Nyéléni Europe 2: kick-off meeting in Paris

paris

The process towards the second Nyeleni Europe Forum. We are still determined to maintain the voices of civil society in Paris. We will be stepping up in solidarity, making it clear that Paris is still a lively, friendly city. We will not give in to terrorists who want to sow fear, or to the French (and other) governments who want to exclude the voices of those building a peaceful and harmonious society from the ground up.

Since the Nyéléni Europe Forum in Austria in 2011, the movement has been continuously strengthened by farmers, consumers, fishers, land workers and groups of activists from the different constituencies that are contributing to the rapid development of the Food Sovereignty Movement throughout Europe. Preparations for the second Nyéléni Europe Forum are underway, and the Forum will take place in Autumn 2016 in Cluj, Romania! We still need to do a lot of work to enlarge our movement throughout Europe and strengthen our vision.

This is particularly important in light of the threats posed to us all by TTIP,  increasing land concentration and land grabbing in Europe, new seed regulations, and continued drive towards export-orientated markets and the growth of industrial agriculture that have sparked a wave of farmers’ protests all over Europe. At the same time, key political processes such as the next CAP reform and proposals for a European Soil Directive are important opportunities for us to act collectively. We want the Forum in 2016 to be as productive, positive and inclusive as possible. In order to start the preparation process, we will meet in Paris, where many of us will be involved in parallel meetings to COP21.

The aim of the Nyéléni Europe II is to build on the outcomes and developments that have taken place since the first Nyéléni forum.

In the Paris meeting we will....

  • remember the milestones since Nyéléni Europe I
  • kick off the preparation process for Nyéléni Europe II. Initial planning has already been done by our friends in Romania and most of you have filled out the consultation survey.
  • gather some general thoughts and inputs on objectives, agenda items and activities for the forum. These will be a starting point to be worked upon and complemented with further inputs throughout the year.  
  • set up working groups (methodology, communication, logistics, finance/fundraising and any other group deemed necessary)
  • found a coordination group  and agree on the next steps.

Everybody interested in becoming involved in the preparation of the Forum and who shares the vision of Food Sovereignty is welcome to participate in this Paris meeting.

Registration: Please register your participation by writing to info[at]nyelenieurope[dot]net by December 1st 2015. We are counting on all the organisations to arrange their own travel and accommodation. However, in case you don’t have the means to travel, then please contact us. We can’t promise support, but we’ll do everything within our means to look for solutions.

Normally the meeting will be held in English, but if needed we will probably be able to provide FR and ES interpretation. Please inform us if you don't understand English and if you would prefer to have either FR or ES interpreation.

Time:  8th of December 2015, 10.00 until 20.00 
Venue: CICP,  21 ter rue Voltaire 75011 Paris. Metro Station Rue des Boulets (line 9)

In solidarity,
The Nyéléni Europe II task team