17 April: International Day of Peasant Struggles

Today, April 17th, marks the International Day of Peasant Struggles. The Defending Peasants Rights platform, of which CETIM is a founding member, stands in solidarity with peasants and rural communities worldwide. We honour those who have lost their lives in the struggle for dignity, land, and justice, and those who continue to feed humanity, protect biodiversity, and sustain the planet.

Peasants, fisherpeople, pastoralists, herders, Indigenous peoples, rural workers and rural peoples are central actors in transforming food systems and building pathways toward global food sovereignty. Safeguarding their rights is therefore key for the future of humanity and a sustainable planet.

A fundamental tool to protect their rights is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas – UNDROP. It provides a robust framework to guide public policies, laws, and programmes that uphold rural peoples’ dignity, livelihoods, and futures.

The Defending Peasants’ Rights is a global platform for rural organisations and constituencies to share knowledge, amplify struggles, and build collective power for the implementation of their rights worldwide.

See also:

#April17 – United against imperialism, neocolonialism, the criminalization of our struggles, and the dispossession of our territories

Brazil: The Eldorado do Carajás massacre marks its 30th anniversary as a symbol of resistance in the struggle for land