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[Info EN] #17April | International Day of Peasant Struggles 2019: Peasants’ Rights NOW! With Agrarian Reform and social justice!
by La Via Campesina 04 Apr '19

04 Apr '19

#17APRIL | INT'L DAY OF PEASANT STRUGGLES 2019: PEASANTS' RIGHTS NOW! WITH AGRARIAN REFORM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE! 4 APRIL 2019 GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR AGRARIAN REFORM [1], LAND, WATER AND TERRITORIES [2], PEASANTS' RIGHTS [3] CALL FOR GLOBAL ACTION, LA VIA CAMPESINA (HARARE, APRIL 4, 2019) This April 17th - the International Day of Peasant Struggle - with our living memory and rebellion inherited from our 19 landless comrades murdered with impunity in the Eldorado do Carajás Massacre in Brazil, we call upon our members, friends and allies to come together with strong actions worldwide, affirming that the only way to obtain Peasant Rights is with Agrarian Reform and Social Justice. On 17 December 2018, the 73rd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York adopted the UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE WORKING IN RURAL AREAS [4]. The Declaration is an international legal instrument. As Via Campesina we must mobilize for its real implementation in our territories, and this implies that the State guarantees access to the land, the protection of seeds facing commercialization, putting a stop to evictions and deaths, as well as creating measures against agrochemicals; social justice means that those who feed the world live in dignified conditions and in peace in the countryside, without being prosecuted for defending their rights and territories. In this current context of extractivism and the alarming rate at which lands are forcefully grabbed from our people, the urgency of Agrarian Reform proves strategic. Particularly so, since the neoliberal offensive in the whole world is accompanied by the loss of the rights of the working class and consequently of the peasantry. This is why this April 17th we are mobilizing and calling for struggle and resistance in all territories. We also invite other organized social movements, unions, universities, media who are friends of the peasant movements and governments that prioritize the welfare of its people to join us in the worldwide actions of solidarity. The rights of peasants cannot be substituted by public policies based on the interest of the global market and agribusiness. We denounce this model that not only marginalizes our peasant communities but also appropriates our rights, common goods and lives, in the name of productivity and for the development of the capitalist system in the countryside. So, we make a call to lift our fists in unity, in the country and in the cities for Peasant Rights, Food Sovereignty and Agroecology, globalizing the struggle and the hope of the people facing this model of death. CONSCIOUS SOCIAL MOBILIZATION! This #17April participate in the multiple actions organized worldwide, organize actions in the territories in the form of protests, discussion forums, seminars, farmers markets, film screenings. Use any of these ways of expressing to demand the implementation of Peasant Rights with Agrarian Reform and Social Justice. During this day of Global Action, we say that an urgent global Agrarian Reform guarantees Peasant Rights, and we denounce the concentration of land into the hands of a few that we are witnessing at a global scale. Share your plans with us on this email: lvcweb(a)viacampesina.org, and we will add them to a global map of actions that we are building online! Also please send articles, audios, pictures and videos of all actions to be able to share them on our website and LaViaCampesinaTV. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL NETWORKS: #PeasantsRightsNOW, #AgrarianReformAndSocialJustice, #LaViaCampesina PEASANT RIGHTS NOW! WITH AGRARIAN REFORM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE! Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-for/agrarian-reform/global… [2] https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-for/agrarian-reform/ [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/what-are-we-fighting-for/human-rights/ [4] https://viacampesina.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/03/UN_Declarati…

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[Info EN] Via Campesina | e-newsletter | March2019
by La Via Campesina 28 Mar '19

28 Mar '19

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Via Campesina | e-newsletter | March 2019 To Donate to the Peasant Movement, click here [1] #8MARCH: AROUND THE WORLD Brazil There were demonstrations by women all over the country; in São Paulo, 50,000 women gathered on Paulista Avenue. There were also important mobilizations in Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Fortaleza, Salvador. Thousands of women took to the streets to protest against the dismantling of Social Security, the increase in feminicide and the setbacks of the Bolsonaro government, in addition to celebrating the legacy of feminist activist Marielle Franco. On March 14, 2019, the women of the Movement of Landless Rural Workers, MST, and the National Movement for Sovereignty in Mining, MAM carried out a blockade of the rails and stopped the cargo train of mining giant Vale, denouncing the social and environmental crimes in Mariana and Brumadinho, in the state of Mina Gerais. Honduras Women in Honduras took direct action against the Ministry of Justice, in that country where more than 6,000 people have been prosecuted for conflicts related to access to land. It is estimated that 1700 of these prisoners are women. The organizations denounced the alarming criminalization that has its most atrocious expression in the murders. In the last 9 years, around 120 agrarian and peasant activists have been murdered for defending their lands. Columbia In Colombia, a territory riddled with violence and persecution, women demanded that the genocide and the judicial processes against popular, indigenous, peasant and peasant leaders must stop; and that defending life, peace and territory should not mean death and exile, or jail, but rather, on the contrary, that it gives rise to social and political recognition as a citizen of a country that is moving towards democracy. Japan In Japan peasant members of Nouminren joined a march of solidarity outside the Japan Education Centre, also marking the 40th anniversary of the Treaty on Elimination of Discrmination on women. El Salvador In El Salvador, on March 8, feminists, members of the National Health Forum, the Women's International Democratic Federation and La Via Campesina of El Salvador took to the streets and marched together to demand their right to live free from all forms of discrimination and violence. Argentina In Argentina large marches were registered, the struggle against the legalization of abortion is a flag within the feminist movement of the cities and the countryside, green scarves gain more followers on a global scale. Spain In Lugo, Spain, the women of the Sindicato Labrego Gallego took to the streets together with allies. The Andalusian Union of Workers, SOC - SAT also carried out several actions in Andalusia. Srilanka In Srilanka peasant members of MONLAR organised women in a campaign against expolitative micorfinancing businesses that has trapped the communities in deep debts. Several hundred women, among them peasants and rural workers demonstraed in Vavuniya, a town in the Northen province of Srilanka. South Korea In South Korea, peasant members of the Korean Women Peasant Association (KWPA) organised a Sister's Feminism Talk, in which activists explained their long struggle against patriarchy, how they carved a space for themselves within the peasant movement in Korea. To read a detailed update of the direct actions that women of La Via Campesina took worldwide click here [2] 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]. [3] 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 to our monthly newsletter click here [4] To unsubscribe from the distribution list click here [4] For questions or comments, email LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG WEBSITE: www.viacampesina.org [5] TV: www.tv.viacampesina.org [6] To subscribe to this newsletter - Click Here [4] Links: ------ [1] https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/viacampesina [2] https://viacampesina.org/en/8march-highlights-of-global-action-by-women-fro… [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/donations/ [4] https://mail.viacampesina.org/lists/listinfo/Via-info-en [5] http://www.viacampesina.org [6] http://www.tv.viacampesina.org

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[Info EN] “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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[Info EN] 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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[Info EN] 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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[Info EN] 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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[Info EN] 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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[Info EN] 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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[Info EN] #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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[Info EN] 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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