As a participant of “The Asia Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty” conference on November 13^th 2017, listening to the great experienced scholars and professors on global phenomena like Neo-Liberalism, Globalization and Climate Change. It was a chance to sharpen my knowledge and thought to think deep and critical on these issues. It directs my mind to re-think and reflect on: How the poor and the less fortunate people are being abused by the land lords. Mainly, how industrialization is effecting the society as a whole and the individuals at the same time? In addition, how all these so called global phenomenon like globalization, industrialization and privatization penetrating into our lives that as a common people we cannot even realize that we are already part of it, contributing social injustice to society.

The sharing about the foreign investment gives new dimensions to the discussion. We have a large market in Association of South Sea Asia Nations (ASEAN) and the labor market is cheap. Therefore, investors like to invest and keep the profit with them leaving a lot of tangible and intangible impurities like drainage of industrial waste to our oceans, harmful gases for our environment, physical and mental illness and most of all economic depression. Moreover, there is a lack of skilled workers in ASEAN, as they like to migrate to develop countries. Same imply to the farmers as their generation do not want to continue with their profession. They prefer to work in a factory 8hrs/day and have monthly payment. The greediness of industrialization here is that factories offers contractual jobs providing no other benefits for their workers, hence the poor common people left with no choice rather just living her/his life from hand to mouth.

Since times, Power really matters, everyone wants to hold power in his hands therefore, there is no sharing of power, consequently imbalanced society both economically and socially. Hence we violate rights of others that directly leads to different forms of terrorism. Unfortunately, Government is also part of it.

As the civil society leaders we must come up with awareness, for their rights and empowerment. It’s actually the hard work of the farmer who wake up early in the morning to grow food for us. Just to remind we cannot eat money, human being still dependent on crops to eat. We need to empower our farmers pushing our government and civil leaders to provide facilities and opportunities to the farmers. Therefore, their work will be recognized.

by Sana Mariam