At Cotonou, in Benin, small farmers from 40 countries on four continents reflect on globalisation.  

Cotonou, November 2002

  We, the delegates of the INTERNIONAL FEDERATION OF MOVEMEMENTS OF RURAL CATHOLIC ACTION (FIMARC), coming from forty countries on four continents, met in Cotonou (Benin) from the 9^th to the 26^th November 2002 to reflect on the consequences of globalisation.

Our Analysis

We do not deny the positive effects of globalisation, especially in the areas of new technologies of communication. These enable us to turn the world into a global village, bringing closer the different peoples of the world. All the same, even as we appreciate this bringing together, the delegates are unanimous that they want to be heard denouncing the alarming situation generated by the neo-liberal economic system; a slavery in modern times.

We can not accept and we strongly condemn this new form of slavery by which 17% of the population control 80% of the world’s riches and the remaining 83% are forced to live with 20% of the world’s resources.

The international organisations, such as the World Trade Organisation and the World Bank, were set up to be instruments of a fair and just development and to work at the service of governments by using programmes of structural adjustment. As it is, however, they now work for the good of the richest, leaving aside the majority of the world’s population and creating even more poverty and isolation.

We are opposed to this theory of liberalisation which proposes that the market should be totally free because:

· The market creates the consumer it wants by the use of the media and advertising. Powerful market forces have invaded local markets, thus destroying their rural identity, culture, way of life and the equanimity of village life and have provoked even more poverty and isolation.  

· The market is free for its merchandise, but not for people.

· The market is free, without barriers, except for some rich countries which put up barriers to protect their products.

This extensive free market, which is forced on us, has the following repercussions:

· the concentration of riches in the hands of a few people who have gained the capacity to control even governments, especially those of poor countries. This situation creates for the poor countries an ever growing dependence on multinational forces; a situation made even worse by the financial speculation by those who posses great capital.  

· this leads to the loss of their decision-making power for these governments, which surrender to the power of the multinational institutions. Each day the democratic strength of these governments is weakened.

· structural adjustment programmes have extremely negative effects on most countries, because they generally include the privatisation of public services. Local governments are forced to sell off to the private sector their basic public services, such as food supply, housing, water, education and health. These public companies are more often than not bought by foreign powers which in turn leads to more dependence.

· rural people are not well served by science. Progress in new technologies does not serve their interest; take for example the science of herbal medicine. This knowledge has been used to rob the riches of the poor countries and the practical knowledge of rural people developed over centuries and passed from one generation to the other. We will never accept the biotechnologies and the patents which are a daner to the lives of human beings and organic life, because they are in total opposition to our concept of life.

· technocrats, who know nothing of the social, religious and political needs of the populations, make the decisions on international and national development policies. Self-determination for the people has become an empty term: no one is consulted about anything, whether it’s about the development of infrastructures, for example the construction of roads, or in the field of communications or the management of natural resources etc...

· the whole world has become a dumping place for consumer goods. This is destroying the traditional farming, production and transformation systems of the rural populations. This phenomenon leads to a high level of unemployment in rural areas and a growing migration of rural populations towards the towns, where they are faced with an even more intense dehumanisation. This leads in turn to the development of religious fundamentalism and armed conflicts.

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Plan of Action

It is essential that we rural people, who have little or no access to information and formation, continue to inform and educate ourselves about the effects of globalisation so as to be able to undertake effective action. Therefore, we are going to:

· make alliances with other movements and civil organisations which share the same objectives, though keeping our identity as a Catholic rural movement.  In this sense the media are a tool that we can use and with which we should be allied.

· conduct lobbying activities, giving the rural populations real possibilities to make their voices heard within national and international organisations, such as the United Nations.

· create new models of development while at the same time reinforcing those that already exist.

· take effective measures to collect and preserve traditional seeds. We, the farmers, should have the necessary autonomy to decide on the production, the transformation and the distribution of food and agricultural products.

· support initiatives such as the Tobbin Tax and all other measures destined to fight against financial speculation and which will at least tax the financial swings.

By this plan of action we reaffirm our determination to insist on the concept of autonomy in food supply. It is only through autonomy in food supply that we will satisfy such basic needs as access to food, housing, health care, education and a safe environment.

In this light, we call upon the national and international institutions to come to the aid of the disadvantaged sectors of society by taking immediate measures to facilitate their integral development. Basic food production in each country should be protected and held apart from the ambitious negotiations of the World Trade Organisation. New regulations in this area are needed immediately. 

We call upon our national governments to take the necessary measures for real and effective agrarian reform, the return of ancestral lands to the indigenous populations and a just compensation for the losses they have suffered.