THURSDAY SESSION OF WORK GROUP
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The meeting will start now.
The representative from Uruguay says that small, family production has to
be integrated into the economy. Cooperatives and small producers of milk
and wool now serve the country and also export their production. They
receive a better price now and are able to compete in the market.
Uruguay is a democracy. The government provided managerial training to
cooperatives and small companies, as well as funding for their activities.
The cottage industry is being integrated and receives bank loans now. There
are four groups of cooperatives: milk, wool, grains, and handicraft, with
thousands of members each.
The Brazilian representative mentions the work done by his community group
which emphasizes rural values. It is the first organization to apply the
Agenda 21 recommended by the European Economic Community.
The Vietnam representative says that socialism is still a dream for many
people. In Russia farming was performed in small farms. Vietnam wants to
build a democratic society based on the market system but preserving the
social aspects of socialism.
The Brazilian representative of the landless says the country lacks an
agrarian reform. Their movement organizes around regional cooperatives
which deal with production, distribution, education, the situation of women
and young people, and they are connected to a central unit. Cooperatives
have their own product brand names , newspapers, and also radio stations.
The representative from Ecuador says that community experiences should be
shared with other countries. Small producers must have access to credit,
training, and distribution.
Recommendations of the Economy and Society theme group:
* establishment of a network of experiences;
* a network of solidary international commerce of small producers;
* to articulate a productive economy vis-a-vis a reproductive one;
* development and social accountability of private enterprises;
* education on the local level, including managerial skills;
* creation of production policies that account for basic needs of populations.
Other suggestions:
The economy should be at the service of ethics, go beyond individualism and
underscore collective actions. Peace is essential and must be addressed
with international measures that have implications locally. The invisible
production of workers, particularly women, has to be taken into
consideration. Discussions among allies should continue through other means
like the Internet and not finish here.
End of the meeting.