Traditional Territories: A Guarantee Of The Right To Identity Of Ancient People From Land Of African Matrix.
The project aims to empower the people of the terreiro (yards) on legislation that deals with rights and access to traditional territories in order to enable them to influence the Brazilian State to elaborate specific legislation that guarantees the preservation of traditional and sacred lands to this population.
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
Josilene
Last Name
Brandão da Costa
Website
http://codigolilas. blogspot.com
Country
Brazil, DF
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Organization Name
Organization Website
Organization Phone
Organization Address
Organization Country
How long has this organization been operating?
Less than a year
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Your idea
Name your project.
Traditional Territories: A Guarantee Of The Right To Identity Of Ancient People From Land Of African Matrix.
Describe Your Idea
The project aims to empower the people of the terreiro (yards) on legislation that deals with rights and access to traditional territories in order to enable them to influence the Brazilian State to elaborate specific legislation that guarantees the preservation of traditional and sacred lands to this population.
Country your work focuses on
Brazil
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The access of people on the laws that guarantee traditional territories is almost nonexistent, as well is the existence of specific legislation on the issue.
Therefore the proposal aims to promote access to the traditional people of African-Brazilian religion to existing laws and mainly to ILO Convention 169. In the sense that these people can influence the Brazilian state to implement the Convention by drafting specific legislation to guarantee territorial rights but also ensure the participation in dialogue forums that address the cultural rights of these people.
Other innovative aspect of the proposal is the influence on specific public policy development to the people.
We can also consider innovative the fact that we are dealing with territorial rightsof traditional and sacred spaces, considering this aspect as a major difference that leads all the actions to be developed. Therefore it comes to what we call law customs right ie the right is designed to guide the drafting of legislation.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
The Brazilian government created the National Commission for Sustainable Development of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT) in 2007 where the people of terreiro (yards) is representated. This is a major initiative to be strengthened concerning visibility and rights ensurance of those people.
On cultural policy initiatives already exists the creation of the Think Tank Group on African-Brazilian Cultural Matrix with the presence of peoples from terreiros (yards) as well as a comission called National People's Representatives Traditional Terreiros with a view to developing policies to guarantee the cultural rights of these people through the Ministry of Culture.
To ensure the efficience of these initiatives some survey data has been performed in order to obtain information relating to those people, like the socio-economic survey of terreiro’s (yard) people already held in Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and Recife.
A mobilization of these communities has been important for its involvement in public policy development strategic forums.
Problem
EThe African origin yards are mostly in areas of land occupations, suburb neighborhoods or rural communities, these spaces are not always settled legally and because of that is common to suffer evictions and police violence.
Another important aspect is that the natural elements are essential to the ritual practices of these people but the areas where they are installed doesn’t often have rivers, forests, seas, waterfalls, etc so when these people seek these spaces for their rituals they are often prevented from that action in a racist, discriminatory and violent form.
The Brazilian environmental legislation does not address adequately to that issue preventing the access of this people and often casting them out by creating parks, reserves for environmental protection and other models that do not allow access and human presence.
Actions
1. To help these people to take note of the ILO Convention 169 and other related laws, through workshops, study with the support from operators rights partners.
2. To articulate the participation of communitary organizations in strategic political spaces in order to influence the drafting of an appropriate legislation to guarantee their rights. Also strengthening participation in already mentioned spaces. I intend to articulate the participation of people from terreiros (yards) in indigenous forums and also in COPs on Biodiversity to ensurance the presence in international strategic forums of environmental issues associated to traditional knowledge.
Difficulties: the lack of professionals focused on constitutional rights addressed to environmental and territorial laws; the strength of land owners in the Brazilian Parliament and its fight against the inniciatives that aims to ensure terriotiral rights to tradicional people; the lack of institutional and financial structure to articulate these communities nationally making possible the interchange of these communities with the public.
Results
1st year -
- 50 (fifty) national leaders trained on the ILO Convention 169 and specific laws;
- Representatives of the people from terreiros (yards) participating in of four (4) strategic areas of deliberation on specific policies;
- Representative of people from terreiros participating in indigenous forums and at the COP on Biodiversity
2nd year -
- Communities of terreiros (yards) mobilized around the drafting of the specific bill that guarantee traditional territories of the yards;
- Group of congressmen mobilized in the support of the specific bill guarantee of the traditional territories of the yards;
- Pre-drafted bill under discussion in the organizations of the peoples of the yards.
3rd year
Pre draft law under discussion and approval in the parliament
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
If so, how?
-By drafting specific legislation to guarantee the land rights of traditional people in the parliament;
-Through political participation of people in traditional courtyard spaces for dialogue;
-Through the development of cultural policies to ensure the preservation of the cultural practices of traditional peoples of the yard;
-By supporting the political organization of traditional people from terreiros (yards).
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Idea phase
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with businesses?
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with government?
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation.
The articulation of strategic partnerships is especially important in two ways: raising funds and mobilizing institutions, mainly in the context of human rights.
It is necessary to invest in training and mobilization of the communities involved as well as seek support for developing political proposals that may influence the policy of land tenure and legislation is fundamental.
To articulate professional operators committed to human rights and to those comunidades. The investment in the dissemination of the project is a way to attract partners who can invest to support the project.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
I am seeking support and partnerships to ensure the structure and participation in the leadership training, plane tickets, lodging and food, marketing materials and training. To accomplish that I drafted a project proposal to present in financial institutions and the federal government to make projct feaseble and to cover the minimum cost of R$ 200 000/ year.
Other source is a voluntary partnership with organizations in the yard where people will act as multiplier volunteers of capabilities of local leaders as well as actors in the project implementation.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
In 2005 was held the First National Encounter of Peoples and Traditional Communities in Brazil and since then I started to follow more closely the situation in many traditional communities in the country because of my role in the quilombolas (people of quilombo) movement.
In this sense there was already the fight for the security of a law guaranteeing the rights of Quilombo communities since 1985. The result of these efforts was the creation ADCT Article 68 of Federal Constitution and Article 4487/2003 that, despites the difficulties of implementation, is the result of the fight of the quilombola movement.
People from religious communities do not have a law on its territorial right. Therefore I have been discussing, since 2007, through the National Commission of Tradiotinal People and Communities and among the people of terreiros (yard) the need to debate this issue and also think a bill that addresses the regularization of the traditional territories of the peoples of the yards.
I believe that my experience in the process of articulating the case of quilombos can help in discussing the people of terreiro affair. Other motivation is the constant conflicts involving violence against this people and the lack of legal support to defend themselves and ensure the stay in their territories. Also to guarantee their access to places considered sacred to their greater motivation rituais.
I, myself, am a quilombola and born in a terreiro (yard) therefore I’m aware of my commitment to this situation and to the ensurance of its rights.
Tell us about the social innovator—the person—behind this idea.
I am 42 years and I was born in Maranhão and currently live in Brasilia for work purposes. All my political activity was focused on social movements, especially the movement of traditional people and the quilombolas. I, myself, am a quilombola and born in a terreiro (yard) therefore I’m aware of my commitment to this situation and to the ensurance of its rights.
Still in my childhood I suffered an eviction from my community, being forced to go live on the outskirts of a small town called Maranhense Bacabal. When I became young I made a commitment to support the causes for the preservation of the identities of tradiotinoal people and communities.
In 2004 I was selected Ashoka Fellow with Zanauandê Project (a long awaited child in African languages). Since 1985 I started work in the quilombola movement supporting the creation of the National Coordination of Quilombo-CONAQ. On the national level created the Association of Rural Black Communities of Maranhão Quilombo - ACONERUQ.
I supported and participated in the struggle of the quilombolas securing the article 68 of the ADCT the Federal Constitution as well as the 2005 decree 4887/2003. By participating in the creation of the National Committee of the peoples and traditional communities - CNPCT through Presidential Decree 6040/2007. Since then I have followed the struggle of people and traditional communities in Brazil and learning more closely at the specifics of each one.
In 2005 I was initiated in Candomble and further increased my zeal for political commitment to this identity process. therefore I’m an actor in this process beyond the political commitment for preserving an identity of thousands of people.The challenge of the fight is very big but is part of my political life as a principle.
My experience in articulating and drafting the quilombola fight issue is what entitles me to contribute to a process of securing land rights of the peoples of the yard.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Personal contact at Changemakers
If through another source, please provide the information.
Contato pessoal do Changemakers
Additional
Which (if any) of the following strategies apply to your organization or company (check as many as apply)
Policy advocacy to strengthen property rights or increase security of tenure, Formalizing and documenting property rights (i.e. titling, leasing or certification), Legal education and awareness.
Please explain how your work furthers one or many of the above strategies (if you selected “other”, please explain your strategy)
Empowering leaders of the people from terreiros (yard) on legislation that will secure their rights. Developing draft legislation aimed at regularization of ensuring their traditional territories and proposing coletividade. Building administrative procedures to ensure the collective title of the traditional territories of the peoples of the yard.
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