In commemoration of World Hunger Day / World Food Day, the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty organized a Digital Dialogue with former and present UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Hilal Elver and Michael Fahkri.
One of the civil society presenters is Victor Yeimo, representing Komite Nasional Papua Barat, who explained the situation of Indigenous Peoples in West Papua and the ongoing struggle for food sovereignty side-by-side the struggle for self-determination.
Among the key demands presented by Victor Yeimo is the need for an independence referendum in West Papua, which will guarantee the Indigenous Peoples' right to manage their land and resources, and subsequently, their food production. He also narrated the state of the internally-displaced in highly-militarized areas in West Papua such as Nduga, and called for the immediate pull-out of Indonesia's military troops (Tentara Nasional Indonesia / TNI) from West Papua.
In the UNSR's response at the end of the program, Mr. Michael Fahkri noted the "powerful voices" of Indigenous Peoples and the youth against colonization and imperialism. He also recognized the "new colonization" in West Papua by the Indonesian Government.
UNSR Fahkri assured the participating organizations that the key messages and demands from the dialogue shall be relayed to different leaders, food summit system organizers, and national delegates, and they will be pressed to respond to the said demands.
CLICK HERE to watch the full program.