World Events for April the 17th

See below the Updated list of 53 events in 18 countries!

In Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Mozambique, DRCongo, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Cameroon, Thailand, Colombia, Bangladesh, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Canada , Bolivia, France…

(Releases and news from the events organisers)

Last updates

 

Sweden

From the same organisation UBV/Latin America, the local section from Malmö/Lund will also have som events on April the 17. The local seciton will present a movie and later on talk about the problems of trade and food.
Contact: juan.valencia.flores@gmail.com

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Bolivia

Via Campesina Bolivia is celebrating the 17th of April in Montero, in the rural area around Santa Cruz. The event on Agrarian Reform, Food sovereignty and Gender will also be attended by the members of the International Coordinating Committee of La Vía Campesina.
Contact: lulabar_yuramihuilai@yahoo.es

Switzerland

The Swiss peasants of the organisation UNITERRE are organising a tractor’s parade, a press conference and a stall with local products in Geneva to celebrate the 17th of April. The issue of the action day will be « The planet is getting hot, Food sovereignty is “well cooked”!  It is time to chose your meal!»

The Swiss peasants realize that the food products sold found on the market and promoted by the parliament’s policies have travelled a long way before reaching the plate…
Contact : Rudi Berli :  r.berli@uniterre.ch, info@uniterre.ch

France

The Confédération paysanne (French peasant’s organisation) along with two NGOs Frères des hommes and Peuples Solidaires will organize solidarity actions and mobilisations all around France on the issue of access to resources, especially to land.  ont

Cacts: genevieve.savigny@wanadoo.fr, b.desgachons@peuples-solidaires.org et rep@fdh.org

Spain

The organisation „Plataforma Rural”, with the support of the peasant movement COAG and a citizen’s movement (plataforma de orgazinaciones de ciudanaos) will launch a new campaign in Madrid on April the 17th under the title „Don’t eat the world!”
It is a mobilisation campaign against large supermarkets selling food products that will include protest actions in front of various supermarkets in Madrid, Zaragoza and Palencia.

Contact: coag.bxl@skynet.be

Sweden (1)

The Bjärtrå Rural Organisation is organising a discussion day Land, Power and Food with presentations on the Right to Food, GMOs in the European Union and Fair trade. A film about MST will be screened. The Local host and the Hola Folkhögskola (school for youth and adults) are arranging together with UBV (Volunteer organisation working in Latin America and Sweden), Organic organisation ( Ekologiska Mittodlarna) and the local COPA.
Contact: torgny_ostling@telia.com

Sweden (2)

UBV/Latin America (a solidarity organisation in Sweden working with
grassroots organisations in Latin America) local Stockholm section will set
up a Street Theatre performance in different areas of Stockholm, Sweden on
April 17.  This action will be combined with leafletting.  The purpose of
the action is to call attention to International Peasants’ Struggle Day.  In
particular we aim to  gather names for a petition calling on Swedish
politicians to allow Central American grassroots organisations access to and
input into the free trade negotiations currently underway  between the
European Union and the five Central American countries.
Contact: laura purdy laupur_7@hotmail.com

Mozambique

The Cotonou agreement is ending on the 31st of December this year and will be substituted by the EPAs (Economic Partnership Agreements). During the 17th of April week, there will be a number of actions against the EPAs in African the continent. La Via Campesina’s members in Africa are going mobilize on the 17th. In Mozambique there will be action in all the provinces by farmers cooperatives and association and a position paper is going to be handed over to the Government.
Contact: Diamantino Nhampossa, UNAC (diamantino.n@gmail.com)

Democratic Republic of Congo

452 peasant’s organisations members of the Peasant’s Confederation of Congo (COPACO-PRP) will organise mobilisation in Kienne, a village at the center of the rural community situated at 150 km from Kinshasa to celebrate the 17th of April. More over, on April the 19th, we will hand over our declaration to the European Union representation on the issue of „No EPAs in DR Congo!” and we will also launch a campaign against the dangers of the IMF and World Bank neoliberal policies.

Contact: Nathanael BUKA MUPUNGU (copacoprp@yahoo.fr)

Paraguay

The national coordination of peasants organisations (MCNOC) is organising a protest day on the 17th of April to protest against:

1-    The lack of genuine Agrarian Reform
2-    The bureaucracy linked to corruption and impunity of the institutions called INDERT
3-    The counter Agrarian Reform policy of the Government and the World Bank (through the comodification of land).
4-    The fact that Indert is serving the interests of the large plantations, large exporters, linked to the power.
5-    The total lack of development plan for the settlements.
6-    The criminalisation of the peasant’s struggle.

1-    The protest will demand a genuine Agrarian Reform, a rural development plan and the end of violence against peasants.

Contact: mcp@highway.com.py

Dominican Republic

The coordination of peasant’s organisation in the country is calling to a protest in front of the Court in Pedernales where peasants are charged for occupying land.
Contact: Juana Ferrer (conamuca@yahoo.es)

Indonesia

The Federation of Indonesian Peasant Union (FSPI) on the commemoration of April 17 will have series of activities in Jakarta : launching of the Peasant’s Rights book as well as  press conference on the international peasant struggle. On April the 30th, FSPI and IPB University in Bogor will organize a seminar on food sovereignty and an exhibition of agriculture products.
Contact: fspi@fspi.or.id

Cameroon

On April the 17th, CORDAP – Cameroon is calling to an protest action in front of the UNDP office and in front of the European Union delegation in Yaoundé, it will also join the mobilisation on April 19 against the EPA’s.
Contact: Pascal NKWE MAKONGO (cordap_plus@yahoo.fr)

Thailand

On April 17 Assembly of the Poor (AOP) Thailand will organize demonstration in front of the Government House in Srisaket Province, Northeast  of Thailand. The Demonstration will demand food sovereignty and the right of the people affected by big dams in Thailand.
Contact person: Ms Pongtip Samrajit Email: pongtip@localact.org

Colombia

En Cali and Palmira, in the Cauca Valley department in Colombia, University students with the support of the peasant’s organisation FENSUAGRO CUT are organising a day of discussion and cultural events to reflect on the peasant’s situation in the country.

Contact: FABIO AGUDELO S.(campesinosvalle@yahoo.es)

Bangladesh (1)

VOICE is going to organise a meeting with farmer’ s on `Agricultural Trade and Farmer’s Struggle for Life and Livelihood on 16 April 2007.
Email: voicebd@rediffmail.com/info@voicebd.org
Website: www.voicebd.org

Bangladesh (2)

The Bangladesh Krishok Federation will hold a discussion meeting in observance of the day in Dhaka as indoor event on 17th April. The issue of our discussion will be “The struggle of peasants for their existence and the achievements of the struggle of the landless people”.

Germany

These events are organised by a coalition of several grassroots-groups, NGOs and
networks active in the fields of agriculture, guerrilla-gardening and  food sovereignty, including ABL, member of Via Campesina.
•    Saturday 14th of April 07, 8 pm: presentation of Via Campesina and film on the Zapatista movement  “Tierra y Libertad in Chiapas” in Bethanien-house in Kreuzberg
•    Monday 16th, 8 pm: Outreach event on G8 & Agriculture, globalize resistenz! in Café Morgenrot in Kastanienallee 85
•    Tuesday 17th, 11.00 am: public breakfast with exhibition, in Cafe Morgenrot in Kastanienallee 85
•    Tuesday 17th 2.30 pm: meeting for the demonstration to the federal ministries for development and agriculture at the underground-station Mohrenstr. Or at 5 pm at the Potsdamer Platz for the symbolic land ocupation with films and a pick nick.
•    Thursday 17th at 7.30 pm film: a piece of paradise, land conflicts in Brazil, at Kato, next to undergroundstation Schlesisches Tor.

More events in the following German cities: *Bonn, B*remen, Hagen, Hannover, Karlsruhe, *Köln, *München, Oldenburg, *Osnabrück, *Witzenhausen
Contact: aktionstag17_4@yahoo.de

And more actions in different cities in Germany!

Brazil

The Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement (MST) is organising mobilisations everywhere in Brazil for the 17th of April, the International peasant’s struggle day but also the National Day of the struggle for Agrarian Reform (established by the government in 2002).
MST is also launching a massive petition campaign : people and organisations are invited to send a proposal for agrarian reform to the Brazilian President Lula.
More information on:  www.mst.org.br

Argentina (1)

The National Peasant’s and Indigenous’ movement composed by various organisations gathering peasants, small producers and indigenous people will organise diverse activities in the whole country in order to commemorate the International Peasant’s Struggle Day and demand Genuine Agrarian Reform and Food sovereignty. Those actions will take place during the whole week in the following cities: Menoza, Jujuy, Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Salta, Buenos Aires, Misiones, San Luis.

Contact : secretaria@mnci.org.ar

Argentina (2)

On April the 17th in Buenos Aires, we will gather to remember the historical day of the peasant’s struggle. Eric Nepomuceno will tell the story of the massacre of Carajas dos Dorado. Then we will present the book “Cuando el territorio es la vida: la experiencia de
los Sin Tierra en Brasil” del GEMSAL -UBA. The debate will be directed by Norma and presented by Bernardo Mançano Fernandes.
Contact: ngiarra@mail.retina.ar

Canada

COMMUNITY FOOD MATTERS POTLUCK
and FILM SCREENING OF “SEEDS OF CHANGE”
In recognition of a new growing season and the International Day of Farmers’ Struggle
When: Tuesday, April 17th, Potluck 6pm, Film 7:45pm
Where: Anglican Church Hall, 723 Ward St., Nelson. (Entrance off Carbonate)
What to Bring: Food and Friends
Contact:
Community Food Matters is a coalition of individuals, organizations and businesses who have come together to ensure Nelson is a well-nourished thriving community where everyone has the opportunity to enjoy abundant, locally produced food that is grown in a sustainable and socially just manner.
communityfoodmatters@riseup.net for more info
and visit www.cjly.net/deconstructingdinner/cfm.htm for background info and audio about Community Food Matters. (Media Contact: Jon Steinman, 250-352-6597, jon@steinman.com)