World Social Forum - Porto Alegre
January 27, 2005

A large attendance showed up at the workshop coordinated by CONAQ (National Coordination of Quilombos Communities / Brazil), ACONERUQ (Association of Rural Negro Quilombos Communities/MA-Brazil), COHRE (Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions), Social Watch, ISA (Socio-Environmental Institute / Brazil), Polis Institute (Brazil), Centre for Global Justice, Terra de Direitos (Brazil), Brazilian Anthropological Association, Social Network of Justice and Human Rights.

Members of different Brazilian Quilombos communities participated by sharing their testimonies and were joined by Afro-descendant workers from the Miami Workers Centre - LIFFT (Low Income Families Fighting Together) and the anthropologist Alfredo Wagner, among others.

The activity was aimed at recovering the history of the establishment of ethnic territories of Afro-descendant communities in Latin America and the evolution of the legal protection of their right to land and housing within the framework of the international system of human rights. The violations of the right to land and housing of these communities as well as the possible solutions were discussed. One of the main goals was to launch the campaign for the regularization of brazilian quilombos territories.

Representatives from the communities of Alcântara, Maranhão and Vânia, Rio de Janeiro, participated by giving strong testimonies about the land conflicts and abuses that are suffered by their communities: permanent risk of eviction, forced evictions, intimidation from large landowners or companies, economic exploitation of natural resources and minerals, etc.

In Alcântara, the setting up of the Space Launch Centre has already caused almost 350 evictions of families and other 500 families are risking the same fate. In Vânia, Quilombo lands have been occupied by the Navy. In Espirito Santo, San Mateo, the expelling company is Aracruz, a producer of cellulose. Besides, in this area, the eucalyptus plantations have had a negative impact on the vegetation, thus producing a devastating effect on diversity.

The participants from the US made reference to two characteristics of Afro-descendant communities: the urban and the rural ones. In both, different types of evictions are suffered: in the cities, through the speculation in housing and in rural areas through different means. The most perverse one is the installation of factories that bring high levels of pollution, thus causing population poisoning.


Talking to Josilene Brandâo.
Leader of the National Coordination of Quilombos Communities - CONAQ.

Choike: Which is the demand you consider to be most important, at the present time, for Quilombos communities?

Josilene Brandâo: Our efforts and energy are concentrated on the regularisation and granting of titles of our lands. There is only a small number of Quilombos areas that are legally titled in Brazil. This renders difficult any other discussion on public policies, education, health.

Since our lands are not recognised, the Brazilian Government finds it impossible to promote coherent policies for our cause. For example, policies are created for "the poor" in general, and funds are allocated without plans, without acknowledging the characteristic of the ethnic group, our lifestyles, the social situation. The policies that are thus conceived are not going to solve problems, but instead they are going to create more problems.

This is why our big banner is to obtain the titles. That is our banner now, although it does not mean that we are not engaged in achieving other policies. We want to discuss health, education policies. Our children are not studying, when they finally go to school they are already 10 years old, they have no guaranteed rights, they have no access to decent health services and housing.

Another demand we make, which is also related to titling, is that the government should carry out an accurate survey of the Quilombo population in Brazil. Up to the present time, there is no such thing, so, the government does not know neither the number nor the location of Black communities in Brazil. This lack of information has brought about many problems since the lack of data renders it difficult to generate policies.

Ch.: What are the economic relations like within the Quilombos communities?

J.B.: The Quilombo populations differ from other groups in their lifestyle and also in the economic mode, in the production. Cultural aspects are also different.

There is a collective division of work. People work for everybody's interest: one day I go to the house of a fellow-mate, then he comes to mine. Each one has its own production, but they all help that of everybody's. Then, the division of work is different, production is different. Generally, there is no money, instead, there are products which are exchanged for other products. The land is collectively used, it is a community property. The common use of the land and of natural resources is a collective use. That makes social relations to be differentiated and makes the preservation of nature to become a vital element for our life and survival as community.

People also live nature with a religious feeling, concerned about preserving resources, forests, water. You are going to find Quilombo communities with completely devastated lands, but even in those cases they maintain the collective spirit.

Ch.: Are there any advances?

J.B.: Yes, an important one is that we feel stronger. Although, many things are still lacking, among others, there is lack of recognition. However, if we look back ten years from now, it was not even known what Brazilian Quilombos were. Now, we have managed to make our situation known and to dialogue with other regions This has strengthened our organization. It can be said that we need further strength and organization in order to reach all communities.


Quilombos: understanding their meaning

Due to the degrading situation slaves were subjected to in Brazil, they became organized in Quilombos communities, that is, ethnic territories of resistance as an alternative social organization to the exploitation of black labour. Quilombos marked the slave period in almost all the territory, turning into a national phenomenon and achieving different levels of organization.

It is worth highlighting that Quilombos not only emerged as a result of the runaway of slaves, insurrectional processes or insurrection of isolated groups. The rebel slaves were the ones who gave origin to Quilombos. But, these communities kept on developing and were built by means of the donation of lands or the purchase of lands by slaves themselves following the slave system period. There is also a territoriality derived from religious orders of Afro-Brazilian cults.

Nowadays, the self-determination of black rural communities that remain in Quilombos territories is the result of customs, traditions, social, cultural and economic specific conditions that make them differ from other sectors within the country.

The link of these communities to the territory has as main characteristic - apart from being fundamental for the physical survival of the group - the fact of being something indispensable for their cultural identity and cohesion. The protection and affirmation of the economic, social and cultural rights of Quilombos communities necessarily implies the regularization of occupied territories.

Since 2003, the recognition and titling of Quilombos territories has been in charge of INCRA (National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform), under decree No. 4,887. Subsequently, the regulations set forth in 2004 contemplate the implementation of agreements to carry out investigations aimed at directing the process of demarcation and titling of lands.

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