Associating the local population to Nyeleni [1] 2007, the first world Forum on food sovereignty which will be held from 23rd to 27th February, 2007, in Mali, is one of the targets set by the organisers,. This is a large-scale project – the construction of an entire conference village able to host 200 of the 600 participants. Aware of the fact that the event would lose its legitimacy if it took place in a town, far from the rural Malian realities, the organizers, among them Vía Campesina, the CNOP Mali (under the ROPPA banner) and Friends of the Earth , chose to build this infrastructure 140 km away from the capital Bamako, in the village of Sélingué, associated with the town of Baya.

One hundred huts, four conference rooms and one marquee are being built on the ground provided by the Sélingué town hall. The works started on 12th November, 2006, with the construction of a test hut, a model that has since been used to optimise use of local resources. Indeed, the project has set itself the constraint of using local materials such as banco [2] or cinder blocks [3] so that the construction is really a “reflection of a peasant village” as Témo Tamboura, the national coordinator of Nyeleni 2007, says. This tradition will be combined with a modern dimension, as the village will enjoy broadband Internet access.

	Malian villagers taking part in the construction of a centre

On the construction site, the local organisation Committee (formed by peasants who represent the farming associations), the Prefecture, and Baya town hall co-ordinate their actions in a friendly atmosphere. This co-operation is strongly backed by local people. With the harvest over, local young people rush to work on the site every day. Témo has also noticed that an unexpected motivation has emerged. “The Diarras and the Traorés families are competing amicably to be the first to finish the work and, as a consequence, not to be mocked by the other one. “Cousinage” [4] is a factor in strengthening co-operation” he says. Lastly, thanks to the message spread by local radio, Radio Baya, to raise awareness and communicate information, local farm workers have become massively involved in making banco bricks from baked clay, while others deal with supplying the site with hay and bamboo for the hut roofs. Regarding women associations, they take care of the preparations for the Nyeleni 2007 forum catering service.

This enthusiasm is complemented by technical co-operation which covers all the construction stages. With the same aim of mobilising local skills, a surveyor was sent by the Sélingué town hall and a neighbouring firm offered its expertise in producing building drawings. Furthermore, seven groups comprising two bricklayers and one foreman have been created. And the Sélingué company Magetti Kounda was commissioned to provide the materials necessary for the foundations.

Beyond its initial function of providing accommodation, the major strength of the project is what the accommodation will be used for in the future. Not only will it provide a vocational training centre for the Malian farm workers, but it will serve to foster long-term co-operation between the different players in the local population. As Témo Tamboura highlights: “The Nyeleni centre will also provide additional resources for NGOs, the State, and the communities who will be able to use it in order to protect and develop Malian and African agriculture, against the considerable threat of neo-liberal policies and practices”.

FDH

Notes :

[1] Nyeleni, famous Malian women-farmer who fought to assert herself in a disadvantageous environment

[2] A mix of clay, sandy laterite, cut hay and cowpat.

[3] Small rock used for construction, usually covered in plaster or mortar

[4] In Mali, two people of the same ethnic origin consider they are cousins; they like making jokes about surnames and community groups. That is what they call “cousinage”.”