Haga que pasa: Make it happen!!

Haga que pasa: Make it happen!

'MI FINK' AND THE STRUGGLE FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND FREEDOM IN VILLA RICA, COLOMBIA

Come and see Jota this week:
· Wednesday 6 October at Institute for the Study of the Americas, 5 - 7.30p.m. University of London, Venue : Room G32 (South Block,Senate House, Ground Floor) Tube:Russell Square, Kings Cross, Euston, Googe Street.

· Saturday 9 October 12.30pm (midday) at the Democracy Rally in Trafalgar Square, London

As land has been lost to large, commercial, sugar plantations in the Cauca Region of Colombia, small scale traditional farms or fincas have disappeared and with them knowledge of locally adapted food production systems. In Villa Rica, however, Jota Ramos and his friends have decided to fight back. By learning about traditional production techniques from the town's elders they are rescuing and revitalising the knowledge they need in order to re-establish a vibrant rural community that has control over the food that they eat. 'Mi Fink' is a short documentary that Jota and his colleagues have made to record their efforts to take control of their lives and their futures. It is also the name of their project, which is part of a much larger programme, ¡Haga que pase!, which seeks to motivate and support young people in their efforts to change their lives for the better. In this evening's seminar, Jota will present the documentary 'Mi Fink' and explain a little more about the struggle for food sovereignty and freedom in Villa Rica.
As a result, the life of Jota, one of the community leaders, is being threatened. Persons as yet unidentified have accused him of subversion, a very dangerous accusation in Colombia, and warned him against working for his community.
‘As a way of protecting ourselves and to highlight these problems, we have made the documentary Mi Fink, and the music CD. We have also organized a tour of Latin America and Europe, to let the world know what is going on, so that we will not be alone on the path that we have chosen, towards freedom for our community.’
Jota Ramos, 2010