SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MEETINGS
A space for interaction promoted by the Traditional Communities Forum between researchers, representatives of traditional communities, federal prosecutors, public defenders and other justice actors, managers of conservation units and environmental agencies, with a focus on promoting the social development of traditional communities associated with environmental preservation and the strengthening of rights to transform conflicts. It promotes the integration of socio-biodiversity and socio-environmental justice.
PROBLEM SOLVED
The mobilization and strengthening of social organizations are essential to address the various conflict situations involving traditional communities, especially those related to overlapping Conservation Units and the impacts of large-scale projects. Even with the existence of legal principles and regulatory frameworks that protect traditional communities, such as Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the National Policy for the Sustainable Development of Traditional Peoples and Communities (Decree No. 6040/2007), there is still great resistance to the application of these standards by managers of protected areas and state technocrats, who do not recognize the presence of these populations as allies in the conservation and sustainable use of Brazilian biodiversity. There are numerous restrictions imposed on traditional subsistence and livelihood practices of families, as well as on their social reproduction, especially the maintenance of their homes and ways of life.
SOLUTION ADOPTED
The Bocaina Socioenvironmental Justice Meetings are promoted by the FCT in partnership with the Bocaina Observatory of Sustainable and Healthy Territories (OTSS), the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). The objective of these meetings is to identify solutions that promote socioenvironmental justice in the territories of traditional communities.
The methodologies adopted to hold the meetings are based on collective construction, taking into account the different logics of the actors involved: community members, representatives of environmental agencies, representatives of the MPF and academic and community researchers. The presentations and debates are based on the analysis of specific cases, seeking a greater understanding between technical and traditional knowledge, which allows for a balance in the proposed solutions.
The debate and presentation of legislation and legal instruments contribute to the strengthening and empowerment of traditional communities, in addition to facilitating the agreement of strategies to resolve socioenvironmental conflicts existing in the territory. In addition to strengthening the relationship between traditional communities and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the meetings make it possible to give greater visibility to existing socio-environmental conflicts for all participants, promoting the search for solutions and collective understandings.
These meetings are essential to promote an open dialogue, where all actors involved can contribute their perspectives and knowledge. The collaborative and interdisciplinary approach adopted in the Bocaina Socio-Environmental Justice Meetings is essential for the construction of sustainable and fair solutions that respect and value the specificities of traditional communities and the socio-environmental challenges of the territory.
RESULT ACHIEVED
The meetings allow for the agreement of concrete actions for the territory. The Charter of the Bocaina Socio-Environmental Justice Meeting contains 13 items that highlight the existence of legal frameworks that guarantee the rights of traditional communities and the conservation of protected areas, expanding dialogue and strengthening the relationship between Conservation Units (CUs) and traditional communities.
In addition, permanent groups are formed, involving all the main actors and coordinated by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. These groups have the mission of outlining strategies on specific cases and themes, aiming to find effective ways to reduce conflicts in the territory.
The meetings also allow for the opening of channels of dialogue between the Traditional Communities Forum and other institutions, such as the Public Defender's Office of the States of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and the Human Rights Defense Commissions of the Federal Legislature and the State of Rio de Janeiro.
This collaborative and inclusive approach is essential to promote mutual understanding and the construction of sustainable and fair solutions that respect and value the specificities of traditional communities and the environmental challenges of the territory.