By Olivia Perez
Hello, my name is Olivia Perez. I am an organizer in the
Farmworker Association of Florida, specifically in the Immokalee area. I traveled
to La Via Campesina Youth Articulation in Mexico, with Maria Carmona, FWAF Area
Coordinator in Immokalee. For the first three days, we spent our time having
discussions in Mexico City, and then traveled to a university, Universidad Campesina del Sur, A.C., outside of
Mexico City into Morelos, where we would continue our work for the next four
days. The Youth Articulations goal is to “enhance our collective capacity to
transform food, farming, and rural culture, towards agroecology and food
sovereignty at local, regional and international levels”, as stated by La
Via Campesina. The purpose of the Youth Articulation gatherings is “focused
on the critical process of bringing youth together to exchange ideas, share
opportunities and struggles, and develop strategies that give voice to our
collective challenges and need.”
In Mexico City we had discussions with the UNORCA, Unión
Nacional de Organizaciones Regionales Campesinas Autónomas, groups such as
the board committee and their invited guests from different regions of Mexico.
Those from LVC Youth Articulation were from Canada and the US, some
representing different organizations for example: National Farmers Union, Union
Paysanne (Canada), National Family Farm Coalition, Family Farms Defenders, Farmworker
Association of Florida (United States), & Coordinadora Latinoamericana de
Organizaciones. In that room, we had discussions of the problems we face in all
3 regions. Some of the main topics discussed were youth involvement, food
sovereignty and agriculture, and planning movements. Not only were there discussions about
movements, but also about policies that are in place in our regions that either
prevent or benefit the movement of food sovereignty and agriculture. I was able
to learn a lot, not only about the regional issues and challenges, but also
about the movement of food sovereignty and agriculture. I will point out that I am in the first stages
of involvement and that I have a long way to go. However, I learned the
importance of the movement and was able to bring back ideas of a start of, not
only continuing the movement in my community, but also getting the youth
involved.
We were able to meet Jessica, a graduate from a
course at the Universidad Campesina del Sur, A.C. We got firsthand experience
of her work and the conservation methods she plans to use. Jessica explained
her plans to use plants, native to her area, to purify the water of her pool
instead of using chorine or any other chemical substances. She also discussed
the difficulties that come with being a woman landowner and the discrimination
she has faced. We also were able to travel the route of Emiliano Zapata and
learn the importance of the battle he fought and who he fought it for. I met so
many amazing people there, who not only coordinated and were able to get all of
us there, but were our guides through it all. With that I want to give a big thank you to
Monica Castillo from the UNORCA and Tyler Short from FFD, Family Farms
Defender, and LVC Youth Articulation.
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