{"id":67338,"date":"2021-09-12T08:11:17","date_gmt":"2021-09-12T11:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=67338"},"modified":"2022-11-01T21:21:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T00:21:51","slug":"sustainable-favela-network-international-exchange-part-1-communities-from-5-nations-implement-climate-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=67338","title":{"rendered":"At First International Favela Exchange, Communities from Five Nations Show How To Implement Climate Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

This is the first of two articles<\/a> covering the events of the 1st Sustainable Favela Network<\/a> International Exchange<\/span>, which took place online on August 28, 2021. Read the second part here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

On August 28, 2021, 258 people from 33 countries gathered online to participate in the first Sustainable Favela Network<\/a>* International Exchange, where twenty community organizers from informal settlements and underserved communities in five countries\u2014Brazil, Kenya<\/a>, Nigeria, South Africa<\/a> and the US<\/a>\u2014presented their grassroots solutions to a range of socio-environmental challenges. The rich exchange was enabled by simultaneous translation between Portuguese and English by students from PUC-Rio<\/a>‘s Interpreter Training Program. Participants joined the Zoom event at 10am for the opening of the first session, in which nine of the grassroots organizers were given the floor<\/a> to present their community projects and the main socio-environmental challenges they have been facing. Two further sessions deepened reflection and bonding.<\/p>\n

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

Quick introductions were made by Executive Director of Catalytic Communities (CatComm) Theresa Williamson, Pratt University<\/a> professor Leonel Ponce, and two of the SFN’s facilitators, Iam\u00ea de S\u00e1 and Igor Valamiel.<\/p>\n

Mauro Pereira, co-founder of an organization set up to defend the Serra do Mendanha<\/a> mountain in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone, Defenders of the Planet<\/a>, moderated the first session, inviting each speaker to take the mic: Luis Cassiano Silva, creator of Green Roof Favela<\/a>, in Rio’s\u00a0Parque Arar\u00e1<\/a> favela; Monica Lewis-Patrick, founder of We the People of Detroit<\/a>; Brian Otieno, member of the Mathare Social Justice Centre<\/a>, in Nairobi<\/a>, Kenya<\/a>; Ot\u00e1vio Alves Barros, president of the Vale Encantado<\/a> Cooperative; Dariella Rodriguez, Director of Community Development at The Point CDC<\/a>, in The Bronx<\/a>, New York<\/a>; Jane Anyango, founder of the Polycom Development Project<\/a>, in Nairobi, Kenya; M\u00e1rcia Souza, director of the Favela Museum<\/a>, in the Cantagalo<\/a> favela of Rio de Janeiro; Michael Uwemedimo, director of the Human City Project<\/a> and presenting Chicoco Radio<\/a> from Port Harcourt, Nigeria; and, finally, Rose Molokoane, of Slum Dwellers International<\/a> and resident of Oukasie, in Pretoria, South Africa.<\/p>\n

\"Participants<\/a>
\nWelcome: \u201cWe Are Actually Living a Dream\u201d<\/h3>\n

Theresa Williamson, Executive Director of Catalytic Communities, first welcomed participants and shared her delight in seeing this unprecedented exchange happen which, thanks to it being online, enabled the presence of people from 33 countries.<\/p>\n

Leonel Ponce then briefly introduced himself and described the power of such exchanges, this one following others he had organized bringing Pratt students to Rio de Janeiro<\/a> and later grassroots leaders from Rio in New York<\/a> for the 2019 Planner’s Network<\/a> conference.<\/p>\n

Iam\u00ea de S\u00e1, facilitator of the Sustainable Favela Network’s Environmental Education Working Group, <\/span>detailed how, since the network was first mapped online in 2017, many exchanges<\/a> happened in 2018<\/a> and 2019<\/a> across Rio de Janeiro\u2019s favelas permitting community leaders to learn from each other at the local level. In 2019, seven SFN working groups were launched, which later conducted actions in support of favela residents during the pandemic in 2020.<\/p>\n

Igor Valamiel, facilitator of the SFN’s Memory and Culture Working Group, summarized the event agenda: a first session would be dedicated to community leaders presenting their projects, followed by a facilitated discussion in the second session. And, finally, a third session would invite speakers and the public to share cultural and emotive reflections.<\/p>\n

Mauro Pereira moderated the first session introducing his work in implementing the 2030 UN Agenda<\/a>, strengthening family agriculture<\/a>, empowering youth, and influencing public policy. Pereira invited the first guest of the day to take the floor.<\/p>\n

Building a Green Roof to Reduce Temperatures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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

Luis Cassiano Silva lives in the Parque Arar\u00e1 favela, in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s North Zone<\/a>. He works in theatre, audio-visual arts and is a cultural producer who also runs educational and socio-environmental projects. According to Silva, lack of space in Parque Arar\u00e1 is critical. Without room to plant trees or grow gardens, and in the face of high electricity prices<\/a>, temperatures quickly rise to unbearable levels in his favela. Cassiano therefore built a green roof on his house<\/a>, which he also displayed as a place to cultivate food: \u201cI had this initiative to make a green roof to diminish the temperature inside my house. And it worked.”<\/p>\n