International Solidarity on April 17th

The International Day of Peasant and Agrarian Struggle is remembered on April 17th each year, a day of solidarity to the struggle and persecution peasants and small scale farmers face around the world.

April 17th 2016 marks 20 years since 19 peasant men and women were murdered by security forces in Brazil’s northern state of Para whilst demonstrating for agrarian reform. The victims were part of a demonstration of 1,500 landless men and women calling for the federal appropriation of a private ranch, when 150 military police encircled and shot at the crowd.

With peasants and small scale farmers producing 70% of the world’s food on 30% of the land it is criminal that such persecution exists. And yet it continues. March saw the murder and persecution of peasant activists in the Honduras. In the last six weeks six peasant community leaders have been assassinated in Colombia. And just two weeks ago in Brazil, two members of the country’s landless movement (MST) were murdered.

In 2016 over 82 groups around the world held events, protests and demonstrations in solidarity, bringing strength to farmers and peasants everywhere in a global struggle that we cannot lose.

Globalise the Struggle!
Globalise the Hope!