The main activity by Lokavidya Jan Andolan in WSF kathmandu, nepal 2024, is the oraganization of a workshop on 18th Feb. 2024. It was held at the Law College in Room Non 2. About 47 people attended the workshop. The subject of the workshop was 'LOKAVIDYA: The Knowledge Basis for Another, New and Better World. 

' A book stall (Stall No. 117) of lokavidya literature was also organized. 

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Claims presented in Lokavidya Jan Andolan (LJA) Workshop in WSF Kathmandu, Nepal February 2024

Lokavidya : Knowledge Basis for a New, Other and Better World

Down with the hierarchies in the world of knowledge

World Social Forum is going to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal between 15-19 February, 2024. From this platform Lokavidya Jan Andolan (LJA) presents knowledge claims made by Lokavidya-Samaj to create another, new and better world on the basis of their knowledge, lokavidya. Farmers, artisans, adivasi, small retailers and service providers and of course, women, all possess lokavidya, that is ‘knowledge in society’. LJA is a knowledge movement of lokavidya-samaj and all these communities bear the knowledge seeds for creating a better world. All these communities are struggling for survival in the present world based on Science. LJA is presenting their knowledge claims expressed through their life, struggles and movements, in the following points.

1. Knowledge Claims of Farmer Community:

• The farming community is capable of making a just agricultural policy for the country on the basis of its knowledge. Highly-educated experts cannot do it.

• The slogan of the Indian Farmers' Movement of 2020-22 “We will not let bread be locked in the safe” has given a new idea on the ‘relationship of food with trade’. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) demand of the farmers' movement is the first step towards concretizing the idea of creating another better world.

• Indian farmers' movement has drawn attention to the power of 'society' through its idea of 'non-political'. A concrete alternative has been presented to enable this power to compete with the excesses and injustice of state power and the market. Indigenous farmers in countries like Bolivia and Ecuador have coined the idea of ‘Mother Earth’ and the ‘Good Life. Via Compesina, an international organization of farmers, has presented the idea of ‘Food Sovereignty (Swaraj)’ against the capture of the food industry by big companies. All these ideas are creating the foundation for a better world. The basis of these ideas is in lokavidya (Knowledge of the people)

1.1 Appeal to the world by the community of farmers :

• Any technology for the production of grains should be put into practice only after extensive discussion and consultation among the agriculturist . The farming community has to develop dialogue and cooperation with its partner communities, i.e. artisans, tribals, women and small retailers, on all aspects and processes from making seeds to marketing. This is the creative step of knowledge movement under the leadership of LokavidyaSamaj (ordinary people) and this is the way to create a better world on ordinary people’s initiative which we can call Swaraj.

• The agricultural sector has to be freed from the identity of being the main source of providing raw materials for industries. Instead it is a resource for strengthening and enriching life and also for sustainable development.

• If the income of people working in grain farming and related enterprises is similar to that of government employees, then a better world will be realized.

• Grain production and food availability should be free from market pressures.

2. Knowledge Claims of Artisan Community

• The artisan community is not only concerned with producing the goods necessary for life but also takes a conscious look at the principles of production, technology, raw materials, processes and their social and environmental consequences. That means an artisan has his own knowledge, a world view, a philosophy. On the basis of this knowledge, he adopts the policy of utilization and regeneration of natural resources.

• From this platform, we appeal that the artisan community should stake its claim in formulating the industrial policy of the country on the basis of its knowledge, lokavidya. It is a knowledge movement of the artisan community.

• The biggest component of artisans is the weaver community. Weaver community must come forward as the leader of this knowledge movement. The weaving community in India has a great history. We should not forget that the struggle for Independent India from the British rule had a solid base of 'textile manufacturing' and the artisans associated with it.

• Big capital, big machines based on science, big markets, big companies, big vehicles that transport goods and information at high speed (computer-internet), all these are based on destruction of the harmony between men and nature. The knowledge of the artisan community claims to create a way out of this situation.

• If the income of people working in various types of artisanal industries and enterprises providing various types of services is the same as that of government employees, then a better world will be realized. If the artisans come together and open a dialogue among themselves on this issue, then a basis of social equality will be created and at the same time, ways will be found to counter the current anti-people and anti-nature industrial policy.

• From this forum our appeal to artisanal(industrial) communities that they should move towards creating a blueprint for a just industrial policy on the strength of their knowledge, lokavidya and for this, start a knowledge dialogue among ordinary people, lokavidya-samaj. Make all of them equal partners.

3. Knowledge Claims of Fishermen Community

• In India, from the north to south and from the east to west, a huge population of fishermen communities is settled on the banks of rivers and the seas. Water has been their life. There are many communities among them like machhuara, bind, kevat, manjhi, mallah etc.

• The fishermen community should stake claims to make the water policy for the country.

• It should come forward to stake the claim for food-swaraj and stand with the farming community.

• It should counter the increasing takeover of fishing and related trade by big companies and challenge the displacement caused by new technology. This is the basis of their lokavidya knowledge movement. • The community should stake the claims to have a primary role in the management of local water systems/institutions etc.

• The community should claim a position in arbitration for resolving disputes related to water sharing between states and countries.

• The community may come forward to stand with small shopkeepers in arranging fish markets in villages, towns and cities.

• Policies to solve the flood crisis, purification of reservoirs and rivers etc. may not be decided without consultation with the fishing community.

4. Knowledge Claims to Inaugurate a New Women’s Movement

• Ordinary women of every society have a huge storehouse of basic human sensitivities. On the basis of these, they constantly invent new methods of upbringing, which shape the moral, physical and artistic aspects of human knowledge. There is concrete evidence in women's knowledge that emotions constitute an intrinsic part of knowledge.

• Empathetic knowledge is the foundation of creating a better, just and respectful world for all. This is being human. The knowledge of ordinary women promotes these values in every process and type of farming, craftsmanship, service and small enterprises. This is the reason why the philosophies of all the saints have considered sensitivities as an integral part of knowledge.

• The knowledge base of today's capitalist system is in science and it refuses to consider emotions as a part of knowledge. The reason for inequality in human society and destruction of nature lies in this sense-less knowledge, that is science. In such a situation, women may stake the claim that their knowledge enable to create a better world. Women play an important role in the knowledge movement of people working in agriculture, local industry and small service and retail.

• Women in general have the knowledge of all aspects of cloth making and food processing. The first phase of the knowledge movement of common women begins here. Clothing and feeding people be reserved for women. This demand gives them a solid basis to stand on equal footing with the farmer and artisan communities.

• Ordinary women will have to stake claim to their knowledge in making the country's agricultural policy and industrial policy.

• The main demand of the women's knowledge movement should be that the income of women engaged in clothing and food processing should be like that of government employees.

• Primary education and health care should in command of women. These services may be provided by women at the local level.

• Through this platform, we appeal to the women of the world to recognize their special and specific knowledge-based role in affecting a structural change in society. This would lead to a women's movement paving the way for a different, new, and fairer society.

LIST OF SIGNATORY ORGANIZATIONS  endorsing this statement 
to come