RECOMMENDED READING; * Communique [4] from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia * FAO hails landmark UN resolution [5] that enshrines rights of peasants and rural workers * UN Human Rights Chief welcomes adoption [6] of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants * Declaration Represents Huge Advance for Human Rights, reports Common Dreams [7] [8] For more videos and reactions, visit our Facebook page [9] This UN Declaration can provide a global framework for national legislation and policies to: * better protect the rights of peasants - women and men - and improve livelihoods in rural areas * reinforce food sovereignty, the fight against climate change and the conservation of biodiversity * take actions to implement comprehensive agrarian reform and a better protection against land-grabbing * realise the right of peasants to conserve, use, exchange and sell their seeds * ensure remunerative prices for peasant production and rights for agricultural workers * recognise the rights of peasant women and bring about social justice for people of all origin, nationality, race, colour, descent. Sex, language, culture, marital status, property, disability, age, political or other opinion, religion, birth or economic, social or other status without discrimination RELATED ARTICLES FROM 2018 THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVED THE UN DECLARATION IN NOVEMBER _The resolution was approved by 119 votes in favour, 7 votes against and 49 abstentions. It is a significant leap forward in a campaign led by La Via Campesina, the world's largest peasant movement supported by many organizations across the world, including FIAN and CETIM._. Read more [10] INFORMATION NOTE ON THE UN DECLARATION The UN Declaration was originally initiated by the international peasant movement La Vía Campesina (LVC) over 17 years ago, with other social movements, mainly supported by - FIAN International and CETIM (Centre Europe-Tiers Monde) within the UN. Read more ... [11] UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE DECLARATION IN SEPTEMBER _Declaration on the Rights of Peasants awaiting final voting and adoption_ The resolution was passed with 33 votes in favour, 11 abstentions and 3 against. Read more ... [12] A LIFE OF PEASANT DELEGATES IN GENEVA: UNDERSTANDING THE STRUGGLE Union of Agricultural Work Committees and Palestinian Peasants Movement denounced the continuous attacks of Israeli Occupation Naval forces against the Palestinian fishermen while fishing within the allowed fishing zone. Read more ... [13] PEASANT VOICES Peasant leaders and farmers' representatives from across the continents react to the news of adoption and explains why the struggle in their territories will gather more strength now. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] 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 [1]. [23] [24] Twitter [24] [25] Facebook [25] [26] Vimeo [26] To unsubscribe from the distribution list click here [2] For questions or comments, email LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG WEBSITE: www.viacampesina.org [27] TV: www.tv.viacampesina.org [28] To subscribe to this newsletter - Click Here [2] Links: ------ [1] https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/viacampesina [2] https://mail.viacampesina.org/lists/listinfo/Via-info-en [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/finally-un-general-assembly-adopts-peasant-righ… [4] http://www.cancilleria.gob.bo/webmre/comunicado/2985 [5] http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1175208/icode/?utm_source=twitter&amp… [6] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24026&amp… [7] https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/12/18/global-peasant-declaration-re… [8] https://vimeo.com/307418750 [9] https://www.facebook.com/viacampesinaOFFICIAL/videos/278365602867959/ [10] https://viacampesina.org/en/united-nations-third-committee-approves-the-un-… [11] https://viacampesina.org/en/information-note-un-declaration-on-rights-of-pe… [12] https://viacampesina.org/en/un-human-rights-council-passes-a-resolution-ado… [13] https://viacampesina.org/en/palestine-uawc-denounces-the-continuous-attacks… [14] https://vimeo.com/307419098 [15] https://vimeo.com/308033411 [16] https://vimeo.com/307419120 [17] https://vimeo.com/307419055 [18] https://vimeo.com/307418973 [19] https://vimeo.com/307419027 [20] https://vimeo.com/307418941 [21] https://vimeo.com/307418994 [22] https://vimeo.com/308032630 [23] https://viacampesina.org/en/donations/ [24] http://www.twitter.com/via_campesina [25] https://www.facebook.com/viacampesinaOFFICIAL/ [26] https://vimeo.com/viacampesina [27] http://www.viacampesina.org [28] http://www.tv.viacampesina.org

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Global Compact for Migration is more of the same: migrants as cheap labour, criminalised for simply being migrants
by La Via Campesina 15 Dec '18

15 Dec '18

GLOBAL COMPACT FOR MIGRATION (GCM) DOES NOT REPRESENT A CHANGE IN THE CURRENT OFFENSIVE AGAINST MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES : LA VIA CAMPESINA At the PEOPLE'S SUMMIT FOR A GLOBAL PACT OF SOLIDARITY WITH MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, held in Marrakech December 8th and 9th of 2018, hosted by La Via Campesina and its member organisations of the Middle East and North Africa (MeNa) Process, the global peasant movement and its allies have issued a scathing critique of the Global Compact on Migration and rejected it. The Agreement on an International Pact of Solidarity and Unity Of Action [1] For The Full Rights Of All Migrants And Refugees, that was issued at the People's Summit reads; "In this summit, we have concluded that the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) does not represent a change in the anti-migrant policies and current offensive against migrants and refugees being waged by many States, especially of the North. The GCM is more of the same: migrants as cheap labour, criminalised for simply being migrants. Analysing it further, we consider the GCM a step backwards with respect to human rights and the protection of migrants and our families as established in past International Conventions approved by the United Nations and other institutions such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO). While it is true that some countries have decided not to sign the GCM, this is not the result of their is agreement with the agreement which represent a step backward regarding migrant rights. Their disagreement is motivated by a refusal of any multi-lateral engagement on migration. Those state have clearly stated their anti-migrant position. The GCM proposes to discipline and organise migration to serve the interests of States and their true owners, transnational corporations and financial capital. Other than a few apparent mentions of migrants, human rights are left beneath security concerns of states and economies. For the above reasons, we express our public rejection of the Global Compact for Migration and place in the hands of social movements, collectives for the protection of migrants' human rights, progressive States and civil society, our alternative that brings together the spirit, conclusions and recommendations of our Summit." Download the Complete Agreement [2] Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/global-compact-for-migration-gcm-does-not-repre… [2] https://viacampesina.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/12/EN-AGREEMENT…

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Nyéléni Newsletter | Food Sovereignty at the rural-urban interface
by La Via Campesina 11 Dec '18

11 Dec '18

NYÉLÉNI NEWSLETTER: FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AT THE RURAL – URBAN INTERFACE The rural-urban interface is a complex social space where politics and culture are in constant flux. It can also be a physical place, where the wealth and resources of villages, towns, peri-urban suburbs, and suburbanized rural areas are in dispute. Taken globally, it is a vast territory with potential to grow food sovereignty. This issue of the Nyéléni Newsletter addresses the challenges and opportunities of building food sovereignty in peri-urban areas, and the ways that the producers and consumers of urban and rural communities form alliances to transform the food system. Click here to download the English edition [1] Links: ------ [1] http://www.nyeleni.org/ccount/click.php?id=130

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New “genome-editing” techniques generate even more risks to biodiversity
by La Via Campesina 05 Dec '18

05 Dec '18

THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO BLOCK THE UN CONFERENCE ON BIODIVERSITY, BUT IT WON'T BLOCK FARMERS Despite lengthy negotiations, the 14th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ended on 29 November in Sharm El Sheickh (Egypt), leaving the door open to contamination and appropriation of all natural biodiversity and the food chain through patents from the biotech industry. The "exterminating" GMOs developed using "gene drive" techniques aim at the permanent eradication of entire species: animals, plants or microbial. Once dispersed, no border can stop them until they have completed their deadly mission. The promises to eliminate in this way any vector of diseases such as malaria mosquitoes are lies: nature abhors the void and may even reveal new and even more aggressive vectors. Progressive governments have not been able to obtain the long-awaited moratorium to prohibit the spread of these chimeras. The Convention only recommends precautions: risk assessment, consultation with indigenous or local populations, but above all not with all interested citizens who could support them against the promoters of the "gene drives". By reducing the genetic modifications thus obtained to a simple dematerialized "information" to fit into computer algorithms, the industry extends the scope of its patents to all plants, animals or microorganisms that naturally contain the same "information". The patent on the genetic information associated with genes that accelerate the growth of chickens thus allows the appropriation of all naturally fast growing chickens! We had hoped that this genetic information would be verified so that we could ban these patents on "native genes". By multiplying uncontrollable artificial genetic modifications, the new "genome-editing" techniques generate even more risks to biodiversity, health and the environment than transgenic GMOs, while violating the very principles of the CBD. They were expected to be regulated in the same way as recently decided by the Supreme Court of the European Union. The Convention confined itself to referring these two issues to new expert committees. In the meantime, industry can continue to release its new patented GMOs, even in countries that reject them, but will not be informed in the absence of binding international standards. Delegates of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) and La Via Campesina, who participated in Sharm El Sheikh, strongly denounce the arrogance of a handful of rich countries that block all reasonable decisions and the hidden tricks of industry that has corrupted some representatives of developing countries to create the illusion of meaningful support for their new patented chimeras. Until stronger international decisions are taken, it is up to each country now to oppose all patented GMOs, whatever they may be. The millions of farmers in La Via Campesina, as well as all IPC organizations, will work with their many civil society allies to do so. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Antonio Gonzalez (ES) - atunkuljay(a)gmail.com Guy Kastler (FR) - guy.kastler(a)wanadoo.fr Marciano da Silva (ES) - marcianotol71(a)yahoo.com.br Genevieve Lalumiére (FR-EN) - genevieve.lalumiere(a)gmail.com https://viacampesina.org/en/the-biotech-industry-is-trying-to-block-the-un-…

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#25Nov: Breaking the silence, ending the violence. Resist patriarchy, Resist capitalism!
by La Via Campesina 26 Nov '18

26 Nov '18

#25NOV: BREAKING THE SILENCE, ENDING THE VIOLENCE. RESIST PATRIARCHY, RESIST CAPITALISM! 25 NOVEMBER 2018, NEGOMBO, SRI LANKA: We the peasant women of La Via Campesina coming from Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia and assembled here in Negombo, Sri Lanka this week for the Global Meeting of Women Articulation, unanimously condemn all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls everywhere. We say this while we realise that much remains to be done - to ensure that the violence that has occurred and is still occurring today in our countries, in our homes, in our organizations, rooted in patriarchy, taking the form of rape and commodification of women, is erased from our society, our territories, our bodies and lives. On this 25th of November and every day, the peasants of La Via Campesina say: "Let us put an end to violence against women, break the silence, resist and confront patriarchy and capitalism. We are against all types of violence that still affect many women in rural and urban areas. We must overcome barbarism, fascism and the lack of respect for the most fundamental rights. We must fight today and every day as a working class. We understand that capitalism is the main source of inequality and that many forms of violence emerge from these inequalities. That is why this struggle is such a class struggle. Our proposal and our tools for transformation come from the land in which we women are anchored. It comes from the land cultivated in agroecology to achieve food sovereignty; from the collective research we carry out for the construction of equality in our spaces of action and study; from the marches and struggles in which, women participate to build the NEW WOMAN AND THE NEW MAN that will build the new society. It is clear to us that the only way to end machismo is to confront oppression and exploitation and that only women and men organized in our popular, peasant, urban, fishing and forest peoples' movements can carry out this struggle for the construction of equality. We peasants of the world of Via Campesina, present in the 81 countries of the world, say YES to equality, and END to violence against women. We want and commit ourselves daily to building a life without violence, discrimination and exploitation against women. THE SOCIETY WE WANT IS FREE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN! CONTACT FOR INTERVIEWS: ES: Nury Martinez |Fensuagro Colombia| +57 310 772 0098 FR: Ehaibi Torkia| 0026 93116634 EN: Anuka de Silva|Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform|Sri Lanka|+94 71 588 3723 ------------------------- Download our materials here: https://cloud.viacampesina.org/s/j9JXXsNwYBq8LWd You can also tag us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ViaCampesinaOfficial [1] Twitter @via_campesina @via_campesinaSP and @viacampesinaFR @viacampesinaFR ] Links: ------ [1] http://www.facebook.com/ViaCampesinaOfficial

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Two years after the signing of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia (FARC)
by La Via Campesina 23 Nov '18

23 Nov '18

TWO YEARS AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA (FARC) LA VIA CAMPESINA As is widely known, on November 24th, 2016, the government of President Juan Manuel Santos, on behalf of the Colombian State, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia-FARC (which has now become a legal political party) signed a peace agreement. This agreement brought to an end an armed conflict which had debilitated the people of Colombia for more than 50 years, and which had profound economic, political and social effects, creating painful divisions in Colombian society, its social fabric and within families. La Vía Campesina, an organisation bringing together 200 million women and men peasants from all over the world, which, at the request of the concerned parties, is one of the guarantors of the peace process, is very worried to see that, two years after being signed, key aspects of fundamental points in the Agreement for the Ending of the Conflict and the Building of a Stable and Lasting Peace have been modified by the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Colombian State. Thus, for example, Point 1, known as Comprehensive Rural Reform, calls for a rural registry to be created during the next ten years in order to clarify problems of land ownership. It provides for the creation of a Land Fund of 3 million hectares for landless or land-poor peasants, as well as for the massive clarification and formalization of property titles on 7 million hectares of landholdings. There has been practically no compliance with these provisions involving a total of 10 million hectares. With regard to Point 4: Solving the Illicit Drugs Problem is another vital point for the Colombian countryside and for rural communities. It calls for comprehensive plans, voluntary eradication, the participation of local and departmental authorities, and for government funding of substitution projects and programmes, all including dialogue with communities and community participation. These engagements have not been complied with; they have been replaced by criminalisation, prosecution, and punishment. Such departures from the Agreement had already started under the previous government of Juan Manuel Santos. They have been accentuated by the policies of the new president, Iván Duque, who has decided to give priority to forced eradication and aerial spraying with glyphosate, which has had serious effects on the health of human beings, animals and plants. These policies concretise a military and legally punitive approach to a problem that is above all social and economic. Essential features of fundamental parts of the Agreement, such as the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), were modified by the different branches of power. For instance, the obligation of third parties to testify at investigations has been eliminated. This not only prevents society from learning about the real participation of multinationals and that of national actors with ties to the banking and trading sectors and to cattle ranching and agribusiness - as well as the involvement of civil servants and civilian agents of the Colombian state in organising, funding, and supporting paramilitary groups and other structures and organisations that took part in the protracted armed conflict. As if this were not enough, the JEP has suffered another blow to its basic functioning. Its power to investigate and judge members of the military has been virtually removed, with the nomination of 14 new judges who are to assume that function. This change will undoubtedly provide a new cloak of impunity and immunity for military personnel. It will further weaken the right of victims to truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition, as well as to find out what happened to their family members who were victims of torture, assassination, or forced disappearance, and to learn the name and identity of those who were responsible for planning and perpetrating these crimes. This change will make the work of the JEP, the Truth Commission, and the Special Unit for the Search for Missing Persons much more difficult. It is all the more serious when we consider that victims were the central focus of the Peace Agreement. The victims not only suffered a mockery of their rights with respect to this Point in the Agreement; the Colombian Congress also denied them their right, which had been stipulated in the Agreement, to 16 congressional seats. The political reform that was provided for in the signing of the Agreement is another point which the Colombian government and state apparatus have not complied with. In relation to the Reintegration of FARC ex-combatants, the Peace Agreement stipulates that each ex-combatant should receive a sum of 12 million pesos for productive projects. There are also guarantees for the construction and repair of highways as well as for the provision of other basic services such as housing, health, training and educations - obligations with which the Colombian state has also failed to comply. What is most serious and most shocking is that, once the Agreement was signed, a series of murderous attacks was unleashed against the FARC ex-combatants and their families as well as against leaders and activists on the political Left, human rights defenders, environmentalists, peasants, students, indigenous people, and Afro-descendants, a relentless wave of criminal extermination that reminds us of the dark period when the Patriotic Union was obliterated. For its part, the Colombian State has failed to fulfil its commitment to combat and dismantle the paramilitary forces and to make them subject to the force of the law. According to spokespersons from the Colombian police, the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (Fuerza Alternative Revolucionaria del Común) recently reported that more criminal attacks are being plotted against its leaders, activists, and members - one more stage in the campaign of extermination. The Democratic Centre and Colombian President Iván Duque have made repeated announcements regarding the Peace Agreement, on some occasions expressing a desire to tear it to pieces, and on other occasions declaring their wish to subject it to major changes and reforms. Our two International Solidarity Missions to Colombia, the first in 2016 and the second in 2017, gave us a first-hand understanding of the challenges to peace, of the vision of women and peasants in their territories, and of the necessity for environmental justice as a precondition for social justice. We are committed to the peace process and to our role as guarantor. We will be organising our Third International Solidarity Commission in 2019, in the fervent hope of finding a people and a government advancing towards a stable and lasting peace. For all of these reasons, La Via Campesina is appealing to the Colombian People, to all of our member organisations in different parts of the world, as well as to the international community, the United Nations, the FAO, the ILO, the European Union, the Non-aligned Countries, governments, organisations, and personalities. We are asking them to speak out and to demand complete fulfilment, without reforms or delays, of the Final Agreement for the Ending of the Conflict and the Building of a Stable and Lasting Peace. CONTACTS Nury Martinez | +57 310 772 0098 | nury254(a)gmail.com Federico Pacheco | +34 690 651 046 | pachecofederico(a)yahoo.es Veronique Leon | +33 622 161 399 | verobique(a)gmail.com

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UNITED NATIONS: Third Committee approves the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas
by La Via Campesina 20 Nov '18

20 Nov '18

UNITED NATIONS: THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVES THE UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE WORKING IN RURAL AREAS PRESS RELEASE | LA VIA CAMPESINA 19 NOVEMBER. MONDAY, [NEW YORK] The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the UN General Assembly voted in favour of the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, through the Resolution no. A/C.3/73/L.30 [1]. The resolution was approved by 119 votes in favour, 7 votes against and 49 abstentions [2]. It is a significant leap forward in a campaign led by La Via Campesina, the world's largest peasant movement supported by many organizations across the world, including FIAN and CETIM. The UN Declaration aims to better protect the rights of all rural populations including peasants, fisherfolks, nomads, agricultural workers and indigenous peoples and to improve living conditions, as well as to strengthen food sovereignty, the fight against climate change and the conservation of biodiversity. The endorsement of the UN Declaration also constitutes an important contribution to the international community's effort to promote family farming and peasant agriculture. Bolivia, the chair of the process, stressed upon the importance of the UN Declaration in realising more resilient, sustainable and inclusive societies: _"We believe this is a major step towards public policies that recognize not only the rights and needs of peasants but also their contributions to the well-being and quality of life of the societies they nurture through their daily work. We are sure that this instrument will play a central role in human rights as well as in the eradication of hunger and poverty, in line with Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the Decade of Family Farming, without leaving anyone behind."_ Since its adoption at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in late September, La Via Campesina and its allies' focus has been to make sure that this UN Declaration is adopted by the UN General Assembly. La Via Campesina delegates who have been present in New York since the beginning of the Third Committee session expressed their satisfaction after the voting results. _"In this historic moment, in which financial capital and corporations are deepening their offensive to monopolize food and concentrate land and natural goods, at the cost of our lives, the adoption of the Declaration of Peasant Rights in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly is a strategic victory, not only for peasants but for the peoples of the world as a whole. We will continue on this long path of struggle and unity, for rights and social justice, convinced that full democracy is only possible through Agrarian Reform, the social function of land and the full enjoyment of the rights of peasants", SAID DIEGO MONTON LA VIA CAMPESINA (CLOC)_ The Committee's approval of the UN Declaration was marked by some debate but it benefited from a consistent support from Africa, Asia and Latin America regions. Some negative reactions came from Europe and other regions, with the US delegation rejecting the text as they have longstanding concerns about the UN Declaration, which sought to expand upon existing rights, singling out the human rights of peasants above those of other groups, and also on the collective rights stipulated in the contents. The European countries were divided in their response. _"In the Third Committee, where all the UN countries participate, we have witnessed a great diversity of positions in Eastern and Western Europe. For those who supported us, we thank them greatly. Your votes in favour put human values in human rights, giving hope for millions of peasants, men and women, across the continent. For those who abstained or voted against, we wish to tell you that peasants and small family farmers in your countries cannot be left behind", SAID RAMONA DUMINICIOIU FROM LA VIA CAMPESINA EUROPE._ _"After December's UNGA approval, we will start a new chapter of the Rights of Peasants and we are demanding that all UN countries commit themselves to implementing the Declaration. We are determined to contribute to a better society, to fight climate change, to end hunger, to provide diverse and nutritious food for everyone",_ she added. ZAINAL ARIFIN FUAT, FROM LA VIA CAMPESINA ASIA, said that this declaration is a landmark moment in the peasants struggle. _"The Declaration acknowledges the prominent role that peasants play in solving multiple crises facing us today - food, environmental, social and economic. Peasants are essential to food security and sovereignty and the realization of the right to food, particularly in developing countries where they provide up to 80% of the food locally consumed. This UN Declaration will also contribute to the humanity's efforts to end poverty, hunger and achieving our sustainable development goals. In Asia, we believe that if our rights are recognized and further protected, people will be able to develop rural areas and then avoid the rural-urban migration that creates insoluble problems", he added._ _"The scramble for resources that is going on in the African continent and elsewhere has put peasants in an extremely vulnerable position. The ongoing attack on peasant seed systems have repercussions that go beyond those who produce the food. It indeed affects everyone. For 17 years we have been patiently campaigning for an international instrument that can protect our rights as peasants and to guard our food systems from being dismantled to favour a few. It is a proud moment today for millions of peasants worldwide, who never give up when faced with adversity", SAID ELIZABETH MPOFU, GENERAL COORDINATOR OF LA VIA CAMPESINA_ _"The power of the peasant movement is being felt at the highest level of international governance: for this, we must acknowledge the hard work and passion of so many peasants worldwide. The solidarity of peasants internationally is a testament to how closely we and our issues are linked, regardless of where we live. However, today is only a stepping stone on the long path of human rights justice for rural people. We must carry forward this momentum and put the declaration into action at every level of society," SAID JESSIE MACINNIS, LA VIA CAMPESINA NORTH AMERICA_ The UN Declaration will be formally ratified by the UN General Assembly on December 2018, following the decision taken by the Third Committee this afternoon. ------------------------- EDITOR'S NOTE: Information Note on UN Declaration can be downloaded here [3] Full text of the Resolution and Declaration is here [4] For more information, visit www.viacampesina.org [5] PRESS CONTACT: Ramona Duminicioiu (English, French) : +40 746 337 022 , ramona(a)ecoruralis.ro Jessie MacInnis: (English) : +1 (902) 292-1040 , jessiemacinnis(a)gmail.com Diego Monton (Spanish) : +54 9 261 561-5062 , diegomonton(a)gmail.com Links: ------ [1] http://undocs.org/en/A/C.3/73/L.30 [2] http://www.un.org/en/ga/third/73/docs/voting_sheets/L.30.pdf [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/information-note-un-declaration-on-rights-of-pe… [4] http://undocs.org/A/C.3/73/L.30 [5] http://www.viacampesina.org/

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Press Release: Peasants’ Rights Declaration presented before the UN General Assembly
by La Via Campesina 26 Oct '18

26 Oct '18

NEW YORK – OCTOBER 26, 2018 - The "UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas" was presented in the UN headquarters to the Third Committee of the General Assembly on 25th October. This comes on the back of a nearly two decade long process of consultations and negotiations led by millions of peasants from La Vía Campesina, along with pastoralists, artisanal fisher folk, agricultural workers and indigenous peoples' organizations, with the support of CETIM and FIAN International. The Declaration, if accepted can ensure that the rights of rural populations are better recognized and protected by the international community. As it stands, peasants suffer from hunger and poverty at a disproportionate level**. It is estimated that out of 821 million people suffering hunger in the world (2018 UN figure), 80% live in rural areas. These people are particularly vulnerable and discriminated, they suffer forced expulsions and lack access to essential resources: land, seeds, loans, education, justice and basic services. They have unequal access and control over land, genetic resources and other natural resources; suffer from restricted access to markets and means of production to ensure a decent livelihood and are constantly imposed agricultural policies skewed in favour of elite farmers and of industrial agriculture. Yet, on average, small food producers contribute 70% of the world's food, with this figure rising to more than 80% in so-called developing countries. Small scale food producers also play a decisive role in the fight against climate change and biodiversity conservation. > "There is no free and healthy citizen without free peasants: our freedoms and rights are prerequisites of the right to food, social justice and democracy for all mankind. This Declaration will provide a universal Human Rights frame to all the efforts and initiatives we peasants, all around the globe, take to feed our communities in locally adapted and sustainable ways, displaying great resilience, inventiveness and perseverance. For us, it is a vital source of legitimacy as it recognizes, in a single and coherent manner our existence, our specificities, our values but also our role to achieve food sovereignty, foster rural development, and sustain human life on Earth. We call for the widest support to the Declaration as it both gathers and globalizes the basic protections vital to our continuation and our development in such as changing world. VINCENT DELOBEL, AN ORGANIC GOAT HERDER FROM BELGIUM AND ALSO A MEMBER OF LA VIA CAMPESINA A vast majority of the citizens support the Declaration. The European Economic and Social Committee has shown its support [1], and the European Parliament voted a resolution [2] asking EU states to back the project. On 2nd October in France, the National Advisory Committee on Human Rights urged the French government, in an advisory opinion, to back the text. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has also expressed its support to the Declaration and so has the former rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter as well as his successor, Hilal Elver. This past 28 September at Palais des Nations, home of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, 33 member states voted in favour [3] and 3 voted against (Australia, Hungary and the United Kingdom) the adoption of the Declaration, while 11 of them abstained. For the sake of consistency with the Paris Agreements on climate, the commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (in particular Goal 2 to eradicate hunger) , the UN Decade of family farming and the commitments announced by the European diplomacy to build a fairer and more sustainable world, our governments should have the courage to take the right decision and to vote clearly and unanimously in favor of the Declaration. Let's recall that even if declarations are not binding, the existence of such an instrument is a clear and symbolic recognition of the fundamental role of small scale food producers worldwide who work hard to make a living and feed people, and hearten rural communities. The world needs this Declaration to foster sustainable food systems all over the planet and to make the world safer. ------------------------- CONTACT: ENGLISH: Henry Saragih: +62 811 655 668, Email: hspetani(a)gmail.com Elizabeth Mpofu: +263 77 244 3716 Email: eliz.mpofu(a)gmail.com Ramona Duminicioiu: +40 746 337 022, Email: ramona(a)ecoruralis.ro SPANISH: Diego Monton: +54 9 261 561 5062, Email: diegomonton(a)gmail.com FRENCH: Ndiakhate Fall: +221 77 550 89 07, Email: fallriso(a)yahoo.fr ------------------------- NOTES TO THE EDITORS: * The "UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas" will be presented at the UN General Assembly. Following a last intergovernmental working group in April 2018 and a broadly affirmative vote in the Human Rights Council on September 28th, the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Bolivian Mission in Geneva, M. Ruddy Jose Flores Monterrey, presented the resolution in favour of this new instrument aimed to bring together, specify and expose the rights of peasants and other agricultural workers, women and men. ** Final study of the UN Human Rights Advisory Council, 2012 For more information www.viacampesina.org [4] https://viacampesina.org/en/press-release-peasants-rights-declaration-prese… Links: ------ [1] https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/documents/resolution/declaration-rights-peasa… [2] https://www.eurovia.org/the-european-parliament-demands-that-eu-members-sta… [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/un-human-rights-council-passes-a-resolution-ado… [4] http://www.viacampesina.org

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