Background

Following the success of the Landless Voices: Land & Climate Change consultative forum, the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty is reviving the Rural Voices Series – first launched in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic – to expand our efforts to consult our member and networks on how they are facing today’s crises.

This is a continuing effort from this year’s commemoration of the March 29 Day of the Landless, which put spotlight on how today’s climate crisis has been exploited to further imperialist plunder of our lands, seas, and resources. The Landless Voices session found that development aggression has now been tainted green and packaged as climate solutions, but still at the expense of rural people’s lives and livelihoods. 

While informative, the session was only able to accommodate the sharing of a few organizations due to limited time. As such, PCFS is bringing back the Rural Voices Series to hold consultations at the regional level to expand this effort of reaching out and hearing from our members and network on how they brave today’s climate crisis and forward alternatives for the people and the planet. Through this process, PCFS aims to sharpen its position on the issue and further develop its campaigning for food sovereignty as a climate solution.

Mechanics

The consultation series is open to all interested organizations who would like to participate. Sign up to join: https://bit.ly/RuralVoicesClimateStruggles

Please take note of the schedule:

The program will run for two hours at most, with each participant taking turns in sharing their local situation and struggles. Each session can accommodate up to eight to ten participants, with every participant having 10 minutes for their sharing. 

The discussion will be guided by the following questions:

• ISSUES: What issue/s have rural communities faced as a result of the climate crisis and its exploitation?

• • • How is the climate crisis being capitalized to grab our lands, seas, and natural resources? 
    • What are the false climate solutions promoted/implemented?
    • What are the program, policies, schemes, or strategies that enable these issues?
    • Who are the perpetrating actors?

• IMPACTS: How are these issues impacting rural communities?

• • • How does the climate crisis worsen hunger and hit food production?
    • How do false climate solutions threaten people’s food sovereignty?
    • What are the human rights violations faced by rural communities?

• ACTIONS: How do rural people assert people’s food sovereignty and defend their right to food and land?

• • • What are their immediate demands and long-term aspirations?
    • How do they defend themselves against attacks?
    • What are their activities and campaigns?

• COLLABORATIONS: What can we do together to advance our climate struggles for food and land?

Program

Running time: 2 hours