An excerpt from the IPS interview with the AsiaDHRRA SecGen Ms. Marlene Ramirez…
In an unprecedented nod toward civil society organisations, this year’s annual FAO event to shape global food security policy rolled out the welcome mat to some 150 activists who took part in the just-finished meeting – on equal footing with government delegates.
“Our inputs were not ignored, as in the past,” Rengam said during a telephone interview from Rome. “Our views were noted down, such as on land acquisition, which is a major problem in Asia. This was a big jump.”
Other activists like Marlene Ramirez are also basking in the new spirit of inclusion that was on display at the FAO’s headquarters, where this year’s high-level intergovernmental meeting of the CFS ran from Oct. 11-15.
“It was very empowering. We had opportunities to intervene simultaneously since we were there as co-equals with the governments,” said Ramirez, secretary-general of the Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas, a Manila-based regional grassroots network. “It has made a major difference for civil society.”
