{"id":73654,"date":"2023-02-27T22:18:29","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T01:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=73654"},"modified":"2023-08-14T09:11:45","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T12:11:45","slug":"in-guaratiba-the-pioneering-politics-of-inclusion-struggle-and-resistance-of-leaders-from-afro-brazilian-religions-against-religious-racism-is-at-risk-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=73654","title":{"rendered":"In Rio de Janeiro’s Extreme West Zone, the Pioneering Politics of Inclusion, Struggle, and Resistance That Is Uniting Social Service Institutions with Afro-Brazilian Religious Leaders [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Religious matriarchs from the “CRAS do Ax\u00e9” group: Iy\u00e1 M\u00e1rcia de Oxum, Iy\u00e1 Jacqueline de \u00d2b\u00e1, Iy\u00e1 Luizinha de Nan\u00e3, and Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Social Action, at Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed, in Guaratiba, West Zone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On December 15, the launch of the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Social Action took place at Candombl\u00e9 temple Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed<\/a>, in Guaratiba<\/a>, in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone<\/a>. Representatives from Brazilian public agencies such as the Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS<\/a>), the Specialized Social Assistance Reference Center (CREAS<\/a>), the neighborhood’s Family Health Clinic<\/a>, the State Water and Sewerage Company (CEDAE<\/a>), and the Municipal Secretariat for the Advancement of Women<\/a>, along with State Deputy Renata Souza<\/a>, were present.<\/p>\n

The Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Social Action event included spiritual leaders from the Afro-Brazilian religious temples in the region, congressional representatives, and local communities. Diverse activities, even spaces where guests could take part in braiding and eyebrow design workshops, were held alongside the opportunity to see Pedrinhas Miudinhas<\/em><\/a> (Little Stones), an exhibition by photographer Clara Nascimento<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Afro-Brazilian religions, the central theme of Ax\u00e9<\/a> has a deeply spiritual significance and can be understood as “life force” and “living energy.” Xang\u00f4 is the name of the Orix\u00e1 [deity] of justice, who rules over thunder and lightning and carries a double-sided ax.<\/p>\n

Besides offering an afternoon of services and culture, and fostering important debates within the local community, the social action brought to light new ways of organizing in the fight against religious racism<\/a>. The Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Social Action is leading the West Zone in offering new approaches to building a collective and organized movement in pursuit of access to basic rights and public policies for marginalized population and Afro-Brazilian religious communities.<\/p>\n

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Afro-Brazilian religious leaders, CRAS and CREAS social workers, and representatives from the Secretariats for Women and Diversity talk with the community. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pathways of Xang\u00f4: The Ax of Justice in Black Territories<\/h3>\n

According to Iy\u00e1 [Candombl\u00e9 priestess] Katiuscia Lucas de Yemanj\u00e1, 39, from Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed, one of the event’s leaders, the most important part of the action is contributing to the mobilization of Guaratiba’s Candombl\u00e9 temples\u2014the Il\u00eas Ax\u00e9s, as they are called in Yoruba. The region’s Candombl\u00e9<\/a> temples are in the process of organizing their communities to fight racism<\/a> and religious intolerance<\/a>. The social action was led by Babalorix\u00e1 [Candombl\u00e9 priest] Thiago de Xang\u00f4 and the event took one more step toward consolidating the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Movement – Justice and Access to Rights in Black Ancestral Territories<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1, Iy\u00e1 Jacqueline de \u00d2b\u00e1, Iy\u00e1 Luizinha de Nan\u00e3, and Iy\u00e1 M\u00e1rcia de Oxum at the launch of the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Movement. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The idea behind the movement is to reduce, as much as possible, the distance between public policies and Brazilian territories of African ancestry, showing them as places that promote community rights and the fight against racism<\/a>. The movement also takes a pedagogical stance, empowering those who practice religions with African roots, marginalized, Black, and favela populations. The main purpose of the movement is to demand and influence public institutions to guarantee these populations access to basic constitutional rights.<\/p>\n

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Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1 and Bab\u00e1 Thiago de Xang\u00f4 from the Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed present the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Movement to the community. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe are fostering a number of partnerships with governmental institutions within a territory as a means of making this territory visible, and so that the Candombl\u00e9 houses and terreiros<\/em> [places of worship] are legitimized as spaces for the delivery of public services and the promotion of access to rights. Just as other institutions can receive public services from the State, we are in this fight against religious intolerance, so it\u2019s an agenda that stems from the racial issue, from religious intolerance, racism, and religious racism. We work in several areas, which, for example, aren\u2019t restricted to the issues of religion and race. We also understand that this territory is a territory of remembrance and of protecting ancestral memory.” \u2014 Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Efforts to organize the places of worship of Afro-Brazilian in Guaratiba\u00a0have been gathering strength and legitimacy. The day before the event, Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed also hosted a meeting of the Center for the Defense of Children and Adolescents in Guaratiba (NUDECA<\/a>). The NUDECA network addresses the protection of children and teens and meets in spaces and institutions in the neighborhood that have a specific mission to work with children and youth. The coming together of the Il\u00eas and this network is seen as a big step forward for Afro-Brazilian religions,<\/em> which have always been overlooked in local public policy-making and planning.<\/p>\n

“CRAS do Ax\u00e9”: A Local Collaboration between Candombl\u00e9 Places of Worship and Social Service Providers<\/h3>\n

The Pathways of Xang\u00f4 event also featured the local Social Assistance Reference Center’s Candombl\u00e9 outreach wing, known as “CRAS do Ax\u00e9” and its matriarchs: Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1, Iy\u00e1 Luizinha de Nan\u00e3, Iy\u00e1 Jacqueline de \u00d2b\u00e1, and Iy\u00e1 M\u00e1rcia de Oxum. The CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em> was created in response to the recognized need for an open dialogue between the local Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS) and the area’s Afro-Brazilian religious leaders, at the invitation of Andr\u00e9ia Lima, a social worker and CRAS coordinator. Lima realized that the Guaratiba region is a place with several Candombl\u00e9 houses of worship and that the CRAS lacked data on them and public policies aimed at supporting followers of Afro-Brazilian religions. So she began approaching the Afro-Brazilian places of worship.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Team from the Guaratiba CRAS and CREAS. Social worker and CRAS coordinator Andr\u00e9ia Lima in the center with Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andr\u00e9ia Lima, 43, a social worker and coordinator of the Maria Vieira Bazani CRAS<\/a> in Guaratiba, explained the ways in which social assistance works in the area, especially in relation to the neighborhood’s Afro-Brazilian places of worship.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the areas of assistance have a network [built] with public, private, and religious institutions as well as social movements. The role of [social] services is to get to know the region, its institutions and its services. When I came here [to Guaratiba], I realized that there wasn\u2019t a single terreiro <\/em>listed as a CRAS partner. I know spiritual leader M\u00e1rcio de Jagun, who is the executive coordinator for Religious Diversity in Rio, and we had a meeting. Our first task was to register the terreiros<\/em> in the region and, from then on, they have been participating in the NUDECA network (Center for the Defense of Children and Adolescents) in Guaratiba and have been carrying out other initiatives together with the CREAS, the Regional Office, and the sub-mayor’s office. The role of CRAS is to understand what the terreiros<\/em> do, we understand this territory because of the terreiros<\/em>. That is our role, which must be done in any CRAS.\u201d \u2014 Andr\u00e9ia Lima<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1 described how the fight for public policies that guarantee the protection of devotees of Afro-Brazilian religions is daily and carried out at ground level in the Candombl\u00e9 places of worship. And that this demand from Afro-Brazilian religions in the region led to several leaders getting organized so that, collectively, they could be strengthened in the fight against the attacks they have frequently suffered. The Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed terreiro<\/em>, for example, had bombs thrown inside and M\u00e3e Luizinha de Nan\u00e3’s house suffered an attack on theif Garden of Sacred Herbs<\/a>, which was burned during the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got our houses organized and had a meeting with Andr\u00e9ia from the Guaratiba CRAS since she requested [to speak to] a few representatives from Candombl\u00e9 houses of worship because she wanted to understand why a territory with so many such houses was completely invisible to the authorities. For example, the CRAS has churches and other Christian organizations as partners, but not a single terreiro<\/em>. When we got there, we created the CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em>, which was specifically aimed at supporting the terreiros<\/em> in the region.” \u2014 Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Iy\u00e1 Luizinha de Nan\u00e3 participates in a braiding workshop during the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Social Action event. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Iy\u00e1 Luizinha de Nan\u00e3, 62, from Casa de Nan\u00e3, one of the matriarchs who is part of the CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em>, showed her concern for the change in management of the CRAS, which was scheduled for December 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em> is important because it brought together several leaders from Afro-Brazilian religions, making demands, presenting all of our problems in a single place, making communication with the City much more balanced. The CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em> has been very good, and this is precisely what we don’t want to lose… If another coordinator comes in, we don’t know what their stance will be, what they will do, how they will handle this issue of violence and acts of religious racism that we have in the region. That’s why we are here, before Andr\u00e9ia leaves… We are already speaking about this with the City so that it doesn’t take away this channel of communication we have, and so this dialogue doesn’t stop.” \u2014 Iy\u00e1 Luizinha de Nan\u00e3<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em> is a pioneering experiment and one of great importance not only for Guaratiba but as an example for the entire city. However, it is still in its early stages and, if a coordinator that is not sensitive to the cause of the Candombl\u00e9 houses of worship in the region takes over,\u00a0 those involved fear all this effort to open up a dialogue with leaders of Afro-Brazilian religions in the territory could be reversed. The hope is that channels of communication between the Guaratiba CRAS and the CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em> remain open. If it depends on the local followers of Afro-Brazilian religions staying organized, that won’t be a hurdle: there is no room for retreat when it comes to the struggle for rights.<\/p>\n

Little Stones <\/em>Photography Exhibition<\/h3>\n
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The Pedrinhas Miudinhas<\/em> (“Little Stones”) exhibition by photographer Clara Nascimento being viewed by Iy\u00e1 Jacqueline de \u00d2b\u00e1. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The exhibition Pedrinhas Miudinhas <\/em>(Little Stones) by photographer Clara Nascimento, 27, showed the artist’s work in Afro-Brazilian places of worship. The exhibition, which was held in the hall of the Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed, was dedicated to children raised in the Candombl\u00e9 tradition.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy main work is documentary photography in Afro-Brazilian places of worship and I\u2019m on my second exhibition which is called Little Stones. I\u2019ve already had an exhibition at the Rio Museum of Art through an artist residency at the Play Festival. Here in the terreiro<\/em>, it [the exhibition] is being presented in a different format, with eight more photos and a different montage with another type of stand designed by Ekedji Angorense and Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia, with elements and material from the terreiro<\/em>, decorated with Oj\u00e1s (fabrics) which are very characteristic of terreiros<\/em>, and herbs. And having it within the confines of a terreiro<\/em> makes me happy since I too was an Ax\u00e9 kid, born and raised within a terreiro<\/em>. My grandmother has an Umbanda terreiro<\/em> here in Guaratiba as well.\u201d \u2014 Clara Nascimento<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Photographer Clara Nascimento poses with her favorite photos from the Pedrinhas Miudinhas<\/em> exhibition. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For a Future Drawing on Ancestors<\/h3>\n

The CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em>, the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Movement, the Garden of Sacred Herbs, and the participation of Afro-Brazilian religious institutions in the NUDECA network are some of the many initiatives for organizing and resistance in Guaratiba. It is increasingly evident that adopting the strategies of quilombo movements [traditional Afro-Brazilian communities formed in resistance to slavery] is the only alternative for followers of Afro-Brazilian religions. Collectivity is the response so as not to succumb to the lack of public policies, the lack of guaranteed rights, and the attacks of religious racism directed at the Ax\u00e9 people.<\/p>\n

The CRAS\u00a0 do Ax\u00e9<\/em> group, represented by the four religious matriarchs, is planning a lot of movement and innovation in 2023, with the launch of more anti-racist actions and in defense of religious freedom in the region.<\/p>\n

See more photos from the Pathways of <\/em>Xang\u00f4 Social Action:<\/em><\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Participants from the Xang\u00f4 Pathways Social Action attend the event opening. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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People enter the CEDAE tent during the event. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Family Health Clinic team was present during the Social Action at Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed community, matriarchs from the CRAS do Ax\u00e9<\/em>, and other guests at the event pose for a photo at the end of the activities. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Iy\u00e1 Katiuscia de Yemanj\u00e1 and Bab\u00e1 Thiago de Xang\u00f4 in front of Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed, where there is a sign warning that religious intolerance is a crime. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

About the author: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/a> was born and raised in Bangu, in Rio’s West Zone. She has a degree in Biological Sciences, a master’s in Environmental Education, and has been a public school teacher since 2006. She is a photojournalist and also works with documentary photography. She is a popular communicator for N\u00facleo Piratininga de Comunica\u00e7\u00e3o (NPC<\/a>) and co-founder of Coletivo Fotoguerrilha<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Support\u00a0<\/b>RioOnWatch<\/i><\/b>\u2019s tireless, critical and cutting-edge hyperlocal journalism, online community organizing meetings, and direct support to favelas\u00a0<\/b>by clicking here.<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas On December 15, the launch of the Pathways of Xang\u00f4 Social Action took place at Candombl\u00e9 temple Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 \u00d2b\u00e1 Lab\u00ed, in Guaratiba, in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone. Representatives from […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":239,"featured_media":73655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1288,1290,1333,1268,1332,3527,329,452],"tags":[310,662,3554,3451,1500,371,3526,2622,60,577,725,301,1189,123,3378,2733,3393,1008,1403,21],"writer":[3542],"translator":[3561],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[3548],"class_list":{"0":"post-73654","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-highlight","8":"category-civilsociety","9":"category-event-reports","10":"category-favelaculture","11":"category-photo-essays","12":"category-representation","13":"category-solutions","14":"category-rio20","15":"tag-africa","16":"tag-afro-brazilian-culture","17":"tag-anti-racism","18":"tag-aquilombamento","19":"tag-candomble","20":"tag-cedae","21":"tag-cras","22":"tag-event","23":"tag-guaratiba","24":"tag-inclusion","25":"tag-policy-recommendation","26":"tag-public-policy","27":"tag-racism","28":"tag-religion","29":"tag-religious-intolerance","30":"tag-renata-souza","31":"tag-representation","32":"tag-right-to-the-city","33":"tag-solution","34":"tag-west-zone","35":"writer-barbara-dias","36":"translator-felix-foot","37":"photographer-barbara-dias"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/73655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73654"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=73654"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=73654"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=73654"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=73654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}