It is with the greatest sadness that we hear about the
passing of Thomas Kocherry.
It was just yesterday that he joined the coordinating
committee of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) in a lively telephonic
conference discussion on issues that faces small scale fishers across the
world. Today he is no more and all of us in the WFFP are shocked and mourn the
loss of a pioneer of our organization.
His passing is an intimate loss for fisher-folk across the
world.
Thomas was a hardened soldier in the fight for the rights of
fishers and poor people. His very existence echoed the plight of the poor. He
was never a person to indulge in luxury. Whenever the WFFP met internationally
he was always in the front line of not wasting. All his international work
reflected the life of the poor. We in the WFFP can attest to this and we value
this personal attribute that he instilled in our organization.
As tough as a person he was, he also stood tall in the fight
against the exploitation of marginalized people. Even though he will be modest
about it – we know that he has made an indelible impact in the fight for a
better life for fishers in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Canada and all over the
world.
For us, in the WFFP, the legacy of Thomas Kocherry will
continue to stand tall.
While we mourn his passing – we also celebrate the great
contribution that he made in the struggle for human rights the world over. His
absence will surely be missed.
NaseeghJaffer&
Sherry Pictou
Co-Chairpersons of WFFP.
3rd May
2014
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