Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Media Advisory - For Immediate Press Release

The Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific will host an international conference entitled “Confronting the Food Crisis and Climate Change” to be held from the 27th-29th September at the Copthorne Orchid Hotel in Penang, Malaysia. The conference will feature over 100 participants representing countries from the Asia Pacific region, Africa, North America and Europe.
The conference will also feature a Biodiversity Bazaar open to the public on the 27th September at the Copthorne Hotel. The Bazaar will be held from 1-4pm and will showcase local foods, handicrafts, and entertainment as well as provide information on PAN AP’s Year of Rice Action campaign.
The world is in the throes of what is turning out to be one of the worst global recessions of the century. This was preceded by the Rice Crisis and Food Crisis of 2008, which resulted in food riots in many countries. Paradoxically, this is happening in a world that produces enough food for all people, and is being compounded by the interrelated problem of global climate change.

According to the United Nations, Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. The effects have already been seen in the form of flooding, unpredictable rains, droughts, rising sea levels, hurricanes, mudslides and other climate variations. The impact on food producers is staggering, with small farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk, peasants and gatherers among the worst affected.
Recognizing the urgent need to address these issues and come up with solutions that strengthen people’s movements, food sovereignty and climate justice, the conference will feature the following specific objectives:

• To analyze the causes and impacts of the food crisis and climate change from the people's perspective and to share the responses of people's movements (namely, peasants, agricultural workers, indigenous peoples, rural women, fisherfolk, and consumers).
• To critically analyze the role and responses of transnational corporations, multilateral institutions, bilateral agreements, IFIs and governments in the food and climate crises.
• To identify critical areas for regional and global action.
• To develop collective strategies to address the critical areas.
• To build solidarity and unity among people's movements in addressing the crises.

For further information please contact:
Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP)
P.O. Box 1170, 10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604-6570271/6560381
Fax: +604-6583960
Email: panap@panap.net
Email: sarojeni.rengam@panap.net
Email: voltaire.tupaz@panap.net

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Conference Programme Available Now!

Venue: Copthorne Orchid Hotel

DAY 1: Sunday, 27 September 2009

Threats and Challenges Posed by the Food Crisis and Climate Change

Opening Session

Morning

07.30-08.00 Registration of Participants

08:30-10:00 Assembly of Participants and
Arrival of the Chief Minister Representative of the State of Penang

Opening Cultural Presentation
Featuring Malaysian Performers

Welcome Remarks
DR. IRENE FERNANDEZ, Tenaganita - Malaysia

Opening Address
By the Chief Minister Representative of the State of Penang

Coffee/Tea Break

10:00-10:10 Introductions of Participants

Presentation of the Context and Objectives of the Conference
SAROJENI RENGAM, Executive Director
Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PAN AP) – Malaysia


Keynote Addresses
Food Crisis and Climate Change: Perspectives, Impacts and Strategies

10:10-10:30 Keynote Address 1:
Experiences of peasants, agricultural workers and livestock keepers
SARATH FERNANDO
MONLAR

10:30-10:50 Keynote Address 2:
Experiences of women and indigenous peoples
VERNIE YOCOGAN-DIANO, Innabuyog-Philippines

10:50-11:05 Coffee /Tea Break




Panel Discussion 1:
Understanding the threats and challenges of the food crisis and climate change

11:05-11:25 (1) Climate Change and its Impacts on Food and Agriculture
LIM LI CHING, Third World Network - Malaysia

11:25-11:45 (2) The Role and Responses of Corporate Agriculture in the Food and Climate Crises
DEVINDER SHARMA, Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security-India

11:45-12:05 Open Forum

12:05-12:25 (3) Responsible and Ethical Consumption
DR. VOKYUNG SONG, Consumers Korea-South Korea

12:25-12:45 (4) Food Crisis, Globalization and Financial Crisis
ANTONIO TUJAN, JR., Asia Pacific Research Network- Philippines

12:45-1:05 Open Forum

01:05-02:30 Lunch


Parallel Workshops 1:
Sharing of Impacts and Responses from Sectors with Coffee/Tea Break

02:30-05:30 (1) Peasants/Livestock keepers
Organized with the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC)

(2) Indigenous Peoples
Organised with the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance (CPA) and EED Philippine Task Force on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (EEDTFIP)

(3) Agricultural workers
Organised with the Coalition of Agricultural Workers International (CAWI)

(4) Women
Organised with the Asian Rural Women’s Coalition (ARWC)

(5) Fisher folks
Organised with the World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP)

(6) Consumers
Organised with Consumers Korea and Consumers International

06:30 Biodiversity Bazaar
Year of Rice Action (YORA) Exhibition
Dinner








DAY 2: Monday, 28 September 2009

Streams of Struggles: People’s Movements, Resistance and Alternatives

09:00-10:00 Cultural Presentation
Plenary Session: Report Back from Workshops 1 Results
Consolidation of Workshop Reports

Panel Discussion 2:
Advancing People's Movements, Resistance and Alternatives

10:00-10:15 (1) Food sovereignty
ERPAN FARYADI, Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA)-Indonesia

10:15-10:30 (2) Biodiversity-based Ecological Agriculture
VICTORIA LOPEZ, Wellspring of Science and Technology (SIBAT)-
Philippines

10:30-10:45 (3) Gender Justice in Agriculture
DR. IRENE FERNANDEZ, Tenaganita – Malaysia

10:45-11:00 (4) Climate Justice
DONATUS MARUT, Indonesian NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID)-Indonesia

11:00-11:30 Open Forum

11:30-12:15 Sharing of grassroots experiences and best practices

DR. CHARITO MEDINA, Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG)-Philippines

VIJAY JARHDHARI, Beej Bachao Andolan–India

SUN JING
Pesticide Eco-Alternative Center (PEAC)
China

12:15-12:30 Open Forum

12:30-1:30 Lunch

Parallel Workshops 2
Streams of Struggles: Strategies and Action Plans for the Next 4 years

01:30-04:00 (1) Food Sovereignty
Organised by the PAN AP Food Sovereignty Programme

(2) Biodiversity-based Ecological Agriculture
Organised by the PAN AP Rice Campaign

(3) Gender Justice in agriculture
Organised by the PAN AP Women in Agriculture Programme

(4) Climate Justice
Organised with the Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN)

04:00-4:30 Coffee/ Tea Break

04:30-05:30 Plenary Session: Report Back from Workshops 2
Consolidation of Workshop Results

07:00 Dinner

Night of Inspiration

DAY 3: Tuesday, 29 September 2009

Consolidation of Plans and Strategies
From critique to action: Strategies that will make an impact for the next four years

Plenary Session:

09:00-09:10 Cultural Presentations

09:10-09:40 Recap of Key Points of Day 1 & Day 2

09:40-10:40 Consolidation of Plan of Action & Tasks

10:40-11:00 Coffee/Tea break

11:00-12:30 Presentation of Unity Statement

12:30-01:20 Announcement and Sharing of Campaign on Climate Change and Community Resilience

01:20-01:30 Closing Remarks

01:30-02:30 Lunch


Side Events

02:30-05:30 YORA Meeting (Save Our Rice Campaign Advisory Council Members)

08:00-09.30 Fact Finding Mission Advisory Group (Food Sovereignty Team)