Fourth Conference of People's Global Action (PGA):
Food Sovereignty and Gender

On 17-21 September 2005, Kathmandu, Nepal

Due to the tensions in Nepal the conference has been displaced to Haridwar, Uthar Pradesh, North India — more Informations will follow as soon as possible

Background

The PGA process in Asia has been further strengthened and consolidated due to the conference in Dhaka Bangladesh. It was attended by over 150 activists from grassroots people's movements comprising peasants, women, trade Unions, fisherfolk, indigenous people and youth. The conference saw the beginning of the grass-rooting of the PGA process in Bangladesh, the expansion of the PGA process to SE Asia, with groups from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines participating, and the hopeful convenor-ship of SE Asia being taken up by Thailand's Assembly of the Poor. The conference established a common political platform and concrete campaigns of action for the next two years. There were three concrete calls to action: (i) Global days of action across Asia, against the WTO during its meeting in Hong Kong (September 2005); (ii) a global day of action focusing on violence against women on International Women's Day, 2005; and (iii) an Asian caravan (in 2005/2006).

Following the PGA Conference, the movements in South Asia met together in Bangalore, India and discussed the necessity of holding the Fourth PGA Global Conference, since the last one was in 2001 (in Cochabamba, Bolivia). Since then, movement energies have focused on strengthening the regional PGA process in Asia. The movements recognised that the PGA global conferences have taken place in the past, prior to the WTO meetings. Previously successful PGA initiatives have been held in this region: the second PGA International Conference was convened in 1999 in Bangalore, India; the first PGA South Asian Regional Conference was held in 2000 in Dhaka, Bangladesh; and, as noted, the first PGA Asia conference was successfully organized in Dhaka, Bangladesh last year. We believe that now is the time to commit ourselves to consolidate the PGA Global process. Therefore, the movements propose that the upcoming PGA Global conference take place in Asia since the PGA Asian regional process has developed because of the conference and can host the conference. The final proposals coming from the meeting were:

Place: Kathmandu, Nepal
Host: All Nepal Peasants' Association (ANPA)
Dates: On 17-21 September 2005

Asian organizations agreed with this proposal that ANPA, as Asian convenor, send the proposal to the European list to be put into the agenda and discussed at the European Regional Conference, to be held in Yugoslavia in July. The European Regional Conference also agreed and supported the idea of convening the global conference of PGA is Kathmandu, Nepal to be hosted by ANPA.

Rationale:

During the past 20 years the effects of neoliberal globalisation have been increasingly felt through the global South - through structural adjustment programmes; the privatisation of the public commons; and the increasing involvement of transnational corporations and global institutions such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World Bank and the IMF in economic decision-making. The result of such processes has been the drastic reduction in government spending on health, education, welfare, and environmental protection; and the unemployment, pauperisation and marginalisation of women, indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, and industrial workers. Income disparities have increased, millions of peasants have struggled against all forms of exploitation, food security of peasants has been severely undermined, and women have suffered from unequal labour, property, and reproductive rights, as well as numerous forms of violence. Over 2.8 billion people struggle to survive on less than US$2 a day; one billion people lack access to safe drinking water; and 825 million people are undernourished. In response to these processes, social movements have emerged around the world articulating popular struggles for cultural, ecological and economic survival and creating alternative economic practices at both the local and national levels.

The proposed global conference in Asia is important for two reasons. First, Asia, with 3.6 billion (over half) of the world's population, has suffered greatly from the effects of neoliberal globalisation, and Asian social movements have begun to develop networks of mutual support - particularly following the PGA Asia conference in Dhaka. The global conference will provide an important opportunity to further deepen the PGA process in Asia and the rest of the world. Second, the conference will be held prior to the WTO Ministerial meeting to be held in Hong Kong, in December 2005. The conference will provide grassroots movements with the opportunity to discuss their collective response to the policies of the WTO, and develop alternative practices to it. Locating the PGA global conference in the same continent as the WTO meeting will send a powerful message of resistance from people's movements to the architects of neoliberal globalisation.

PGA process

People all over the world, resisting the neoliberal globalization process have intensified their mobilizations against the WTO, World Bank, IMF and World Economic Forum in Seattle, USA, (against the WTO, 1999), Prague (against the World Bank and IMF in 2000), Nice (against the EU summit in 2000), Genoa (against the G8 meeting in 2001) and Cancun (against the WTO in 2003). Now we have to really derail the WTO meeting to be held in Hong Kong. For that we have to organize, strengthen ourselves and consolidate our networks throughout the world.

Peoples' Global Action (PGA) provides a common communication and coordination tool for social movements worldwide that struggle against capitalist globalization and all forms of domination. PGA provides a global forum for people's struggles to associate their efforts and share experiences and skills. PGA not an organization. PGA has no members and does not have and will not have a juridical personality. No organization or person represents the PGA, nor does the PGA represent any organization or person. PGA limits itself to facilitating coordination and exchange of information between grassroots movements through conferences and various means of communication.

People's Global Action (PGA), has been against neoliberal globalization since its inception. It has played a significant role worldwide to resist all forms of neoliberal domination. PGA has taken a radical position toward WTO opposing the entire neoliberal project. PGA is the only network that has a clear and non-negotiable stance against the WTO, which it regards as an illegal and undemocratic institution. It believes on 'local' alternatives to the WTO which would be democratically organized by the people. It gives emphasis on the people's equal access to the productive resources. It believes that the forms of physical violence are not only the result of capitalist globalization, but also because of more locally derived social, political and economic structures. People's movements involved in the PGA process do not only reject neoliberal globalization, they also reject all forms of domination while espousing an organizational philosophy based on decentralization and autonomy. The PGA 'philosophy' is enshrined in the following hallmarks (positions of common ground):

PGA Hallmarks

  1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive globalization;
  2. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human beings.
  3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organizations, in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker;
  4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the construction of local alternatives to global capitalism;
  5. An organizational philosophy based on decentralization and autonomy

Sustained campaigns of PGA

Who can join the CONFERENCE?

The conference welcomes to all people's movements around the Globe that support and feel comfortable with the PGA hallmarks.

Prem Dangal, PGA Asia Convenor, with the delegates of all the movements in the PGA conference.

www.agp.org