The International Forum on Land Grabbing was held on Tuesday at the Chamber of Commerce of Villavicencio, in Meta department, to open up the debate and start analysing land grabbing as a global phenomenon. The Assembly of Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) began on Tuesday and it will last until Thursday in Villa Nicolas, in the same department. The 6th meeting of the Sustainability School will take place from May 10 to 13. And on May 14 there will be a Workshop of Nature Defenders.

“The events aim to raise awareness about the process going on at social and environmental movements in Colombia in defense of land and to achieve peace in the country”, reads a press release issued yesterday by CENSAT-Agua Viva, Friends of the Earth Colombia. The aim is to “share experiences, knowledge and analysis that will contribute to strengthening the organization, to mobilizing and resisting”.

Every year ATALC promotes a space for discussion and reflection of the member organizations. The main goal of the assembly is to “agree on the political path of the region, coordination, mobilization and resistance throughout the next year”.

CENSAT-Agua Viva is also responsible for organizing the 6th meeting of the Sustainability School, a political and educational initiative that has been taking place for over 6 years to train environmental activists of ATALC and to support the building of environmentally sustainable societies.

The School contemplates spaces for conceptual debates, to know about the practices of local communities, as well as panels and workshops with the participation of activists from Colombia and 15 other countries. There will be self-training activities, exchange of experiences and a discussion of the suggested documents.

The Workshop on Nature Defenders is a response to the threats and insecurity suffered by environmentalists in Latin America. The event aims to start building a security protocol that will enable to determine the necessary actions to take in defense of activists that are at risk.

“CENSAT Agua Viva is honored and glad to have this responsibility of leading the construction of these spaces, towards the building of sustainable societies”, reads the press release.

Photo: cronicadesociales.org