Newsletter June / Juin Newsletter / Boletín de junio
Working Group on Agrarian Reform and Territory –
Grupo de Trabajo sobre Reforma Agraria y Territorio –
Groupe de travail sur la réforme agraire et territoire
*** Español abajo *** *** François ci-dessous ***
Dear friends,
This newsletter of the Working Group on Agrarian Reform and Territory, of the
International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty - IPC, provides an update of
the participation of Civil Society Organizations in the current process of the Voluntary
Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land and other Natural
Resources.
Civil Society Regional Meetings
Coming Events
Rome: Civil Society Meeting for Europe, Central and West Asia, to be held in Rome,
Italy, from 7 to 9 July. See the call to the meeting on our website:
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=16
Postponed event
Ouagadougou, the CSO Meeting for Africa planned for the 20-22 June in Burkina
Faso will take place later this year. The exact dates will be announced in due time.
(Note though that the FAO Regional Consultation for Francophone Africa will be held
as announced by FAO in Ouagadougou from 23-25 June. See FAO website
http://www.fao.org/nr/tenure/voluntary-guidelines/events/en/)
Past Events
Brasilia: the Civil Society Meeting for Latin America was held in Brazil, from 17 to 19
May 2010. The final declaration of this meeting (in Spanish) is on this link on our
webpage
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=12
For more news, interviews and information on the CSO meeting in Brasilia (in
Spanish) click on the following link
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/
Kuala Lumpur: the CSO Asian Meeting was held successfully in Malaysia from
March 24-27 2010. The full report of this meeting is now available (in English) on
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=12
See also the presentations of the CSO meeting in Kuala Lumpur (in English) on
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?p=169
Visit our website for more background on the process, how to participate and why to
engage:
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=237
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=239
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=241
Queridos amigos,
Este boletín informativo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Reforma Agraria y Territorio,
del Comité Internacional de Planificación para la Soberanía Alimentaria - CIP, ofrece
una actualización de la participación de las Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil en el
proceso actual de las Directrices Voluntarias sobre la gobernanza responsable de la
tenencia de la tierra y otros Recursos Naturales.
Encuentros Regionales de la Sociedad Civil
Próximos eventos
Roma: Encuentro de la Sociedad Civil para Europa, Asia Central y Occidental, que se
celebrará en Roma, Italia, del 7al 9 de julio. Ver la convocatoria a la reunión en
nuestro sitio web
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=16
Evento aplazado
Uagadugú: el encuentro de la Sociedad Civil para África que estaba previsto para el
20 - 22 de junio en Burkina Faso fue pospuesto y se llevará a cabo más adelante este
año. Las fechas exactas se anunciarán a su debido tiempo.
(Nótese sin embargo que la Consulta Regional de la FAO para el África francófona se
llevará a cabo de acuerdo a lo anunciado por la FAO, en Uagadugú del 23 al 25 de
junio. Ver la página web de la FAO http://www.fao.org/nr/tenure/directricesvoluntarias/
eventos/es/ )
Eventos realizados
Brasilia: el Encuentro de la Sociedad Civil para América Latina se celebró en Brasil,
del 17 al 19 mayo de 2010. La declaración final de esta reunión (en español) está en
este enlace en nuestra página web
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=12
Para más noticias, entrevistas e información sobre el encuentro de las OSC en Brasilia
(en español) haga clic en el siguiente enlace
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/
Kuala Lumpur: el encuentro de las OSC para Asia se celebró con éxito en Malasia
del 24 al 27 marzo de 2010. El informe completo de esta reunión ya está disponible
(en Inglés)
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=12
Véanse también las presentaciones de la reunión de las OSC en Kuala Lumpur (en
Inglés) en http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?p=169
Visite nuestro sitio web para obtener más información de fondo sobre el proceso, de
cómo y por qué participar:
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=237
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=239
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=241
Chers amis,
Cette lettre d'information du Groupe de Travail sur la Réforme Agraire et le Territoire
du Comité International de Planification pour la Souveraineté Alimentaire - CIP, est
l'occasion d'actualiser les informations sur la participation des organisations de la
société civile dans le processus actuel des Directives Volontaires sur la gouvernance
responsable de la gestion foncière et des autres ressources naturelles.
Rencontres Régionales de la Société Civile
Prochains évènements
Rome: La Rencontre de la société civile pour l'Europe, l'Asie Centrale et Occidentale,
aura lieu du 7 au 9 juillet à Rome, Italie. L'appel à participation à cette réunion est
disponible sur notre site internet à l'adresse suivante :
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=16
Évènement reporté
Ouagadougou: La rencontre de la société civile pour l'Afrique qui était prévue du 20
au 22 juin prochains au Burkina Faso a été reportée et aura lieu un peu plus tard cette
année. Les dates exactes vous seront communiquées ultérieurement.
(Veuillez cependant noter que la consultation régionale de la FAO pour l'Afrique
francophone se déroulera bien à Ouagadougou du 23 au 25 juin prochains. Pour plus
d'informations, visitez la page web de la FAO :
http://www.fao.org/nr/tenure/directives-volontaires/evenements/fr/ )
Évènements réalisés
Brasília: La rencontre de la société civile pour l'Amérique Latine a eu lieu à Brasília
du 17 au 19 mai 2010. La déclaration finale de cette réunion est disponible en
espagnol à l'adresse suivante :
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=12
Pour de plus amples informations ou des interviews de représentants de la société
civile lors de cette rencontre des OSC à Brasília (en espagnol), voir la page suivante :
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/
Kuala Lumpur: La rencontre des OSC pour l'Asie a eu lieu en Malaisie du 24 au 27
mars 2010. Le rapport complet de cette réunion est déjà disponible (en anglais):
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?cat=12
Vous pouvez également consulter les présentations données lors de la réunion des
OSC à Kuala Lumpur (en anglais) :
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?p=169
Visitez notre site internet pour obtenir plus d'informations de fond sur le processus,
comment et pourquoi y participer :
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=237
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=239
http://www.foodsovereignty.org/wordpress/?page_id=241
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
CRZ Notification 2010: A bundle of contradictions
Indian Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications created new conflictual situations to Indian fishers.
This is a response from NFF Chair Person Mathany Saldhana.
The pre-draft notification of Coastal Regulation Zone 2010 published by the Ministry of Environment and Forests is nothing but a sleight of the hand to deceive the people from its pre-decided agenda of opening coastal lands for big investments and therefore needs to be rejected outright in its present form.
The various consultations held by the ministry with even the Minister Ramesh Jairam attending some of them, has proven to be nothing but a smokescreen as the recommendations at these consultations are not at all reflected in the pre-draft notification.
At all the consultations, the strident demand was that the new notification while strengthening the coastal regulations for long term protection of coastal ecosystems, should also recognise and protect the rights of the coastal inhabitants not only to their habitats but also to their livelihoods.
The pre-draft notification has totally neglected this aspect of recognising the rights of coastal inhabitants and continues to be in the time wrap of only offering them concessions. Hence it is obvious that the various consultations were merely used to provide a forum for aggrieved persons to ventilate their grievances and no cognisance was taken of the issue raised as the recommendations made at the consultations are not reflected in the pre-draft notification except for initiating the consultative process.
The pre-draft notification is indeed a bundle of contradictions. It acknowledges that 25 per cent of the country’s population live along the coastline and yet permits hazardous and life threatening nuclear plants along the coastline. It admits that there have been many violations of the earlier coastal regulations and yet provides for regularising those. It speaks about preserving the coastal ecology and environment and yet permits housing colonies, industries and even SEZ in the coastal zone.
The blanket permissions given for certain activities along the coastline are bound to affect not only the people living there but also the very topography of the country’s coastline. Power generating units are permitted along the coastline which includes thermal power plants. The impact of drawing huge amounts of water from the sea and then releasing warm water into the sea has not been considered at all. This activity is bound to affect the marine life which is already being depleted not only in our country but worldwide. Besides, even coal based plants are permitted along the coastline. The pollution caused by this raw material need not be elaborated upon as those who have eyes have seen it.
What is shocking is that besides permitting various questionable activities along the coastline, the pre-draft notification also permits ancillary units to support these activities. This means that housing colonies ostensibly to provide quarters to the people employed at the various units, will be permitted thus throwing open the coastline for housing projects.
Besides, housing projects have also been permitted along the coastline and the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities are empowered to sanction projects involving 20,000 square metres of land. This is a travesty as the pre-draft notification admits that the State CZMAs have not been able to implement the earlier Coastal Regulation Zone Notification!
That the pre-draft notification is aimed at opening the coastal areas for construction activity is further evident in the exemptions given to the tourism industry. Most of the violations of the existing Coastal Regulation Zone are relating to tourism industry and yet the ministry without taking cognisance of their earlier misdeeds apparently wants to give them more opportunities to exploit the coastal areas at the cost of the local people.
Ports have also been given a go ahead with only one proviso – that they do not come in areas threatened by erosion. However, the cumulative effect of ports is not taken into account and the effect of constructing wharfs, jetties, etc., on the water that is forced to change its course and the result of that on the coastline is not at all considered. More significantly, that marine vessels cause pollution at Ports has not even crossed the minds of the ministry officials who prepared the pre-draft.
The leeway granted to ports, would embolden the Mormugao Port Trust in Goa to aggressively press for its expansion plans which would spell a death knell for not only the local fishing community that is sought to be displaced and dispossessed of their habitats and areas of operations, but also to the tourism industry that is keeping the State afloat.
MPT proposes to develop two bays – the Vasco bay where the local fishing community resides and also has their jetty to carry out their fishing activities and the Baina bay where people go to relax and enjoy the sea.
The impact of developing jetties in these bays by reclaiming large tracts of land under water has not been studied given the fact that the displaced water will have to be find some other place and this would adversely affect the hydrology of the area and result in changing the coastline to the north and south of the port but the two main rivers of Goa – the Mandovi and Zuari would also be impacted.
Under special dispensation, Goa has been included, but the sops offered are insignificant. In the first place, the pre-draft notification stresses the need to preserve khazan lands but does not provide for prohibiting conversion of khazan lands to other purposes even agro related industries like pisci-ulture or horticulture.
And though it states that local fishermen’s houses will be protected, it ignores other traditional communities living on the coastline like the toddy tappers and also fails to specify how the houses will be protected.
The most obnoxious aspect of the pre-draft notification is the attempt to re-introduce clauses from the Coastal Management Zone that were so vehemently opposed that the government had to allow that notification to lapse.
The most obvious example of this is the introduction of ‘hazard line’ which, a fine reading of the pre-draft notification indicates, is aimed at diluting the ‘no development zone’ demarcated under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification.
In Goa the hazard line assumes great significance given the fact that large tracts of land on cliffs and highlands abutting the sea have been purchased by vested interests with an eye on developing them for commercial purposes. The hazard line would be giving them the opportunity to reap large profits on these investments.
Given the tenor of the pre-draft notification, the classification of CRZ-IV relating to the waters within the territorial jurisdiction is also suspect, as there is no mention absolutely of what activities are permitted in the territorial waters and what is not. As it is fishermen all over the country are being harassed under the garb of security of oil installations whenever they fish in the Indian territorial waters. Whether this new classification will be used to justify the harassment is a question that worries fishermen.
Besides, given the fact that the pre-draft notification has amply provided for opening of the coastal areas for investment and development, whether the ministry really wants to protect the territorial waters or throw them open for investments is another worry specially as currently the territorial waters is a State subject and through this notification, the Centre wants to usurp the State powers to carry out its own agenda..
It is because of these various aspects that the pre-draft notification of Coastal Regulation Zone 2010 has to be rejected in its present avatar and the Draft Notification that is to follow, should incorporate all the suggestions made by the stakeholders while also seriously considering their objections and based on that the Ministry would do well to come up with new legislation to protect the country’s coastline rather than relying only on notifications.
Matanhy Saldanha
GRE, General Secretary
Former Minister for Tourism
This is a response from NFF Chair Person Mathany Saldhana.
The pre-draft notification of Coastal Regulation Zone 2010 published by the Ministry of Environment and Forests is nothing but a sleight of the hand to deceive the people from its pre-decided agenda of opening coastal lands for big investments and therefore needs to be rejected outright in its present form.
The various consultations held by the ministry with even the Minister Ramesh Jairam attending some of them, has proven to be nothing but a smokescreen as the recommendations at these consultations are not at all reflected in the pre-draft notification.
At all the consultations, the strident demand was that the new notification while strengthening the coastal regulations for long term protection of coastal ecosystems, should also recognise and protect the rights of the coastal inhabitants not only to their habitats but also to their livelihoods.
The pre-draft notification has totally neglected this aspect of recognising the rights of coastal inhabitants and continues to be in the time wrap of only offering them concessions. Hence it is obvious that the various consultations were merely used to provide a forum for aggrieved persons to ventilate their grievances and no cognisance was taken of the issue raised as the recommendations made at the consultations are not reflected in the pre-draft notification except for initiating the consultative process.
The pre-draft notification is indeed a bundle of contradictions. It acknowledges that 25 per cent of the country’s population live along the coastline and yet permits hazardous and life threatening nuclear plants along the coastline. It admits that there have been many violations of the earlier coastal regulations and yet provides for regularising those. It speaks about preserving the coastal ecology and environment and yet permits housing colonies, industries and even SEZ in the coastal zone.
The blanket permissions given for certain activities along the coastline are bound to affect not only the people living there but also the very topography of the country’s coastline. Power generating units are permitted along the coastline which includes thermal power plants. The impact of drawing huge amounts of water from the sea and then releasing warm water into the sea has not been considered at all. This activity is bound to affect the marine life which is already being depleted not only in our country but worldwide. Besides, even coal based plants are permitted along the coastline. The pollution caused by this raw material need not be elaborated upon as those who have eyes have seen it.
What is shocking is that besides permitting various questionable activities along the coastline, the pre-draft notification also permits ancillary units to support these activities. This means that housing colonies ostensibly to provide quarters to the people employed at the various units, will be permitted thus throwing open the coastline for housing projects.
Besides, housing projects have also been permitted along the coastline and the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities are empowered to sanction projects involving 20,000 square metres of land. This is a travesty as the pre-draft notification admits that the State CZMAs have not been able to implement the earlier Coastal Regulation Zone Notification!
That the pre-draft notification is aimed at opening the coastal areas for construction activity is further evident in the exemptions given to the tourism industry. Most of the violations of the existing Coastal Regulation Zone are relating to tourism industry and yet the ministry without taking cognisance of their earlier misdeeds apparently wants to give them more opportunities to exploit the coastal areas at the cost of the local people.
Ports have also been given a go ahead with only one proviso – that they do not come in areas threatened by erosion. However, the cumulative effect of ports is not taken into account and the effect of constructing wharfs, jetties, etc., on the water that is forced to change its course and the result of that on the coastline is not at all considered. More significantly, that marine vessels cause pollution at Ports has not even crossed the minds of the ministry officials who prepared the pre-draft.
The leeway granted to ports, would embolden the Mormugao Port Trust in Goa to aggressively press for its expansion plans which would spell a death knell for not only the local fishing community that is sought to be displaced and dispossessed of their habitats and areas of operations, but also to the tourism industry that is keeping the State afloat.
MPT proposes to develop two bays – the Vasco bay where the local fishing community resides and also has their jetty to carry out their fishing activities and the Baina bay where people go to relax and enjoy the sea.
The impact of developing jetties in these bays by reclaiming large tracts of land under water has not been studied given the fact that the displaced water will have to be find some other place and this would adversely affect the hydrology of the area and result in changing the coastline to the north and south of the port but the two main rivers of Goa – the Mandovi and Zuari would also be impacted.
Under special dispensation, Goa has been included, but the sops offered are insignificant. In the first place, the pre-draft notification stresses the need to preserve khazan lands but does not provide for prohibiting conversion of khazan lands to other purposes even agro related industries like pisci-ulture or horticulture.
And though it states that local fishermen’s houses will be protected, it ignores other traditional communities living on the coastline like the toddy tappers and also fails to specify how the houses will be protected.
The most obnoxious aspect of the pre-draft notification is the attempt to re-introduce clauses from the Coastal Management Zone that were so vehemently opposed that the government had to allow that notification to lapse.
The most obvious example of this is the introduction of ‘hazard line’ which, a fine reading of the pre-draft notification indicates, is aimed at diluting the ‘no development zone’ demarcated under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification.
In Goa the hazard line assumes great significance given the fact that large tracts of land on cliffs and highlands abutting the sea have been purchased by vested interests with an eye on developing them for commercial purposes. The hazard line would be giving them the opportunity to reap large profits on these investments.
Given the tenor of the pre-draft notification, the classification of CRZ-IV relating to the waters within the territorial jurisdiction is also suspect, as there is no mention absolutely of what activities are permitted in the territorial waters and what is not. As it is fishermen all over the country are being harassed under the garb of security of oil installations whenever they fish in the Indian territorial waters. Whether this new classification will be used to justify the harassment is a question that worries fishermen.
Besides, given the fact that the pre-draft notification has amply provided for opening of the coastal areas for investment and development, whether the ministry really wants to protect the territorial waters or throw them open for investments is another worry specially as currently the territorial waters is a State subject and through this notification, the Centre wants to usurp the State powers to carry out its own agenda..
It is because of these various aspects that the pre-draft notification of Coastal Regulation Zone 2010 has to be rejected in its present avatar and the Draft Notification that is to follow, should incorporate all the suggestions made by the stakeholders while also seriously considering their objections and based on that the Ministry would do well to come up with new legislation to protect the country’s coastline rather than relying only on notifications.
Matanhy Saldanha
GRE, General Secretary
Former Minister for Tourism
Monday, June 14, 2010
PAKISTAN: India Arrested 174 Pakistan Fishermen
We received these type of news regularly and quoted from Dawn News while reconfirming the necessity to have SAARC level Cooperation to Solve this problem.
Everyday, number of fishermen become victims and detain them for long periods wile the families of the victims become more vulnerable.
WFFP, NFF, PFF ,ARIF, NAFSO and many other agencies are trying to push this into SAARC agenda and no sucess yet.
Herman Kumara
Tuesday, 23 Mar, 2010 | 08:33 PM PST |
THATTA: The Indian Navy arrested 174 fishermen and took away 30 fishing vessels and their catch worth millions of rupees from the Pakistan territorial waters in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday early hours.
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Chairman Mohammad Ali Shah told DawnNews that the fishermen, who belonged to coastal villages of Thatta, had been fishing in the ‘Harami Doro creek’ when they were taken away at gunpoint.
He said incident took place when Indian Border Security Forces resorted to firing on fishermen and escorted away 174 fishermen who belonged to Chuhar Jamali and Jati tehsils of the district.
Shah said four fishermen Ramoon Themore, Sawan themore, Ameen themore and Nadeem escaped the scene and returned back in Vessel ‘Alroshan’.
These fishermen have confirmed the arrest of their relatives and claimed that Indian Border Security Forces violated Pakistan’s territorial waters and set on fire two of their vessels.
Shah called upon the government to get the fishermen released. He demanded proper demarcation of the territorial limits in the sea to save poor fishermen from suffering such ordeals.—DawnNews
Everyday, number of fishermen become victims and detain them for long periods wile the families of the victims become more vulnerable.
WFFP, NFF, PFF ,ARIF, NAFSO and many other agencies are trying to push this into SAARC agenda and no sucess yet.
Herman Kumara
Tuesday, 23 Mar, 2010 | 08:33 PM PST |
THATTA: The Indian Navy arrested 174 fishermen and took away 30 fishing vessels and their catch worth millions of rupees from the Pakistan territorial waters in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday early hours.
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Chairman Mohammad Ali Shah told DawnNews that the fishermen, who belonged to coastal villages of Thatta, had been fishing in the ‘Harami Doro creek’ when they were taken away at gunpoint.
He said incident took place when Indian Border Security Forces resorted to firing on fishermen and escorted away 174 fishermen who belonged to Chuhar Jamali and Jati tehsils of the district.
Shah said four fishermen Ramoon Themore, Sawan themore, Ameen themore and Nadeem escaped the scene and returned back in Vessel ‘Alroshan’.
These fishermen have confirmed the arrest of their relatives and claimed that Indian Border Security Forces violated Pakistan’s territorial waters and set on fire two of their vessels.
Shah called upon the government to get the fishermen released. He demanded proper demarcation of the territorial limits in the sea to save poor fishermen from suffering such ordeals.—DawnNews
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Call to the CSO Regional Consultation for Europe, Central and West Asia
English
Call to the CSO Regional Consultation for Europe, Central and West Asia
The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty – IPC calls to participate of the CSO Regional Consultation on the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Land and Natural Resource Tenure to be held in Rome, Italy, from 7-9 July 2010.
Español
Convocatoria a la Consulta Regional de la Sociedad Civil para Europa, Asia Central y Occidental
El Comité Internacional de Planificación para la Soberanía Alimentaria - CIP llama a participar del Encuentro Regional de Consulta de las OSC sobre las directrices voluntarias para la tenencia de la tierra y de los recursos naturales, que se celebrará en la ciudad de Roma, Italia, del 7 al 9 de julio de 2010.
François
Appel à participation à la Consultation Régionale des OSC d'Europe et d'Asie Centrale et Occidentale
Le Comité International de Planification pour la Souveraineté Alimentaire - IPC appelle à participer à la Consultation Régionale des OSC sur les Directives Volontaires pour la Gestion Foncière et des Ressources Naturelles qui se tiendra du 7 au 9 juillet 2010.
Call to the CSO Regional Consultation for Europe, Central and West Asia
The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty – IPC calls to participate of the CSO Regional Consultation on the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Land and Natural Resource Tenure to be held in Rome, Italy, from 7-9 July 2010.
Español
Convocatoria a la Consulta Regional de la Sociedad Civil para Europa, Asia Central y Occidental
El Comité Internacional de Planificación para la Soberanía Alimentaria - CIP llama a participar del Encuentro Regional de Consulta de las OSC sobre las directrices voluntarias para la tenencia de la tierra y de los recursos naturales, que se celebrará en la ciudad de Roma, Italia, del 7 al 9 de julio de 2010.
François
Appel à participation à la Consultation Régionale des OSC d'Europe et d'Asie Centrale et Occidentale
Le Comité International de Planification pour la Souveraineté Alimentaire - IPC appelle à participer à la Consultation Régionale des OSC sur les Directives Volontaires pour la Gestion Foncière et des Ressources Naturelles qui se tiendra du 7 au 9 juillet 2010.
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