{"id":61691,"date":"2020-08-28T12:15:24","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T15:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=61691"},"modified":"2020-10-01T17:24:45","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T20:24:45","slug":"favelas-hold-teach-in-are-brazilians-without-memory-the-memory-of-the-pandemic-in-the-favela-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=61691","title":{"rendered":"Favelas Hold Teach-In \u2018Are Brazilians Without Memory? The Memory of the Pandemic in the Favela’ [VIDEO]"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

This is our latest article on\u00a0Covid-19 and its impacts on the favelas<\/a>\u00a0and in the\u00a0series of Teach-Ins on Covid-19 in favelas<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On July 27, the Memory and Culture Working Group of the Sustainable Favela Network (RFS)<\/a>* held the online teach-in “Are Brazilians Without Memory? The Memory of the Pandemic in the Favela<\/a>.” The interactive livestreamed event, mediated by Working Group member, journalist and founder of the\u00a0Mulheres de Frente<\/a> women\u2019s entrepreneurship project Beatriz Carvalho, brought together five speakers who discussed the topic and how memory projects in favelas play crucial roles in nurturing the feeling of belonging to their territories. They also discussed how this feeling is the basis for promoting local care, which is especially relevant in the midst of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

The debate included Jota Marques<\/a>, an educator, tutor, coordinator of the Marginal<\/a> collective,\u00a0and member of City of God Covid-19 Mobilization Front<\/a>; Marcia Penna, an educator and technical analyst at the Sesc (Social Service of Commerce) National Department in Management of Training and Research; Elisabeth Lopes, from the group Women Who Happen (Mulheres que Acontecem<\/a>) in Salgueiro<\/a> favela; Luiz Ant\u00f4nio de Oliveira, a historian and one of the founders of the Mar\u00e9 Museum<\/a> in the favelas of Mar\u00e9; Maria da Penha<\/a>, a resident of Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/a> and representative of the Evictions Museum<\/a>; and Glaucia Maciel, a member of the Street Orchestra<\/a>\u00a0in Morro da Provid\u00eancia<\/a>, Rio’s first favela. The event had 81 participants on Zoom, and was seen by more than 470 people via Facebook<\/a> live transmission.<\/p>\n

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The discussion was characterized by criticism of the State, which, according to the speakers, turned its back on favelas<\/a> in the midst of the pandemic. Marques said, \u201cWe were left, if not to die of the virus, then to die from hunger or from a bullet<\/a>,\u201d adding, \u201cIf we don’t act for ourselves\u2026we will probably end up with God.\u201d To solve the lack of action by the State, the various institutions represented at the event came together to support their communities<\/a>. This is the case of the Mar\u00e9 Museum and the Street Orchestra, whose daily activities have ceased because of physical distance, but whose work has continued to focus on combating the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Mar\u00e9<\/a>, the Mar\u00e9 Mobilization Front<\/a> was created, which was built by various collectives, institutions, and residents of Mar\u00e9. Around 100 people have participated since its beginning. It started with communication to alert people about Covid-19<\/a>, and people realized that, alone, that was not enough; harm reduction was necessary\u2026We opened the museum for the Mobilization Front to receive basic foodstuffs and organic food, from nine to nine during the week,\u201d said Oliveira.<\/p>\n

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“Unfortunately, despite being a democratic virus, the consequences are not democratic,” reflected Marques, explaining that the problems go beyond hunger and the lack of support for families. \u201cPolice operations<\/a> in the \u2018war on drugs<\/a>\u2019 also hamper our community actions.\u201d He recalled how the police operation which caused the death of young Jo\u00e3o Vitor Gomes da Rocha<\/a> interrupted the distribution of basic foodstuffs in City of God. Through this powerful recollection, Marques pointed out the importance of the role of memory: “We have to look at before and after, tell others what happened, and reflect on what was missing and what could have been different if we had more resources.”<\/p>\n

Actions like these create constraints, Penna explained: \u201cAs [the cartoon character] Mafalda says, \u2018the urgent supersedes the important.\u2019 We are always putting out the fire, resolving the most urgent and ending up with no time to dwell on other things, such as memory,\u201d which is crucial to \u201crescue our voices…it is important not to be silent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the feeling of collectivity and mutual help are important, it is also necessary to hold government officials accountable for work that is not being done<\/a>, emphasized Maria da Penha, to the agreement of many of the participants in the teach-in. \u201cWe cannot stop thinking about government policies, because we have to understand that we are their bosses, we have to make demands of them! We are the poor who give them money and labor. Why do our leaders have more rights than we do? We need to fix this problem…These are memories that we cannot forget. We have to start working towards a different tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The words of one participant, Paula Kleper, summed up the debate: \u201cWe have a State that decides who will eat. We have a State that decides who is going to go hungry\u2026 It was the favelas that gave everyone a great lesson in solidarity<\/a>, promoting self-care, information, and another political project of existence\u2026The favelas tell a story: we put up a fight and solve problems.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0 Watch the Interactive Teach-In\u00a0Here<\/a>:<\/h3>\n