List of actions in 26 countries

List of actions for “17th of April” Period of action for foodsovereignty and genuine agrariar reform. WTO, the World Bank-IMF and transtaional corporations out of food and agriculture.

Activities and actions from 26 countries are in this list
Andine Region 15 of April: Social movements from Bolivia, Ecuador, Perú, Colombia and Venezuela organise the first joint “Andine” days of protest against FTAA and the bilateral agreements with the USA. www.noalca.org and http://alainet.org Contact: info@alainet.org Secretariat of the Continental Campaign against FTAA/FTA sri_cut@uol.com.br
Austria Press conference by the “Agrarbuendnis” (Agrarian coalition) Contact: Elisabeth Baumhöfer ebaum@chello.at

Bangladesh 17 of April: activities in the South of the country. Organised by Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha Contact: badrul_a@hotmail.com, gip@dhaka.net

Belgium 17th of April: Action of FIAN together with other organisations directed at the Belgian government and their responsability regarding World Bank policies. Contact: fian.belgium@skynet.be, cpe@cpefarmers.org
13 and 14 of April: seminar in the European Parliament on the policy of the European Union regarding development cooperation and landreform policies organised by CPE/Via Campesina, War on Want and FIAN y 11.11.11. Contact: fian.belgium@skynet.be, cpe@cpefarmers.org
19-23 of April: Belgian-Brazilian week to conmemorate the massacre in Carajas-Brazil, to claim justice and to support the actions of MST. Organiser: Mensenbroeders. Contact: Gilberto.ferreira@mensenbroeders.be

Brasil The Landless Movement -MST has started since the end of March broad mobilisations and land occupations to pressure the Lula-government to reach the goals of their National Plan for Agrarian Reform that foresees the settlement of 4000.000 families. Until the 12th of April MST had started 66 occupations mobilising ca 20.000 families in 14 states in Brazil. See also: http://www.mst.org.br Contact: mstmt@terra.com.br ; srimst@uol.com.br

Canada 16 of April: In the province of Saskatchewan will be a Beyond Factory Farming Day of Action. The purpose of the events is to educate the public and government representatives about the economic, social, environmental and health impacts of intensive livestock operations and hog factories that are destroying the fabric of rural Canada. The NFU is a member of the Beyond Factory Farming coalition. Contact: nfu@nfu.ca Quebec 17 of April: Launch of the film “Hope and Resistance” on the Mexico-Québec peasant caravan. Organised by the Committee for Social Justice, the Christian Committee for Human Rights in Latin Amercia and the Union Paysanne. Contact: karen@s-j-c.net

Chile 17 of April, 11h00: Trafkintu (Exchange ) of Seeds – Temuco IX Region, Comuna Curarrehue organised by Anamuri (www.anamuri.cl )
17 of April, 10h00: Coloque on “Peasant struggles in Latin Amercia”, in el Palacio Ariztía, seat of the Cámara de Diputados en Santiago, organised by the Comite Plataforma por la tierra Agro-chile treinta año (Platform for Land Agri-Chile 30 years).

Colombia 15 and16 of April in several cities in the country mobilisations will be organised against FTAA, WTO etc. Call to mobilize by trade-unions, peasant- and other social movements (debates, meetings, marches mobilisations,…). 24 , 25 and 26 of April: plenary of the Convergence of peasant-, black- and indigenous organisations in Bogota. 27 and 28 of April: Via Campesina Colombia, Friends of the Earth and other environmental networks in Colombia organise activities on seeds. 29 and 30 de April: National Popular Gathering in Bogota with peasant organisations, social movements and NGO’s on the situation in Colombia, democratic security, FTAA, policies of Uribe and the proposals of the social movements. 1 of May – Mobilisation because of International Labour Day. Contacts: anuc_ur@yahoo.es , fensuagropresidencia@yahoo.com

Ecuador 17 of April: CONFEUNASSC-CNC, member of CLOC and Vía Campesina, calls to join forces in a day of struggle in Quito against FTAA and the bilateral trade agreements. Contact Confeunassc-cnc: ssc-cnc@campesinos-fmlgt.org.ec

El Salvador 19 of April: Press Conference on peasant rights and the land problem. Organiser: ANTA Contacto: Carlos Rodríguez e-mail: anta.luis@telesal.net

Germany 18th of April: Big demonstration in Stuttgart for GM free agriculture Contact: cpe@cpefarmers.org
Various activities by FIAN-Germany and FIAN Internacional Contact: Vilmar Schneider vilmar@fian.org, Kofi Yakpo yakpo@fian.org or Armin Paasch apaasch@yahoo.de

Guatemala Press conference on peasant rights Organiser: CONIC Contacto: Juan Tiney E-mail: conic1@c.net.gt ó cloc@intelnett.com

Honduras 16 of April: Consejo Coordinador de Organizaciones Campesinas de Honduras (COCOCH) action and press conference during its National Congres, Tegucigalpa Contacto: cococh@sdnhon.org.hn, alejandrojosegomez@yahoo.es

Indonesia A public dialogue is organised against the World Bank organized by FSPI, WALHI and KAU in Jakarta as well as a national seminar on impacts of World Bank policy on market oriented landreform in Indonesia.
22 of April: demonstration at the World Bank office in Jakarta with various NGOs such as WALHI, Koalisi Anti Utang, LS-ADI, FMN, FPPI, STN, FNPBI, UPC and peasants from FSPI etc. For more information please contact FSPI (Indra Lubis) at +62 21 80882492 or +62-81631955550 Email: ilubis@hotmail.com
26 of April: Seminar on Privatization of Water at Padang, West Sumatera Province by Serikat Petani Sumatera Barat – SPSB (West Sumatera Peasant Union). Member of FSPI.
19 of April: Seminar on Privatization of water at Bandar Lampung, Lampung Province by Serikat Petani Lampung – SPL (Lampung Peasant Union). Member of FSPI.

Italy 15 of April: debate on cotton with participation of COAG and ROPPA (West-African farmers network) 16 of April: Seminar on Africa with participation of ROPPA Organised by Crocevia, Bioparco di Roma, WWF-Italia. Contact: mc2535@mclink.it
17 of april: the group of Mani Tese from Mestre organises a day of festivities and information on the issue of the landless with music, theatre, video and conference.
17 of april: The MST support group will give to the Brazilian ambassador a letter and 19 flowers symbilising the persons massacred in Carajas.

Mexico 18 of April in the State of Chihuahua a Peasant Forum is organised in the City of Cuauhtémoc to inform about Via Campesina and trade liberalisation and to discuss a boycott of Nestle and Monsanto. Contact: Frente Democratico Campesino: fdcchih@ch.cablemas.com
Actions of the Frente de Defensa Campesino de Acapulco Contacto Félix Castellanos Hernández Email: fcastell66@hotmail.com

Mozambique 14 of April: UNAC organises a march with 1000 peasants. The march will end with a traditional meal. Contact: unacadvocacia@teledata.mz
Nicaragua 15-20 de abril: Mobilisation near Managua with 200 that march to the capital in national protest and te defend peasant rights. Organiser: Asociación de Trabajadores del Campo (ATC) Contact: Fauto Torres atcnic@ibw.com.ni

Pakistan Sustainable Agriculture Action Group (SAAG) organises a dialogue between peasant- and other representatives of civil society, and the government. Contact: saag@sdpi.org.
Spanish State

Asturias 12 of April: press conference with presentation of the co-ordination and its activities. 13 of April: handing over of letter to the regional government asking for a ban of GMO- crops. 16 of April: radio program of the alternative radio “Radio Sele”. (www.radiosele.net) 17 of April: street theater in Uvieu/Oviedo. 19 of April: round table on worldwide peasant issues in the Press Club of Asturias. 23 and 24 of April: Seminar of Sodepaz-Pachakuti in the Pola de Siero with visit of Evo Morales and other friends from the Americas. More information: Ánxel Rodríguez esperteyu@telefonica.net Tel.: +34-9-85087562

Cataluña The Xarxa Agroecològica organises several activities on the 17 and 18 of April: conferences, a concert for Palestina, direct actions. Contact: sobirania_alimentaria@pangea.org

Mallorca The Social Forum of Mallorca supports this International day of Peasant struggle. Mas informacion: www.forumsocialdemallorca.org Contact: atierra@eresmas.net
Pais Vasco EHNE participates in two actions: 16 of April: action to burn GMOs of Monsanto and Syngenta in Gasteiz. 14-18 of April: a week of public debates on food sovereignty, GMOs etc in Iruña Contact: inguru@ehne.org, ehne@ehne.org
17 of April: With the Social Forum of Valencia CERAI organises in Valencia a video forum to supprt the internatioonal day of peasant struggles.

Sri Lanka MONLAR organises support for the Via Campesina call among social movements in Sri Lanka. Contact: monlar@sltnet.lk

Switzerland 17 de April: Rally in Geneva to defend “Food Sovereignty for a more equitable and ecological globalization” Contact: rudi.berli@wanadoo.fr, g.vuffray@uniterre.ch

Turkey A public-information campaign regarding a plan to replace a major part of sugar-beet based sugar production with that of sweetener made from corn is launched. The campaign is supported by the Chamber of Medical Doctors, the Union of Architects and Engineers Chambers, the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, the Confederation of Public Employees Unions, the Chamber of Veterinarians, the Consumers Federation, the Villager Cooperatives, and the Agriculture and Forestry Union, and the Small Farmer Unionization Initiative Committee. These organizations will distribute 10,000 posters to their members, village cafés, and other gathering places throughout the country. A message explaining the campaign will be sent to major media on April 17. Contact: tracymlord@yahoo.com

United States 17 of April: actions in Vermont for foodsovereignty and against GMOs Contacts: Amy Shollenberger (+1-802) 223-7222 NFFC (+1-202) 543-5675 Bill Wenzel (+1-877) 968-3276 www.gefreevt.org (+1-802)793-1725
15-17 april Conference in Yale University on food sovereignty with address of George Naylor (NFFC). Contact: George Naylor (+1-515) 544-3464 NFFC (+1-202) 543-5675
23 of april: mobilisation in Washington against Worldbank and IMF Participate: Public Citizen, Focus, NFFC,…. Contact: anatsoulas@citizen.org , kozer@nffc.net
17th of april in Sebastopol, California: Teach in of “Reclaim the Commons” who will mobilize against Bio2004, a big national gathering of corporate executives and lobbyists of the biotech industry. Contact: Erik Ohlsen erikpea@hotmail.com, www.reclaimthecommons.net
See also: English: http://www.viacampesina.org/rub_english.php3?id_rubrique=16 (chapter “17th of april”) Spanish: http://www.viacampesina.org/rub_sp.php3?id_rubrique=33 (capitulo 17 de April) French: http://www.viacampesina.org/rub_fr.php3?id_rubrique=47 (chapitre 17 avril)