Via Campesina International farmers movement Movimiento campesino internacional Mouvement paysan international

Secretaria operativa/operative secretariat: Apdo Postal 3628 Tegucigalpa, MDC Honduras, C.A. Tel & fax : + 504 235 99 15 E-mail: viacam@gbm.hn

PRESS RELEASE

Vía Campesina will be present with a strong delegation in Mumbai, India during the 4th World Social Forum (WSF). From its start Via Campesina understands this process as being very important to strengthen our struggle at the internatioal level against the neo-liberal policies. Via Campesina is part of the International Council of the WSF and has participated in the organisation of this process from the beginning. In this broad and divers process exist several spaces each with a different character. Regional and thematic Fora are organised, a WSF is organised every year with a program co-ordinated by a national organising committee and beside this various auto-organised spaces. Social movements have created an independent and autonomous space to articulate their agenda and calendar of action at the international level.

It is important that the WSF is now held outside Porto Alegre in another location, in Asia and we hope that this will contribute towards widening and consolidating worldwide struggles against neo-liberalism. We understand the several movements in India have taken the decision to develop independent, autonomous spaces and fora during the WSF and that they are articulated not “against” the WSF but as their own expressions and as part of a broad process of construction of resistance against neo-liberal policies. Via Campesina respects these expressions and we will participate in the WSF program as well as in other independent and autonomous spaces.

We hope that the space created by the social movements in Porto Alegre will continue to serve also during this WSF as a meeting place for movements to develop and define the agenda of struggle against neo-liberal policies. We especially hope that the social movements of India and other Asian countries will have a strong presence in this space.
Via Campesina will organise under its responsibility an international “Via Campesina” space on the 18th and 19th of January, independent from other activities and fora. This space is meant to support the process of reflection and formulation of action plans on the international level for peasant movements.

We hope that our presence in Mumbai will give us the possibility for an in depth exchange with peasant movements and social movements of other sectors from India, Asia and the rest of the world in order to strengthen our common struggle.
After Cancun: Let’s pave the way for more victories !

GLOBALIZE THE STRUGGLE, GLOBALIZE HOPE!

Tegucigalpa, M.D.C., Honduras, C.A. 18th of November, 2003.