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[Info EN] Press Release: Peasants from over 70 countries meet to build Food Sovereignty, at La Via Campesina’s VIIth International Conference
by La Via Campesina 19 Jul '17

19 Jul '17

_PRESS RELEASE_ LA VIA CAMPESINA'S VIITH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: PEASANTS FROM OVER 70 COUNTRIES MEET TO BUILD FOOD SOVEREIGNTY We feed our peoples and build the movement to change the world! 19 JULY, 2017: The VIIth International Conference of La Via Campesina, the world's largest peasant movement, begins today in Derio, a quiet town in the Biscay province of the Basque country and will continue until 24th July . Over 450 peasant movement representatives from all over the world will gather to continue the struggle against capitalism and to propose concrete ways to build an alternative world based on dignity and Food Sovereignty. This conference, that is held every four years, is a unique and vibrant gathering of peasant movements and is the highest and most significant decision-making space of La Via Campesina. "It is unique because we are a movement that is diverse and yet united in our struggles. We are the people who work the land and feed the world, but our territories are continuously under attack. We face increased criminalisation. This conference is a step forward in internationalising our struggles, creating a strategy to counter the global forces of capital and building a movement for change", - SAYS ELIZABETH MPOFU, a woman peasant farmer from Zimbabwe and the General Coordinator of La Via Campesina. "La Via Campesina continues to grow. We now have about 200 organisations. We are an international political model" - SAYS UNAI ARANGUREN European International Coordination Committee Member of La Via Campesina The VIIth International Conference was preceded by the IVth International Youth Assembly [1] (16th -17th July) and the Vth International Women's Assembly [2] (17th - 18th July), which gave space to young peasants and women of the movement to voice their unique challenges and proposals in this struggle. The Youth Assembly echoed how they are the worst affected by migration. The need for social movements to invest in peasant youth and promote agrarian reform that would grant young peasants access to and control over land and territories, and scale up training on peasant agroecological practices is today more urgent than ever. Youth also extended solidarity to the '_March in Defense of Food Sovereignty and Mother Earth_', organised by the Movement for Land in Euskal Herria. The Women's Assembly drew attention to the increasing instances of violence that women are subjected to at home, in the farms and elsewhere in the patriarchal society. They also committed to continue their struggle to build a movement for change with feminism and food sovereignty. During the intense four-day program [3], the peasant movement will reflect on and debate various topics including Food Sovereignty, peasant agroecology, autonomous training networks, migrant rights, trade, climate justice and criminalisation of social movements and alliance building_. _The draft _UN Declaration for the Rights of Peasants and Other Working people in Rural Areas - _an initiative of La Via Campesina which has reached an advanced stage of negotiation at the UN Human Rights Council, will be discussed. New strategic lines of action will be defined, setting the tone of the struggle for the next 4 years, and new members and leadership will be welcomed. On Sunday, 23th July, La Via Campesina, EHNE Bizkaia _(the local host and member organisation of the global movement in the Basque Country)_ and allies will march with local peasants to Bilbao in solidarity with the struggle to defend their land and territories against big infrastructural projects. On Monday, 24th, field visits will be organised for all conference participants. Longer field visits around the Basque Country, from 26th to 28th July, are planned for a few selected representatives from the 9 regions of La Via Campesina. ------------------------- For Interview requests, contact the Media team: * Ainara Frade: +34 671417531 prentsa(a)ehnebizkaia.eus (Languages: EUS, ES, EN) * Viviana Rojas Flores: +34 6616 41838 |+593 9952 13177 | viviana.rojas(a)viacampesina.org (Languages: ES, PT) * Andres Arce: +34 6616 41528 | +32 4895 52297 | andres(a)eurovia.org (Languages: EN, FR, ES) * _Website: __www.viacampesina.org_ [4] * _Facebook: ViacampesinaOfficial [5]_ * _Twitter: @via_campesina [6]_ _Download the program agenda here_ [3] Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/future-hands-young-peasants/ [2] https://viacampesina.org/en/fifth-international-womens-assembly-feminism-fo… [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/event/viith-international-conference-la-via-cam… [4] http://www.viacampesina.org/ [5] https://www.facebook.com/viacampesinaOFFICIAL/ [6] https://twitter.com/via_campesina

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[Info EN] La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | May 2017
by La Via Campesina 16 Jun '17

16 Jun '17

La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | May, 2017 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] THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS! [3]"We feed our peoples and build the movement to change the world!" - is the call that will carry hundreds of delegates of the international peasant movement La Vía Campesina, to the Basque Country from the 16th to the 24th of July to celebrate their VIIth Conference. The International Conference of La Via Campesina (LVC), held every four years, is the movement's highest decision-making forum - gathering representatives from member organisations of peasants, small and medium size producers, landless people, indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers - from all over the world. Collectively representing over 200 million people, these delegates will decide common strategies and host internal debates for the growing global movement. Read More [3] NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ONE STEP CLOSER TOWARDS A UN DECLARATION The proposed UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas discussed in the Fourth Session of the OEIWG (held in May 2017) is the fruit of the efforts mobilized for the past several years by La Via Campesina, FIAN and CETIM along with State parties and other civil society organisations. Read the Full Statement [4] EXCHANGE OF SEEDS BETWEEN PEASANTS IS AT THE HEART OF THE COLLECTIVE SYSTEMS OF CONSERVATION: LA VIA CAMPESINA AT THE UN Depriving peasants of their rights to conserve, exchange, use and sell their seeds, is an unacceptable attempt against human rights. Read More [5] LA VIA CAMPESINA EMPHATICALLY DEFENDS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN GENEVA, AT THE UN Food Security is about economic rights, and food sovereignty is about human rights. Peasants should have the right to define their own food and agriculture systems. Peasants should have the right to produce healthy and culturally appropriate food, through ecologically sound, socially just and sustainable methods. Read More [6] BRAZIL: NEW MASSACRE IN PARÁ-BRAZIL EXPOSES FRAGILITY OF THE STATE IN SOLVING LAND CONFLICTS Ten squatters - one woman and nine men - were murdered in the morning of the last Wednesday (24), in the camp Nova Vida, located in the farm Santa Lúcia, city of Pau D'Arco, in Pará (Amazon Region, in Brazil). Read More [7] LA VIA CAMPESINA CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO EU-JAPAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT When it comes to farmers and food systems, agribusiness TNCs from Europe - which already export about 5.3 billion euros in agri-food commodities to Japan - expect the deal to end tariffs and regulations on Japan's agricultural products and processed foods, worsening the already disastrous effects of the corporate food system_._ European food companies want to sell whatever they can in Japan and the EU claims that the exports to Japan could solve the problems in its dairy and pork sector. Read More [8] WHEN THE RIGHT TO LAND IS IN OUR HANDS, WE SEE A FUTURE WHICH IS MORE JUST, EQUAL Henry Saragih, while speaking at the UN emphasised that the right to land will democratize the economy in rural areas. "This means that we put peasants and other people working in rural areas as subject, to defend and to develop rural economies.", he said. Read More [9] FREE, PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT IS MUST TO TACKLE AGRARIAN CONFLICTS On May 15, while intervening during the discussions on Article 1 till 4 of the draft declaration, Geeta Devarajan representing La Via Campesina's South Asian movements cited the issue of displacements in rural areas and emphasised on the need for free, prior and informed consent. Read More [10] "WE NEED PEASANTS' RIGHTS NOW, NOT ANY LATER!" - CHORUS GROWING IN GENEVA Al Abudi Ubai Fahmi from Palestine "...[These rights] are fundamental to the lives of peasants and rural population who feed and contribute to the world. We still remember how food crisis 2007-2008 exposed the neglect faced by peasants agriculture and rural population. Read More [11] RIGHTS VIOLATION DOCUMENTATION IMPORTANT EVIDENCE FOR OUR STRUGGLE La Via Campesina Southern and Eastern Africa (LVC SEAf) members and allies from African, Asian and European countries met in South Africa (April 18-21) to discuss the draft UN Declaration on the Rights of the Peasants. Read More [12] A STATEMENT ON PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AND THE RE-ARREST OF ABDULRAZEQ FARRAJ The Israeli occupation government continues its repressive policies against the Palestinian prisoners and people; the latest violation was the re-arrest of Abdulrazeq Farraj, journalist and UAWC's administrative director from his house, at the midnight, in front his family. Read More [13] PEASANT NETWORKS AND THE FUTURE OF FOOD The industrial food chain, dominated by transnational corporations that control food from seeds to supermarkets, uses 75% of the land and 80% of the water and fuel used in agriculture. Read More [14] LA VIA CAMPESINA: VIITH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - PRESS KIT The international peasant's movement La Via Campesina invites journalists from around the world to cover our VIIth International Conference, which will be held in Derio, Bizkaia (Basque Country), 16th - 24th July 2017. This will be preceded by the IVth International Assembly of LVC Youth and the Vth International Assembly of LVC Women_._ Download the English edition [15] [16] A PLACE AT THE TABLE" BY LANWORKERS' ALLIANCE _Duration: 4 Mins_ The Landworkers' Alliance launched its post-Brexit policy recommendations outside Defra's offices -17 Smith Square, London - on Friday 21st April. Featuring a dining table promoting the high-quality fresh produce of our members, the launch highlights the need for small-scale and family farmers to be offered a 'place at the table' in upcoming negotiations over the future of UK agriculture policy. (_Video by Jason Brooks for Lanworkers' Alliance). _To know more and to download the report click here [17] Watch Now [18] 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 [1]here. [1] [19] Follow us on twitter [19] [20] Find us on Facebook [20] [21] Subsribe our Vimeo Channel [21] To unsubscribe from the distribution list click here [2] For questions or comments, email LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG WEBSITE: www.viacampesina.org [22] TV: www.tv.viacampesina.org [23] To subscribe to this newsletter - Click Here [2] Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/donations/ [2] https://mail.viacampesina.org/lists/listinfo/Via-info-en [3] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/our-conferences-mainmenu-28/7-derio-2… [4] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [5] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [6] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [7] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [8] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/stop-f… [9] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [10] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [11] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [12] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [13] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [14] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/our-conferences-mainmenu-28/7-derio-2… [15] https://viacampesina.org/downloads/pdf/en/VIIth%20Conf%20Press%20Kit_EN_12M… [16] https://vimeo.com/214988889 [17] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/publications-mainmenu-30/2292-landwor… [18] https://tv.viacampesina.org/A-Place-At-The-Table?lang=en [19] http://www.twitter.com/via_campesina [20] https://www.facebook.com/viacampesinaOFFICIAL/ [21] https://vimeo.com/viacampesina [22] http://www.viacampesina.org [23] http://www.tv.viacampesina.org

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[Info EN] Farmers’ organisations across India, condemn the police firing that killed at least five farmers in Madhya Pradesh
by La Via Campesina 08 Jun '17

08 Jun '17

FARMERS' ORGANISATIONS ACROSS INDIA, CONDEMN THE POLICE FIRING THAT KILLED AT LEAST FIVE FARMERS IN MADHYA PRADESH [1] STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE ALL INDIA COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF FARMERS MOVEMENT (AICCFM) On Tuesday, June 6, agitating farmers in Mandsaur district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, who had been demanding loan waivers and better support price for their produce, were shot at by the police. According to latest available media reports, at least five of them have been killed in the firing. The All India Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement (AICCFM) strongly condemns this heinous attack on our sisters and brothers and demand urgent action against all officials who are responsible for this murderous act. We also demand that the State Government take moral responsibility and resign immediately. This is an incident that is bringing back painful memories of the Colonial era, when farmers and farm labourers were often shot at for claiming their rights. It is a pity that people who work the land and feed the population continues to be treated inhumanely and killed for voicing their disappointment with the State. Hundreds of thousands of farmers and farm workers who were forced to commit suicide due to increasing debt over the last two decades and several more millions across India who are facing a precarious and unpredictable future, exacerbated by extreme climatic conditions, have for long been demanding that attention be paid to rural distress and steps be taken to support farming families and workers. The demands of the protesting farmers - calling for loan-waivers, better support price - have been the demands of all farmers' organisations including that of AICCFM, since a very long time and we reiterate our resolve to take to the streets if our demands are not met. AICCFM is also calling upon our sisters and brothers of _La Via Campesina_, the global peasant movement, to condemn and protest this brutal killing and join us in our struggle for justice to peasants worldwide. ------------------------- Ch. Rakesh Tikait, National Spokesman, BKU Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, State President, BKU Punjab KS Puttanaiah (MLA), Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Karnataka Yudhvir Singh, General Secretary, AICCFM Chamarasa Patil, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Karnataka K. Sella Mutthu, President, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, Tamil Nadu Ratan Singh Mann, BKU President, Haryana Vijender Singh, BKU, Haryana Nallagounder, Uzhavar Ulaippalar Katchi, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association Rajvir Singh, BKU, NCR KT Gangadhar, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Karnataka Ms. Rajariga, President, Women Wing, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-…

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[Info EN] Press Release: International Peasant Movement prepares to converge for its VIIth Conference
by La Via Campesina 25 May '17

25 May '17

"WE FEED OUR PEOPLES AND BUILD THE MOVEMENT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!": INTERNATIONAL PEASANT MOVEMENT PREPARES TO CONVERGE FOR ITS VIITH CONFERENCE [1] Press release, Harare, May 25, 2017: _"We feed our peoples and build the movement to change the world!"_ - is the call that will carry hundreds of delegates of the international peasant movement _La Vía Campesina_, to the Basque Country from the 16th to the 24th of July to celebrate their VIIth Conference. The International Conference of La Via Campesina (LVC), held every four years, is the movement's highest decision-making forum - gathering representatives from member organisations of peasants, small and medium size producers, landless people, indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers - from all over the world. Collectively representing over 200 million people, these delegates will decide common strategies and host internal debates for the growing global movement. For a week in Derio, Basque Country, representatives will discuss local experiences as well as international processes such as the Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas [2], the negotiations for an international and legally binding instrument [3] against the abuse of multinational corporations in the UN Human Rights Council. The different regions of LVC will also present their struggles, such as the European region's struggle for a new Common Agricultural Policy and reform against the concentration of land; the struggle in Africa, for seed sovereignty; of the Latin American struggle for popular agrarian reform and against corporate interest; and the campaigns of the Asian regions against free trade agreements (FTAs), GMOs and crises caused by climate change. Particular focus will be given to issues such as: the impact of FTAs on Food Sovereignty, corporate capture and patenting of seeds, criminalisation of the movement and even the murder of its leaders, peasant solutions to climate change and agroecology as a way of exercising Food Sovereignty in our territories. There will be events open to the public scheduled for July 19 in Derio (for the opening of the Conference) and on July 23 in a march from Dario to the Plaza Nueva in Bilbao, where a public political event will be held. At a time when, on the one hand, the importance of food chains is gaining ground in public opinion, and on the other the global abuses against peasant communities intensify, the conclusions of this meeting aim to be a significant advance in the struggle for Food Sovereignty and to strengthen the work carried out by La Via Campesina for the realisation of peasants' rights and, thereby bring peace and justice in rural communities and the world. For more information on the VII Conference of La Via Campesina, download the press kit [4]. ------------------------- CONTACTS: * Alazne Intxauspe: +34 667576740 | alaznentzat(a)gmail.com (ES, EUK) * Viviana Rojas Flores: +34 6616 41838 |+593 9952 13177 | viviana.rojas(a)viacampesina.org (ES, PT) * Andres Arce: +34 6616 41528 | +32 4895 52297 | andres(a)eurovia.org (EN, FR, ES) ------------------------- During the last 24 years La Via Campesina has held 6 international conferences. The first in Belgium in 1993, then in Mexico in 1996, in India in 2000, its fourth in Brazil in 2004, in Mozambique in 2008, and the last in Indonesia in 2013. All of which have contributed to the advancement and convergence of a project Of unity and solidarity of the peasants of the north and the south, from all continents, with the horizon of strengthening the peasant movement at a global level in the search for justice and dignity for the countryside. Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/our-conferences-mainmenu-28/7-abadino… [2] http://www.eurovia.org/one-step-closer-towards-a-un-declaration-on-the-righ… [3] https://viacampesina.org/es/index.php/acciones-y-eventos-mainmenu-26/no-a-l… [4] https://viacampesina.org/downloads/pdf/en/VIIth%20Conf%20Press%20Kit_EN_12M…

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[Info EN] Press Kit: VIIth International Conference of peasant movement La Via Campesina , July 16-24
by La Via Campesina 17 May '17

17 May '17

LA VIA CAMPESINA: VIITH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - PRESS KIT [1] _VIITH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, WHICH WILL BE HELD IN DERIO, BIZKAIA (BASQUE COUNTRY), 16TH – 24TH JULY 2017. _ The international peasant's movement La Via Campesina INVITES JOURNALISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD to cover our VIITH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, WHICH WILL BE HELD IN DERIO, BIZKAIA (BASQUE COUNTRY), 16TH – 24TH JULY 2017. This will be preceded by the IVth International Assembly of LVC Youth and the Vth International Assembly of LVC Women. In the current context of economic, environmental, and food crises, peasant movements from around the world will discuss the alternatives that food sovereignty and peasant farming offer in the face of agribusiness and the neo-liberal model policies. The international peasant movement will look for strategies against green capitalism, land grabbing and the grabbing of other common goods which put the balance between the earth and humanity in danger. WHY IS THE VIITH CONFERENCE IMPORTANT FOR THE MEDIA? La Via Campesina is among the largest social movements in the world and is the voice of nearly 200 million peasants, rural workers, migrant workers, indigenous people, fisherfolk communities across the planet. Once every four years, with the support of our allies, we bring all our grassroots members from all regions of the world, in one place and under one roof - to exchange and learn from each other and to celebrate the power of global solidarity and unity. It is a special occasion for any one, including the media, to be a witness to this incredible gathering of cultural, regional and agricultural diversity of people, who work the land and feed the world. ACCREDITATION FOR JOURNALISTS _La Via Campesina's __VIIth __Conference_ is open to the media and to journalists. However, all must be duly accredited in advance by the team in charge of media relations. If you are interested in participating, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM [2] AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH. It is also possible to organize interviews with the delegates through Skype, telephone, or other means of communication in coordination with our media team. For clarification purposes, La Via Campesina will not cover the costs of transport to Spain, or accommodation for journalists. However, we can commit to giving all the logistical information necessary to guarantee your participation in the VIIth Conference. DOWNLOAD THE PRESS KIT FOR MORE INFORMATION [3] FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: * ANDRES ARCE: +34 6616 41528 | +32 4895 52297 | andres(a)eurovia.org * VIVIANA ROJAS FLORES: +34 6616 41838 |+593 9952 13177 | viviana.rojas(a)viacampesina.org Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/our-conferences-mainmenu-28/7-abadino… [2] http://bit.ly/ViaCampesinaMedia-EN [3] https://viacampesina.org/downloads/pdf/en/VIIth%20Conf%20Press%20Kit_EN_12M…

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[Info EN] Appeal for Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners and detainees on hunger strike in Israeli prisons
by La Via Campesina 10 May '17

10 May '17

APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AND DETAINEES ON HUNGER STRIKE IN ISRAELI PRISONS [1] 09 May 2017, By Union of Agricultural Work Committee (UAWC), Palestine **** _To all Human Rights and human dignity defenders, To all who oppose Israel crimes and terrorism,_ Palestinian Prisoners and detainees are on an open hunger strike for the 23rd day respectively demanding of their basic rights, Israeli brutal Occupation has detained their freedom as a punishment for their legitimate struggle against occupying their homeland, it even deprived them from their basic needs, and practices systematic repressive policies against them, which violates the International Law principles. Today Israeli Authorities are threatening prisoners with forced feeding; which is a brutal procedure that inflicts severe bodily harm against hunger striking prisoners which might result in death; and is against international law. Israeli prison authorities ramping up punitive procedures in an attempt to pressure prisoners to break their strikes, hunger-striking prisoners has continuously been transferred into solitary confinement, Israel Prison Service has banned lawyers to visit the prisoners, in addition to unannounced inspections and searching the prisoner's rooms, also they ban prisoners to have salt, which resulted in a serious deterioration of hunger-striking prisoners' health. The continuous denial of the Israeli occupation to respond to the Hunger Strikers demands; is a renewed episode of their arrogance, which does not assess any weight to the International conventions and declarations. Palestinian Prisoners and detainees persist to continue their hunger strike, as a recognized right by all Legislations and International conventions, as a legal mean to face the inhumane conditions practiced by the Israeli jailer. These inhumane conditions, which contradict all declarations and agreements undertaken by the International Community represent as constant principles, rules and procedures governing relations between the detainees and prisoners on the one hand, and the military occupation on the other. Everyone today is called upon to protest and hold activities in solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners Hunger Strike; LET OUR MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY BE TO ALL PALESTINIAN DETAINEES WHO ARE RESISTING WITH THEIR EMPTY STOMACHS THE TYRANTS ARE TREMBLING IN FRONT OF YOUR STEADFASTNESS Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/news-from-the-regions-mainmenu-29/229…

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[Info EN] La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | March-April 2017
by La Via Campesina 03 May '17

03 May '17

La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | March-April Edition, 2017 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] #17APRIL - PEASANTS' DAY MOBILISATIONS [3] World over members and allies of La Via Campesina commemorated the International Day of Peasant Struggles by organising solidarity marches, public events, land occupations, screening films, seminars and much more. Here is a glimpse of what it looked like Facebook Album [4] - and if you are on Twitter here are a few updates [5]. To see the Global Map of Actions click here [6]. You can also follow the hashtags - #17APRIL, #17AVRIL, #17ABRIL, #PEASANTSRIGHTS - on Facebook and Twitter for a comprehensive view of the solidarity actions worldwide and also check out our image slideshow here [7]. IN OUR ACTIONS THIS #17APRIL, WE DEFENDED THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE WORKING IN RURAL AREAS The initiative towards a _United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas_ is one of the ways to legitimatize our struggles to build and reinforce food sovereignty where by our social, cultural, economic and political values are fully respected and upheld. We believe that in championing the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, humanity also wins. Read More [8] NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD A UN DECLARATION FOR PEASANTS' RIGHTS: REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS In South Africa [9], India [10] and Sri Lanka [11] workshops and consultations were held early in April to provide further inputs into the ongoing negotiations for a UN Declaration on Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. INDONESIA: PEASANTS MOBILISE FOR THEIR RIGHTS For peasants in Indonesia, two dates in April - the 17th and the 20th - hold massive significance in their persistent struggle for peasants' rights. Read More [12] NFU COMMEMORATES THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEASANTS' STRUGGLE We stand in solidarity with peasants around the world who face threats and discrimination, persecution and violence and we support the advance toward the UN Declaration of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Read More [13] POST-BREXIT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS The launch featured a dining table promoting the high-quality fresh produce of our members to highlight the need for small-scale and family farmers to be offered a _'place at the table'_ in upcoming negotiations over the future of UK agriculture policy. Read More [14] KRSS BRINGS YOUNG FARMERS TOGETHER IN KARNATAKA, INDIA _"Naavenmaadbeku?"_ ("What should we do?") - an introspection into the role Young Farmers can and should play in the political struggle for agrarian reform. Read More [15] DAIRY CRISIS: SOFT LANDING TURNS INTO A REAL CRASH Two years after the announcement that led to the end of the dairy quota regime March 31, 2015, no glimmer of hope looms on the horizon of dairy producers. Today, the majority of dairy producers in Europe continue to sell every kilo of milk at a loss. Read More [16] MARCHA CAMPESINA: REMEMBERING CÉSAR CHÁVEZ AND THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE AND DIGNITY Chávez spent most of his life organizing farm workers to change their conditions of oppression and exploitation in the fields.This march was precisely held to remember Cesar Chavez and the cause for which he lived and died. Read More [17] ADDITIONAL BLOW TO AGRICULTURE THROUGH RCEP UNACCEPTABLE: NOUMINREN Farmers in Japan have a serious concern that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will damage small family farming and undermine the foundation of steadily feeding rising population in Asia. Read More [18] "THE NEED FOR A UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS IS MORE URGENT THAN EVER" With the three days of rich exchanges, the Global Peasants' Rights Congress in Schwäbisch Hall, has set the pace for the needed global collective effort ahead of this May's UN Open-ended intergovernmental Working Group, which will try to finalize the Peasants' Rights Declaration. Read More [19] BRAZIL: 2016 THE MOST VIOLENT YEAR IN THE COUNTRYSIDE SINCE 2003 During the 90s, there was a decline in the number of deaths, and in 2000, there were 21 recorded assassinations. How can we explain that this number doubled in 2015 (with 50 recorded deaths) and tripled in 2016? Read More [20] STRENGTHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF PEASANTS: SIGN THE PETITION With more than 8000 signatures already collected, the petition targets the backing of 30.000 people, particularly from across Europe. Read More [21] KWPA OPENS 'WOMEN PEASANTS' AGROECOLOGY SCHOOL' The agroecology program at the new school is divided into four learning sessions spread across several months, combining theoretical and on-field training. Read More [22] MEMBERS OF LANDLESS WORKERS' MOVEMENT IMPRISONED SINCE NOVEMBER IN PARANÁ The campaign 'My crime is to struggle" wants to denounce the process of criminalization that human rights defenders have been suffering in the country. Read More [23] INDIA: PEOPLE'S GROUP REJECT RCEP Cheap imports of palm oil, pepper and tea have devastated lives of peasants across South India. The RCEP will further aggravate this crisis, fears farmers' groups. Read More [24] UNITE AGAINST THE FFA FOR THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE! The agriculture that agribusiness offers us is nothing new. It merely follows the same path that has brought about the destruction of our soils, the deterioration of biodiversity, the pollution of our waters and the disappearance of our farms. Read More [25] OUR FOOD IS NOT YOUR AGRI-BUSINESS! MARCH 25 MOBILISATION IN ROME On the 60th anniversary of the founding Treaty of the European Union, the peasant women and men of ECVC, demonstrated in the streets of Rome demanding healthy and quality food, decent work, and a just and a sustainable agricultural policy in a Europe for the people and of solidarity. Read More [26] UAWC'S STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF LAND DAY Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) urges the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take a number of steps to strengthen the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land, and support their resistance against the settlement expansion and the Apartheid wall. Read More [27] BHARATIYA KISAN UNION BACKS TAMIL NADU FARMERS PROTESTING WITH HUMAN SKULLS IN NEW DELHI Tamil Nadu farmers called off their strike in Delhi on 23 April. Nearly 170 drought-affected farmers from the southern state have been on an indefinite protest in Delhi for 40 days. In this article, BKU leaders explain why they back the demands of the agitating farmers from South of India. Read More [28] FTAS AND AGRICULTURE _EDITION NO: 29 OF NYELENI NEWSLETTER IS NOW ONLINE._ FTAs aren't just about 'trade'. They're comprehensive agreements to lock in free market capitalism, strengthen the power of global corporations, finance, and powerful governments and advance their geopolitical objectives. We must struggle for real systemic change, saying "no to FTAs and global free market capitalism", combatting racist politics and defending mother earth. We can't turn FTAs into tools of people power. They should be buried, not born again. Download the English edition [29] [30] IN DEFENCE OF LIFE AND LAND! _Duration: 21 Mins_ As part of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Dorado dos Carajás Massacre, where 19 peasants and landless peasants were killed in their legitimate struggle for land on April 17, 1996, La Vía Campesina organized the_ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AGRARIAN REFORM_,in April 2016 in Brazil. It was a space that sought to update the debate on agrarian reform with its members and allies, while also reflecting on the strengths and challenges of the peasant movement. This video provides a glimpse of the rich exchages that occured over those five days. Watch Now [31] [32] ACTION IN PERWEZ: NO TO CONCRETING AGRICULTURAL LAND _Duration: 3 Mins_ Video of the peasants' struggle day to defend agricultural land under threat in Perwez, Belgium. Watch Now [33] [34] THE SECOND EUROPEAN NYÉLÉNI FORUM FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY _Duration: 10 Mins each_ The second European Nyéléni Forum for Food Sovereignty brought together farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, gardeners, food and agricultural workers, researchers, activists and many more. This largest-ever European meeting on food sovereignty took place from October 25th to October 30th, 2016. Over 500 people from over 40 countries gathered to discuss how to reclaim our ever-more corporate-controlled food and farming system. Watch Chapter 1 [35], Chapter 2 [36] and Chapter 3 [37] 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 [38]here. [39] [40] Follow us on twitter [41] [42] Find us on Facebook [43] [44] Subsribe our Vimeo Channel [45] To unsubscribe from the distribution list click here [46] For questions or comments, email LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG WEBSITE: www.viacampesina.org [47] TV: www.tv.viacampesina.org [48] To subscribe to this newsletter - Click Here [49] This email was sent to abhilash(a)viacampesina.org _why did I get this?_ [50] unsubscribe from this list [51] update subscription preferences [52] La Via Campesina · 197A Smuts Road · Prospect · Waterfalls · Zimbabwe [53] Links: ------ [1] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [2] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [3] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [4] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [5] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [6] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [7] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [8] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [9] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [10] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [11] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [12] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [13] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [14] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [15] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [16] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [17] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [18] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [19] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [20] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [21] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [22] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [23] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [24] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [25] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [26] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [27] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [28] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [29] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [30] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [31] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [32] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [33] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [34] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [35] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [36] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [37] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [38] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [39] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [40] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [41] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [42] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [43] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [44] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [45] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [46] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [47] http://www.viacampesina.org [48] http://www.tv.viacampesina.org [49] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=89bbab017155e420448… [50] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/about?u=89bbab017155e4204481ee9c3&… [51] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=89bbab017155e4204481… [52] http://viacampesina.us13.list-manage2.com/profile?u=89bbab017155e4204481ee9… [53] http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&amp…

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[Info EN] This April 17th – We defend the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas
by La Via Campesina 17 Apr '17

17 Apr '17

THIS APRIL 17TH –WE DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE WORKING IN RURAL AREAS [1] PRESS RELEASE (Harare, April 17, 2017) Today La Via Campesina, the international peasant movement, commemorates the International Day of Peasants' Struggle[1] [2] with a focus on strengthening, protecting and recognizing the human rights of peasants. The initiative towards a United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas is one of the ways to legitimatize our struggles to build and reinforce food sovereignty where by our social, cultural, economic and political values are fully respected and upheld. We believe that in championing the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, humanity also wins. Hundreds of millions of peasants are forced to live and lead undignified lives as their basic rights are increasingly very vulnerable as a result of capitalist and neoliberal logic of profit maximisation. Our rights to land, water, seeds, biodiversity, decent income are continuously being compromised, denied, violated and usurped. We, the Peasants, despite producing the bulk of the food consumed globally, continue to face criminalisation and discrimination. We, the peasants, women, youth, men, and indigenous peoples, however, continue to build our struggles globally to defend our rights against corporate interests, persecution and violence against peasants and other people working in rural areas. We struggle for a genuine agrarian reform and a better protection of rights to land against land-grabbing; we continue to conserve, use, and exchange our seeds - denouncing laws and interests that seek to prohibit such practises; we promote agroecology, traditional practices and knowledge to combat climate change; we continue the struggle to end corporate control of our food and reject free trade agreements; and we keep on building gender equality and move forward for the rights of peasant women, youth, migrants and other people working in rural areas. Next month in May, the 4th session of UN Open Ended Intergovernmental Working Group will be held to finalize the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Our collective struggles will pressure governments and other parties to support and commit to a strong UN declaration. We believe that the UN declaration will be crucial to solve malnutrition, hunger, poverty, and climate crisis. Join us today by organising demonstrations, public debates and discussions, film screenings, farmers' markets, festivals, lobbying governments, or any other solidarity actions. We are calling to all people's movements, women, youth, indigenous, fisher folk, migrants, workers, environmentalists, to support this movement. Share your actions by sending to lvcweb(a)viacampesina.org so that we can capture and circulate them on our MAP [3] of actions. SPOKESPEOPLE Diego Montón (ES) +54 9 261 561 5062 Elizabeth Mpofu (EN) +263 772 443 716 Geneviève (FR) +33 6 25 55 16 87 ------------------------- [1] [4] On April 17th 1996, in the Amazonian state of Pará, at Eldorado dos Carajás, the state military police massacred peasants organized in the Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST), killing 19 individuals and injuring 69. That day, 1500 women and men organized in the MST occupied and blocked the BR-150 highway in Eldorado dos Carajás, with the aim of bringing pressure to bear on the State and Federal governments to implement agrarian reform. State authorities, the police, the army and powerful local landowners were involved in the planning and executing of the massacre. Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/17-apr… [2] file:///C:/Users/nyoni/Documents/Final%20Press%20Release%20for%20April%2017th%20-%20Peasant%20Rights.docx#_ftn1 [3] http://u.osmfr.org/m/136989/ [4] file:///C:/Users/nyoni/Documents/Final%20Press%20Release%20for%20April%2017th%20-%20Peasant%20Rights.docx#_ftnref1

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[Info EN] Join the movement demanding a UN Declaration on Peasants’ Rights!
by La Via Campesina 13 Apr '17

13 Apr '17

Join the movement for Peasants' Rights! STRENGTHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF PEASANTS! SIGN THE PETITION [1] Peasants, fishers, pastoralists and other people working in rural areas produce most of the healthy and diverse food that we eat every day. In Europe and all around the world, they play a leading role in ensuring the food sovereignty of our communities and the resilience of our food system in the face of climate change. However, small farms are rapidly disappearing and peasant agriculture is under threat due to the expansion of industrial agriculture, land grabbing, and the dismantling of public support. Peasants and other rural working people face systematic discrimination, with rural women particularly affected. They need your support to continue creating agroecological, resilient alternatives to industrial agriculture and develop healthy and sustainable local food systems for the future of our planet. Join the movement for Peasants' Rights and ask the EU and its Member States to actively participate in good faith in the elaboration of a "UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas". Demand from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recognize Peasants' Rights, including their rights to land, seeds, biodiversity, decent income and livelihood and the means of production. Demand the right of peoples to food sovereignty now by SIGNING THIS PETITION [1]! BACKGROUND: The process towards the "UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas" aims to create an international human rights instrument to improve the promotion and protection of their rights and draw attention to the threats and discrimination suffered by peasants and people involved in small-scale food production across the world. The current draft Declaration is the result of the work undertaken by La Via Campesina (LVC) over more than 15 years, supported by FIAN International and CETIM (Europe Third World Centre), with the support of other social movements. This process has a unique strategy, namely to have the Declaration recognised by the UN and the international human rights governance system through the voices, concerns, and issues raised by grassroots peasant movements. With the next session of the intergovernmental working group, scheduled for May 2017 at the UN Human Rights Council, we need to put pressure on our governments and strengthen our position. Links: ------ [1] https://peasantsrights.eu/

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[Info EN] Peasants’ houses in Mekar Jaya - the ‘‘hometown of agrarian reform’’ in Indonesia - razed to the ground
by La Via Campesina 31 Mar '17

31 Mar '17

Peasants' houses in Mekar Jaya - the ''hometown of agrarian reform'' in Indonesia - razed down by a plantation firm [1] [2] It is cruelly ironical. Less than 72 hours after President Joko Widodo's orders to implement the agrarian reform through land redistribution as a step to address economic disparity and inequality, peasant families of Mekar Jaya Village in Langkat District of North Sumatera Province in Indonesia were in for a rude shock. _Langkat Nusantara Kepong Ltd (LNK)_ a Malaysian firm with interests in palm oil plantations, did exactly the opposite by evicting these families from their own lands and razing their houses to the ground. 554 hectares of land have been forcefully grabbed from peasants by this Corporation, in a series of attempts made since the 18th of November 2016. In the latest of those actions, carried out on Monday the 27th of March, seventy houses have been razed down to the ground. The affected peasant families, who are members of the Indonesian Peasants' Union (SPI), have so far been putting up a brave fight. But with nowhere to stay and their houses gone, the distress and despair is strikingly evident. [3]General Secretary of the Central Board (DPP) of SPI, Agus Ruli Ardiansyah said that over a thousand personnel from the police and fire department, descended with heavy machineries to carry out the eviction on Monday. Visibly agitated, he spoke at a press conference in Jakarta on the morning of the 28th, "We denounce LNK. It's actions certainly violate the orders of President Jokowi to immediately implement agrarian reform and land redistribution to address the economic disparity, because Mekar Jaya has previously been listed as a hometown of agrarian reform. 70 houses were destroyed. 360 families have nowhere to stay any longer," "What PT-LNK did will increase rural poverty. With its latest actions, the firm has curtailed peasants' access to livelihood. It is a direct violation of the instructions of President Jokowi to accelerate the agrarian reform. He had re-emphasized it at Mandailing Natal, on March 25, 2017, " Agus Ruli added. Zubaidah, Chairperson of SPI North Sumatra Region gives a brief history of the region and recalls 1952, when people of Paya Redas and Paya Kasih earmarked nearly 1,000 hectares of land for paddy cultivation. "It resulted in the creation of a settlement called Paya Redas, with TK Abdul Hamit as their village head from 1954 till 1964. In the 1970's trouble started when the company PTP II/PTPN II forcefully evicted peasants from nearly 500 hectares of land. Since then, up till now families in the region have been facing these threats periodically.", says Zubaidah. LNK, the firm that carried out Monday's eviction attack, is a joint venture of PTPN II and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Plantation Holdings Ltd. The Malaysian partner holds 60% of the stake in LNK. Its efforts to evict peasants from the lands which were occupied and managed over the years and over several generations, have been gathering steam lately. "PT LNK claimed that these peasants who have been living on this land are tenants who come from outside the area. On the contrary, we are the true owners of this land and these houses. We are the descendants and direct heirs of those who have lived here for generations, "said Zubaidah. At a meeting of all-affected-parties held on the 30th of March, Zubaidah made a presentation explaining the context and the current situation to the House of Representatives of North Sumatra (DPRD). Chairman of DPRD North Sumatra, F.L. Fernando Simanjuntak has ordered LNK and PTPN II to treat the community respectfully and rightfully. "We are from SPI of North Sumatra, with representatives of SPI from Mekar Jaya village here to meet the_ Commission A_ DPRD North Sumatra." "_Commission A_, represented by Fernando Simanjuntak and Sarma Hutajulu as Chairman and Secretary acknowledged that the municipal police could not evict land and peasants' houses. This means that LNK has arbitrarily carried out this action ", Zubaidah said in a press statement. EMERGENCY IN MEKAR JAYA! [4] Chairman of the Executive Branch (BPC) of SPI, Langkat Suriono asserted that the land and houses that have been bulldozed are still legally valid. "Based on the conflict settlement process and the RDP report to the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), the Ministry of Agricultural, and others, there has been no decision on the status of land and houses owned by peasants. This means that no one can carry out any activities on the land, including eviction and destruction of the homes " said Suriono. Suriono also urged LNK to respect the laws and instructions of the President Jokowi about the implementation of agrarian reform rather than straddling the law and obstructing the agrarian reform by destroying the lives and livelihoods of small peasants. "National Land Agency (BPN) or Agricultural Ministry itself has not decide on the conflict, why LNK boldly straddles the law in this country? Are they not satisfied with eliminating our source of livelihood, that they are now bulldozing our homes and evicting us from our land? "he asked ------------------------- FOR QUERIES: Zainal Arifin Faud - +6281311155365 - zainal(a)spi.or.id Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [2] https://www.spi.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/penggusuran-mekarjaya.jpg [3] http://www.spi.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/penggusuran_mekar_jaya_3.jpg [4] https://viacampesina.org/en/images/2017-03-31%20Mekar%20Jaya.jpg

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