not the National Farmers Union

Just a quick one to report on the Farmers' National Assembly, cos I'm off again in a few hours (back at the weekend).

There were about 300 people there. Given that farmers' associations were sending their 'leaders' as delegates, I was expecting to be about the only woman there. It wasn't like that at all. About 30% were women, and there were loads of young people too. Not all the organisations were specifically farmers (eg there was one environmental group), but I guess most people there would have identified as campesinos/campesinas.

I was immediately bowled away by how friendly and open everyone was. No need for icebreakers for people to get to know each other. I felt really welcomed and comfortable. There were a lot of questions about my country, and there was that slightly weird thing about being considered exotic. One woman remarked how she never would have believed that she'd be having lunch sitting next to an English person. And two women asked for photos with me, having never spoken to me before.

There was a feeling of everyone looking after me. The first morning when I got up, about five people checked I'd got myself a coffee. I'm beginning to understand how the way people do that for the simple things, connects to their attitude to where I might be sent to be helpful. My safety seems to be incredibly important to everyone.

When we arrived, we got an induction about horizontal organising, and the need for everyone to chip in with toilet cleaning and gate duty, which felt pretty familiar.

The opening session was pretty moving. It started by naming all those from each region who had been killed by the army, paramilitaries, or guerrilla groups. "For their deaths, not a moments silence. Instead, a lifetime of struggle." "Our leaders are not dead. Their memories live on and provide a motive for us to continue the struggle." Then a 76 year old man, a woman and a youngster gave inspiring speeches. About the need for unity, about how "no one can take away your principles", and ending with the young person promising to continue the struggle.

Every group represented was called on to speak, then some presentations, then questions and answers. The session was 4 1/2 hours in all, with no breaks. I guess this is the culture that Fidel's 4 hour speeches came from.

They did add breaks into later sessions though. One particularly interesting one was looking at what the organisation's policies should be with regard to land rights, displacements, the environment, coca growing, the political solution to the armed conflict, education and technology.

The final session overran into dinner time in a way my stomach did not appreciate. So I was even less patient when the bloke with a particularly over-endowed ego chose to speak for 25 minutes about the history of the organisation, with a focus on his own involvement. Especially when he mentioned how great it was that there were so many women present "and each one pretty and beautiful". The smiles on the women's faces showed how far feminism has to go here. But at least the organisation's structure had been changed to ensure greater representation. (The assembly was organised by a group of men, with mostly big plenary sessions which favoured men speaking. Although when I mentioned this to one bloke, he explained that the women 'chose' not to speak.)

There was more of an openness to experiences and an emphasis on fun than there'd be at a conference at home. Before each session there was a 'mistica' which ranged from music to drama to a guided meditation which everyone seemed to take seriously. On Friday evening I was taught to dance, and I think I managed not to humiliate myself.