PAKISAMA has been nominated to the 2nd ASEAN Leadership Awards on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, which coincided with the Ninth ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (9th AMRDPE) last October 17 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
The 9th AMRDPE was opened by H.E. Somsanith SOUVANNALATH, Vice Minister to the Government’s Office and Vice Chair of the National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication of Lao PDR.
It was attended by the ASEAN Ministers responsible for rural development and poverty eradication or their representatives.
The award was presented as recognition of outstanding achievements and contributions by the NGOs/CSOs from ASEAN member states to rural and community development and to improve the livelihood of the poor and vulnerable groups in their respective communities or countries.
AsiaDHRRA conceptualized the rural development leadership award and offered it to ASEAN as a concrete form of cooperation with civil society working for sustainable rural development, with the aim of promoting efforts of civil society, including grassroots organizations, that are contributory to ASEAN’s goal of people-centered and people-driven society.
PAKISAMA, a people’s organization network with 55 member organizations from 34 provinces in the Philippines, is a prominent advocate of agrarian reform and rural development.
The organization was instrumental to the successful campaign by Sumilao farmers, a group of 137 Higaonon farmers who fought for a 144-hectare land in San Vicente, Sumilao, Bukidnon. PAKISAMA supported the Sumilao farmers in claiming the land which were rightfully theirs – from protests, camp-outs, hunger strikes, dialogues, to the famous 1,700-kilometer “Walk for Land, Walk for Justice” march.
See the full statement by ASEAN: http://www.asean.org/images/2015/October/AMRDPE/Adopted%20Joint%20Statement_9th%20AMRDPE1.pdf
