{"id":61077,"date":"2020-08-04T10:42:03","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T13:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=61077"},"modified":"2021-09-13T14:18:31","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T17:18:31","slug":"resilient-community-organization-during-the-pandemic-hear-the-activists-speak-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=61077","title":{"rendered":"Resilient Favela Community Organizations During the Pandemic: Hear the Activists Speak [VIDEO]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is our most recent article on <\/span><\/i>Covid-19 and its impact on the favelas<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On July 16, the <\/span>Sustainable Favela Network\u2019s (SFN<\/a>)<\/span>* Environmental Education Working Group held the online teach-in “<\/span>How has Socio-Environmental Mobilization in the Favelas Been Transformed During the Pandemic?<\/span><\/a>\u201d The Zoom event facilitated an interactive exchange between seven particularly impactful Rio de Janeiro-based community leaders and 82 audience members, as well as several hundred live on Facebook. Speakers shared their success stories and innovative approaches to socio-environmental activism, all of which model resilience through community organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

The roundtable featured Ana Santos, co-founder of the <\/span>Center for Multicultural Education<\/span><\/a> (CEM) in <\/span>Complexo da Penha<\/span><\/a> in Rio\u2019s <\/span>North Zone<\/span><\/a>; Ana F\u00e9lix, founder of the <\/span>Alternative and Organized Liberation Movement for Citizenship and Social Support<\/span><\/a> (MALOCA) in <\/span>Duque de Caxias<\/span><\/a> in Greater Rio de Janeiro\u2019s <\/span>Baixada Fluminense<\/span><\/a> region; L\u00e9u Oliveira, founder of the <\/span>Cine & Rock Cultural Movement<\/span><\/a> in <\/span>Rio das Pedras<\/span><\/a> in Rio\u2019s <\/span>West Zone<\/span><\/a>; Ver\u00f4nica Gomes, director of the <\/span>Kennedy Brothers Community Center<\/span><\/a> (CCIK) in <\/span>Vila Kennedy<\/span><\/a> in the West Zone; Nill Santos, founder of the <\/span>Association of Women with Attitude and Social Commitment<\/span><\/a> (AMAC) in Duque de Caxias; \u00c9lida Nascimento, founder of <\/span>Inclusion Project<\/span><\/a> (Projeto Inclus\u00e3o) in <\/span>S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o de Meriti<\/span><\/a> in the Baixada Fluminense; and Iara Oliveira, co-founder of <\/span>Alfazendo<\/span><\/a> and its socio-environmental education project, <\/span>EcoNetwork<\/span><\/a>, in <\/span>City of God<\/span><\/a> in the West Zone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of the community leaders recounted that rallying support was a challenge long before the current pandemic. When Covid-19 arrived, presenting its own host of difficulties, the leaders found ways to persevere and grow through the crisis: their organizations have gained visibility and participation while expanding what it means to truly nurture a community.<\/span><\/p>\n

The conversation was moderated by Ver\u00f4nica Parente, a member<\/span> of the Environmental Education Working Group and director of the <\/span>Green School Project<\/span><\/a> (Projeto Escola Verde) in\u00a0Cidade Alta<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0<\/span>Cordovil<\/span><\/a>\u00a0neighborhood<\/span>. Parente commended the activists for their years of work in grassroots socio-environmental education, and pointed out how the leaders have leveraged their energy and dynamism while fighting <\/span>coronavirus<\/span><\/a> in their communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

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CEM’s current activities<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Innovation During the Pandemic<\/h3>\n

Each leader at the roundtable shared how they have reinvented their organization over the years\u2014a capacity which, they said, has been vital in addressing ever-changing needs during the pandemic. L\u00e9u Oliveira, who is dedicated to providing cultural enrichment to youth in Rio das Pedras, expanded his organization\u2019s reach to deliver over 6,000 baskets<\/span> of emergency supplies to residents. Oliveira attributed Cine & Rock\u2019s success to its flexibility, saying that its ten years of service have been based on responding to evolving circumstances rather than long-term planning: \u201cOur movement is alive,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adaptability, however, is only part of the solution to maintaining vibrant community organizations during the pandemic. Gomes stressed the importance of treating community members as individuals with unique needs, explaining that CCIK has \u201ca very diverse membership with many different demands.\u201d Nill Santos, an educator on domestic violence, echoed Gomes\u2019 sentiment and said that in order to serve a community, one must reach all of its members\u2014especially its caregivers. \u201cWho takes care of women? The woman takes care of everything, but lacks someone to take care of her,\u201d she said. Given that Rio, like many places, has faced <\/span>increasing levels of domestic violence<\/span><\/a> during the pandemic, Santos\u2019 NGO AMAC has reinvented its strategies to help women who are trapped with their abusers in quarantine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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CCIK’s current activities<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Secrets of Successful Community Mobilization<\/h3>\n

The activists shared their essential ingredient to gaining volunteers and mobilizing their communities: a strong network of partners and supporters. As Iara Oliveira of Alfazendo said, \u201cwe believe that stronger networks are what, in turn, give us strength.\u201d Applying this philosophy to her own organization, she explained that \u201cAlfazendo has always supported other institutions.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

L\u00e9u Oliveira spoke about the particular importance of connections with like-minded NGOs during the pandemic. \u201cPeople from the network helped a lot\u2026mobilizing through a network is what we do\u2014it\u2019s natural,\u201d he said. For Nill Santos, \u201cif it were not for the network, a majority of the projects wouldn\u2019t exist anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The speakers discussed a range of guiding principles for their work, such as, in the case of CEM\u2019s Ana Santos, the importance of integrating the community into project design at every step. She said it was important for the group to \u201cnot develop work plans \u2018for\u2019 but rather \u2018with.’\u201d Similarly, Iara Oliveira said that as part of Alfazendo, \u201cwe go out on the street, and we listen to the people.\u201d Nascimento offered another powerful tip: the suggestion that leaders \u201clisten to the past and combine this knowledge with the present to be able to imagine a better future for the community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

View full set of ‘before and after’ slides from event speakers here<\/a>:<\/h3>\n