630 delegates from around the world to participate in the Mei Ramew festival

A reporter

SHILLONG, October 29: The Mei Ramew or Terra Madre meaning mother earth will soon kick start in Shillong, from the 3rd to 7th November, 2015 at Mawphlang Sacred Grove organized by the North East Slow Food and Agro biodiversity Society (NESFAS).  From 3rd till 5th there will be a conference at North Easter Hill University (NEHU) see the participation of all the delegates to discuss on the various indigenous issues in the presence of United tion (UN) observers and on 7th November.

The Mei Ramew festival will gather indigenous food communities working with the indigenous Partnership, Slow Food Intertiol, UN Agencies and other global supporters to showcase their traditiol knowledge, evolving skills and sustaible practices that safeguard tural resources and contribute to a resilient food system that promotes a more humane future for a diverse world.

“I am very grateful towards the Hima Mawphlang who has welcomed such a huge festival like the Intertiol Mei Ramew festival to be hosted at their backyard and who have always supported us in all aspects,” Dr. C. O Rangad Indigenous Terra Madre (ITM) Expediter Director NESFAS told newsmen here on Thursday.

He informed that around 58 countries will be taking part in the festival including 283 foreign delegates with the total number of delegates coming to 630, 88 number of Intertiol tribes and 59 tiol tribes have confirmed their participation and the total number of Indigenous communities from around the world comes to 147.

Informing that there will be around 40 Indigenous food stalls including a Biodiversity Fair at Mawphlang, he said, “the highlight of this Biodiversity Fair is to showcase the various rare plants which are present in the North East.”

“We have desigted eight parking lots which will be around 1 km away from the venue of the festival and in view of this we have decided to put in place shuttle buses to fairy people from the parking lot to the venue this is being done in order to ease traffic congestion in the area,” he said.

Meanwhile, D. Y Kharshiing President Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong (SKRS) Mawphlang said, “we want to appeal towards the people who are coming to this festival that they should come with respect and not create any nuisance and that they should respect the volunteers.” He also appealed that the people should not throw rubbish carelessly instead they should use the wasted bin which has been put in place all around the venue.