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The Landless Movement in Brazil is a success. One quarter
of a million people have
won land titles thanks to their
struggle. These gains, however, have come at a very
heavy
cost. In the past 10 years, more than 1000 people
have been killed as a result of
land conflicts.
By
Juçara Terezinha Zotts
Just outside the city of São Paulo, 620 families recently celebrated their first harvest of beans and corn. The families
are occupying 200 hectares of land owned by the city's water company, Sabesp, which has abandoned the property. The
families began the occupation on July 20th, 2002. "Hunger is no longer our principal problem as the land is productive and
provides life for hundreds—children, adolescents and adults who were suffering from hunger in the periphery of the city,"
commented a smiling Nelson Teodoro, one of those occupying the area.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Zero Hunger project is a concrete reality for the people of this encampment and
serves as an example of what is possible for the rest of the country in terms of eradicating hunger through policies and
incentives for food production and commercialization. At the same time, this particular encampment is also an example of the
MST's new strategy for land reform.
The idea is to occupy land located near big metropolitan areas, cultivate the land using organic methods, diversify
production and work cooperatively. The produce can then be transported to the city without incurring as high
transportation costs as they would if the occupation site were far from urban populations. "The MST's new strategy is one of the most
important in attempting to end the hunger of 46 million Brazilians. It is also a way to diminish unemployment, reduce incidents of
violence and resolve in part the problem of housing," commented Neveen Manikonspel, a Catholic priest who is accompanying
the occupation.
Adão da Silva, one of the coordinators of the encampment, said that in initially it was difficult for many workers who
were unaccustomed to the hoe. "Little by little, folks got used to the labor, and today we have good reason to celebrate.
Besides corn and beans, each family planted their own garden with vegetables and medicinal herbs."
The people on the encampment have come from various regions of the greater metropolitan area of Sao Paulo. They
fled from shanty towns, run-down apartment buildings, or the street, living in situations where they were submitted to
exploitation, violence and various forms of discrimination. They also came with the idea of participating in the struggle for agrarian
reform in Brazil.
"The urban population in the state of São Paulo is shocking: 93 percent of the population lives in urban areas. A
significant percentage of this population lives in areas unsuited for human habitation, and thus creates chronic problems for these
cities as their populations expand," said Manikonspel. "The encampments and the `pre-settlements' are the first steps for
workers who want to return to the land through the settlement program of the MST. This current phase we are now in prioritizes
activities which help participants understand the MST, develop skills, and nurture a community spirit."
The MST's struggle on the national level is to gain land titles as quickly as possible for nearly 85,000 families
throughout Brazil who are living on encampments. The hope is that President Lula will use his powers to appropriate large,
non-producing land tracts and redistribute these lands in an equitable manner.
Tough Choice
The Landless Movement in Brazil is a success. One quarter
of a million people have
won land titles thanks to their
struggle. These gains, however, have come at a very
heavy
cost. In the past 10 years, more than 1000 people
have been killed as a result of
land conflicts.
Chad Ribordy
The MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais sem Terra—Brazilian Landless Rural Workers Movement) is the
largest social movement in Latin America and one of the most successful grassroots movements in the world. Hundreds of
thousands of landless peasants have taken onto themselves the task of carrying out a long-overdue land reform in a country mired
by an overly skewed land distribution pattern. Less than 3 percent of the population owns two-thirds of Brazil's arable land. While 60 percent of Brazil's farmland lies idle, 25 million peasants struggle to survive by working in temporary
agricultural jobs. The Landless Workers' Movement is a response to these inequalities. In 1985, with the support of the Catholic
Church, hundreds of landless rural Brazilians took over an unused plantation in the south of the country and successfully
established a cooperative there. They gained title to the land in 1987. Today more than 250,000 families have won land titles to over
15 million acres after MST land takeovers.
In 1999 alone, 25,099 families occupied unproductive land. There are currently 71,472 families in encampments
throughout Brazil awaiting government recognition.
The success of the MST lies in its ability to organize. Its members have not only managed to secure land, thereby
guaranteeing food security for their families, but have come up with an alternative socio-economic development model that
puts people before profits. This is transforming the face of Brazil's countryside and Brazilian politics at large.
These gains have not come without a cost, however. Violent clashes between the MST and police, as well as
landowners, have become commonplace, claiming the lives of many peasants and their leaders. In the past 10 years, more than 1000
people have been killed as a result of land conflicts in Brazil. Prior to August 1999, only 53 of the suspected murders have been
brought to trial.
The MST has resisted this repression and has been able to gather support from a broad international network of
human rights groups, religious organizations, and labor unions. It has received a number of international awards, including The
Right Livelihood Award and an education award from UNICEF.
In order to maximize production, the MST has created 60 food cooperatives as well as small agricultural industries.
Their literacy program involves 600 educators who presently work with adults and adolescents. According to MST Online,
the movement also monitors 1,000 primary schools in their settlements, in which 2,000 teachers work with about 50,000 kids.
This past year, the MST has been organizing in our neighborhood. The idea is to invite families who are at-risk to go
to the countryside and try to live off the land in a more dignified way. Earlier this year, about 20 families from our area
joined forces with 600 other families from the region and occupied a piece of government-owned property.
We had an opportunity to visit the families in late November of last year. The first thing that impressed us were the
plastic tents scattered on the hillsides. The tents are serving as makeshift housing for the 300 families. The frames are made of
bamboo and tree limbs and then covered with black plastic tarp. They told us that they can erect a tent in one afternoon. The
plastic lasts for about six months and then breaks down due to the sun's ultraviolet rays. Most of the tents, erected in July
when the occupation began, are showing signs of deterioration. They are hot underneath the Brazilian sun, and are cold at night.
Of course, there is no running water nor electricity. Some families took it upon themselves to dig 30 feet wells…..by
hand! Others get their water from a small creek running through the property.
The families currently have absolutely no source of income. They are surviving solely on donations. When we
arrived, folks were lining up to receive their allotment of beans and rice, the staples here in Brazil. They have begun to grow
some of their own food, but have harvested very little at this point. Individuals have planted around their tents, but also there
is a community garden. Everyone is expected to spend some time working in this garden.
There is also a tent that is used as a pharmacy—all donated medicine—but it seems that many folks go to the local
"doctor," a man who uses natural remedies. We had a chance to visit this doctor, a very lively, outgoing man who seems to be a
trusted leader of the community. Somehow the topic of blood pressure came up, and he explained that he has no fancy gadgets
for measuring it. Then he showed us how he does it: He takes a ruler, places it on the arm, and dangles a pair of scissors
connected to a string above the ruler. The scissors will begin to swing above a number on the ruler giving the systolic measure,
then will swing again on another number to give the diastolic measure. He demonstrated on one of our friends who went with
us, and she said it was accurate.
The kids of the families go to a tent school where they learn the basics, but also learn about the philosophy of the
MST. While we were there, the kids were taking a little tour of the community garden and the head gardener was teaching them
about the importance of growing your own food.
Though there is minimal infrastructure, the families have invested a good amount of time setting up the basics. I
asked a man if it was discouraging to set up everything knowing that at any moment he might have to tear it all down and
move in a short period of time. "No," he replied, "it's all part of the struggle. And it's struggle and hope that keep us going."
Said with true Brazilian persistence!
Juçara Terezinha Zotts writes for Jornal
Cantareira, where this article originally appeared. These articles were
distributed by News from Brazil, a service from Sejup. They can be contacted at
sejup@alternex.com.br
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