{"id":46800,"date":"2018-10-15T11:07:08","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T14:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=46800"},"modified":"2022-09-16T17:08:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T20:08:11","slug":"first-sustainable-favela-network-exchange-in-nova-iguacu-connects-grassroots-initiatives-across-rio-slideshow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=46800","title":{"rendered":"1st Sustainable Favela Network Exchange Connects Grassroots Initiatives Across Rio [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

The\u00a0Sustainable Favela Network<\/a>\u00a0(SFN) is a project of\u00a0Catalytic Communities<\/a>\u00a0(CatComm)* designed to build solidarity networks, bring visibility, and develop joint actions to support the expansion of community-based initiatives that strengthen environmental sustainability and social resilience in favelas across the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region. The project began with the 2012 film\u00a0Favela as a Sustainable Model<\/a>, followed in 2017 by the\u00a0mapping of 111 sustainability initiatives<\/a>\u00a0and the publication of a\u00a0final\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0analyzing the results.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2018, the project organized\u00a0on-site exchanges among eight of the oldest and most established organizations<\/a>\u00a0that were mapped in the Sustainable Favela Network (one of which is the subject of this article), followed by a full-day exchange with the entire network that took place on November 10. The eight participants in the on-site exchanges featured in this series<\/a>\u00a0include six community-based organizations: the\u00a0Vale Encantado Cooperative<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Alto da Boa Vista<\/a>,\u00a0EccoVida<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Hon\u00f3rio Gurgel<\/a>,\u00a0Verdejar<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Engenho da Rainha<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a>,\u00a0Quilombo do Camorim<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Jacarepagu\u00e1<\/a>,\u00a0ReciclA\u00e7\u00e3o<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Morro dos Prazeres<\/a>, and\u00a0Alfazendo\u2019s Eco Network<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0City of God<\/a>. In addition, the exchanges visited two broader initiatives focusing beyond favelas with extensive experience in sustainability:\u00a0Onda Verde<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Nova Igua\u00e7u<\/a> and the\u00a0Sepetiba Ecomuseum<\/a>. The program is supported by the\u00a0Heinrich B\u00f6ll Foundation Brazil<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Watch the video that accompanies the exchanges featured in this series<\/a>\u00a0by clicking\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"Leaders<\/a><\/p>\n

The First Exchange: Onda Verde, Nova Igua\u00e7u<\/h3>\n

\u201cThis network has diversity. This network has experiences. This network has successes and mistakes\u2026 The network is this collaborative construction of people, souls, feelings, and hard work.” So began H\u00e9lio Vanderlei, founder of NGO Onda Verde<\/a>, speaking at the first\u00a0Sustainable Favela Network\u00a0exchange on September 1. On this sunny Saturday, participants spent the day sharing experiences and learning from the 24-year history of the host organization in Tingu\u00e1<\/a>, in the municipality of\u00a0Nova Igua\u00e7u\u00a0in Greater Rio\u2019s Baixada Fluminense<\/a>. It was a trek to get to Onda Verde: the cutting-edge environmental organization<\/a> is located over an hour by car from the final stop of Rio de Janeiro’s metro line at Pavuna.<\/p>\n

The first exchange brought together representatives from Vale Encantado, Ecco Vida, Verdejar, Quilombo do Camorim, ReciclA\u00e7\u00e3o, Alfazendo’s Eco-Network, the Sepetiba Ecomuseum, and host organization Onda Verde\u2014in addition to CatComm team members and collaborators.<\/p>\n

\"Community<\/a><\/p>\n

Environmental Education, Green Building, Sustainable Gastronomy<\/h3>\n

The day began with brief introductions by each organization, allowing participants to recognize the commonalities among their projects and values. Notably, a number of initiatives at the exchange promoted community empowerment through environmental education, sustainable tourism, and organizing around waste and recycling. Project representatives also shared their greatest successes to date; many noted increased recognition and demand for their initiatives within their communities and increased self-esteem of residents participating in their programs.<\/p>\n

Following introductions, Vanderlei presented Onda Verde\u2019s history<\/a>, followed by a tour of the organization\u2019s site. Onda Verde, which translates to “Green Wave,” is situated in Tingu\u00e1\u2014a rural neighborhood at the northern edge of the municipality of Nova Igua\u00e7u neighboring Rio. The organization has run sustainability projects ranging from environmental education programs<\/a> for thousands of students and educators to reforestation initiatives<\/a> that train and pay locals to plant trees\u00a0in the Atlantic Forest all around the nearby Tingu\u00e1 Biological Reserve. Over\u00a0one million trees have been planted<\/a> thus far and the NGO has the capacity to produce seedlings and plant millions more, pending financial support.\u00a0Describing the NGO’s trajectory, Vanderlei said, \u201cWe have never closed this building in the last twenty years. With every crisis that we have gone through, we have survived\u2026 We always think like this: Brazil is not a straight line. Onda Verde isn\u2019t either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Leaders<\/a><\/p>\n

Onda Verde\u2019s commitment to sustainability is evident in the organization’s headquarters and projects. One highlight of the site is Onda Verde’s concept house<\/a>, a building made entirely of sustainable materials that has hosted visitors and researchers from across the world and is open to the public. Made from shipping containers, the house is energy independent\u2014making use of both wind and solar. Its sanitation system makes use of captured rainwater and transports sewage to an on-site biodigester<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition to its core projects, Onda Verde supports independent initiatives including workshops in a house made of bamboo,\u00a0known as the “Hummingbird Space of Human Ecology<\/a>.” Additionally, Onda Verde is launching a new sustainable gastronomy project with the support of a new volunteer chef whose participation Vanderlei attributes to the organization’s growing network of supporters. He described the network as a “net” of connections, saying, \u201cI’m \u2018fishing’… I threw the net [and] she [the new volunteer chef] fell in\u2026 That is what’s interesting about this network. We launch the net\u2026 and these \u2018fish\u2019 end up forming a beautiful aquarium of experiences, lives, and cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cris<\/a><\/p>\n

Sharing Successes and Challenges, Strengthening the Network<\/h3>\n

Following the tour of Onda Verde, SFN members participated in a question-and-answer session with Vanderlei, discussing challenges and shared experiences. Noting that many SFN initiatives work with recycling, Danielle Gomes of Ecco Vida asked the network about their greatest difficulties with recycling programs and strategies to overcome them. Vanderlei identified public authorities as the greatest challenge to waste collection, sparking widespread agreement and a discussion about formalizing and training waste collectors and creating community-managed collection methods outside of government constraints.<\/p>\n

\"Helio<\/a><\/p>\n

Alexandre Telles from Quilombo do Camorim asked Vanderlei how he managed his professional life in order to sustain Onda Verde in the beginning, before gaining support and funding for the initiative. The question reflected a common struggle that many community leaders face between financial stability and passion for their projects. Vanderlei attributed Onda Verde\u2019s initial survival to his wife’s support while he dedicated himself to pursuing this dream. It was notable that the majority of those present on Saturday were women, and that\u00a0over 50% of initiatives in the entire Sustainable Favela Network are led by women<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Danielle<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking to the importance of creating networks, Vanderlei explained that he learned how to write project proposals over time and began building a network of contacts by collecting the names and business cards of everyone he met. \u201cIt\u2019s the story,\u201d he said, of a \u201cfactory worker who turned into an environmentalist, who didn\u2019t know anyone, who wasn\u2019t in a network, who did not have a university education\u2026 but who had a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a delicious lunch produced by Onda Verde\u2019s gastronomy project, the day concluded with participants sharing stories of how their initiatives began. They spoke of challenges\u2014from conflicts with local government to struggles mobilizing community members\u2014and successes, outlining how both their projects and their passion for the initiatives have grown over time. Though each story was unique, common threads emerged, strengthening the network’s formation. In this exchange, a piece of wisdom from Vanderlei rang true: \u201cYou have to have a voice. The network is a\u00a0voice. A network without a voice isn\u2019t a network, it’s just a web, and a web is fragile. The network means linked arms, united hearts\u2014different goals, a common purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

View our photos from the exchange\u00a0(or\u00a0click here for Flickr album<\/a>):<\/h3>\n