The people’s caravan 2000

From 13-30 November 2000, The People’s Caravan, called the Citizen’s on the Move for Land and Food Without Poisons, traveled over 2,500 kilometers through Tamil Nadu, India, Bangladesh, Manila and in the Philippines. The caravan called for an end to the devastating effects from the globalization of agriculture and instead advocated genuine agrarian reform, food security, social justice and land and food without poisons.
    Over 10,000 people – local farmers, agricultural workers, fisherfolk, students, scientists, teachers, the media, government officials, policy makers, and anti-pesticide and anti-genetic engineering advocates – participated in lively discussion at public meetings, press conferences, in rice fields, in villages and towns. 
    The People’s Caravan brought the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) together with partner groups in facilitating grassroots action across Asia. 

pcaravan@tm.net.my/ panap@panap.po.my, www.poptel.org.uk/panap/caravan.htm 

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No.51, March 2001, p17]