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Communities Assert Their Rights!:
Asserting People's Food Sovereignty at the WSF 2007
By: People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS)
February 2007
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Representatives from different agricultural communities in Africa and Asia gathered in Nairobi, Kenya for the 7th World Social Forum activities. This year, the WSF was held at the Moi International Sports Center in Kasarani, Nairobi. The activities ran from 20 to 25 January 2007.
Thousands of community members, civil society representatives and individuals gathered this year to join hands and speak out their concerns and issues. This year, the theme of the WSF is "People's Struggles, People's Alternatives". And indeed, people gathered together and showed that in numbers, they can assert their rights and triumph in their struggles.
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A three-day event, Asserting People's Food Sovereignty, was organised by the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS), Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) and Kenya Debt Relief Network (KENDREN), together with 12 other organisations. This event endeavored to create spaces for communities especially those that are directly involved in the production of food. The activities are for them to assert their rights to the control and access to food production resources, and ultimately for them to have genuine food sovereignty.
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| The event began on 21 January 2007 with the Opening Ceremonies which was attended by one of the most prominent woman activist in Kenya, Wahu Kaara of Kendren. Fatima Burnad of PAN AP was also present to share some words about food sovereignty. Antonio Tujan Jr. of Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN) also gave some background about the Asian struggle to attain genuine food sovereignty. |
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The opening ceremonies was followed by a Speak Out, a public forum wherein participants were given an opportunity to stand up and speak about the issues and struggles in their respective communities, as well as their demands. The speakers were all very strong about their issues and shared their thoughts through passionate words and songs. Among the speakers were Nilo Arado (Asian Peasant Coalition), Moses Shaha (Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum), Rebecca Musyoka (Kenyan woman farmer), Twayaga Beatrice (Kabale Farmers Networking Association, Uganda), Appakutti Magimai (Tamil Nadu Women's Force, India), Ibrahim Hassan (Huruma Social Forum, Kenya) and Balram Banskota (All Nepal Peasants Association), and representative of farming communities in Kenya and Uganda. The event was hosted by Ma. Theresa Lauron of APRN (Philippines).
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More than 100 individuals from different groups from Asia and Africa, as well as a handful from Latin America, North America and Europe attended the said activity.
In the evening of the same day, a Seminar on Food Sovereignty was conducted. This activity discussed the basic concepts about food sovereignty, and how the communities can make use of different advocacy tools and venues to assert their rights.
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March for Food Sovereignty
More than 300 individuals joined the March for Food Sovereignty organised by PCFS, PAN AP, and KENDREN, with the Asian Peasants Coalition (APC) on 22 January 2007.
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Different communities and organisations joined the peaceful mobilisation. Although majority was from Asia and Africa, there were also participants from other countries who showed their solidarity. The participants carried banners, placards and flags wherein their demands were written:
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| Issues surrounding Food Sovereignty |
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On the third day, 23 January 2007, multiple parallel workshops were held. PCFS, PAN AP, and KENDREN co-organised the workshops with the following organisations:
- Struggle for Agrarian Reform - Biplap Halim (Asian Peasant Coalition)
- Dalits and Tribals - Fatima Burnad (Tamil Nadu Women's Force, India)
- Women and Food Sovereignty - Dr. Azra Sayeed (Roots for Equity, Pakistan)
- Food, Nutrition & WTO - Dr. Surjit Singh (Food Trade and Nutrition, FTN Asia)
The workshops were all well-attended and participated in by like-minded groups who were all working on the struggle for food sovereignty and it's relation to the abovementioned issues.
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All activities of the three-day event were a success since the main objective of forging linkages between Asian and African groups was met. The farmers, community representatives and organisations from Asia and Africa realised that they are fighting the same battle and waging the same war - the struggle to attain genuine people's food sovereignty. These groups therefore decided to strengthen their actions and advocacies by linking and working together on some issues and activities.
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PCFS, PAN AP and KENDREN were joined by the following groups in organising the activities: APRN, APC, FTN Asia, CAWI, PELUM Kenya, PELUM Uganda, KESSFF, SACDEP Kenya, KOFA, KIOF, NECOFA, and TPAWU.
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For other inquiries about the activities or about PCFS, please email: .
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We invite you to be part of the Food Sovereignty Advocates mailing list, a venue for individuals and organisations to exchange information, share ideas, and gain insights about the different issues related to people's food sovereignty -- such as food production, women and agriculture, biotechnology and agriculture, trade and agriculture, agricultural workers, land and agrarian reform, among others.
This mailing list is maintained and managed by the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) Secretariat. Please email if you wish to be included. Thank you!
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click on any of the photos above for a Photo Essay on Asserting People's Food Sovereignty or click .
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