With the aim of debating and presenting practical examples of philanthropy for socio-environmental justice in the context of Cerrado preservation, Rede Comuá, Instituto Sociedade, População e Natureza (ISPN), Fundo Casa Socioambiental and Rede Cerrado promote, on the 15th, the “Dialogue on the Importance of Community Philanthropy in the Conservation of the Cerrado and the Culture of Its Peoples”, during the X Meeting and Fair of the Peoples of the Cerrado, in Brasília.
The Cerrado is the most threatened biome in Brazil, with record deforestation in 2023. Birthplace of waters, it supplies eight of the country's main river basins. It houses 5% of the planet's biodiversity and is home to traditional peoples and communities who find their livelihood and plant their culture there.
Alerts from Deter, the deforestation monitoring system run by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), increased by 21% in the first half of the year. Between August 2022 and July this year, more than 6,300 square kilometers were deforested, most of them in the region of Matopiba, which covers Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia.
In this scenario, community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice, which propose the adoption of practices that democratize access to resources, investing in movements and initiatives with direct action in the fight for human rights and in territories, emerge as a way of supporting movements and organizations who work to conserve the Cerrado.
INVITATION
The superintendent director of ISPN, Cristiane Azevedo, highlights that the idea of the dialogue table is to expand the debate between the various sectors of civil society. “The invitation is for more people, organizations, companies, institutes and foundations to learn about this way of promoting social transformation, by supporting grassroots organizations in their struggles in the territories to guarantee access to rights and strengthen civil society, the community protagonism and democracy itself”, highlights Cristiane.
Support for grassroots organizations that work in struggles in indigenous, quilombola and traditional Cerrado territories, in order to guarantee everyone access to rights and the strengthening of their traditions, struggles and knowledge, becomes a possible path against the advance biome degradation.
For Jonathas Azevedo, program advisor at Rede Comuá, community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice in Brazil plays a key role in supporting many of these agendas made invisible by mainstream philanthropy, placing communities at the forefront of advancement at the center of the debate. of the rights agenda, including emphasizing the intersectionalities that cross the environmental, climate and human rights agenda.
“The fight for the preservation and protection of the Cerrado is a clear example of this. This event, then, is also a call to national philanthropy, which can, and should, contribute to this fight, actively listening and learning from the work already carried out by the different Cerrado communities”, explains Jonathas.
The executive director of Fundo Casa, Cristina Orpheo, highlights the relevance of the countless indigenous communities, quilombolas and traditional groups that maintain a deep connection with the ecosystem. “Their ways of life, ancestral knowledge and cultural traditions are intrinsically linked to the natural resources of the Cerrado. Unfortunately, these communities have suffered enormous violations of their rights, especially their territorial rights”, comments Cristina.
According to her, the Casa Socioambiental Fund understands the leading role in the struggle of these Cerrado communities and recognizes the importance of directing financial resources so that they can design and implement their projects autonomously and effectively. “We have made an effort to increase resources allocated to Cerrado communities”, he adds.
The Dialogue Table on the Importance of Community Philanthropy in the Conservation of the Cerrado and the Culture of Its Peoples is part of the program for Cerrado Day, celebrated on September 11th, and the Month of Philanthropy that Transforms, an initiative of Rede Comuá.
What: Table “Dialogue on the Importance of Community Philanthropy in the Conservation of the Cerrado and the Culture of Its Peoples”
Date: September 15th, from 9 am to 1 pm
Where: X Meeting and Fair of the Peoples of the Cerrado, at the TV Tower, in Brasília – DF, Tenda Campos Rupestres
Originally published here.
