4.9.09

Reclaim the Fields ( acampamento europeu sobre agricultura de 30/9 a 4 de Outubro)


Para quem quer começar a trabalhar na agricultura, para quem já nela vive, como é o caso dos camponeses e das camponesas, para quem ainda não tem acesso à terra, ou ainda para quem luta por recuperar a sua soberania alimentar vai realizar-se na quinta de Cravirola, em Minèrve, no sul da França, entre os dias 30 de Setembro e 4 de Outubro de 1909, um acampamento europeu sobre agricultura. O encontro organiza-se ao redor de 4 temas:

-Ser camponês: como é que os jovens podem ter acesso à terra e começar a trabalhar na agricultura camponesa.

- Como concretizar o apoio mútuo, a cooperação entre todos os interessados na agricultura camponesa

- Agricultura camponesa e agro-ecologia. Quais são os desafios para resfriar o planeta?


-Compreender a situação actual da agricultura, fortalecer a nossa solidariedade e a nossa capacidade em realizar acções: como juntar as nossas forças para defender os camponeses de amanhã?



http://www.reclaimthefields.org/



Reclaim the Fields


Quem somosSomos um grupo de jovens camponeses, jovens sem-terra e futuros camponeses, assim como diversas pessoas que querem reassumir o control sobre produção alimentar


Os nossos objectivos:

- suportar e encorajar pessoas a ficarem na terra e regressarem ao campo
- promover a soberania alimentar e a agricultura camponesa, especialmente entre os jovens e habitantes das cidades
- promover formas alternativas de vida
- criar alternativas ao capitalismo através de realizações cooperativas, autónomas levadas a cabo por colectivos em função de necessidades reais, e com base em iniciativas de produção em pequena escala
- levar a teoria à prática e ligar a acção prática local às lutas polítca globais.
- Fazer tudo isso com alegria e satisfação



A nossa definição de camponês

Camponeses são as pessoas que produzem alimentos em pequena escala quer para si próprios quer para a comunidade, vendendo um parte da sua produção. Dentro desta definição estão incluídos os trabalhadores agrícolas.


Eixos da nossa acção

- acesso à terra
- quintas colectivas
- sementes locais e sua troca


Os nossos valores


- solidariedade
- respeito pela natureza e pelos seres vivos
- não-violência
- não-autoritarismo e não-hierarquização
- não-descriminação baseada na raça, religião,género, nacionalidade, orientação sexual ou estatuto social
- não-exploração de outras pessoas
- amizade
- convivialidade



Actividades

Uma das actividades será a de construir uma rede informal de troca e de educação, colocar em relação os camponeses, que queiram partilhar a sua experiência técnica e política, com jovens que queiram tornar-se camponeses mas que não têm meios para isso. Esta rede reunirá contactos entre todos os participantes que queiram envolver-se, permitindo satisfazer quer as necessidades de trabalho manual dos camponeses quer a procura de férias alternativas pelos jovens numa convergência de interesse mútuo


Reclaim the Fields
European Camp To Cultivate Alternatives
Acampamento europeu para cultivar alternativas


A crise global na agricultura, no clima, na energia, na biodiversidade e nas sociedades tem um enorme impacto sobre a vida de milhões de pessoas. Esta crise está intimamente ligada à substituição da agricultura de pequena escala por modos de consumo e produção industriais por grandes corporações. Biliões foram dados aos bancos no ano passado, enquanto as políticas governamentais neo-liberais têm levado ao aniquilamento da agricultural de pequena dimensão por todo o mundo. Essas políticas destroem modos de vida assentes numa ligação harmonioza entres os seres vivos e o seu ambiente. Na Europa essas políticas forçaram quase até à extinção as explorações agrícolas de pequena dimensão e dos camponeses, erguendo obstáculos à sua sobrevivência e impedindo a emergência de jovens agricultores.



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PROGRAMA PROVISÓRIO

Thursday 1st october : Becoming Peasant. Youth, settling on land and peasant agriculture

For achieving food sovereignty in Europe, it is a priority that youth everywhere can start a farm. The present context does not allow this demand. How to analyze the factors which keep us from starting a farm ? Access to finances and to the land are difficult. It is difficult to gain the knowledge and there are selective processes for starting a farm. It is not easy to make a living through it and there is a lack of attractiveness/prejudice to this kind of activity.- Introduction : Presentation of RTF, of the collective farm Cravirola, and of the Youth plateform of Via Campesina, - How to settle a farm : experiences and legal frame in France,- Access to land and to other needed ressources to start the agricultural activity, - Farm transmission ; inside the family or not ; how to prepare and succeed it, - Presentation of the different technical trainings availables for young farmers and others who are walking towards peasantry, - RTF is building a « Farm network », in order to get practical and political training on peasant farms.

Friday 2 october : working together to develop cooperation and collective activities

Problems in accessing land, financing a farm, getting tools and markets to be able to produce… all this leads us to think of ways of working collectively in order that farming becomes feasible.

- Testimony from Cravirola, as collective and cooperative farm,
- Urban agriculture and struggle for the use of any peace of land in the cities ; the work of two associations (Bruxelles, Paris),
- Alternative economical model : case of solidar banks that help youngs settlings,
- Direct producer-consumer cooperatives ; experience of a vegetable growing cooperative in Geneve that involves the consumers,
- Putting our ressources together can help each : the cooperative company for the use of agricultural material (CUMA) are an exemple of solidarity between producers.

Saturday 3 october : Peasant agriculture and agroecology. What major changes need to happen in order to "cool down the earth”

It is getting clear that peasant agriculture has a positive impact on climate changes. Unlike intensive agriculture, that uses much mineral fertilize and fossile energy, peasant agriculture produces less greenhouse gaz than it fixes carbon into soils. Based on local level, high biodiversity and the use of adapted traditionnel races, that sustainable agricultures offers solutions to the current crises.

- Presentation of companies that work with peasant seeds (Bede, Kokopelli),
- Experiences in traditionnal races breeding, that were given up because of the intensification,
- How to conserve traditionnal seeds, and practical workshop on seed reproduction,
- Presentation of agroecology and permaculture. Practical workshops on composting, wild herbs uses, …

Sunday 4 october : Understanding the current situation of agriculture in order keep on struggling in defending the peasants of tomorrow

To act in our day-to-day or militant behaviours, we need to know the past struggles, and to take part in the curent ones. To be peasant today is already a political act, and it is important to take measure of the current stakes.

- Testimony on peasant struggles, struggling for the peasant,
- The movement Via Campesina struggles across the world to promote the peasant intereses, and the need of an agrarian reform,
- European politics : let's change CAP ,
- The future of RTF and our next actions,
- Workshop on civil desobedience and preparation of the militant action that will take place on the Monday 5 (organization under process),
- Climate submit COP15 : presentation and preparation of our action there (Copenhaguen, december 09).

Monday 5 october : Final action in Montpellier
Will be defined collectively during the camp.

Remarks :
All workshop that we propose are participatives. We invited persons to present their work in organization (ASBL, union, other…) or their personal experience. Te program is not fixed, and any concrete proposal is still welcome. Please write to Olle (olle@reclaimthefields.org ) to see how to synchronize it in the global frame.

Futhermore, we will reserve every day a discussion place for our personal roads. There is a particular moment to explain our processes, and it is open to everyone.




Practical Information for the camp

Where is it?
The camp will take place in the farm of Cravirola, also called Le Maquis, on a place called «Bois-Bas », near the village of Minerve. It's in Herault department, between Toulouse and Montpellier in the South of France. Le Maquis is a collective farm runned by dedicated people. More info on:
http://www.cravirola.com/

Who can participate?
We aim at gathering young peasants, landless peasants and people who wish to start in agriculture and/or who want to recover food sovereignty.

How can you participate?
You can organize a workshop at the camp on topics related to access to farming, food sovereignty and/or agroecology. Please fill up the form attached below and send it to us before the 15th of September so that we can include it in the program.
You can let people around you know about the camp. There are printable posters on Reclaim the Fields website.
You can organize car-sharing from your country to come to the camp.
You can come earlier to take part to the preparation (from the 27th of September).
Register in our Camp Registration Form : http://reclaimthefields.org/form/camp-registration-formular

Do you have to pay?
The participation to the camp is 5 euros. We ask for a participation for the meals.

What you need to bring
Your tent, sleeping bag and camping mattress
A plate, glass, fork, knife and spoon
Rain clothes, warm clothes
Musical instruments
Your sense of responsability and participation
your enthousiasm and determination that together we can change the world
A lot of friends!

What you really don't need to bring
Your dog
Junk food from supermarkets

How to get there?
"For discount traveling facilities get in touch with Adam Fülöp at canica375@gmail.com until the 10th of September!"
To get there by train: the nearest station is LEZIGNAN-CORBIERES (Lezignan-Aude), then it is still about 40mn away by car. We will organize shuttles from the station on the 30th of september and on the 1st of October to get there.
By car, look at the map (http://www.cravirola.com/pages/contact.html ). Once you are in Minerve, go towards BOISSET and then towards BOIS-BAS, the farm is at about 10km away from the village of Minerve.

How to contact us?
camp2009@reclaimthefields.org