Revista ingles - Painel das Bases by Alan Brum Pinheiro

para

Awêre Kisele “That everything may work out for those who don’t have a name yet” July 2013

Ground Level Panel

Organização e Realizalição:

Apoio:

Drawings: Ruam Florentino Monteiro Revisão: Eliane Simas Translation: Clara Ferraz Editing: Erika Franco

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Preamble

The idea for the Ground-level Panel comes as a counterpoint to the UN High-Level Panel on the post-2015 development agenda: people who know hardship and who experience in their daily lives the result of development policies and programs must be heard. But right from the start of the process we realized that more than ‘heard’, they should truly indicate the course of action to be taken, considering their incredible capacity to cope with adversity and generate LIFE in an environment where all aspects seem to lead to death. This statement had direct implications on the shape and content of the process. It could no longer be a consultation within the standards, conceptions and definitions in vogue within the international development community. If we want diverse people, who are strangers to each other, who don’t always find in spoken word their means of expression, and who are often not used to the rhythm of formal meetings and conceptual discussions, we should be prepared to rethink our practices and spaces for engagement. Not only to provide the freedom and basic conditions for each one to speak, listen, smile, dance, understand and manifest their unique beings, andt that these manifestations be truly considered as producers of knowledge fundamental to life. Youtube search: Movimento ATD Quarto Mundo Brasil Facebook: http://facebook.com/tasabendo

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Articulation

With this in mind, the facilitation team, formed by ATD Fourth World Movement and Raízes em Movimento , started to think of potential panelists drawing from pre-existing networks and trustworthy relations considering a few characteristics: Personal history of exclusion and resistance; the necessity to reflect the country’s regional and cultural diversity; a short preparation period; personal contact through partners. We did not build an ideal profile for a panelist, but rather considered each individual case. improvements but who do not have a stable income or job that allows them to participate in moments like these, important for personal growth and for strengthening the collective. It would have been great to have had the perspectives of both of these participants. It was not possible at that moment, but we know they remain within the Panel’s circle of close allies.

From this starting point we began inviting people and each case led to different processes, with some being invited on a personal basis, others being invited through the group or collective in which they engage. Of the invitations made, two people were not available on the days of the event; the other two absences occurred unexpectedly. Alex Maciel, from Belo Horizonte from the Movimento Nacional de População de Rua (National Homeless Population Movement) suffered an accident on his traveling day and was unable to attend. Edson Gomes, from Verdejar Sócioambiental (Socio-environmental Greening), the first to accept the invitation, declined on the week due to a paid work opportunity he had been waiting for a long time. This is another obstacle faced by those who struggle for societal

Another interesting process was the gathering of the support team, considering logistics, facilitation, documentation, and translation, which was composed of collaborators from Raízes em Movimento and ATD Quarto Mundo (Fourth World Movement) who all brought lots of enthusiasm and personal perspectives to help form the Panel (for the bios see p. XX).

See more about ATD Fourth World Movement and Raízes em Movimento on page 45

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Two of the participants, Pamela and Raull, were invited to have a documentation role; however, their experiences and life stories were so strong that they soon became part of the panel. Having decided on the panelists and support team, contact established through emailing and phone-calling between organizers and panelists started to create an atmosphere of dialogue and prepare the ground for the meeting. A collective email introduced the panelists to each other who already started their exchange. This phase also consisted of one of the staff members visiting the community Céu do Mapiá in the Amazonas state to meet Arlete and the reality in which she lives. This visit was essential to understand how truly distinct our living realities are. Ideally more visits would have occurred, but we had severe time restrictions.

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Facilitators Mariana Guerra Graduated in social communication in Rio de Janeiro, I’ve been having enriching experiences and learning alongside people living in extreme poverty and social exclusion since 2001. In 2004 I met the International Movement ATD Fourth World and after a few years I joined ATD volunteer corps with long term experiences in Peru, Bolivia and France. Today I am part of the Movement’s team in Brazil. Alan Brum Pinheiro Founder and executive secretary of Raízes em Movimento Institute, I am also researcher at Laboratório Territorial de Manguinhos - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. During many years of activism in Complexo do Alemão, I have been a teacher at the Youth and Adults Education Program, coordinator of the National Centre for Communitary Trainning, manager of the social work of the Growth Acceleration Program - PAC and co-founder and promoter of the Serra da Misericórdia Local Development Committee. I am a radical activist for local participatory democracy.

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Painelistas

Antonieta Guido da Silva Participant in the Associação Comunitária do Bairro do Guamá (Community Association of the Guamá Neighborhood), in Belém do Pará, of which her mother was a founding member, Antonieta fights for rights and human development with social, educational, cultural, and sports programs and projects with kids, youth, adults, and the elderly. For her, sharing knowledge is the key to building a fairer and more egalitarian society.

For us, working with youth is essential. It was through education, fine arts and performing arts that we started working with the most vulnerable schools in the neighborhood. We invest in the Boi Bumbá culture in the promotion of peace.

Arlete Furtado Born and raised in the Purus National Forest- Amazonas, Arlete is a defender of nature and the harmony in the interactions of all the beings that are a part of it. Today she works in a project called Jardim da Natureza (Nature’s Garden) making artisan crafts with children, youth and elderly women, rescuing local knowledge and strengthening the region. She carries with her the importance of popular and community education, and seeks to find the people in her region who are most isolated, be it for reasons of geography, transportation or prejudice.

It was when I started this movement with Chico Mendes... I am very grateful to this man, for it was then that I awoke, that I started to value the Amazon (…) I started participating and understanding, learning these words: cooperativism, association, and we started to see that only through this movement of union we can accomplish things.

Ben Hur Flores In southern Brazil, in the peripheries of the city of Pelotas, Ben Hur unites a big family of children and teenagers with the purpose of showing them that they are the transformation that they want to be. The Anjos e Querubins (Angels and Cherubs) was born over 10 years ago with the certainty that it is through art and education that we can fully exercise our citizenship.

We are a product of what we do, of the choices we make. Therefore, our work is specifically in art, with music and theater. I cannot envision a society that is changed without the building of a high-quality education.

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Claudia Barroso da Silva Lives in Petrópolis - Rio de Janeiro with her husband, kids and grandkids. Is a participant in the group Raio de Luz (Ray of Light) and in the association Brasil pela Dignidade (Brazil for Dignity). An artisan, seamstress and embroiderer, Claudia participates of the projects by learning and teaching what she knows. She is an example of how knowledge is in life and should be shared. Her willpower and hope for change is what moves her towards building a better future for her family and others.

I belive that it is worth it to fight for life. For the right of not only my family and I, but for the rights of our neighbors. My struggle is for equal rights, so that all may have a more dignified future. All must have this opportunity.

Feijão Rafael Nascimento Miranda As a participant in the Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos (Center for Defense of Human Rights) since birth, he was motivated to establish the Grupo de Cultura Afro KISILE (Group of Afro Culture KISILE) in Jacareípe, Serra – Espírito Santo. He was born and raised within different social movements and has a strong conviction that the world needs love in order to be transformed and for all forms of prejudice to come to an end.

“You can’t prentend not to see or not want to understand a reality that shouts at our face, around us, you cannot stay only in your comfort zone, without getting involved in this issues that are urgent and real.”

Jamopoty Tupinambá Maria Valdelice in her birth certificate, her indigenous name is Jamopoty, which means to flourish. Jamopoty is cacique - indigenous leader - of the Tupinambá de Olivença people in IlhéusBahia, and is the true example of horizontal governance. She lives with her people and knows, from within, the reality she represents. Today, her people’s fight continues to be for the demarcation of indigenous lands and for the basic securities for a dignified and fair life for indigenous people.

When we are faced with other problems, we see that our problems are all the same and that, only by assembling, conveying these needs, can we find out that our needs are the same. Those of the indians in southern Bahia all the way to those of the people living in favelas.

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Pamela Souza Lives in Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro, but is a citizen of the world. She is the creator of the Art Complex project, which aims at creating a means of alternative sustainability through the production of recyclables, and is a member of the collective Ocupa Alemão (Occupy Alemão). Since childhood she saw and experienced injustices that now make her fight for social equality and dignity for the most oppressed.

“In reality, it’s always believing (that change can happen). I am a very positive person, always have been, I’ve always had hope, despite hopelessness knocking on my door every so often, but I scare it away. I always hoped to make a change, and it’s wonderful when we meet people with that same desire for change, it strengthens us to keep going, and strengthens us to believe even more strongly.”

Potyra Tê Tupinambá Participates in the Thydêwá association and comes from the Itapoã village, indigenous land of Tupinambá de Olivença, Ilhéus-BA. Potyra commits her life and her knowledge to defending indigenous people and to communicating, informing and removing blindfolds in order to create a society based on human rights and life.

Raquel Florentino Monteiro The smiling petropolitana (from Petrópolis-RJ), is a part of the group Raio de Luz (Ray of Light), with the association Brasil pela Dignidade (Brazil for Dignity) and seeks, with the love of her family and with her work, to fight in her day-to-day for dignity and for expressing the rights of the people, sowing the seeds in the present so that future generations may be free from all the forces of social exclusion.

My strength comes from my ancestors and our present fight is in honor of our thousands of relatives that were brutally assassinated and that resisted so that we could be here today! We owe it to them! I am part of a family branded by exclusion in all senses. But we never gave up, my mother taught us never to conform to our present state-ofbeing, for if we have willpower we can be better. We must look at the target and fight, and then all obstacles will be overcome. My mother was never afraid of being wrong in her decisions, but rather of not trying, and that is why I am not afraid to change the world.

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Robson Borges Founder and coordinator of the Cooperativa Eu Quero Liberdade (I Want Freedom Cooperative), an income generating initiative through collection, transformation and commercialization of recyclables in Rio de Janeiro. He is a militant fighting liberation of marginalized groups, such as: former prisoners, people who face issues related to substance misuse and abuse, and people living in the streets.

Raull Santiago “Graduated in what I learn from the practice of reality, it is through my lived experiences that I write my theories.” Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro. Social activist, musician, poet, cyberactivist, photographer and writer, amongst others; Raull always introduces himself this way. He offers all of his ability, knowledge and dynamism to mobilize and act collectively for human rights, education, culture and democratization of information. For him the word is belief.

Waste transforming other types of waste and providing quality of life for a population. I am in love with that, I was transformed in that journey, I see the possibility of transformation for many people, but there’s only one of me (…) it’s an arduous struggle but we are putting up a fight and I believe that we will show that it is possible.

In the process of acting within the Alemão Complex, we followed the concept of horizontal knowledge. The youth works no longer as NGOs but as COLLECTIVES, and from that emerged the OCCUPY ALEMÃO, with many youth who have something in common in their militancy, from the various parts of the surrounding communities that encompass the favela COMPLEX. Young peple with diverse characteristics and talents who occupy spaces and alleyways of the favela, provoking its imaginaries, proposing solutions for existent demands within the community, through aesthetic interventions in the territory itself.

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Message This is the message of the Ground Level Panel that got together in July 2013 in the city of Rio de Janeiro to deliberate on the UN post 2015 development agenda.

Awêre para Kisile “That everything may work out for those who don’t have a name yet”

A Roda A vida roda, o mundo roda, tudo eu tenho, tudo tu tens na Gaia. Mas, nada chega como direito?! Parecendo favor?! Até você?! Parceiro, amigo, companheiro. Que na arte de inverter o olhar; sinto cheiro do povo no ar; luta diária da alegria e dor; sabor da vida, trabalho e amor; resiliência no frio e no calor; na fé do credo, meu senhor, minha senhora! Levo agora mais bagagem. Conhecimento e fortalecimento Governanças dos direitos de viver, das bases ao poder.

Maria Antonieta Guido da Silva

e, caboclos, ribeirinhos (riverside-dwellers), blacks, youth, slum-dwellers, indians, men and women, human beings, assembled at the Tijuca Forest, in the month of July of 2013, send our message to the planet, trying to reach primarily the people with decision-making power over the policies that will affect our lives and that of our Mother Earth from 2015 and on. While analyzing the policies and programs created from the Millennium Development Goals and the proposals by the High Level Panel for defining a post-2015 development agenda, we did not identify in them our worldviews or the worries of our brothers and sisters. We recognize, however, some indicators that we do agree with, but which in practice do not produce the desired effect.

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We feel that in this way we continue to develop a death plan for the planet and all its inhabitants. But we do not remain still, from our own diverse territories we fight for LIFE and here we present some elements considered necessary for a global LIFE PLAN. In the global life plan, everything is interconnected. We depend on each other, humans, nature, government bodies, we are all part of a whole. To realize the life plan it is necessary that all peoples are able to build their own local life plans. It is necessary to respect and ensure the interaction of these plans with the life plans of Mother Earth, providing dignified life conditions integrated to nature and its preservation. We understand as dignity the complete fulfillment of human rights and basic security in terms of housing, access to land, health, nourishment, education, transport and leisure. The forms of government and organization must reflect the true desires and aspirations of the people. Recognizing in them the different roles of society, putting forward the many ways of knowing, always respecting and guaranteeing diversity and community mobilizing, and the fair, egalitarian, and sustainable forms of production and economic circulation, in all segments from labor to local artistic production, from the perspective of the promotion of life and of the conscious and free access to information, and especially bringing social interaction to people living in isolation. We believe that the family must be strengthened as a primordial space for the full development of the child, for the creation of a civil society where people can live their life plans with dignity. Obstacles and barriers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Death Plans For the GLOBAL LIFE PLAN to actually happen we must remove the current model, which seems more appropriate for archaic times, where publicity rules, and actions remain utopic, where we cease to live and start simply surviving, such that humanity moves towards a DEATH PLAN. We understand as a DEATH PLAN an interest that is contrary to societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demands, driven by POLITICAL and ECONOMIC interests, which are reproduced and strengthened by the structures of a system that does not permit the envisioning of alternatives. The political and economic dependency of the system generates labor exploitation, where low wages and long work hours leave no room for personal investment, family support, and leisure, amongst others. Amongst the diverse strategies of this death plan, are the economic, political, and social middlemen that prevent or hinder direct relationships in the formulation and implementation of public policies as in the provision of human rights and in the productive cycles related to the satisfaction of basic needs. The institutions and spheres that should protect basic rights become inefficient due to constantly precarious conditions and there is a lack of investment and attention precisely in the legally constituted spaces for the defense of fundamental rights, which should be a priority.

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The administrative and bureaucratic system of the states is structured to protect the interests of one small percentage of the population, creating difficulties and impediments for the great majority. The non-compliance with the constitution and its laws, in addition to the population’s lack of information leads to discrediting, being that these laws are often differentially applied according to economic status, literacy, area of residence, amongst others, impairing the building of a dignified life. Often policies and programs directed at fighting social maladies end up generating bigger problems for being entirely detached from the reality of those facing the maladies. Reality shows still that people and groups engaged in social struggles often believe that the only possibility for development, or even survival, is to be part of the system, corrupting themselves and putting aside their ideologies and convictions, thus weakening the goals of their struggle. This entire death plan is permeated by many forms of violence (physical, psychological, institutional, social, and environmental), fully violating Human Rights and imprisoning the population in fear and in prejudices for thinking that the solution for violence is more violence. The Death Plans have generated a high degree of dehumanization, killing the love between people, making “having” more important than “being.” Pathways for Life Due to the many barriers and obstacles to building a global Life Plan that embraces the most different forms of life, those who believe in the human being and in nature, do not silence themselves and perform concrete actions to face the economic and political system’s death plan, which benefits few and excludes many. With this reality as a starting point, we share some proposals: • Popular Education aims at inclusion, capacity-building and consciousness-building of men and women within their cultural diversity—thus treating the different as different— where they can holistically learn and teach according to their local reality. Primarily using artistic culture in its most diverse forms as a social, economic, political, educational, and spiritual transformative process. In this form, popular education is the essential basis for a true process of transformation. • Fair, egalitarian and sustainable forms of production, job creation, and income distribution must serve as a model for a new economic system. Socio-environmental initiatives, based on cooperation and solidarity, must receive every financial and technical incentive necessary for their development, and be aimed at revitalization, maintenance, and preservation of the environment in which one lives. • Building of new alliances between people, groups, associations, cooperatives, movements, government bodies, international agencies, businesses and universities, which have a real commitment to the establishment of an integrated global LIFE PLAN. • Articulation between different struggles and ideologies enabling interaction between different categories and localities, identifying pathways for resistance in the struggle for rights.

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• Forms of government and organization must be constituted from the processes and real necessities of the people, thus democratizing the access to information and knowledge about basic rights. These forms must be based on the experiences of self-management of different territories, in respect of regional, social and cultural diversity. • Considering the ineffectiveness of the current system, the construction of collective alternatives in territories must be considered as a fundamental starting point for the implementation of structural public policies that actually fulfill the interests of the population, consider its diversity and respect it. Strong examples of this are the self-demarcation of indigenous lands and quilombolas and the urban housing struggles. • The actualization of these proposals and of a global LIFE PLAN must walk hand-inhand with the appreciation of solidarity in human relations, overcoming the dehumanization produced by a consumptive system and reinvigorating love in every human being’s heart. Union and harmonic interactions in diversity are the basis for the common good. We know that these are not all of the necessary initiatives for the reversal of this death path and the stepping into a true planetary LIFE PLAN. Finally, we would like to say that the independent monitoring, at ground level, of policies and government actions, especially those that come to be included in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, is fundamental and must be guaranteed, stimulated and supported at all levels Therefore, we have decided that this Ground Level Panel, a VERY HIGH level panel, will not be dissolved, but on the contrary, will be strengthened and we will continue to contribute with our perspective.

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The encounter

And it was thus, with the main objective of allowing for elements to meet, to get to know each other, interact and converse, that the panelists and the facilitation, documentation, and logistics teams spent nearly a week together. The venue was chosen according to availability, location, value for money and having the necessary conditions for immersion, with accommodation, meeting spaces, an external area and availability of food, which despite being strict with its schedule, served its purpose well. The house’s staff, always attentive and welcoming, made us all feel at home. The facilitation proposal was to offer to all elements a space for reflection but with flexibility, leaving room for whatever emerged, with extreme respect to each one’s word. The program sent to the participants was simple and open, with some markers delimiting the reflection. This openness was fundamental in allowing the creativity existent within the group to manifest itself fully. At the time the country was going through a new and very dynamic moment, with demonstrations in the streets of cities countrywide, claiming for rights and for real democratic participation and against state promoted violence. Feeling very close to the aspirations of those on the streets the panel reflected as well this political moment.

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Arrival – June 29

The arrival of each participant, settling down in the house and the first moments of interaction made it clear that it would be an excellent week. Each individual brought their issues and were interested in each other’s fights and from the beginning people started exchanges and talking. Everyone received a folder with the material to be used during the retreat and in an individualized manner, the team made sure that everyone was feeling comfortable and had all they needed. To kick off the activities and start understanding what each one was bringing to the retreat, the facilitators held a quick meeting to explain a few things and asked everyone, panelists and team, to write down their expectations and worries.

Some expectations... - Expectation of better days. Of unity between all peoples, so that we, together and strong, can have a better future. Together we will overcome inequalities. - That this exchange of experiences may create new ideas for transformation - That it is a fruitful experience; starting amongst us - Learning and socializing

Worries... - Being an isolated event - That our problems will be bigger than our possibilities - That we leave in the same way we came in

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Day 1 – 30th June

The day started off with a walk through the garden and, taking advantage of the atmosphere built on Saturday, we took the opportunity to travel through Brazil, getting to know a bit of each other’s reality, where we came from and our communities. These introductions were facilitated by self-introduction and place-of-origin activities. We traveled all over Brazil, meeting landscapes, people, problems and resistances. The introductions took nearly all day and that was essential for the progression of the week. “Five big rivers are born in the Andes, I know three of them, the Madeira, which is the Madre de Dios out there, the Juará and the Purus, where I live. These rivers are important because they enrich the lowlands. We plant in the beaches, from there we get cassava, we get corn, we get jerimum, we get sweet-potato” Arlete “The Alemão Complex and the favelas of Rio, I think they are beautiful. It’s something I identify with, that I love, it’s Hearing a bit of each other’s perspectives on the places they where I came from, out of the utopias intertwined with are from, we quickly began to relate them to our own stohopes, the struggles of people for what may come. We ries and communities. haven’t gotten there yet, but we know it’s possible.” Raull To end this stage we discussed the intention of the “I live in the Morro dos Anjos (Petrópolis). Now there are Ground-Level Panel and the objectives of out retreat a bit social projects with the kids there, also with teens, and further, highlighting everyone’s individual value and the imthere’s our group, Raio de Luz, which works with women. portance of all of us being heard in the processes of creating It’s also pretty safe to live there. Like any communities, it agendas and programs that affect our lives. has its issues.” Cláudia

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Revisiting concepts

The facilitators opened the session with a simple provocation: What is “development” for you? It’s something that really comes from the inside out. It’s having those people (from their community) start to unite. Cláudia It’s everyone being able to live dignity in this planet. Potyra Development is freedom of expression. It’s providing conditions for human beings to continue living in their habitat. That if he wants to leave that it be out of his own free will. Arlete Development for our people is land demarcation. Jamopoty Each person was able to expose their views and exchange with each other. Then we addressed the current discourse in the international community according to the UN’s definition of “economic development” which covers the following items: Economic growth; developing scientific/technological potential; increasing literacy rates; increasing the general level of instruction; improvement of sanitary conditions; decreasing child mortality rates; increasing life expectancy; increasing the level of industrialization; decreasing external dependency. To search for a counterperspective, it was asked: Do you think other topics should be considered in order to reach a better quality of life?

Topics identified by the panel: - Housing - Road mobility - Access to information - Respect to cultural diversities - Participation

an analysis of the UN’s own system, its complexities and contradictions and the ‘diverse UNs’ (human rights, development, environment), concluding that the economic side of the UN predominates.

It is interesting to note that while the UN’s criteria for “economic development”, considered the main tool to tackle inequality, is very punctual and interlinked with production, income and consumption; the panelists’ proposed elements for their “desired” idea of development are connected to the provision of fundamental rights and respect to everyone’s dignity. According to the group, the term economic development would not suffice. Then, what… “Sustainable development?”

The problem is being heard (…) We all die without knowing what that means (…) How can our voice make its way (up) there? Jamopoty

This triggered an ample discussion and questioning over the definitions of development, even within the United Nation’s system. Discussion turned to

There’s always someone up there in command. We down here don’t control anything. (…) We have to restart from scratch. Cláudia

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Dude, we have the means to do this! The opportunity we have (of contributing to the UN’s text). If they’re going to use it or not, I don’t know... But now, in Brazil there’s a group that thinking about this. We have the opportunity to say what we think. Ben Hur We are creating alternative developments, not an alternative to development. The UN already utilizes and proposes sustainable development, but is that what we want? Or is there an alternative? Mariana We demand the compliance with human rights (…) let the human be above the economic. Potyra What we already do, that’s our seed for the world. It’s an aspect in which we don’t depend on decisions from the pre-established superior logic. Alan We will realize that we never start from scratch (…) we are already on the road. Antonieta

After that discussion, the facilitators spoke of the history behind the Millenium Development Goals up until the creation of the post-2015 agenda and the work of the high-level panel, with its emphasis on the “5 transformational shifts.”

High Level Panel of eminent persons on the post 2015 development agenda Created in 2012 by the UN Secretary General and formed by 27 individuals amongst head of states, high officers and experts on development the panel published in 2013 it’s final report: “A New Global Partnership: eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development”. This report presents “Five big transformative shifts” that must be attained: 1. Leave nobody behind 2. Put sustainable development in the core 3. Transform economies for jobs and inclusivegrowth. 4. Build peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all. 5. Forge a new global partnership.

This reflection helped us question the way in which we utilize words and concepts that don’t represent what we truly want or that at least hold disputed meanings.

Source: http://www.post2015hlp.org/

Sharing the individual and collective initiatives we initiated the reflection on what we truly want for our lives and how we expose that through our actions and our words.

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We brought the day to an end with a circle, suggested by Potyra, in which each person sang the vowels of their own names: “Together we can quickly build something beautiful and harmonic.” Potyra

Resumo do dia: “We each struggled a bit... in the interventions from each other, in a healthy exchange, and we now have a constructive affinity, I think we will learn a lot from each other and at the end we will have a healthy progression” Robson see more on YouTube: Painel das Bases Robson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZIR4xjjRxQ

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Day 2 – 1st July

I’ve never stopped to think about this word (...) I more and more strongly feel that misery/extreme poverty can indeed be an internal emptiness, an incapacity to situate oneself, to understand your own life, accept the reality, to fight within it. I was just able to look back in retrospect, I’ve been in a miserable condition (…) I had no resilience, didn’t understand, thought I had been placed in a situation that wasn’t mine, wasn’t for me, and it was my reality (…) son of a migrant peasant, searching for work in

The day started out with a Tupinambá chanting circle led by Cacique Jamopoty and Potyra. Greeting the sun and the moon and calling everyone to work. Debating misery and extreme poverty To get started on the first shift proposed by the High-Level Panel, “leave no one behind”, we had a round of reflection springing from the question

“What does the term misery/extreme poverty/ mean to you?” Misery to me is not how the government says it is: ‘Misery is the state of a poor person.’ I don’t think that, I’ve been through a time of poverty, a tough one (…), and I never thought I was in misery, because I never thought I was a miserable person. I think this word misery doesn’t fit because misery is when someone has nothing good to contribute, something to add to the group. Raquel When it comes to people, the word does not apply (…) they use this word to get resources. I don’t think that’s the way it is because we work as humans and a human always has something to offer. Antonieta

Translator’s note. As is discussed in this report, the original term in portuguese, “miséria”, can hold the meaning of either extreme poverty or the emotional state of misery, and rather implies that one is connected with the other. The term will here on be translated to either “extreme poverty” or “misery”, according to context.

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could mess with everyone. (…) Then she came over to put an end to that: “I have a proposal to make: do you want to do Theater?” I said: “Theater, yeah sure.” “OK, I’ll pay for your classes.” And she paid with her own money. (…) I could have not shown up, not kept it going. The moment someone comes up to you and tells you “I will pay for this, invest in you”, get it? Someone believes in your potential. Until then I was a miserable poor. I felt miserable. So it’s not about the word, it’s about the guy’s state of mind, get it? There are two sides of the same coin: one, the guy who feels miserable in his situation, and the other that can see things in a kid, see a gift the kid has and hasn’t even noticed. Ben Hur If on the one hand we highlighted the difficulties faced by those living in real poverty and exclusion and the means through which these are maintained, on the other hand the pejorative and prejudiced tone of the classification of “miserable” as someone who has nothing to offer became very clear, so clear that the people themselves end up believing it.

a big hub, what was I expecting? A golden cradle, a car, a motorcycle? (…) We started out in a very elementary situation, a shack made out of plywood, a bathroom in the backyard, at the Morro dos Mineiros, then we moved down, we lived in Grota in a house built on stilts, which sometimes flooded when it rained, the water went over the bridges and washed everything away. People went down that drain. Huh? How many people haven’t we lost there? I started to think I had the right to forcefully take things from others. That thing of not fitting into an existing frame, arriving at school and everyone has a certain living-condition and you have a different one, everyone living in a certain way and your way is different. My economic situation (not enough money) might have been a cause? It might. But I don’t know, I think it was spiritual first. Robson I went on a little trip of my own. I think misery/extreme poverty is a much more personal matter. That they ended up using as a technical term (…) to classify a state of mind. Poverty, extreme poverty, everybody’s been through. Who in here hasn’t starved? (…) I for example, arrived in school in the morning (emotional) and my first meal was in the school canteen, the snack bar. Sometimes a guy is in a really difficult situation, and we can’t see that a neighbor, someone nearby can provide a word that can fix your life (…) I had a teacher once; I was always involved in fights at school, I had thought that I

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Princípios Orientadores Os Princípios Orientadores sobre Extrema Pobreza e Direitos Humanos foram adotados pelo Conselho de Direitos Humanos da ONU em 2012. Com base em padrões e normas internacionais de direitos humanos, estes Princípios Orientadores indicam as primeiras diretrizes para as políticas globais com foco na específico nos direitos humanos das pessoas que vivem na pobreza. Eles servem como uma ferramenta prática para os formuladores de políticas para garantir que as políticas públicas (incluindo os esforços de erradicação da pobreza) alcançar os membros mais pobres da sociedade, o respeito e a defesa dos seus direitos. Também orientam a que se tomem em conta os obstáculos sociais, culturais, econômicos e estruturais significativos enfrentados por essas pessoas. em gozo dos direitos humanos enfrentados por pessoas que vivem na pobreza.

We must yell it to society; yell it to everyone that we don’t want to be treated as “miserables”. We are workers, we are fighters, we are warriors, and we are not “miserables”. Potyra To extend the debate a definition of extreme poverty from the Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights was presented. Then, Mariana posed the question that if there are in fact people who live in these conditions and if there isn’t a shared identity, how to take on a collective struggle?

Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/ Pages/DGPIntroduction.aspx

With that, we considered the matter of poverty beyond the economic situation, looking at people who have lived in exclusion and been treated as inferiors for generations, even in countries considered to be rich or developed, and acknowledging that there are structures and policies that maintain this situation. This diversity of prespectives about extreme poverty/misery helped us all in expanding our own vision and get ready for the vision of governmental programs. With that we took a look at the definition of extreme poverty in government programs; the extreme poverty line being those earning under $70 reals per month (USD 29) and the government programs. The facilitators spoke of the general idea of the ‘Brasil Without Extreme Poverty Plan’ asking the panelists to think of how the programs are implemented in practice.

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Brazil without Extreme Poverty Plan Coordination: Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger Estimated budget: 20 billion reals per year 3 main axis and their respective programs 3.1 Education • Literate Brazil Program • Mais Educação

1. Income guarantee 1.1 Bolsa Familia

3.1 Health • Primary Care Units • Brazil Smiling • Family Health • View Brazil • Medication Distribution • Stork Network (pregnancy support) • Health in Schools

1.2 Benefício de Prestação Continuada BPC – (Continuous Installment Benefit) 2. Productive Inclusion 2.1 Rural • Technical assistance • Livelihood promotion • Access to public and private markets • Water and Electricity for All program • Bolsa Verde

3.1 Social assistance and Food Security • Center for Reference in Social Assistance (CRAS) • Food Bank • Community Kitchens

2.2 Urban • Professional Qualification • Recyclable material pickers • Access to Public Services

Extreme poverty in the eyes of Brazilian government programs: In 2010 the Brazilian government defined as extreme poverty the situation of homes or families with a monthly income of under 70 reals per capita and poverty as the situation of those with a monthly income per capita between 70 and 140 reails (USD 29 -58), on all national territory.

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In order to create a Brazil for all, for all the people, as one, thinking of the evolution of the country, we needed to bring that down. This eye represents the people awakening, opening their eyes. We put forward the principle of remaking by being. To change this system, to end this representative character, to remove power, in a certain way. (…) To put an end to this human ladder of having only one person reach the top. Let there be no top, may the top be the ground-level. Raull

This “extreme poverty line” continues to be the parameter that defines the target population and measures the results of extreme poverty eradication programs now gathered under the “Brasil sem Miséria” - Brazil without Extreme Poverty initiative, created in 2010 as well. Following that, split into 3 groups, the panelists sought to reproduce in images their perspective on the extreme poverty erradication programs and what really should be done.

Our proposal is: No more of the way things are. (…) Instead of ladders, may there be a straight line, where we are all equal, where we can hold conversations equally, where there is shared management… May the people participate. Potyra

Motivating question:

How to leave no one behind? So that no one else is seen as extremely poor?

Group presentation - posters: Group 1: Potyra, Raull and Raquel We interpreted The Brazil without Extreme Poverty Plan to be, as so many other plans, just another ladder where a few will be benefitted while the majority remains with that name: misery, extreme poverty. (…) This ladder is constituted of people; we make way for those guys, through alienation, lack of interests, the hardship…

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some people are promoted through extreme poverty or through someone’s pain or need. Robson

The Cacique is respected in his tribe, but why so? Because he knows every indian, every family, every child, he knows everyone’s needs, that’s why. (…) He/she maintains order, and peace, he/she makes everything go according to plan within his village. (…) If the government, the authorities, came in with the budget, with the finances, with what we can’t contribute, and the people came in with their suggestions, because only we know what we need, together we would be able to create solutions. But this meeting doesn’t happen. If we followed this example (of the Cacique) our governance would be a lot better, it would be the solution. Raquel

There are many by-products, each one with its concept of extreme poverty. I wrote extreme poverty here online and we got a lot of this, images of Africans, malnourished people... we unfolded other concepts: pain, humiliation, necessity, death, hunger... Pamela Extreme poverty in relation to one of the basic necessities, say you don’t have a house, then that brings you to a condition that precludes the others. If you don’t even have a place to live, how can I demand that you not be lacking in terms of education, access to information? Robson

Group 2: Cláudia, Jamopoty, Pamela and Robson We decided to create a pyramid (…) that speaks of needs in different scales, and we created an order here: (…) and then when you reach this point you have housing, you have food, you have education, for you and for your children, and you are working, suddenly you begin a new process, which is the possibility of achievements (…) I can achieve part of my dreams. Robson In reality it’s the most pressing need. For example, I have a desire to take percussion lessons, play an instrument and when I get that real meager salary... I make plans, but (…) they’re never materialized. Pamela

We were thinking: what could we add to complement the Constitution to heal these necessities? And then we realized that we shouldn’t be complementing the laws, but observing them (…) New public policies that guarantee rights and makes them immutable. In reality, we have food, housing, just in super precarious form, and if that wasn’t something that couldn’t be missing... if it were a crime, we wouldn’t have to fight for these rights. With fictionalization and direct involvement from the people in the process of developing this constitution. Pamela

And then you have needs in order to stay standing (…) we drew this pyramid. And there’s a few images here. With Lula (ex-president) in front of a favela, and we looked and saw that extreme poverty is a series of things: lack of knowledge, not being able to feed yourself... with this image, another understanding about extreme poverty, which is a space for the promotion of some, that

Documento final – Painel das Bases

If we talk about housing, we talk about the right to land. Not only for indigenous people, also for (…) other social classes that fight for the right to land. We must change a lot, but primarily we must change ourselves. We, in the ground-level have a lot to change. Because sometimes my plate is full and it doesn’t bother me that others are lacking. So I think we have to change the way we think and that is what we are building here, so we can go the grassroots and be respected by our rulers. Because I see a lot happen to indigenous people which is decided upon in Brasília, with the people that live in Brasília, but not with the indigenous people that lives in the village, who has the needs, who isn’t well nourished, who has no demarcated lands, who has no roads, who faces all hardships, who die from malaria, who die malnourished, who are assassinated, and all these things that happen to the indigenous people of Bahia and Brazil (…) We want a different Brazil. Jamopoty

them within population education so that we can truly go through a process of transformation (…) And we want art to be planted into this process with us.” Feijão “These elements of art, how important they are and how they consolidate and systematize the learning that the student needs. They go to school, and if all they have is class, history, geography, without relating it to their dayto-day… that’s what we come to. As Arlete said, the school was built there (Ceu do Mapia – AM), it was built with the initiative of those people…. Who wanted what? To use art to do math with the beads, there’s twenty here… so you establish a connection between the people’s culture and the system and you can lift people’s blindfold and they can see that all the load being organized by the government doesn’t fully satisfy me.” Antonieta

Group 3: Antonieta, Arlete, Ben Hur and Feijão “We really questioned the ways in which these projects come to us. Because they arrive as a way to kind of cultivate extreme poverty. Like: I want to simply solve the extreme poverty process but I don’t want to deal with the issue of that person’s dignity. Then Arlete ended up saying something that was very interesting (…) there are many different Brazils. Arlete’s Brazil is not the same as my Brazil, which is not the same as Ben Hur’s, which is not the same as Antonieta’s. The realities are every different. So, how do you create a Bolsa Família in which you give out 70 reais (…) but a gas canister costs 90 reais (in Arlete’s community). So the extremely poor person in the Amazon is not the same extremely poor person we find here in the South-east (…).” “In the matter of solution, the process would be education, but not the process of education that the governmentsgives us and rather the process of popular education. An education that is denied, for example, when Arlete tells how they work with education, which is taking a boy and teaching him how to make crafts and, at the same time, he’s doing math (…) So we ended up making this drawing, where the people gathers around popular education, where they can find their other friends, who in reality live under this condition towards which the government tries to create these handouts. In reality searching for, let’s put it this way, the many extremely poor Brazils, and placing

“Art politicizes and educates” Feijão “This popular education story doesn’t include only art. Art is only one extra tool used for popular education. Then we get other comrades who work within, sports, within cooperative systems… The idea is to have education create in a community what I see happen to the people that become connected with the [social] projects, which is the springing of critical thinking, they start questioning, they no longer simply receive information and go without questioning: why does it have to be this way?” Ben Hur

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Sustainable development. When thinking about their actions, some panelists thought that what they did was insignificant, or too little. At the end of the activity, we suggested that everyone’s actions were put together and thus individual actions were joined to each other resulting in a singular image of collective action.

In following, the movie “The Story of Stuff” helped us get into the topic of sustainable development. The High-Level Panel’s foundational text for this topic, “Put Sustainable Development at the Core”, was presented, and later each one spoke of individual and collective actions they had already carried out.

It was interesting to see the reaction of panellists when realizing that they are involved in very distinct activities, and that while some are directly involved in associations and in some cases can get their income through them, others need to search for their livelihood in other activities, but that every day that they go to work, it is a way to show their resistance and seek a better future for their families. For them it was also a discovery to realize how their quotidian activities are fundamental for a better world.

Among other related activities is auto-demarcation of Tupinamba indigenous lands, mobilizing process of youth in collectives such as Ocupa Alemão, working with kids and teens at Morro dos Anjos, and also quotidian acts of resistance in raising our kids, supporting our families, our neighbours and for our own personal development. Then, inspired by Augusto Boal’s ‘Theater of the Oppressed’, the panellists were divided into two groups and were invited to work with body expression to show, through an image, they day-to-day actions for a better world. Arlete presented craft work with tree seeds as a form of consciousness building about the forest: “knowing that I do this work, not just for my community but for the world.”

At night, after dinner, we informally watched documentaries about Belém do Pará, about Arlete’s work in the Amazon Forest and about the “Circulando” event at the Alemão Complex.

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Day’s Summary “What is extreme poverty/misery? What do we understand by it? The conversation was quite rich, enriching, it made me reflect, I had never reflected on it. I thought of a collective sort of extreme poverty, where people don’t stop to reflect on their situation and don’t become indignant about their poverty.” Potyra – see more on YouTube: Painel das Bases Potyra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FhRcITgIjc “We had a moment of theater there, with body expression and everyone was able to express, and we saw that together we are much, much stronger, and that is something we should carry with us for that day when we feel down, when we think we’re alone, that we won’t win. Together, even in our own separate cities, we are together and we are strong and we will win together. We are each other’s support, each other’s brace, so we can walk and reach our greater objective, which is to win together, leave no one behind, and make our Brazil a better place.” Raquel – see more on YouTube: Painel das Bases Raquel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3d3PAEyn6o

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Day 3 – 2nd July

After the morning activity, we went into the theme of “economy”, not in the strictly financial sense, but looking at the essence of the word, inspired by the greek origin of “organizing the house” or “manage the home.” In other words, how we organize the different aspects of our life, including the modes of production or consumption, which are connected. To start the discussion Potyra presented the idea of a “life plan”:

design the less-dependent future that we want. We will each know, each group will have their ways, their own life plans. Forget the government, let’s do it ourselves.” Potyra

“We have one planet and we are living as if we have eight of them to live in. It is a death plan. This consumerism, pollution, these governments that only think about profit (…), power and money are worth more than human life. But we in the ground-level know what is good for us. But let’s put the welfarism to the side a bit, this dependency on the State, these Bolsas Familia. And let’s build our life plan, what we want for our community (…) Let’s live our lives without needing these things they came up with. I think of the essence of the indigenous community. It self-manages, it is self-reliant… everything for us is in a circle, the indigenous life is made in circles: it’s the cycle of nature, the cycle of birth. We become blind to the cycles, but they are close. If we observe we can see it. Contact with nature, preservation of nature, getting our sustenance from nature, and making our life plans. Forget the death plans: the destruction of nature, the destruction of the human being, the police throwing tear gas, through bombs of moral effect, and try to live life in harmony with our groups, our small family groups. I’m not saying ‘abandon the life outside’… but if you can rip apart the ties that bind us to the system, we can have a better life (…) Within our communities, let’s

To further illustrate this idea, Jamopoty introduced the example of the Itapoã village, in Bahia, where eight years ago 100 families decided to occupy a 250 hectare piece of land that was used as a dump, for luxury housing complexes, where even murdered people were thrown into. So it was a dirty place that inspired fear in neighbours. With time they cleaned it, planted in it, built on it, and now 73 families live there, have homes, a school, a flour house, all done and managed by the community, including the production and distribution of products such as pineapple, cassava, piassava, fish, and others. An interesting example of how collective action can revitalize a place that was marked by a process of death and simultaneously improve people’s quality of life. With this and other examples the group initiated a conversation that explored the different forms of life organization in terms of community interaction and in terms of collective forms of production, dealing with themes related to cooperatives and associations. This discussion also led to a discussion of obstacles and barriers that hamper the actualization of these projects, precluding the access to certain services and government programs, especially for the poorest. Many of these obstacles are not explicit in legislation or regulations but in practice they do prevent access to services that in theory should prioritize the poorest.

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“I told them, it’s a prime residential area, but if you go up this stairway (…) out there in the last house there is a lady who lives there with five children and her house is a shed without a bathroom and she needs to use the neighbour’s. If you come to my house, which is in a prime are with beautiful, historical houses, my house is in an alleyway back there and it is not pretty, or great or historical, that is not where our life is.” Raquel

Among the different mentioned obstacles are the bureaucracy that is inadequate to its specific reality, lack of formal education and lack of recognition of informal knowledge, proof of residency, different levels of corruption, distance, waiting times, lack of basic customer service structure, illiteracy, lack of documentation, discrimination, humiliation, lack of clear and accessible information, costs associated with transportation, nourishment, etc. Barriers that, in reality, result from previous violations of those people’s rights and which severely limit the possibility of accessing these rights in the future.

“Even her retirement request for her mother was denied under the allegation that she would be able to work. Her mother, who for health reasons has not been in condition to work for while and who doesn’t go out of the house by herself. “Oh, but she can walk, she’s not wrecked…” In the meantime she cannot find proper medical care to treat herself.

Raquel’s knowledge based on some recent personal experiences brought in some clarity. When trying to sign her family up for the City of Niterói’s food distribution program, “Cesta Cheia”, her request was denied under the allegation that they lived in a prime residential area, which the program doesn’t cover. “ They told us: imagine the Cesta Cheia truck parked in that street with all those mansions.”

To top it all off, one day she received a phone call form the school saying that her brother would be removed from the Bolsa-Família list because he was missing class. “Bolsa-Família? But I’ve never gotten it.” But according to the school he had been registered for two years and the money was being delivered. So who was getting the money? To this day it is not know and her family has received nothing. In light of this reflection we considered some actions and alternatives to eliminate or overcome these barriers based on the fact that, As Alan reminded us: “public space is ours. We are the ones who have to be there,” in the sense that public establishments should not be remote oblivious to the population and that it is necessary to find ways to appropriate these spaces and make use of your rights. The group responded in solidarity proposing supporting actions and accompaniment.

They then tried the Bolsa-Familia program, since she lives with her mom, who cannot work due to her health, and her brothers who are in school. The answer was the same: “this program does not service rich neighbourhoods, only poor ones.” This search involved many back and forth trips to the responsible agencies, which means transportation costs, days without work, to ultimately be humiliated. “Faced with that I said: no I don’t want it any more, its not worth it to be so humiliated.” It is important to note that housing location is not, at any point, a stated criterion in the regulations for these programs.

After a short break we returned with Robson presenting on his work with cooperatives, which went well with the theme and with the reflections put forth by panelists about how to organize alternative and sustainable means of economic production.

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ships and improves the community. Sustainability may also be reached through art, but not through an “economy of culture”, which sells art as a product. “Art is not a product,” but it should be a potential road of development for those who chose it.

“‘Independence or death! ’ Who is on the side of independence? The great elite! It does not depend on the education that is offered to the people, it does not depend on the public health system… Who is on the side of death? We who rely on the education they offer which is a servitude deal that teaches you yes sir, no sir…” Robson

This introduction sprung a reflection on the various trammels that make dreams unfeasible even during childhood, due to immediate needs to seek one’s subsistence. Crossing borders and connecting drivers Digging deeper into what was brought from each territory, the facilitators proposed the following activity: First off, take a sheet of paper and write a single word or make a drawing regarding: “ If you go out to the streets today, what is your driver?”

We returned after lunch with Ben Hur suggesting a percussion activity that required quite a bit of attention but was also light and fun.

Then he shared a thought of his, of seeing art also from the perspective of economic production, in a much broader sense, that not only generates income for the artists and other professionals involved, allowing him to proceed with his activity, but also has a mobilizing and organizing potential for collective life, which puts new energy into relation-

There were two rounds. First, freely write or draw out your cause. Since most people represented very broad themes, we asked for a second, more specific cause:

*Cry attributed to D. Pedro I, son of the Portuguese king, in 1822, indicating the end of the colonial period and the start of the Brazilian Empire, with him as the emperor.

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Panelist Ben Hur Cláudia Robson Raquel Arlete Feijão Pamela Jamopoty Raull Antonieta Potyra

First driver Real inclusion Equality Lives Access Equality Life Equality Demarcation now Equality being reality Children and teenagers Equality

Second driver Sustainable art Access to Rights Transformation Rights Ecological awareness Dignity and human rights Access to rights Demarcation now Democratization of information Rights and duties Access to rights

Once this was over the facilitators distributed pieces of string and explained: “now, based on these causes and on what you’ve learned about each other during this week, each one of you will indicate two people who you think your struggle is directly related with.”

“With Arlete for the art component, I was very impressed by the work with the tucum thread, and with Antonieta, who I deeply identified with, for her work with youth.” Pamela Potyra started off and chose Robson and Raull. Ben Hur: Feijão and Antonieta and thus connections started to be established. Then each one explained briefly the reason for their connections. Examples: “I connected with Feijão because of art. I connected with Jamopoty because of the land demarcation issue.” Arlete “I connected with Arlete because of the handicrafts she makes and with Robson for working with recycling and for his willpower to go after his objectives.” Claudia

In the final discussion, looking at the web of connections that had been formed, it was consensus that it was hard to

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pick only two people, because in reality they identified with everyone’s struggles and they all want to find ways to continue to strengthen and expand this web. Many comments were then made regarding the difficulties and possibilities for future paths for the group. Feijão then shared that he arrived without quite knowing what the retreat would be like and whether he would have his place there, and that now he understood his role and became aware of his own struggle in the Group of African Culture Kisile, which in Banto language means: “those who still don’t have a name”. And that is how he saw his role in the continuity, in allowing for the participation of those who are never present.

With the meeting over, Arlete presented on her work with seeds, showing many varieties and explaining their origins, uses, legends, hymns and the whole ritual surrounding the seeds, thus bringing the strength of the forest to our circle.

“We see that we’ve created a bond where we can’t be without each other. I’m not sure how we are going to get together again (…) The solutions are many and we must have the need (…) of having other people with us as well, following this process with us, make this group grown, multiply…” Feijão

Bringing the discussion to an end the group saw that it would be important to, without harm to other potential connections, define a route for the continuity of the panel, as a group responsibility. In the sense of evaluating and monitoring what will happen to the panel’s proposals relating to the UN negotiations, as in its impact in life and in everyone’s struggle. Therefore, without explicitly defining how and with understanding towards difficulties, especially in terms of resources, the group decided that this work could not end and that the panel will not dissolve and that together we will find the way and the means to continue. A first step would be evaluating the results of this retreat in 6 months or a year.

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Day’s Summary: “We started the day today with a really great group activity, revitalizing our relationship to the body, the mind and the spirit and seeing that we are capable of doing something. Then analysing economics, analysing what is this economy, what our life plans are, and then returning to the experiences of each organization represented in here, trying to understand the revitalization and self-recognition of each organization, and what it identifies as, as pertains to this perspective on human development. Of how we can stand up to our challenges, the difficulties of the system, and that we can recover, find each other, and then move to another level where we can revitalize the work, such as through a cooperative.” Antonieta – see more on YouTube: Painel das Bases Antonieta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrgfn-jR0qY “In the afternoon we played the game that ended up being a life lesson; that the webs are forever tied to us, right… So from the webs in which we had this involvement, we saw the importance of being a permanent group, the need to meet as the ground- level, the ground-level has a certain movement in which only those from the ground-level can understand the ground-level. For us the process of continuation is of major importance. To want to continue is a proposal for the affirmation of the ground-level, of the need to have it within the process of construction.” Feijão – see more on YouTube: Painel das Bases Feijão http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6c6YxpwFLc

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Day 4 – 3rd July Today was the day to take a breath, a walk, meet up with other people, call home. Get away from the retreat’s environment even so be able to better internalize the experience. The itinerary? Beach in the morning, a visit to Complexo do Alemão and to Raízes em Movimento in the afternoon. At Raízes the panelists also had the opportunity to communicate by phone with their communities and convey what they had been experiencing and thus, better reflect upon the past days. It was also a day for the facilitation team and the documentation team to get together, go over the content of the discussion of the first days and organize the process of the construction of the final message.

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Documento final – Painel das Bases

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Day 5 – 4th July

Constructing the message At first the panelists were divided into three groups to work on a different aspect: life plan, obstacles, alternatives and solutions.

According to the schedule, this day would be dedicated to the construction of the panel’s public message based on what was discussed. The proposal was for the whole process to be done collectively.

Returning to the big group we collectively decided, using a screen projection, which points could not be missing from the final message and there were even some additions during the plenary:

It would be a very intense day requiring lots of effort and Ben Hur proposed starting out with an outdoors activity that gave us the energy and concentration we needed.

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Returning to the meeting room, the first task was to collectively read the summaries of the previous days in order to remember all we experienced, and in sequence analyse the proposal for the day and the structure of the message.

Life plan

-Basic securities in terms of housing, access to land, health (basic sanitation and a humane treatment of people that suffer substance abuse and misuse), nourishment, education, transportation and leisure – resilience. -Valuing of the different ways of culture, expression, and knowing. -Respect and guarantee of diversity + pro-active daily action -Governance -Forms of production and economic circulation – in all segments, from the working force to local artistic production, valuing life. -Free and conscious access to information -Guaranteeing social interaction to those who live in isolation -Strengthening the family as a primordial space for the integral shaping of a child -Obstacles and barriers: death plans -Intermediaries – (economic, political) -Frailty of requests for the defence of rights

The proceedings of the week allows for observation of how the message was slowly generated day by day and came to be as a natural fruit of the reflection process. By understanding the process we see how the knowledge contained in the message is born from each one’s day-today reality, their difficulties, their dreams, their hopes and paths of action. The massage is not constituted simply by analyses and proposals, but by lives. The obstacles, we know them well, they are the hardships we face every day. The proposals for overcoming and achieving are a true life plan, it is the daily resistance. The connecting thread of the message would be the idea of a life plan, as presented by Potyra and the basic structure would be: • Introduction or presentation – Global life plan x death plan • Essential elements of said life plan • Obstacle faced in the actualization of this plan • Proposals and alternatives to help overcome this obstacles and actualize a global life plan

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-Democratize access to knowledge and basic rights -Monitoring of policies and programs – ex” Ground-Level Panel!

-Power of economic interests -Inadequate bureaucracy: lack of specific bureaucracy in some cases and excessive bureaucracy in others. Administration that does not consider diversity. -Lack of information -Lack of observance of the constitution and laws -Labour exploitation and dependence on the system -Corruption/co-optation -Violence (physical, psychological, institutional and social) -Dehumanisation, lack of love between people and between people and the land -Power imbalance between the people and institutions

Next, the groups were scrambled into 3 new groups, so that each group had a member of each previous group, to start composing the text for each of the aspects of the message. Finally, in the afternoon, we defined the writing team for the final text with at least one representative from each group along with the documentation and facilitation teams. The others got together to define the structure of and prepare the presentation for the following day’s public event.

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Strategies/paths

-Integration of different struggles ex: evictions in favelas, indigenous land struggles, the caboclo’s situation in the Amazon -Popular education that is integrated with the local reality -Art as a transformative process – social, economic, political, educational, spiritual -Egalitarian and alternative forms of production, income generation and distribution -Credit (funding) for any and all types of socio-environmental initiatives (recycling, craftwork, small producer, etc.) -Solidarity in human relation to overcome dehumanisation -Forms of resistance within access to land and housing (ex: self-demarcation of land) -Self-management of our lives -Horizontal forms of organization -Unity, harmony, of differences for the common good

The composition of the document took a long time since we worked piece-by-piece, word-by-word, based on what the other groups had done. The title, Awêre para Kisile, came from the song composed by Raull, during the panel that combined the Tupi word “awêre” (may everything work out) with the Banto word “Kisile” (those who don’t yet have a name). The poem “The Wheel” was written by

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Antonieta and the group decided it should be included in the opening of the message. With all this work we went over the designated time and continued working post-dinner and it was nice to see that despite the tiredness no one left the room. On the contrary, when the other group finished the event preparations they joined the writing team to contribute finalizing touches to the message. As an ending to the retreat, since many were returning to their homes after the following day’s event, we handed out the “certificates” to the panellists, alongside a DVD copy of all pictures, video material and text material. And finally, with duties being over all we had left to do was celebrate and prepare for the following day.

And it was with great joy that, past 9pm, the final text was projected onto the screen, read out loud and applauded by all! But the work was not over. The surprise video that was going to be presented to the panellists on the following day was finalized overnight. Similarly, the rehearsal of the song “Awêre para Kisile” composed by Raull and executed by other panellists continued.

Awêre para Kisile

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Day 6 – 5th July

Public Event We left the Casa Regina Coeli (Regina Coeli House) quite early, taking all the necessary material, to prepare the room and welcome the guests. The event started at 10am and was realized in the Clube de Engenharia (Engineering Club) auditorium in downtown Rio de Janeiro, through a partnership with IBASE. It followed in accordance with the group’s plans and with respect to the group’s characteristics. Alan was appointed as master of ceremony, and Cacique Jamopoty, who is also a representative authority of the people, did the opening of the event. And although that role of hers was not given prominence during the Panel, it was respected by other authorities. And thus the first words were hers, and she made the Tupinamba circle with the objective of preparing bodies and minds to work. Mariana gave a general overview of the Panel and introduced the 8 minute video, that introduced the workings of the week and the panellists. It was a surprise to them and they were moved by it. In following the “Awêre para Kisile” message was read out by Arlete and Robson, with the aim of uniting Arlete’s lightness and emotion with Robson’s might and strength. The present interlocutors were then invited to the table Angelica Goulart National Secretary on Children and adolescent’s Rights, Gustavo Peres, coordinator of “UPP social” - Rio de Janeiro city government, Itamar Silva, director of IBASE – Brazilian Institute of Social and economical Analisys and Davi Amen, president of Raízes em Movimento Institue. Each of them spoke from their perspective, but generally exalted the initiative, the strength of the message and the importance of gatherings of this kind, and connecting it to the manifestations that at that moment occurred throughout the country. Space was created for interaction between panellists and guests and there was even time for interventions by the audience.

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Another prayer circle and thank you was led by Cacique Jamopoty, who at that point invited all present to join in. To finish things off our musical group presented the song “Awêre para Kisile” song, getting the audience on their feet and bringing a fabulous end to the event. As a closing there was a lunch gathering for socializing between panellists and team. A moment to relax, celebrate the week and… say goodbyes… at least for some, while others went to a studio’s friend to record the official version of Awêre para Kisile! Reflections about the process Once this report, the final video and other products of this gathering are finished, the deeper process evaluation phase will commence to produce an understanding of its real impact on the lives of the participants, of their communities and in the process of defining the development agenda over at the United Nations. However, it is possible to notice various positive reactions from the participants, panellists and team, and people who read the message, heard the song and watched the initial video. It is therefore possible to highlight a few fundamental points that so defined the ways of the gathering: • Availability of necessary means, in terms of financial, material, and human resources; • The freedom and support provided by the staff at Participate; • The limited number of participants; • The way panellists were selected and the preparation that allowed for integration between the panellists; • The focus on the meeting and on exchange, rather than the final product; • The diversity of the panellists in many senses. Each person, within their characteristics, was fundamental for the process; • The integration of artistic activities as an integral part of the process of construction of knowledge. • The informal moments cheered by each one’s spontaneity • Above all else, the human quality of the group,

Awêre para Kisile

both of the panellists and the team that worked on the process. In relation to the progression of reflections and the construction of the essence of the final message, we can highlight some key moments: • The concept of life plan; • The gaining of awareness of the group’s diversity; • The idea that when united our actions are big and complementary; • The identification of obstacles that thwart rights guarantees; • The unification of different causes and the identification of a common fight. Personal Evaluations: Antonieta: The panel didn’t do just the basics, it went beyond, it moved us, it was emotional, it was productive. The panel expanded each one’s view, we leave as a different person. Because ideas came into being, they were pronounced, and today we can no longer leave that behind. This should not be a singular event. It should be something continual, formative, educational, so we can triplicate this in other people, so that they can also join the circle. Ben Hur: We truly felt a part of the construction of something that we know isn’t just good for our country, but for ourselves and for other countries as well, for communities in other countries. I took so many notes during the retreat, finding common ground and finding aspects that could be combined with all the actions that are happening throughout the country, which if put it together into a strategy for action at a national level, I’m sure that just like it is happening in Brazil today, we can make ourselves heard and respected, which is the most important thing. Jamopoty: The best experience, I am already a representative of the people who wanders a lot, but I’ve never had an experience like this… I mean, an experience with this diversity of people, knowledge and issues. So I think I will take away the best thing, which to show that we are also people who fight for their territory, for health, for education, for everything.

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Pamela: Wonderful people, facilitators, everyone involved in the process carried it out fluidly, it flowed very well. The schedule ended up flowing in a much more encompassing manner, it was more open, allowing for freedom of thought, expressions, wonderful activities. It went beyond our issues, beyond our ways of thinking, our ideas; we used the mind to help us think better.

Arlete: The panel has been great. The facilitators create this dynamic, they speak my language. There’s still a lot in my mind to assimilate, right, but I’ll carry with me a certain strength from the youth in this panel, who suffer like the people in the Alemao but who have their joy, their love message, we still see much love in the hearts of the youth.

Raull: It is necessary to be united and the panel has been a unique experience, through this exchange of experiences that makes me rethink my own life. The panel… I want to leave the panel with a life methodology beyond what I already have, thinking ahead. Because I leave much richer, with all the exchanges and knowledge about different ways of living in Brazil.

Potyra: I find the panel to be super valid, talking about public policies, seek improvements, plan together what is best for us, for the ground-level, not only the ground-level represented here, but for all the minorities in Brazil, everyone goes through the same things. I have been strengthened, certainly as an indigenous social militant seeking rights, I’ve noticed that our struggle is not unique. There is no indigenous struggle, favela struggle, periphery struggle, forest struggle, no! The struggle is one, it is against the system, the system that wants to kills us and we have to go seek our own lives, in unity.

Robson: Things are being organized kind of last minute, which is great because the group had the possibility of intervening, suddenly bringing in energy, suggesting something and have it be accepted by the organizers. I saw this, this autonomy in having people say “No, let’s go in this direction today?/ Let’s go that in that direction?” It’s something that might be beating inside of you, you gotta get it out and then the organizers start working with that and through this you get where you wanted to, get it? Digging, exploring an idea, everyone’s need for reality, I think that was nice, this autonomy allows for a healthier construction.”

Feijao: It was a very special week. I spent these days with incredible people, incredible experiences, and incredible thoughts, where we combined a load of emotions, of strengths and of positivity to build plans for a better future. It was one of the strongest moments I have experienced in my lifetime, being with people who believe in the human being, who believe in life and the power of transformation. It was surprising when I arrived that within a week we were part of the process of creating the panel. This collective, egalitarian construction. It was amazing and I learned a lot about how to work horizontally within a group.

Claudia: I was invited to this event and it was very important to me, for it is a unique opportunity for interaction and sharing with people who I’ve never seen and who have almost the same life experience that I do. We have been very united, there is a lost of unity between all. I had never imagined being a part of an event like this. What I will take from this is out of the ordinary. The unity, the caring, the socializing. Us here, we do everything together. I’ve never shared in this manner, not even with the people back where I live, it is very welcoming here. We saw that we are all the same, there is no difference in colour, ethnicity, nothing. We are all the same, we hold no prejudice.

Awêre para Kisile

Check out other products from the Ground-Level Panel -– Awêre para Kisile

Final video http://youtu.be/1KkVduXmSQU

Presentation Video English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEWrLcir6Ts Português: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smx3aQ4m_vI Français: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ivmoFl00TM

Song Awêre para Kisile: https://soundcloud.com/participate2015/ awere-ground-level-panel  Online Final message English: http://www.participate2015.org/wp-content/ uploads/2013/08/ Brazil-GLP-Communique-FINAL.pdf

Attachment:

Concrete actions for change: What have we already done in our territories? •

Grupo Raio de Luz, ONG Brasil pela Dignidade – Petrópolis, RJ

Ray of Light Group, Brazil for Dignity NGO “But it’s just like us: at the beginning we must go through a path that starts in darkness. Some will give up, but others will say: Let’s go there, there’s a light out there. So we walk and we find the light. We all have our rights and we can be far away, in the dark, apart from everything, like an indigenous tribe, but we all have rights. When we meet up and talk, we can be a ray of light.” This was the inspiration for creating a group in the Caxambu community to reflect, talk, and act together to change difficult situations. Claudia and Raquel are part of this group, which sparks awareness, respects everyone’s words and knowledge and collectively builds new alternatives. www.brasilpeladignidade.org.br

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Centro de Def. dos Direitos Humanos e Grupo e Cult. Afro Kisile – Serra, ES

Center for Defense of Human Rights and KISILE Group of Afro Culture

Feijao is a militant from the Serra Center for Defense of Human Rights – “fight for issues of human rights.” The entity came into being 30 years ago during one of the many conflicts surrounding the issue of land and establishment of peripheries in Espirito Santo. “The defender of human rights is not a thug, he is the defender of human dignity in all senses.” Feijao is also one of the founders of the KISILE Group of Afro Culture which works on the preventive side of human rights and develops many actions in the afro cultural area. A popular college prep course was established in 1995. Slowly, the women created handicrafts, art, music, and dance groups. “We go to the peripheries, we go to the schools, to do work on the issue of black consciousness, n the issue of afro culture.” http://outros300.blogspot.com.br/2012/01/serra-cultura-afro-em-jacaraipe.html

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Associação Comunitária do Bairro do Guamá – Balém, PA

Community Association of the Guamá Neighborhood

With the belief that recovery of traditional culture and education are the keys to transformation, Antonieta is a founder of the Community Association of the Guamá Neighborhood seeking to bring the people and the people’s culture together. Working through art and education the association runs projects that promote the rights of children and adolescents.

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Anjos e Querubins – Pelotas, RS

Angels and Cherubs

Ben Hur is a founder of Angels and Cherubs that acts in the Arts (Theater, Dance and Music). The cultural entity, founded in August 17th, 2003, brought an identity to the Angels and Cherubs Project, which worked with kids and adolescents since 2001 in the Getúlio Vargas and Pestano lots in the North Zone of the city of Pelotas/RS. The group’s percussion and theater demonstrates its excellent professional quality and the new horizons that the kids may reach. http://anjosequerubins.blogspot.com.br/

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Povo Tupinambá de Olivença – Bahia, BA

Tupinambá de Olivença People

The Tupinambá de Olivença lands is situated in the Ilhéus, Buerarema e Unamunicipalities of the state of Bahia and it is traditionally occupied by 7,000 Tupinambás de Olivença. Jamopoty is one of the Caciques of this people who are suffering at the moment with the process of land demarcation. Time goes by and the demarcation does not occur. There have been many conflicts and many indifenous leaders have been unjustly imprisoned. But us Tupinambás continue to fight for the observance of our rights. And it is by caring for our environment and by following our traditional cultural practices that our people continues to resist in our territory. http://www.indiosonline.net/ha-historia-do-povo-tupinamba-de-olivenca-que-nao-esta-noslivros/

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Jardim da Natureza – Céu do Mapiá, AM

Nature’s Garden

Arlete lives in the Amazon Forest developing projects on ecological awareness, education and ap-preciation of local knowledge. To bring this all together, a handicraft project involving the conscious use of forest resources was established. Her community, Céu do Mapiá, is an example of collective and autonomous action today. Among so many community initiatives, Arlete participated with other residents in the creation of a community school whose proposal is adequate to the local reality. http://www.idacefluris.org.br

Awêre para Kisile

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Thydêwá - Bahia, BA

Thydêwá Association

Potyra is a Tupinambá deeply dedicated to defending her people and is also a part of Thidewá, that is alchemically born through the commitment of many people, who come from different cultures and knowledges, with the objective of promoting planetary awareness and performing actions in favor of all of life, in favor of Mother Earth. Its activities began in 2000. Some of the projects are: Oca digital (digital Oca), Memórias – Índios na visão dos índios (Memories – Indians in the view of indians), Esperança da Terra (Hope on Earth) and Índios online (Indians online), amongst other pro-jects. The Índios online, for example, seeks to “facilitate the access to information and communica-tion to many different indigenous groups and stimulate intercultural dialogue. Promote research and studying of our cultures. Recovering, preserving, updating, and appreciating our indigenous cul-tures. Promoting respect for differences. Knowing and reflecting upon our current situation. Safe-guarding the oldest immaterial goods of this Brazilian land. Make online files (texts, pictures, vide-os) about our peoples for Brazil and the World. Complement and enrich the processes of differenti-ated multicultural indigenous school education. Qualifying ourselves to better demand our rights.” www.thydewa.org and www.indiosonline.net/

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Ocupa Alemão

Occupy Alemão

“Ocupa Alemão is a collective made up of youth who believe that a new world is possible, one in which the favela is recognized as a part of the city and is able to propose solutions to its own de-mands. It’s a struggle for the right to the city and for access democracy that occurs because of a huge desire to change the world.” Amongst the youth are Pamela and Raull. The initiatives of Ocupa Alemão try to bring back the public essence of the favela territory, through the creation of free libraries, spaces for knowledge exchange managed by residents themselves, that incorporate the architecture and geography of the city. The first free library was inaugurated in May, in the Morro dos Mineiros, a less urbanized region of the Complexo do Alemão. Another action is the Rolé Afetivo (Affectionate Walk), which proposes a stroll through the streets of Complexo do Alemão, ending with a conversation about key-themes in thf dtuggle for rights and citizenship in the city. The collective also runs projects such as the Cine Muro (Cine Wall) and the Grafitada Political (Po-litical Graffitiing), which join art, cultural and political engagement. The collective also anticipates the formation of a collaborative network of communicators of the people and workshops on audio-visual media for youth. https://www.facebook.com/OcupaAlemao

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Raízes em Movimento

Moving Roots

We from the Instituto Raízes em Movimento have a mission to promote human, social and cultural development of the Complexo do Alemão and other communities through the participation of local actors as protagonists of these processes, keeping the focus on strengthening and expansion of social capital in these communities. Born in October 2001, in the Complexo do Alemão –Leopoldina Region, Rio de Janeiro North Zone, the Instituto Raízes em Movimento emerged from a group of youth and university students who either resided there or were involved in social work in the region. www.raizesemmovimento.org.br

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Movimento ATD Quarto Mundo

International Movement ATD Fourth World

The International Movement ATD (All Together for Dignity) Fourth World aims to safeguard access to the exercise of rights to the poorest and move forward together towards the eradication of ex-treme poverty. It recognizes people living in such situation as profound actors of knowledge and as protagonists of change; it works to sensitize the opinion of citizens and to obtain political changes; it promotes dialogue and cooperation between different social actors. In all its actions, two essential principles are put into practice: • Think and act with people in great poverty, which allows for joint establishment of condi-tions for true participation. • Leave no one behind.

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Partcipate

The Participate initiative provides high quality evidence on the reality of poverty at ground level, bringing the perspectives of the poorest into the post-2015 debate. Participate aims to: • Bring perspectives of those in poverty into decision-making processes • Embed participatory research in global policy-making • Use research with the poorest as the basis for advocacy with decision-makers • Ensure that marginalised people have a central role in holding decision-makers to account in the post-2015 process • Generate knowledge, understanding and relationships for the global public good Participate is co-convened by the Institute of Development Studies and Beyond 2015 , but the initiative is only possible because of the energy, expertise and vision of numerous organisations committed to participatory research. Participate is funded by the UK Government. www.participate2015.org