This text is part of the special International Cooperation section
International Development Week (IDW) will be celebrated from February 4 to 10 across Canada. Including in Quebec, where the event is intended to be a plea for food sovereignty.
The SDI will be deployed across the country in around a hundred activities which will bring together members of civil society, educational establishments, government bodies and the general public. The event, supported by Global Affairs Canada, aims to raise Canadians’ awareness of international development issues while highlighting the work of international solidarity organizations and their partners.
In Quebec, the Quebec Association of International Cooperation Organizations (AQOCI) is coordinating this week of mobilization during which panels, film screenings, happy hours, assembly and webinar will be held. “Our members are active in many countries around the world, but our commitment is great in Quebec to raise awareness of this international date,” underlines Michèle Asselin, general director of AQOCI.
Crises that threaten food security
The members are more than 70 organizations from the four corners of Quebec. Together, they decided to dedicate this year of activity — and this week in particular — to food sovereignty. A concept that advocates for the right of populations to define their own agricultural and food systems, without compromising those of others. In other words, their right to healthy and affordable food, produced using sustainable methods.
If this theme has emerged, it is because it stands as a bulwark against the food insecurity fueled by the economic, climatic and political crises which have marked the year 2023. “The right to food is threatened on a global scale,” warns Michèle Asselin, who cites in particular the impact of armed conflicts in Ukraine, in Haiti where struggles between groups are exacerbating a serious food crisis, or in the Middle East. “We are going to have an activity to demonstrate Quebec’s humanitarian action in Gaza where the Palestinian people are threatened with hunger. In all the conflicts we see, the right to food is far from assured. »
Another factor of food insecurity is that brought about by climate change. At COP28 which took place in Dubai last December, AQOCI added its voice to those calling for the end of fossil fuels through its youth delegation. “Climate change directly impacts the way we eat. Food sovereignty is closely linked to the self-determination of peoples and their access to traditional food, which they choose,” says Laura Wilmot, doctoral student in law at Laval University and one of the five young women in the delegation. .
Before the event and on site, the delegates spoke with political actors from the province and the federal government as well as numerous members of civil society. Above all, they worked to make visible the struggles of five partner organizations from Latin America, Africa and Asia, whose territories are among the most affected by climate change. “We were a very proactive delegation,” recognizes the doctoral student.
An experience that she will share with her teammates on February 7 at the Maison du développement durable, in Montreal. During a panel devoted to climate justice, the young delegates hope in particular to convince people of the influence of protest movements on international negotiations. “Despite the criticism [entourant l’accord de la COP28], and with most of which I agree, these events still have a reason to exist and civil society plays a very important role. »
Creating resilient communities
While climate change is also named as one of the causes that have increased the price of food in the country, the director of AQOCI highlights the need to make communities resilient across the world by thinking about mechanisms that reduce their dependence on large agri-food companies. “Food sovereignty is defined differently in Quebec, Senegal, Bolivia where we cultivate at altitude, in Asia where we face monsoons or in areas of major humanitarian crisis. But these situations demonstrate the common perspective of Quebec actors in international cooperation. »
In order to carry its demands as widely as possible, the AQOCI continued its tradition of promoting international development week by producing a comic strip. Produced by the artist Val-Bleu, this year the work highlights the fights of Indian writer and activist Vandana Shiva for food sovereignty. An ideal format to fuel discussions, believes Michèle Asselin. “It’s a way to develop awareness through positive action-oriented models. It is also a way of making a cultural contribution to the event and promoting the discovery of local artists. »
The comic strip will be featured in libraries across the province and, possibly, in certain schools.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.