terça-feira, 8 de junho de 2021
Shift in agricultural systems necessary for sustainability, says BIC
Shift in agricultural systems necessary for sustainability, says BIC
June 8, 2021
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The Brussels Office of the Bahá’í International Community and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have initiated a seminar series to examine the relationship between agriculture, rural sustainability, and migration.
The Brussels Office of the Bahá’í International Community and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have initiated a seminar series to examine the relationship between agriculture, rural sustainability, and migration.
BIC BRUSSELS — Each year, tens of thousands of people from Africa travel to Europe to work alongside a declining national agricultural workforce on farms in EU member states in an industry that is increasingly becoming dependent on migrant seasonal workers.
When the pandemic disrupted international travel in April 2020, the spring harvest throughout Europe was thrown into jeopardy, revealing the extent of the EU’s reliance on seasonal workers and their difficult living conditions. Additionally, the pandemic has brought renewed attention to economic crises, the loss of land by farmers, and other factors that are driving people to leave rural areas in Africa.
“The way that agricultural affairs are organized is not sustainable or equitable, be it in Europe, Africa, or anywhere else in the world. There are fundamental questions that need to be closely examined in the light of principles such as the oneness of humanity,” said Rachel Bayani of the Brussels Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) at an online seminar held by the Office last Wednesday.
The gathering is part of a seminar series, co-hosted by the Brussels Office and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which brings together policymakers, academics, and civil society organizations from Europe and Africa to explore the relationship between agriculture, rural sustainability, and migration, particularly in the context of partnerships between the two regions.
Panelists of the most recent seminar in a series held by BIC Brussels and the FAO. The seminar focused on the viability of the EU’s agricultural sector and the need for rethinking production systems.SLIDESHOW
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Panelists of the most recent seminar in a series held by BIC Brussels and the FAO. The seminar focused on the viability of the EU’s agricultural sector and the need for rethinking production systems.
Rodrigo de Lapuerta, Director at the Liaison Office in Brussels of the FAO, spoke about the novel approach of the seminars: “FAO estimates that 80% of all moves involve rural areas. Migration and rural transformation, with the sustainability of agri-food systems, are totally interrelated. However, I do not think these two issues have often been treated jointly.”
Attendees at the gatherings have highlighted different aspects of the links between migration and agriculture. “Many factors influence why and how people migrate from rural areas... [but] it is essential that this migration is done out of choice, rather than necessity,” said Mr. Ola Henrickson, Regional Director at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
A particular focus of the most recent seminar was on the viability of EU’s agricultural sector and the need for rethinking production systems.
“We have to remember that our food security depends on the respect of our agri-food workers’ rights,” said Maximo Torero Cullen, the FAO’s Chief Economist, at a recent gathering. “The pandemic has shown us how indispensable migrants are… but it has also rightfully put the spotlight on the poor working and living conditions in the [agricultural] sector and the invisibility of these workers.”
SLIDESHOW
4 images
Dr. Torero Cullen and other participants emphasized that policies of African and European states and regional bodies aimed at building sustainable food and agriculture systems need to put at the center the interests, safety, and well-being of agricultural workers.
“Many EU Member States frame their seasonal worker schemes primarily in terms of meeting labor-market needs at home,” said Camille Le Coz of the Migration Policy Institute of Europe. But she highlighted that some countries are looking at other approaches, including framing migration policies around “co-development”—creating arrangements that are beneficial to the sending and receiving countries as well as the workers themselves.
Reflecting on the gathering, Mrs. Bayani states: “Our current economic and agricultural systems and their implications for migration, the environment, nutrition, and livelihoods need to be closely examined. The Bahá’í teachings offer insights that can be helpful in this conversation: that the question of economics should begin with the farmer, because the farmer ‘is the first active agent in human society.’ This idea can allow us to explore possibilities for different ways to look at production systems.”
Images of agricultural initiatives of the Bahá’í community in (clockwise from left) Colombia, Uganda, and Nepal to strengthen local agriculture.SLIDESHOW
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Images of agricultural initiatives of the Bahá’í community in (clockwise from left) Colombia, Uganda, and Nepal to strengthen local agriculture.
She continues: “The issues discussed at these seminars reflect only some of the profound questions before humanity. The Bahá’í teachings envisage that every element of society, including economic relations, will have to undergo a profound transformation in the light of the essential principle of the oneness of humanity.”
Future seminars over the coming months will continue to look at agriculture and migration, focusing on topics such as education and the future of villages.
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quinta-feira, 14 de janeiro de 2021
Resilience in Honduras in the face of disaster
Resilience in Honduras in the face of disaster
Bahá’ís in La Lima arise immediately after Hurricane Eta to deliver assistance where it is needed.
To watch a video, read the story online, or view more photos, visit news.bahai.org.
SIGUATEPEQUE, Honduras, 13 January 2021, (BWNS) — When the Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras created an emergency committee early in the pandemic, it set in motion a process that would prove essential months later in its response to the devastating impact of hurricanes Eta and Iota.
In November, when news broke of the approaching category 4 Hurricane Eta, the emergency committee made efforts to raise awareness about the impending disaster. Gloria Perdú, member of the committee, says, “It had been many years since the country was struck by a storm this powerful, and most people were not expecting such devastation. The network we had established earlier in the year allowed us to alert people to the precautions they should take before the storm.”
Hurricane Eta made landfall off the coast of Nicaragua on 3 November before moving through Honduras. This was followed by Iota, a category 5 hurricane, just two weeks later, leaving a level of destruction in the region not seen in recent history. Heavy rains caused widespread flooding, while communications, power, and roads were compromised in many areas.
The National Assembly—seeing the immense power of a devotional spirit in creating a spiritual environment and feelings of solidarity during a crises—called on the emergency committee to assist with promoting nationwide prayers.
“At a dark time, the prayer campaign was an act of hope,” says Andrea Castiblanco, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and of the emergency committee. “Though you are frightened, you know—even in the midst of the storm with communications down—that you are joined in a profoundly sacred act by others across the country. And when praying, you derive inspiration from the knowledge that you can take unified action together afterwards.”
Ms. Perdú explains how the committee has been able to mobilize many people to action. “We looked to local Bahá’í communities across the country that, for decades, have been learning about building capacity in growing numbers of people to contribute to the progress of their society.
“This allowed the emergency committee to rapidly establish a network comprising people and institutions that have organizational skills and a desire to bring people together in harmony and unity.”
Ms. Perdu continues to explain how the network was instrumental in channeling people and resources to areas of need. “Families in less-affected areas, for example, donated any supplies or clothing they could, which were distributed to other areas. The spirit of unity and selfless service with which people have responded has brought tremendous hope in this time of great difficulty.”
Central to the emergency committee’s approach has been its ability to foster capacity in local communities to take the lead in their own response, recovery, and development efforts.
A young person from the local Bahá’í community of San Pedro Sula says, “I feel that this is a time to reflect on what is truly important. We’re rebuilding our houses and helping our neighbors rebuild theirs. People are awakening to how much we all must support one another. This is the moment to unite and build something new, not just materially but also spiritually.”
In the weeks since the storms, the committee has turned its attention to long-term needs. Mrs. Castiblanco states: “Many people have been without employment since the start of the pandemic, or had small businesses like baking sweetbread, selling clothes, or hairdressing but lost all of their goods and equipment in the storms. We are looking at establishing a seed fund to help people buy the materials they need to restart their businesses.”
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segunda-feira, 11 de janeiro de 2021
2020 in photos: A year of solidarity and intense endeavor
BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE, 30 December 2020, (BWNS) — As a most challenging year comes to a close, the Bahá’í World News Service provides a collection of photographs from stories over the past 12 months on developments in the global Bahá’í community.
What can be seen through these and countless other efforts in societies around the globe is the expression of an essential truth: that the human family is one.
Visits news.bahai.org to view the collection of photographs. A companion article to this photo essay, to be published tomorrow, will provide an overview of stories on developments in the global Bahá’í community this year.
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