Period of action against WTO and trade liberalisation

Activities and actions from 21 countries are now on this list
Australia
A series of talks will be organised to mark the International Day of Landless Peasant struggles.
Contact: Rayyar Farhat, PhD student, University of Sydney Email: rfar9001@mail.usyd.edu.au

Colombia
A national agrarian congress as well as a rally are held with broad participation of peasant organisations.
Dates: 6-7-8 of April
Contact: comunic_congresoagrario@yahoo.es

Brazil
From the 10th of April onwards marches will start from the interior of each state to the capitals in these states. Land occupations and the struggle against the big landowners will continue.
Contacto: MST, Geraldo Fontes srimst@uol.com.br
Action against impunity of the Carajas Massacre, 17th of April 1996 . Send letters, telegrams, faxes and emails to the National Secretariat of Human Rights, NILMÁRIO MIRANDA, asking for an effective policy against impunity to
NILMÁRIO MIRANDA
Secretaria Especial dos Direitos Humanos
Esplanada dos Ministério – Bloco T – 4º andar – sala 418
CEP 70064-900 – Brasília – DF – Brasil
Fax 55 61 226 2971 – email: mario.mamede@mj.gov.br

Belgie/Belgique
Is preparing an activity.
Contact: FIAN-Belgium fian.belgium@skynet.be

Canada
The NFU is working hard to resist the introduction of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) wheat. Recently, the NFU worked with other groups to organize a farmer tour to 11 communities in the prairie provinces. The tour was entitled “Planting Seeds of Doubt”, and the 11 meetings focussed farmer and citizen attention on the costs and threats posed by GM wheat. Contact: NFU nfu@sk.sympatico.ca

Union Paysanne en Quebec:
Expo on Sebastao Solgado’s Pictures of the MST at the “Centre paysan” in St-Croix with a Press Conference on Food Soverainty
Small Forum on internationnal social movenments at the “Institue de Technologie Agro-Alimentaire” in La Pocatière. Presentation of Via Campesina
Contact: Simon Allain, Union paysanne, Québec Email: simonallain@hotmail.com
In Montreal a coalition of groups is planning:

A march and a picnic/protest outside the ADM flour mill in the Montreal Port.
A benefit concert for two campesino projects in the state of Guerrero, Mexico (an orphanage and a radio project)
Contact: Kevin Walsh: kev@dojo.tao.ca

Chile
28th of April: farmer rally under the slogan: “In Chile the Countryside also cannot take it any longer” Call done by the agrcultural branch of the CUT.
15th of April: meeting around the seed ca mpaign with well known personalities from academic and political world.
21st and 26th of April: Training course for farm workers that will end in a march. The call will be made within the frame work of the international day of farmers struggle.
Contact: Francisca Rodriguez, Anamuri anamuri@ia.cl

Colombia
Farmers organisations organise a broad national agricultural congress and a rally on the 6-8 of April.
Contacto: comunic_congresoagrario@yahoo.es
17th of April: Edition and launch of a book on the experience of MST (Movement of the Landless)
The book contains interviews with JP Stedile in Brava Gente and a reflexion of Martha Harnecker on MST.
Contacto: forumcolombia2002@yahoo.com
Ecuador

The Confederación Nacional Campesina “CONFEUNASSC-CNC”, calls men and women from the country side and the cities to participate actively in the launch of a National Campaign on Foodsovereignty starting on the 17th of April in the city of Cuenca.
Contact: Doris Trujillo, CONFEUNASSC-CNC, Coreo electronico: ssc-cnc@campesinos-fmlgt.org.ec
El Salvador

On Wednesday the 2nd of April there will be a rally protesting against FTAA and free trade agreements.
On the 22nd of April a Forum with mayors will be organised to discuss the issue of agriculture and environment (100 mayors are expected).
Contacto: Jose Maria Acoste Rodriguez, wishiwishi@hotmail.com
España/Spain

Thursday 3rd of April at 18.00 horas a meeting in Oviedo is organized with:
Evo Morales, Felipe Quispe and Javier Orozco.
Contact: Mario mariogm@telecable.es

The greens from Alicante in colaboration with Movimiento de Resistencia Global prepare actions for the 17th of april: press releases, solidarity meal, demonstration befor the ministry of agriculture.
Contacto: jsala@coma.es
28 de Marzo in Barcelona: the “17th of april group” and the Federation of Catalan NGOs organise an event in front of the regional government against the war and neo-liberal policies.
Contact: quimet.sodepau@nodo50.org

23 of april: A popular organic lunch in the town hall square of Cacabelos (León, Spain) to inform to the population about the day of farmers struggle, GMO’s in agriculture and the actions of Via Campesina around april 17. Contact: the association “La Olla del Bierzo”, association for the promotion of organic agriculture, Victor Suarez, dbavsa@unileon.es

France
17th of April Frère des Hommes, Confédération Paysanne and the Movement for a non-violent alternative organise a public debate with the title “Which international solidarity with peasants?
Contact: Thomas Colmant (Frère des Hommes): ed@france.fdh.org ou Jean marc Desfilhes (Confédération paysanne): jmdesfilhes@confederationpaysanne.fr

17th of April: Debate on GMO with ATTAC in Clapiers
Honduras
10th of April: Forum “land tenure and strategies to reduce poverrty 29th of April:a March for landreform, against FTAA, NAFTA and the war will be organized. 3000 peasants are expected to participate.
Contacto: COCOCH: cococh@sdnhon.org.hn Rafael Alegria viacam@gbm.hn
India

KRRS to hold a massive rally of farmers in davangere, karnataka against gmo’s and wto policies in particular, increasing debts of farmers, abolition of subsidy to electricity, crop-insurance frauds, all leading to increasing number of suicides of farmers.
poster at http://www.krrs-april1703.8m.net/
Contact: Prof.M.D.Nanjundaswamy president-Karnataka Rajya Ryota Sangha [KRRS]
Email: swamy.krrs@vsnl.com

Indonesia
1) On the 17th of April: Press Conference on the release of Peasant Leaders from the jail, and demand to release Indonesia from Neoliberalism. 2) 18-20 of April: Training for peasant leaders on the dangers of Neoliberalism. 3) Campsite at the Parlement on the rejection of 5 bills of legislation related to the agriculture
Contact: Henry Saragih, Irma Yanni FSPI Email: petani@indosat.net.id

Italia
In Rome:
15th of April: meeting with students on the issue of seed, health and human rights 16th of April: initiatives in 20 shopping center in Rome: Campaign Stop-WTO
17th of April:

Initiative Forum Contadino – Altragricoltura

Meeting with representatives Brazilean government (Comitato appoggio MST – Forum Contadino/Altragricoltura)

presence at the French embassey (José Bové)

Assembly (Forum Contadino/Altragricoltura)
Contact: Comitato appoggio MST, md1042@mclink.it Foro Contadino: fabbris@altragricoltura.org
In Provincia di Lucca
27th of March: Public Conference of Prof. Marcello Buiatti ’GMOs and food sovereignty’ in the Provincia di Lucca by the School for Peace.
Contact: Aldo Zanchetta – Libreria Karma aldzanch@tin.it

Lebanon
Before the 17th of april: Meeting with seven Lebanese NGOs umbrellas, meeting with the student and youth movements, meetings with farmers and agricultural workers in various regions of Lebanon.
17 th of April: Organisation of a conference and mobilisation for farmers and farmworkers.
Contact: Mr Hassan Abas, Lebanese syndicate of Agricultural Workers Email: leb_agr_synd@terra.net.lb
Ziad Abdel Zamad: annd@cyberia.net.lb

Nederland/Netherlands/Paises Bajos
17th of April, evening: The Dutch department of Friends of the Earth (Milieudefensie) together with the Platform Earth, Farmer, Consumer organises a political debate in Amsterdamon the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in the European Union. The day of the farmers struggle – 17 April 2003 – will be the beginning of a new cooperation between different organisations.
Contact: Kees Kodde, Milieudefensie Email: kees.kodde@milieudefensie.nl or
Wim van Middendorp Platform “Earth, Farmer, Consumer” Email: w.o.van.middendorp@freeler.nl

Österreich (Austria)
A meal will be organised on the in front of the Agricultural Ministry to ask attention for the situation
of farmers (men and women) and ask attention for issues such as WTO, GMOs, Common Agriculutral Policy
Date: 17th of april
Contactperson: Elisabeth Baumhoefer, OEBV Email: oebv@eunet.at, e.baumhoefer@eunet.at
Switzerland/Geneva

1) March 14th a public debate with CPE-Via Campesina representative (Paul Nicholson), Uniterre (Fernand Cuche) and Desiré Porquet (ROPPA, network of the farmers and producers organisations from Africa).
2) March 17th: an action of the students within the University
3) March 20th: an action on local food sovereignty,
4) March 25th: A presence in front of the WTO building during the opening of the negotiations.
5) Action against Nestlé March 28th(more information on this action: jmdesfilhes@confederationpaysanne.fr)
6) March 29th – 14h00: Mobilisation starting at WTO, 10.000 persons participated
Contact: Gerard Vuffray, Uniterre/CPE Email: gvuffray@span.ch
United States of America

Representatives of the “Movimiento El Campo NO Aguanta Más” (Movement the Country side can’t take it any longer) from Mexico will be in Seattle for several days giving presentations and attending meetings and will participate in a protest on the 17th of april taking up the demands of the international mobilisations at that day.
Key demand: WTO out of agriculture and food sovereignty.
Contact: Carlos Marentes, Seattle Email: lazarus9@hotmail.com Tel +1-206 283-8721 or Miguel Colunga (Frente Democratico Campesino and present in Seattle) fdcchih@ch.cablemas.com

Uruguay
Activities are prepared for the second week of April
Contact: KARIN NANSEN en urusust@redes.org.uy