Statement by the Executive Director
Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC)
Nathaniel Don Marquez

Your Excellency Carlos Mesa, President of Bolivia; Excellency Dr. Erwin Aguilera Antúnez, Minister for Sustainable Development; Dr. Edson Teofilo, Special Consultant for Rural Development in the Bank of North-East Brazil; Mr. Victor Laina, Director of Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion International; Mr. Jim Carruthers, Assistant President of IFAD; Bruce Moore, Coordinator of the International Land Coalition; Miquel Urioste, Director of Fundación TIERRA, our local host, members and partners of the Coalition, friends from development, amigos y amigas, compañeros y compañeras, Good Morning.

Let me start by saying that civil-society organizations have taken great effort to come to this land mark meeting of the International Land Coalition (ILC) held in Bolivia . Some have travelled three full days and we are glad to be here with your excellent hospitality. The theme of this meeting, "Land is Life", resonates deeply for my organization, the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC). Since our inception in 1979, we took the position that agrarian reform is essential to the development of Asian rural communities. We firmly believe that land is NOT just an economic commodity. While access to land brings a source of livelihood, it also reduces social tensions and conflicts over resources. It achieves sustainable management of lands and improves overall peace for greater economic and political stability.

Unfortunately, although much has been changed in terms of the development agendas, actual conditions have not changed for many of the rural poor. In the 1960's the top 20 percent of the world's population had incomes 30 times of the poorest 20 percent. Today, in this rapidly globalizing world, the gap is 60 times and this phenomenon is being felt more widely in two sectors - women and indigenous peoples.

Over the past two decades we have witnessed the feminization of agriculture, men and youth moved to the cities, and women are left with the responsibility of farming. Unfortunately, in most countries women are denied access to land, and in effect also to capital and other support services. Land reform programmes should thus address women's concerns - addressing existing laws and practices that curtail equal property rights for women. However, the more difficult task will be how to change the existing customary practices and social norms that currently discriminate against women's access to land.

Indigenous communities continue to lose their lands. The colonial period first drove the natives from their fertile lands, then started the extended process of state intrusion into forest areas. Until today indigenous peoples are increasingly being displaced from their customary lands due to in-migration, ethnic conflicts and insurgency, privatization and corporate logging and mining by national and transnational interests. Though marginalized, indigenous peoples possess a wealth of knowledge and are a source of environmental management practices. Thus for indigenous peoples communities, the right to land carries the right to self-determination, cultural integrity and survival.

Agrarian reform is a continuing political process since it involves changing power relations. Historically governments have instituted land reforms in direct response to massive public pressure. However, even after legislative reforms are instituted, there is a need for constant public vigilance and pressure, to enable governments to exercise their political will. If I may paraphrase a saying in my country: "If we like to do a certain thing, we can find a number of ways to do it. If we do not like to do it, we can find a thousand and one reasons not to do it." We know the right thing to do. The problem is not intellectual but moral. In the end do we have the courage to do the right and just thing?

While we commit to dialogue with governments, there is a need to explore other avenues and space to broaden poor communities' access to land and other productive resources. We welcome, for instance, the growing constituency around the issue to access to common property, especially by the poor. While agrarian reform is still our prime advocacy, we recognize that common property are an important component of rural livelihoods. Two things should however be guarded: first, that these commons are used not just equitably but also sustainably and, second that access to them by the poor is ensured, especially at attempts to privatize them.

Moving on, we hope to use the framework of international commitments for pushing for our agenda. The Millennium Development Goals which many governments have committed to in their development agenda and programs, offers one common framework. However, the agenda of access to land should be part of this agenda. The International Land Coalition should take a lead role in ensuring that implementation of the MGDs incorporate the agenda of access to land. As such the Coalition should pursue the creation of a LANDWATCH mechanism, to monitor national and international compliance to access to land-related agreements and commitments.

Perhaps the fact that this gathering of the International Land Coalition coincides with the Holy Week is prophetic. Christ has to carry His cross, suffer and "die" in order to have His salvation through His resurrection. I can only hope that the plight of the rural poor will have the same fate, that they be in paradise on the third day.

Thank you. Muchos gracias!