COOPERATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF TRADITIONAL PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES
The Traditional Communities Forum (FCT) is a tool for coordinating social movements that bring together indigenous, quilombola and caiçaras communities from Angra dos Reis, Paraty and Ubatuba. This movement jointly articulates the agendas and demands for the promotion of rights and the defense of traditional territories of the three cultural groups, strengthening their political influence far beyond what each group could achieve on its own. Its re-applicability is relevant for the empowerment and strengthening of traditional communities in the design of territorialized public policies that promote socio-environmental sustainability.
PROBLEM SOLVED
The region comprising the municipalities of Angra dos Reis and Paraty, on the southern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, and the municipality of Ubatuba, on the northern coast of São Paulo, has unique beauty preserved by its geographical location and the presence of more than 100 traditional Caiçara, indigenous and quilombola communities. This traditional way of life, however, was particularly affected, starting in the 1970s, by the construction of the Rio-Santos highway (BR 101) and the escalation of conflicts arising from real estate speculation, the installation of large developments and the overlapping of these territories with Conservation Units created without due prior consultation processes with the communities. Although these challenges are common to the three traditional groups, until the creation of the FCT in 2007, each people organized themselves politically in isolation from the others, which weakened their power to mobilize and negotiate.
SOLUTION ADOPTED
To ensure coordination between communities without prejudice to their cultural specificities, the FCT is organized around "Ethnic Meetings" in which each cultural group discusses its specific issues. These meetings by cultural group ("Caiçara", "Indigenous" and "Quilombola"), in turn, serve as preparatory meetings for the so-called Expanded Meeting of the FCT, in which common issues raised by each cultural group in the previous stages are identified and debated in order to define common strategies to be taken together. In addition, the FCT has a Coordination Group, three Municipal Centers and different Working Groups that meet regularly, always with representation from the three cultural groups in each space created.
RESULT ACHIEVED
Founded in 2007 under the auspices of the National Policy for the Sustainable Development of Traditional Peoples and Communities, the Traditional Communities Forum (FCT) has emerged as a collective force dedicated to addressing the challenges and constraints faced by traditional communities, promoting the defense and guarantee of their fundamental rights. The FCT is committed to fighting for the right to territory, health, differentiated education, cultural appreciation and respect for the traditions and lifestyles of these communities. This mission has brought together caiçara, quilombola and indigenous peoples in a joint effort to strengthen their common struggles and challenges, transforming the FCT into an epicenter of resistance and collective struggle. Over the course of two decades, the FCT has been the stage for countless success stories, community achievements, recognition and increased representation. Currently, the FCT focuses its efforts on areas such as Agroecology, Differentiated Education, Culture, Artisanal Fishing, Community-Based Tourism (CBT), Ecological Sanitation and Territorial Defense, aiming to expand its networks and remain in traditional territories as a way of preserving, resisting and guaranteeing their ways of life. In 2009, a significant partnership was established between the FCT and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), culminating in the creation of the Bocaina Observatory of Sustainable and Healthy Territories (OTSS) in 2013. This Fiocruz program is a pioneer in the implementation of intersectoral and participatory governance, which integrates scientific knowledge with traditional knowledge, aiming to promote health and sustainable development. In addition, the FCT plays an active role in more than nineteen municipal and regional councils, committees and other collegiate entities, promoting socio-environmental justice through actions such as legal advice, conflict mediation, drafting of Terms of Commitment, Protocols for Prior, Free and Informed Consultation, and inter-institutional coordination with various governmental and non-governmental bodies. The FCT is also dedicated to the technopolitical training of young people, through the FCT Youth Nucleus, and to the mediation of territorial conflicts, in addition to participating in the drafting of participatory management plans with Conservation Units and having played a decisive role in the candidacy of Paraty as a Mixed World Heritage Site, where it has a seat on the Management Council.