Grassroots activists and policy experts from several Southern countries will meet in Washington DC to discuss agricultural and rural sector development just prior to the annual 50 Years is Enough conference. The meeting is slated for Wednesday and Thursday September 22 and 23. This exchange is being sponsored by several U.S. organizations (all 50 Years members) including: Center for Economic Justice, EPICA, Share Foundation, Witness for Peace, 50 Years is Enough and the Preamble Center. The following countries are expected to send representatives to participate in the exchange: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (Chiapas), Haiti, Cuba and Brazil. Organizers are also talking to activists in Africa and Asia about coming to the meeting.

In an announcement sent out by EPICA, The Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean, some clear objectives were laid out for the exchange:

• Provide Northerners and Southerners the opportunity to learn what proactive strategies and alternatives are being launched in each country regarding agricultural and rural development, and the participation of rural women in that development;
  
  
• Provide Southerners from various countries the opportunity to exchange strategies and visions regarding food security, alternative agricultural and rural development, and the role of rural women;
  
  
• Provide Northerners the opportunity to develop strategies---on both a country and regional basis—for solidarity with alternative agricultural and rural development, and the participation of rural women in that development and to share experiences of advocacy vis-a vis the World Bank, Interamerican Development Bank, USAID, and other IFI policies on development, credit, debt cancellation, land reform, trade, etc.

A substantial amount of groundwork has already been done for this exchange. In late April an international workshop was held in El Salvador. This workshop focused on designing "bottom-up" strategies for rural development. The Share foundation reports that preparation for this workshop consisted of months of work "by a broad network of Salvadoran small farmer organizations and two national cooperative federations to design proposals for rural development that include the interests and needs of landless peasants, small and medium farmers and agricultural cooperatives." The devastation of Hurricane Mitch has made the need for development alternatives even more imperative. The alternatives introduced by these workshops are in contrast to the neo-liberal "sweatshop" which has been pursued by bilateral and multilateral aid donors. The South-South Exchange scheduled for September 22-23 should be interesting and produce some proactive ideas. If you know of organizations or individuals in the South who should be invited to attend please contact the 50 Years is Enough Network by phone at (202)544-9355, or by fax at (202) 544-9359, or by e-mail at wb50years@igc.org