AFA successfully conducted the regional consultation-workshop entitled “ASEAN at 40: Challenges to Asian Farmers Posed by the Charter and Economic Community Blueprint” last December 20-21 at KU Home in Bangkok, Thailand. It was hosted by Sor Kor Por or Farmers’ Federations’ Association for Development in Thailand. The consultation was part of AFA’s continuing efforts to engage ASEAN on matters that greatly concern small-scale men and women farmers and producers in the region.
Senior officials from the ASEAN Secretariat attended the consultation as resource persons and also sat in the dialogue on AFA’s advocacy agenda with ASEAN. Dr. Somsak Pippopinyo, Lead Focal Point on Agriculture Matters, gave presentations on ASEAN in Agriculture and the ASEAN Economic Community blueprint. Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap, Special Assistant to the Secretary General, gave inputs on the ASEAN Charter, and sat during a dialogue in the last afternoon of the conference.
Resource persons from regional civil society organizations provided critique of the ASEAN presentations (Dr. Walden Bello and Ms. Jenina Joy Chavez of Focus on the Global South, Ms. Marlene Ramirez of AsiaDHRRA) and participated during the open forum.
There was a heated but engaging and informative discussion on globalization, ASEAN, and their impact on small farmers. The ASEAN and civil society representatives provided sharply contrasting points of view.
In the end, AFA chose to engage ASEAN, if only to make sure that the interests of small men and women farmers continue to be advanced in this intergovernmental regional body. AFA presented its advocacy agenda to ASEAN. The ASEAN secretariat officials expressed readiness and openness to engage with the farmers through AFA.
The consultation was attended by representatives from AFA member organizations, such as, SorKorPor (Thailand), API (Indonesia), FNN (Cambodia), VNFU (Vietnam), and PAKISAMA (Philippines). Other regional partners also participated, namely, IFAP (represented by Ms. Beatriz P. del Rosario, Asian Regional Coordinator) and SEAFish (represented by Mr. Glenn Ismael Ymata
Secretary General).
Click here to download “Powerpoint Highlights of the Regional Consultation Workshop on ASEAN”
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