The "Cerrativism: Women of the Waters" training program, promoted by ISPN, brings together leaders from six states to discuss territorial rights, the environment, and political participation.
“We are the political force,” declared Maria de Lourdes, a traditional woman from Balsas (MA), at the end of the first module of the course “Cerrativismo: Women of the Waters,” which brought together 30 indigenous women and women from traditional communities from six Brazilian states between June 10 and 12, in Brasília.
An initiative of the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN) with support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), the training aims to strengthen agents of change in six strategic socio-ecological landscapes: Alto Jequitinhonha (MG), western Bahia, southern Maranhão, Kaiowá-Guarani territories (MS), Goiás and southern Piauí.
Comprising three in-person modules, with the second and third scheduled for August and October, the course focuses on strengthening political advocacy, developing leadership, and empowering the community.
Southern Maranhão, where Maria de Lourdes lives, is one of the areas more pressured by deforestation for the expansion of monoculture“We live in and know the region. We know what's there: the fauna, the flora. We defend it. We are the guardians of the environment,” stated Maria de Lourdes.
Having lived for two decades in the plains of Balsas — a region marked by the advance of the Matopiba agricultural frontier, formed by the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia — she says she learned to live “in the bush” and developed a strong bond with the Cerrado: “Today, I defend it and I am here to give my best for the countryside and for biodiversity.”
It was this environment that motivated her to join the Cerrativist training program. The case of Roberta Alves Silva, from the Vicente Nica Center for Alternative Agriculture (CAV), is similar.
Roberta, a resident of Alto Jequitinhonha, explains that the goal of her community organization is "to bring information to the people, to publicize our territory, our actions, identity, and culture."
"Among other things, this first module awakened in me the idea of using the arts as a tool for advocacy, focusing on grassroots development and raising public awareness," he stated.
The mining region has suffered from the impacts of eucalyptus monoculture since the 1970s, causing biodiversity loss and the drying up of rivers and springs. According to Roberta, it is necessary to give visibility to local ways of life and knowledge.
From the Kalunga territory in Cavalcante (GO), Alcileia Torres, a communicator for Kalunga Comunicações, reports on the conflicts experienced by the quilombola community of Vão de Almas due to the lack of legal land titles. Today, there are more than 3.500 self-declared quilombola communities in Brazil, but fewer than 150 have received land titles — according to IBGE data.
“Through the art of storytelling, we show that we exist. Territory is the foundation of our existence. Without it, one cannot speak of culture, health, or education,” declared Alcileia.
For her, communication is a response to institutional violence and to bills that threaten the rights of traditional peoples.
In southern Piauí, Maria Derismar, a quilombola (member of a community descended from escaped slaves) from the Parentina community, denounces the advance of land grabbing and deforestation in her region:
“They say the land is theirs and we don’t know what to do. Our springs are drying up. We beg you, for God’s sake, that the authorities help us.”
In the community of Gatos, in Formosa do Rio Preto (BA), Karina Guedes, a traditional resident of the Geraizeira community, also reports the impacts of agribusiness. President of the Cacimbinha and Gatos Geraizeira Association, she denounces river contamination, landslides, and the poisoning of the population by pesticides.
Just like in the Jequitinhonha Valley, the communities in western Bahia have lived in the territory for over 300 years, but have faced land grabbing since the 1970s. “We have to answer in court for environmental crimes we didn't commit. We're just grazing our cattle,” laments Karina.
One of the strategies they found was to give visibility to local cultures. “We are showcasing our crafts at the fair. This is important to show who we are and what happens in the community.”
In the Laranjeira Ñanderu indigenous territory, in Rio Brilhante (MS), the Kaiowá-Guarani Liléia Pedro de Almeida points out that "the forests are disappearing and the people are getting sick because of poisoning with pesticides".
"In my area, the only preserved vegetation is our forest. It is our hope that everything will not be destroyed."
“We are not heard in Brasília. The Temporal Framework Bill (PL 2903/2023) is moving forward despite all our mobilization. The land is dying, its blood is contaminated, and the survivor is crying out for help.”
As part of the meeting's program, ISPN Advocacy Advisor Vitor Hugo Moraes led a workshop on Introduction to Political Advocacy, proposing a debate on human rights, public policies, and popular participation. Following this, the women activists kicked off the advocacy plan that will be developed throughout the training.
“We recognize the importance of valuing and strengthening the advocacy actions carried out by the participants, from the local to the international level,” explained Moraes.
In another important moment of the training, the women activists from the Cerrado region were present at the premiere of the short film series "Cerrado: Heart of the Waters," held by ISPN at the traditional Cine Brasília, on Wednesday, June 11th. On this day, the big screen was transformed into a stage for resistance and celebration of the biome.
The event brought together directors Luiz Felipe Silva and Fellipe Abreu, as well as guests who are leading the fight for conservation: Taynara Moraes, a Pantanal native from Bonito (MS), and Denervaldo Silva, a pasture fencer from Vereda da Felicidade, in western Bahia — both portrayed in the documentary.
Many of the women participating in Cerrativismo had the opportunity to enter a movie theater for the first time. See more at video.
What is Cerrativism?
The project Cerrativism It emerged with the goal of strengthening activism and political advocacy in the Cerrado, empowering civil society and social movements in defense of the biome.
The proposal seeks to contribute to a balance of power in the territories, generating lasting socio-environmental benefits.
The first edition was held in 2019 in western Bahia, with support from CEPF. In 2023, a new stage was promoted in southern Piauí, through the Ceres Project, in partnership with WWF-Brazil and local organizations.
Want to learn about other experiences and find out more about the project? Visit the [link/website/etc.]. primer about the formation in western Bahia or watch the video about the formation in southern Piauí.
Text by Camila Araujo/ISPN Communications Advisor.