International Food Sovereignty Day to Cool Down the Earth 5th December 2011, Durban, South AfricaWe call on all farmers’ movements and organizations, rural workers, landless people and all the food sovereignty movement to join us for an international day of mass action on the 5th of December 2011, during the COP 17 civil society mobilization in Durban, South Africa.
Humanity is confronted with a food, economic and ecological crisis that is rooted in the neoliberal capitalist system of production, distribution and consumption. These multiple crises highlight the limits of neoliberal capitalist production. Today transnational corporations and governments are presenting false solutions to climate change, hijacking the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP17) also referred to as the Conference of Polluters, to be held in Durban South Africa.
These corporate elites, western governments and the neo liberal capitalist system that is responsible for generating the crisis are presenting us with false solutions. The countries of the South and Africa in particular will be hard hit by climate change. Scientists indicate that the African continent is expected to be drier and would become warmer more quickly than other regions of the planet, despite the fact that Africa has contributed the least to global warming. This will hugely impact on agriculture, which is an important livelihood source across Africa. There will be yield losses of the major staple foods of the continent like maize, sorghum, millet, cassava etc. due to temperature rises.
Industrial agriculture and production is responsible for global warming, hunger, land dispossession, massive displacements of farmers, rural workers and indigenous communities across the continent.
In South Africa the host country after 17 years of democracy, millions of farm workers and dwellers have been evicted from commercial farms, only 5% of agricultural land has been transferred to black people, millions in rural and urban areas suffer from food and nutritional insecurity. Today this country is the most unequal society in the world. Particularly women in South Africa have felt the impact of these unequal relations and exclusion more severely.
The solutions put forward by these corporations and governments are already leading towards a re-colonization of Africa and the countries of the global south with massive land grabs and the imposition of a new green revolution.
Instead of finding real solutions to climate and ecological crisis faced by humanity, the Durban COP17 meeting is a platform for corporations through their governments to accelerate the complete commodification of nature. These criminal schemes presented as solutions include amongst other things the promotion of Genetically Modified Seeds, Agro-fuels, carbon trading, climate smart agriculture, Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).
Why an Agro-ecology and Food Sovereignty DayAs farmers, farm workers, landless women and men we should mobilize through direct action against these false solutions to expose its criminal intent and catastrophic consequences for the continent and the global south. At the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Right of Mother Earth (April 2010) held in Bolivia resulted in the People’s Agreement of Cochabamba real solutions to climate change were offered which was totally ignored by governments. Food Sovereignty and agro-ecology are the real solutions of farmers and workers to climate change.
We call on all farmers, workers and the landless and all social movements to join us in Durban and everywhere in the world on the 5th of December 2011 to demand a change of the entire capitalist system. The fight against climate change is a fight against neoliberal capitalism, landlessness, dispossession, hunger, poverty and inequality. The crisis of the planet requires that we take direct action. During the agro-ecology and food sovereignty day we will have public protest marches to the conference of the polluters, actions against multinational corporations like Monsanto undermining our seed sovereignty, which will cuminate in a massive Assembly of the Oppressed to discuss ways of ending this unjust system. This will be a day of continued actions where farmers and workers from the entire African continent with social movements from the whole world will demand:
•Genuine agrarian reform for food sovereignty
•Agro ecological revolution as the solution to climate change
•Restructuring of the entire food system
•Full and equal participation of women in the new food system and in the society as a whole
•Building of a food system based on human needs
•End to multinational control of our genetic resources
•Seed sovereignty where seed can adapt and mitigate climate change
We call on all the movements of farmers and workers to mobilize and have local direct action in every locality in the world on the Agro-ecological and Food Sovereignty Day.
Reclaim Climate Justice!
Our Planet is not for sale!
No to the Conference of Polluters!
Defend Mother Earth!
Africa is not for sale!
No to the re-colonization of Africa!
This call is convened and supported by:
LA VIA CAMPESINA
AGRARIAN REFORM FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY CAMPAIGN, SOUTH AFRICA
SURPLUS PEOPLE PROJECT (SPP), SOUTH AFRICA
TRUST FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION (TCOE), SOUTH AFRICA
WOMEN ON FARM PROJECT (SOUTH AFRICA)
EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA SMALL SCALE FARMERS’ FORUM (ESAFF)
ESAFF ZIMBABWE
ESAFF UGANDA
ROPPA (Network of Farmers and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations of West Africa)
If you want to join us in Durban for December 5th, organize an activity in your community/locality/country and share it with us on that day, sign and support the call, or any other inquiry about that specific action, please write to: lvcatcop17@gmail.com
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La Via Campesina
Via Campesina is an international movement of peasants, small- and medium-sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural youth and agricultural workers. We are an autonomous, pluralist and multicultural movement, independent of any political, economic, or other type of affiliation. Born in 1993, La Via Campesina now gathers about 150 organisations in 70 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
International Operational Secretariat:
Jln. Mampang Prapatan XIV no 5 Jakarta Selatan 12790, Indonesia
Tel/fax: +62-21-7991890/+62-21-7993426
Email: viacampesina@viacampesina.org
i come to talk story, supports our combined` effect to take part, please see our responce:Hi folks,
my idea is:
USAID/Div has a grant called WASH, with Bill Gates foundation. they would
like to support solution for what they call undeveloped in Ethiopia,
Uganda, India, Haiti, Kenya. they want to see market + government failures.
i am going to show that US could start it here, where i citizen, + show how
we contribute to the local + afar negativity as well, have undeveloped
states equal or more, due to the consumptive waste of dependency on
materialism vs natural awareness, that others have that have lived without.
whether we misuse, or abused, we can support students to open the doors (if
even have weather shelter/school) into the community, as all self-develop,
network, + show solutions, as we address our biomes ability to guide +
enhance, as in agro-ecology, bringing sensitive together, skilled to
decipher the lands/fresh water/sea, potential. we state a tapering
transition is for all, due to all, at least in US being greedy have taken
part + or simply unaware of using something, without knowing the unfair
trade, the toxic or controlling marketing effect, etc.
i would like to invite a representitive from each country to teleconference
thru skype with me, + show that we can as people create a virtual tool
expanded on our forum - patches talk - from i come to talk story, where
patches + pockets of people living natural lives can share what works, as
well that which should be on a tapering transition, so as to locally +
beyond network to get solutions. where we hold ourself + others accountable
locally + beyond. building wild crafting, sharing indigenous ways as we
co_evolve together.
in the past i did an assessment of the Bill Gates Foundations work in
Africa, + i did not agree with it. i believe we all have the right to
self-develop. they never answered me. so once they see my proposal for this
grant, they will either accept their wrong doing when we show then in
detail. + support the goodness you all have to offer + stop interfering as
they see the many threads we will discover. as well the self-reflection
will do us all good.
or if not accepted
we continue on with our forum, to network, without the grants
funds/support.
so please if you can share this with folks, for the forum, all can view +
use it as a tool to expand on, set me straight + i will make changes or
make them your self in appropriate subcatagories.
for you folks willing to start with me this teleconference, we will each
gather a community of people that may have several local schools, in 1
country, with 1 contact. for the forum we can do every community. for the
grant i would like to do 1 for each country. only because i knew time
difference with skype teleconference will be time consuming if we have
many. + it would be nice to compare as we post, or discuss, so each
community then takes the time to apply/correct + give solutions, so we
build a structure that can facilitate the same common denominator of living
simple natural lives that harmonize. where we isolate the resistence.
defining ways to work around it. or sharing beyond local for solutions. or
better preparednes for natural disasters.
but if we all choose to do email + post thru forum them we can use it as a
starting base for all to then check in + do your own, or if we choose
together then we just have to start another forum once we go beyond present
limits for posting, which is 1000 posts per subcatagory, until they change
it. but we just want to thread solutions, + i will edit the yada so more
simple.
i only speak english, so those of you interested would need a translator +
a email contact. if don`t have skype then we can do just email. but for
students eye to eye sometimes is best. but many of us can concentrate + we
don't need fancy tools to get our hands in the dirt + we believe once we
post a reality, we go on to define solution + apply.
not waste time being enslaved by ecological whores or trans companies or
even our own misuse unaware, that are leaving negative effects. rather plug
in, network + get solution + apply. gather quantities for those without
solution so as to target from a clear perspective, where no local is
without, rather the human family can come together with it`s already known
awareness + rethink. no longer allowing negativity to enter..
once i get response to those of you interested in representing your area,
as we plug in building a tool, a language of 1 universal good science, so now no matter
where we are, by like subject + like biome/ecosystem, we can plug in what
works, what doesn't + network with others sharing solution. it may be
temporary modes building to permanence over time.
for as we went out in the world, we shared ideals by each unique natural
offering, as in, when some had more wind prodominent we would suggest
recycling what had, from old car parts to make a wind mill, vs. using
batteries, or get a rechargeable unit, but not throw away in ocean as they
did. same with marketing as merchants took advantage of locals with high
prices + locals would buy 1 pamper or 1 box of soap at high price, when yet
we supported buying cooperatively bulk + use own containers that could be
washed + reused, vs. packaging. not to mention make own from
growing/exchanging own seed, etc. furthering dependency on those that want
to control.
some places in US they already don't want you to be off the grid, you
actually get a penalty. where i told Barack Obama, that is wrong for
efficent folks to self-sustain locally then give abundance to those that
consume vs. lessen their volts, usage. + build a national grid with the so
called green movement bio-techs as Al Gore whore mode, exchanging credits.
where as our green mode comes from the earth as we reflect + lessen
consumption + use the earth`s tools protecting their sustainability for we
as a living organism are dependent on them. vs. deplete them.
their are enough people that have lost their humanity + became marketers,
selling out their own means to survive some knowingly + many not. + then
the banks negotiate, which is wrong. I'm statin to legislators it is wrong
for any one to continue to do business doing something like this, without
going on a tapering transition. so good folks upset, knowing it is wrong
are supported to come together with solution + now the community supports
then to rethink as their beusiness is either rid, recycles or reborn into
local only community needs. if they want to do afar, then they live as a
local afar. no more back + forth waste as you all know well!
so folks please lets rethink for what you do is very valuable tools to the
world. + somehow we must keep figuring this out to stop
struggling/destruction, etc. for their are ways that simply can work + if
we are do busy fighting negativity we don't get to self-reflect + produce
all the fine detail that takes to build it.
in our forum we want to build a tool for you to post your local
issue/offering with detail, as in a shematic. then others will come about +
review + suggest solutions. such as pooling use, utilizing exisitng
electrical wires or sub stations vs having to remove all + start over. that
is waste. we can do a total land review of each biome as folks come
together + then do layers as you use what have until more resources come
available. or more clarity. for an ER triage is what the student structure
will do for all life.
ex: in a US ER tsunami preparedness workshop i showed where we could live
more naturally every day in our planning, as in fresh water ponds with
species to cleanse + have this water source thruout community, so when a
natural disaster hits, water is more available. where they sold kits to
carry, plastic bags for fecal matter vs. having lime piles thruout for
compost toilet. this is just example of people that think they help yet
again market non renewable stuff, at a fee. when the community could gain
from using our own waste if managed properly. so it is fine detail that we
want to archive for folks to retrieve, so as to harmonize.
we don't just want funds in exchange we want our wild to stay wild to
sustain us.
so when i apply for this grant i don't want anypone to be dependent on
thinking i can give results or give funds. but if you log in to the forum
below, we simply state to pay what when can + hope others that can give
more will come about to see us work tools.
so please check us out + share your interest. + if interested in networking
with grant then you could either go directly to USAID/Div + apply yourself
+ start your own application. or as you work with me, you would take
responsibility for your area, if accepted for funding - as i include you in
my application, once your detail was clear. or you plug in for the
experience of what we can do together, without applying to USAID + deal
directly with our forum as we post stages. then you have no commitment to
USAID. rather just yourself + locals you post for.
if interested in building student infrastructure to orchrestrate this
teleconference, then please email me with code in subject line:
icttstc washif interested in networking building our forum, please review below.
if you folks would post directly to forum below,after registering, then you
could do it thru your email. i created this forum from the same struggling
- to help end it for all. so please use it to trigger what works for you +
help make it a better tool for all. or develop Nabble for your self freely.
when i started their was no advertising, + we have to pay to remove it, so
i yet to do that, right now i'm working at the grant i explain above. thank
you for your work!
looking forward to working with you + some day we will be in traveling mode
again + hope to visit, for now we will start a penpal mode to
teleconference if like for student program as each buddies up in an
interchangeable role as they walk into the community for the best school
yet, as we build local community to restore our natural ability to `boon
with the natural world.
peace is our option now if we share, kara
--
patches pockets talk when we all do a walkabout...
even though Google takes a bit to thread it,
please open document + then open ctrl l box +
put in url:
http://i-come-to-talk-story-net.3220728.n2.nabble.com/
thanks for the support!