We want to build up the confidence of the small scale fisher communities that there is a emerging global voice to address their issues as UN and State levels.
As far as I remember after the adoption of the VGSSF at COFI/FAO in Rome on 13th June, 2014 exactly one year from now, then Sri Lankan fisheries minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathne, while addressing COFI gathering said, "We do not expect the VGSSF as another book to the book shelves. It should be used with the spirit of the contents. That should address the issues of the small scale fishers in the world."
So far nothing happened from the MoF/ GOSL on this.
However, NAFSO did some basic preparations to educate local communities both VGSSF and VGGT as we found useful to facilitate the campaigns on Land and Fisheries in our people's struggles to demand their rights.
Since the adoption of VGGT in 2012, there is nothing has happened in SL society to get this instrument for the use of Land struggles to retain the land from the land grabbers and resist the dispossession of land from the small holder farmers, forest dwellers, land owners, indigenous people, coastal communities and even the slum dwellers.
Now, we as NAFSO is educating the communities mainly fishing communities as within our range of influence, we educate men and women in fishing communities as well as the farming communities around the country.
Today, NAFSO conducted a program on VGGT and VGSSF at NAFSO, Negombo with the Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women leaders those who are interested to learn and act on land issues.
Priyankara Costa, the training officer of NAFSO said at the WS,
"It women who need to take the lead for retain the rights of the small scale fishing communities as fisher people are always busy struggling with the sea, lagoon or tank. It is important to know about the content of both VGGT and VGSSF as those are important to use in our advocacy campaigns."
The main aim of the WS to identify some key leaders among women to train as strong leadership among women who will take the initiatives to fight for their rights.
Francis Raajan, the coordinator of Praja Abilasha Land Rights network while setting the objectives of the meeting said,
" Last year, we drafted a people's manual, a hand book based on the VGGT. That was printed in Sinhala and it is available at NAFSO. We do hope, this will be a good opportunity to women to learn the content of VGGT while the people's manual could be used as the examples of applications of the VGGT using in the land struggles."
"We want to do simillar publication on VGSSF and it is underway. We want to see some women leaders emerging from this and take the lead in Struggles." added Raajan.
Subashinie Kamalanathan, the coordinator of Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women organization while sharing their experiences on Negombo Lagoon Sea Plane struggle said,
"It is important to see the content of VGGT. In one paragraph in one chapter on customary rights it says the necessity to take "Free Prior Informed Consent" for any development activity at least as it adopting from the Indigenous people's convention."
"If this had known to us during the Sea Plane struggle, we would have raised our voice based on this. Sea Plane project was put on to our heads with out knowing anyone in and around Negombo lagoon.." Subashinie added in her input with the women.
Last week, on Saturday, while attending a function at organized by Rev. Bandiwewe Diyasena thero, at Sri Samudrasanna Viharaya at Kandakuliya, NAFSO convener handed over the Printed copy of the VGSSF to Prime Minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe.
The next step of our process of education campaign is to print a People's Manual on VGSSF and strengthen and launch the campaign to integrate and incorporate the contents in VGSSF in to Sri Lankan fisheries policy.
Nirmala Fernando, a woman leader from Munnakkaraya Negombo said at the WS,
"We feel we are learning lot of things which are not known to us. These matters we discussed once the VGSSF is drafting stage too. It is good to see today, there are some important matters we raised on our lives have included in to the VGSSF. I am proud to be a part of the drafting process. Now I am confident to move forward with these learning, as these are talking about our lives. Our land, Our coasts, Our livelihoods, Our social welfare, Future of our children."
"I am proud to be a part of this process" Says Nirmala at the end.
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