The Heemskerk Declaration
Fields of Green for ALL (FOGFA), a local non-profit company that engages with
policy-makers in order to construct South Africa’s cannabis future in all of its varied
facets, was honoured to be invited to the Global Forum of Producers of Prohibited Plants
(GFPPP) held in Heemskerk, The Netherlands, recently. They joined 60 farmers and their
representatives from 14 countries in an old castle for three days of intense dialogue
and shared experiences. All present were concerned with the dire consequences of the
prohibition of the coca leaf, the opium poppy and the cannabis plant. We take a look.
T
he outcome of the forum is contained with The
louder and louder. With the help of an Eastern Cape
Heemskerk Declaration and this is a seminal
environmental attorney, FOGFA have joined with other
document outlining the plight and demands
organisations in the area to begin the legal process of
of farmers affected by the failed 'war on drugs'. Our
holding the SAPS to account for their actions. You can
discussion groups were guided by researchers and
read the letter here and we will inform everyone of the
facilitators from the Transnational Institute (TNI) and the
progress of our communication.
process was democratic and flawless, especially given the
Myrtle & Green Network member, Dr Marlon Germon,
number of languages and cultures present at the forum.
attended RUN2016, a conference on drug policy that is
More about the forum on the GFPPP Facebook page.
part of South African Drug Policy Week took place in Cape
The delegates were divided into groups and given
Town from at the beginning of February. FOGFA were
themes and questions to guide the process. The main
given the opportunity to speak at a dedicated Cannabis
themes dealt with were:
side event and Myrtle addressed the forced eradication
• Forced Crop Eradication
issue and also gave feedback from the GFPPP and an
• Traditional and Medicinal Uses
outline of 'The Trial of the Plant'.
• Sustainable Rural Development & Political Economy
• Drugs & Conflict
It is imperative that we make our voices heard ahead
of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session
In preparation for this forum, FOGFA compiled a
on Drugs (UNGASS) to be held in New York in April 2016.
comprehensive report on Forced Crop Eradication in
The Trial of the Plant remains the only way to force our
South Africa, which suggests that the South African
government to hear the truth about cannabis but we will
police use the international conventions as an excuse for
find ourselves at a crossroads when it comes to actually
the continued poisoning of our land and its citizens with
changing the law. This is the job of the government and
glyphosate sprayed from helicopters. Many of you will
now is the time to engage with policy-makers from all
have seen our short documentary from February 2015
over the world to make sure that we map the road ahead
'Police in Helicopters'. South Africa is the only country that
very carefully. O
still uses aerial spraying for illicit crop eradication.
This is an issue that needs to be shouted about,
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