14 February 2019, Rome – 42nd IFAD Governing Council – UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) –  on the theme rural of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The world must “place technology truly at the service of the poor,” Pope Francis said. “New technologies must not go against local cultures and traditional knowledge, but should be complementary and act in synergy with them”.  “Today more than ever we have to join forces, achieve consensus, to strengthen our bonds. The current challenges are so intricate and complex that we cannot continue confronting them occasionally, with emergency resolutions,” he said. He also encouraged those affected by poverty and hunger to be directly involved in decision-making “so that these people can be responsible architects of their own production and progress”.

“We have to see to it that every person in every community is in the position to tap into their potential fully in order to live a human life worthy of that name,” he added.  

The fourth global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum at IFAD, took also place at IFAD Headquarters in Rome on 12 and 13 February 2019. It focused on Promoting indigenous peoples’ knowledge and innovations for climate resilience and sustainable development.

 

Source: www.ifad.org