International Fact Finding Mission in Sri Lanka

Written by April Porteria Thursday, 31 January 2013 10:21

Sri Lanka today is aggressively promoting local and foreign investments in tourism towards transforming Sri Lanka to be Asia’s foremost tourism destination. It created the One Stop Unit (OSU) – a centralized promotion and facilitation centre to assist potential tourism investors. Sri Lankan government permits up to 100% foreign participation in many sectors of the economy, such as tourism. The government  allows 100% repatriation of profits earned in Sri Lanka.  Foreign investors are given 3-7 years tax holidays. A Resident Guest Scheme Visa has been introduced as an incentive for prospective foreign investors and professionals who would contribute to the economic and socio-cultural development of the country.

Unfortunately, these policies will increase landgrabbing offering Sri Lanka lands (mostly agricultural lands) for foreign ownership and use. It has resulted to massive displacement of peasants and the destruction of their communities.

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PCFS 2012 Yearend Newsletter

Written by April Porteria Monday, 21 January 2013 17:03

Rural communities in the global south continue to face increasing challenges to their rights to land, life, and seeds. Land and water grabs, rising food prices, displacement in the name of 'development' projects, compounded by the climate crisis, among others, adversely impact on small food producers and other vulnerable populations. But despite these challenges, rural communities continue to press for their rights and welfare, organizing and mobilizing their ranks in the call for food sovereignty.

2012 has been another year of intense campaign and advocacy on people's struggles all over the world, especially for the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) which has been actively pushing for food sovereignty in various engagements at country, regional and global levels. This yearend issue gathers highlights of 2012 campaigns and advocacy of the network.

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TOWARDS A JUST AND TRANSFORMATIVE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

Written by April Porteria Friday, 18 January 2013 15:07

On January 22, 2013, IBON International, WALHI, INDIES, PCFS and APRN are inviting peoples organizations, social movements and NGOs from across Indonesia to a workshop titled “Towards a Just and Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda”

The workshop’s objectives are:

1. To discuss the challenge of sustainable development in the global and Indonesian context

2. To provide a background on the United Nation’s roadmap towards a post-2015 development framework

3. To present the Campaign on Peoples Goals for Sustainable Development (CPGSD)

4. To strategize how Indonesian social movements and civil society can campaign for a truly just, equitable and transformative development agenda for the post-2015 period

The Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development is a global campaign of grassroots organizations, labor unions, social movements and non-governmental organizations and other institutions committed to promoting new pathways to the future we want. Join the campaign at here.

PCFS pushes for food sovereignty-based approaches, calls for small-scale food producers’ greater role in agriculture, fisheries and rural development policies

Written by April Porteria Tuesday, 15 January 2013 13:43

Over the past year, PCFS has worked hard to create space among civil society organizations (CSOs), non-government organizations (NGOs) and social movements to engage with FAO in order to ensure that the voice of member organisations and small-scale farmers are represented in international policy development. A series of reforms which have led to FAO increasingly consulting civil society on its policy formation have created a narrow window of opportunity in which PCFS is pushing for Southern voices to be heard. In all its engagements, submissions and advocacy, PCFS pushes for food sovereignty and for small-scale food producers – farmers, fishers and pastoralists – to be put at the centre of policy development on food and rural development.

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