Ecuador
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October 12 -Opening of V CLOC-ViaCampesina Congress in Quito
Posted: 14/10/2010
04:22
Discurso de apertura del Congreso por parte de Luis Andrango, Secretario Operativo. Read more…
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October 12 -World Social Forum on Migrations and CLOC-ViaCampesina March in Quito
Posted: 13/10/2010
11:07
Farmers and migrants filled the streets of Quito, marching together to mark the end of the World Social Forum on Migrations and the beginning of the Latin American Coordination of Farmers’ Organizations. Alejandra Tucno and Evarista Pacojove, indigenous farmers from Peru denounced multinational companies that are trying to take away their land in order to extract resources from the country. Yolanda Areas, from the Association of Farm Workers in Nicaragua, talked about her expectations for the CLOC congress. Domingo Marileo, a member of the National Mapuche Leftist Assembly, spoke about the significance of marching on October 12, the day Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. Pierre, an advocate for migrants’ rights from Haiti, called on governments to recognize every person as an international citizen. Elvira Arellano, from Latino Families United Without Borders, demanded the United States and Europe stop criminalizing migration and pass laws that legalize the status of immigrants. Ousmane Diarra, representing the Association of Malian Deportees, denounced the xenophobic policies of the European Union. Kyunosook Lee, from the Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea, who is helping host the next World Social Forum on Migrations in South Korea, talked about the feeling of international solidarity at the Quito forum. Nader Abedrabo, a Palestinian refugee in Ecuador, talked about the mutual solidarity the Palestinians have found with the migrants at the forum. Luis Bassegio, from Grito de los Excluidos and an organizer of the World Social Forum on Migrations, talked about the importance of marching together with the members of the CLOC and Vía Campesina. Clara Silvestre Camposeco, an advocate of migrants rights from Guatemala, expressed hope that the forum would put pressure on governments to start to take action. Goldy Omelio, from the Philippines, spoke of how the how the forum inspired her. María Pantoja, a member of Fenocin and Vía Campesina, talked about her struggle for food sovereignty. The participants in the march finished at the Plaza San Francisco, where they presented the final declaration from the World Social Forum on migrations. Read more…
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Via Campesina Panel at World Social Forum on Migrations
Posted: 10/10/2010
07:07
At the third day of the World Social Forum on Migrations, the Vía Campesina organized a panel called “Lands, Territories, Migration and Resistance.” Participants hailed from Haiti, Mexico, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Milton Yulán from Ecuador criticized the government of Rafael Correa for dragging its feet to implement land reform. Alberto Gómez from Mexico called for food sovereignty, the protection of lands and the withdrawal from all free trade agreements. Members of the audience denounced the US crackdown on immigrants and called on taking down the capitalist economic model. Rafael Alegría from Honduras expressed hope in the awakening consciousness of small-scale farmers and the fight they are carrying out in their communities. The report also includes a traditional dance called “Bomba” performed by Grupo Kumbaya from Ecuador. Read more…
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Press Conference People's Assembly World Social Forum on Migrations
Posted: 12/10/2010
10:16
At the conclusion of the People’s Assembly of the World Social Forum, participants spoke about the final declaration and the conclusions of the forum. Ivan Forero, of the Coordinator of Studies y Social Movements, talked about the participation of the youth forum and the increasing participation of women in the forum. Rodolfo García from the International Network of Migration and Development remarked on the idea shared by many in the forum that a new model of civilization is needed to avoid an apocalyptic situation. And Lina Cahuasqui of MIREDES spoke about how forum participants denounced the anti-immigration law in Arizona and discussed the increasing South-South migration within Latin America. Read more…
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People's Assembly World Social Forum on Migrations
Posted: 12/10/2010
09:23
On Monday, October 11, 2010, the People’s Assembly of the World Social Forum on Migrations convened to agree on a final declaration. The committee presented a declaration to the participants of the assembly, who made comments and suggestions. Eventually, the assembly voted unanimously to approve the declaration. One participant suggested changing the date of the declaration to October 12 to coincide with the day Columbus arrived in the Americas, but the assembly decided against the suggestion. The assembly observed a minute of silence in memory of those migrants who lost their lives. Later, the committee announced its decision that the next social forum on migrations would take place in South Korea. Finally, more than 30 organizations proposed that the People’s Assembly should commit itself to organizing a day of strikes and marches on December 18, 2011, the date the United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, in addition to more mobilizations December 18, 2010 and May 1, 2011. The proposal was approved unanimously. Read more…
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Second Day of World Social Forum on Migrations
Posted: 10/10/2010
05:55
The second day of the World Social Forum on Migrations featured an opening conference on Global Crisis and Migration Flows with three speakers from two continents. This report contains interviews with the speakers, as well as photographs from an exhibition at the Forum called Migrants: Origin, transit, destination and return. The speakers were: Ivo Poletto, a sociologist who coordinates the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change, spoke of the need for land reform to prevent migrations, both internationally and internally. Alberto Acosta, former president of the Constituent Assembly in Ecuador and former Minister of Energy and Mines, took a critical look at the progressive governments of Latin America for not taking stronger actions to change their economies, and he called for the elimination of the IMF and the World Bank. Victor Nzuzi, a Congolese farmer and member of Via Campesina, spoke of how multinational companies force people in the Congo to migrate. He also remarked on the hypocrisy of the media campaigns in Europe and the United States against migrants. Read more…
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World Social Forum on Migrations -- First Day
Posted: 10/10/2010
04:59
The IV World Social Forum on Migrations begins in Quito Ecuador. The forum klcks off Friday, October 8, with a conference, press conference, panels, workshops and cultural events. In this report, musicians from the Association of Culture and Art from Andean Peru perform for participants of the forum. Ecuadorian organizer Fernando Ponce inaugurates the event. Nelsy Lizarazo, an organizer of the forum, describes the four main issues the forum takes on, and expresses hope that some governments in South America are responding to the calls for reform. Rufino Domínguez Santos, a community activist and immigrant to the United States from Oaxaca, talks about the root causes of migration – neoliberalism – and asserts the proactive role taken by immigrants. Australian immigration expert Stephen Castles remarks on the lack of a global governing body for migration. William Gois, a member of the international committee of Migrant Forum ASIA, speaks of how migrants are no longer viewed as passive recipients of social services, but as protagonists. Carline Meriliene, a Haitian immigrant living in Ecuador, explains why she and other immigrants are participating in the forum. Read more…
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V COLC Congress "Assembleja das Mujeres"
Posted: 11/10/2010
04:29
In coordination with the World Social Forum on Migrations in Quito, the CLOC (Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Organizaciones del Campo) is organizing its fifth congress, which will begin on October 12. Previous to the congress, the CLOC convened its fourth Women’s Assembly on October 10. This report features the inaugural ceremony of the assembly, with an explanation by Itelvina Masioli, a leader of MST the Landless Workers’ Movement and the CLOC. Read more…
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Second Day of World Social Forum on Migrations- Victor Nzuzi of La Via Campesina
Posted: 12/10/2010
05:04
Victor Nzuzi is a farmer and activist, and member of Via Campesina, from Congo. Despite receiving death threats, he has fought for debt relief in his country, challenging the government, multinational companies, international financial institutions and foreign governments. He spoke before hundreds of people on October 9 at the World Social Forum on Migrations in Quito, Ecuador. Nzuzi spoke of the difficulties he had finding a visa to travel to Ecuador and the lasting impact of the arbitrary borders established by the colonial powers in Africa. He spoke of the impact of capitalism in the Congo, and how consumerism and the multinational companies that feed it, are pillaging his country’s resources and forcing people to migrate to Europe. He called for a new system to replace savage capitalism and said it was time not just for words, but action. Read more…
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