The Voices of Tocantins Coalition also aims to promote the participation of young people in national and international events, such as COP 28 in Dubai.
Geniffe Kariny, 22, is a resident of the Onalício Barros settlement in Caseara (TO), an MST activist, a Social Work student, and one of the 28 young people trained in Communication and Climate Justice by the Voices of Tocantins Coalition. The course began in March of this year and reached its fourth and final meeting between August 25 and 28, in the Prata village, Apinajé Indigenous Land, in Tocantinópolis (TO).
As a conclusion to the course, the young people developed the complete management of a project, from the preparation of the proposal to the accountability report, in addition to a video documenting the activity.
For Geniffe, who invested in containers to optimize the sale of products from the Association of Agro-extractive Women of the APA Ilha do Bananal/Cantão, AMA Cantão, the project was a challenge that brought satisfaction. “I had never had direct contact with projects like this, in all their phases, and I could see that it had a very positive impact through the discussion we held during the Macaúba Festival. They were very happy to know that there was a young leader interested in their work and who wanted to help promote their work,” says the young woman.
Agroforestry Systems
Caylane Gleize and Mahyure Ferreira, also from the municipality of Caseara, chose to work with the implementation of an agroforestry system in the school context, where they disseminated activities capable of guaranteeing income generation in the rural context for approximately 60 elementary school students (learn more on Instagram @saf_ince).
Iude Hipólito and Wesley Rodrigues, students from the Padre Josimo Family Agricultural School in Bico do Papagaio, Esperantina (TO), carried out similar projects in their communities. Matheus Gomes, from the Olga Benário encampment, documented the productive backyards already developed in the territory, disseminating the practice.
Reforestation
The Apinajé youth from Aldeia Prata, in Tocantinópolis (TO), represented by Marlucia, Wanderson, Dionísio and Marciane, documented the reforestation project that had already been developed in the community, in addition to promoting seedling nursery workshops in neighboring villages.
Thalyfer Ferraz, a resident of the Clodomir Santos de Morais encampment in Ipueiras (TO), had a similar idea. His investment was directed towards a vacuum packaging machine to package the produce and optimize sales for the community. With the income generated, the idea is to promote reforestation, making the project self-sustainable.
Quilombola Perspectives
Students from the Federal University of Tocantins in Arraias, Olavo Lisboa, Brena Cezario, Crislorrane Nogueira, and Henrique Neto, joined quilombola community members from the Kalunga do Mimoso Association (TO), Allan Martins, Darleide Rosa, and Raiane Arcanjo, to conduct a series of lectures and raise awareness among the population about mining attempts within the quilombola territory and the risks to the community (learn more on Instagram @olharesquilombolas).
Maintaining Culture
The group of young Krahô people from the Pedra Branca village, in the municipality of Goiatins (TO), Juliana Pahic, Tião Peru, Marciana Amxy, Gustavo Xohtyc and Ismael Cawar, meticulously documented the traditional Pēp Cahàc festival, in addition to a production about the impacts of the dam built in the 70s near the village.
Joel Cuxy, a resident of the Manoel Alves Pequeno village, enlisted the group's help to document the Potato Festival, held in his territory. Both aimed to promote traditions as a way to value and maintain their culture, which has been weakening over the years due to contact with non-indigenous people.
Fishing and Beekeeping
Shirlene Guimarães, a resident of Araguacema, organized an Intercommunity Assembly at the municipality's Professional Fishermen's Cooperative to create a Sustainable Use Conservation Unit for the community. The event was attended by authorities to discuss the topic, aiming at the preservation and protection of a region that supplies fish stocks and is threatened by indiscriminate fishing. Meanwhile, Jane Batista, only 15 years old, lives in the Padre Josimo encampment in Carrasco Bonito (TO) and developed a project to disseminate knowledge about beekeeping and honey production in the community.
Community Outreach
Gabriela Souza, a resident of Quilombo do Prata in São Félix, Jalapão region, conducted a series of interviews to exclusively share the community's version of its history and customs (learn more on Instagram @quilombo_prata). Meanwhile, Bárbara da Silva promoted the dissemination of agro-extractive activities along the Estrada do Arroz (Rice Road), which encompasses the states of Tocantins and Maranhão, whose main activity is the use of babassu coconut for various products (learn more and find out how to buy them at @pindowa_extrativismo).
Youth Training
With an immersive approach in Tocantins communities, the Youth Training Course in Communication and Climate Justice is part of the Voices for Just Climate Action initiative and has the support of the Avina Foundation in Brazil. Indigenous people, quilombola communities, family farmers, settlers, riverside dwellers, and university students, aged 15 to 35, participate in the training, aiming to value good practices and daily experiences in the face of climate change, seeking to mitigate the impacts on those most vulnerable to these changes. Despite the course's completion, the young people will still represent the Coalition at national and international events, such as the Meeting of the Peoples of the Cerrado in Brasília (DF) and COP 28, which will be held this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Voices from Tocantins
The Coalition is composed of the following organizations: Kalunga do Mimoso Quilombo Remnant Community Association – Arraias (AKMT), Kàjre Cultural Center Association (Krahô people), Pyka Mex Association (Apinajé people), Araguacema-TO Fishermen's Colony (Copesca), Cooperative for Work, Provision of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Services (Coopter), Padre Josimo Bico do Papagaio Family Agricultural School (EFA – Esperantina), Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST – Tocantins), Onça D´água Association for Support of Conservation Units, Pro-Rectorate for Extension, Culture and Community Affairs of the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), Heritage and Socio-environmental Tourism course of the Federal University of Tocantins – Arraias Campus, Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN) and Center for Rural Studies, Inequalities and Systems. Sociological (Neurotics).
Text: Sarah Tamioso / Ascom Vozes do Tocantins
Edited by: Letícia Verdi / ISPN Press Office