{"id":82455,"date":"2025-12-24T14:24:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T17:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82455"},"modified":"2025-12-29T14:37:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T17:37:58","slug":"no-one-in-terra-firme-will-sleep-hungry-today-amid-adversity-belem-favela-initiatives-distribute-2200-meals-during-cop30-with-support-from-the-peoples-summit-solidarity-k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82455","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No One in Terra Firme Will Sleep Hungry Today!\u2019 Amid Adversity, Bel\u00e9m Favela Initiatives Distribute 2,200 Meals During COP30 With Support from the People\u2019s Summit Solidarity Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Peace Chalet, the Tela Firme Collective and the People’s Summit distributed 2,200 meals to residents of the Terra Firme favela over three days. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

This article is part of RioOnWatch’s special COP30 coverage<\/a> of the peripheral communities of Bel\u00e9m, capital of the state of Par\u00e1, and local civil society movements confronting environmental racism, climate injustice and structural violence.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The Power of Community Kitchens and Family Farming<\/b><\/h3>\n

On the evenings of November 13 and 14, and on the afternoon of November 15, 2025, the Peace Chalet<\/a>, the Tela Firme Collective<\/a> and the Solidarity Kitchen of the COP30 People’s Summit<\/a> distributed thousands of hot meals to residents of one of the largest baixadas<\/em> (as their favelas are called<\/a>) in Bel\u00e9m: the Terra Firme<\/a> community. On all three occasions, the hot meals ran out in less than two hours. The action by social movements aimed to reach communities largely untouched by the activities of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30<\/a>) of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), offering care and easing food insecurity<\/a> for people living just a few kilometers from the site where state delegations were gathered. \u201cThis is very serious,\u201d described Fabr\u00edcio Assun\u00e7\u00e3o de Souza, 24, born and raised in Terra Firme, a volunteer with the Peace Chalet and the Tela Firme Collective and a Physical Education student at Paulista University (UNIP) in Bel\u00e9m<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u201cWe distributed [hot meals] at the Peace Chalet and at Abrigo, in the neighboring community of Guam\u00e1. It’s an occupation by families at a site where the state government was preparing housing but abandoned the construction. As a result, families without homes occupied the space\u2026 [And we also distributed meals at] the Santa Maria de Bel\u00e9m Parish, in Terra Firme, because we wanted to reach another group: elderly residents.\u201d \u2014 Fabr\u00edcio Assun\u00e7\u00e3o de Souza<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"The<\/a>
The meal distribution point in Terra Firme was in front of the Peace Chalet, an important community landmark because of its longstanding educational work with children and families, focusing on climate justice and human rights. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Francisco Batista, 46, a graduate of the Federal University of Par\u00e1 (UFPA<\/a>), is a geographer and education specialist and the founder of the Peace Chalet and the Tela Firme Collective. He detailed the communication process around the action and how it was coordinated:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn total, 2,200 [hot meals] were distributed at the Abrigo Housing Complex, in Liberdade II, at the far south end of the neighborhood, as well as at the Peace Chalet and the Santa Maria de Bel\u00e9m Parish. I was contacted by our partner from the state-level Landless Workers\u2019 Movement (MST), one of the coordinators of the community kitchen that fed participants at the People\u2019s Summit<\/a>. She contacted me to see if it would be possible to bring [meals] here. I reached out to the neighbors through our WhatsApp group\u2026 we got in touch with leaders in Liberdade II and went to deliver meal packs to Abrigo\u2026 Here in Terra Firme alone [this action distributed]\u2026 600, 1,000 and 800 between the Chalet and the Santa Maria de Bel\u00e9m Parish.\u201d \u2014 Francisco Batista<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Fabr\u00edcio<\/a>
Fabr\u00edcio de Souza (left) and Francisco Batista (right), leaders of the Peace Chalet and the Tela Firme Collective, in the midst of meal distribution in Terra Firme during the People’s Summit activities in Bel\u00e9m. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This situation illustrates the importance of community kitchens in the favelas of Bel\u00e9m and the strength of grassroots community communication, where word of mouth can guarantee food on the plate of a neighbor who might otherwise not have eaten that night.<\/p>\n

\"Volunteers<\/a>
Volunteers from the Peace Chalet and the Tela Firme Collective prepare a meal distribution point in Terra Firme on the night of November 14. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

RioOnWatch <\/em>was present at the meal distribution on November 14. Batista, who knows the community\u2019s residents well and is himself from there, and understands the size of many families, sometimes encouraged residents to take two, three or even five meals. The action reached at least 1,000 residents of Terra Firme.<\/p>\n

Jose Arag\u00e3o*, one of the volunteers helping distribute the meals, offered a perceptive analysis of the situation: \u201cIt would be ideal for the residents of Terra Firme to be present at the People’s Summit, there at COP30, but [few<\/a>] are, right?\u00a0 So, the social movement has to come to the worker.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sensitive<\/a>
Sensitive to the circumstances of each resident, the volunteers from the Peace Chalet and the Tela Firme Collective offered meal packs to meet their needs. While some families needed one meal, others took up to five. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All the meals were prepared by volunteers from the People’s Summit Solidarity Kitchen, at UFPA.<\/p>\n

Some residents were noticeably embarrassed and reluctant to approach the distribution point to get meals for themselves and their families. Understanding their hesitation, the local leaders made a point of minimizing any type of awkwardness.<\/p>\n

\"Batista,<\/a>
Batista, de Souza and the other volunteers who participated in the distribution made residents feel at ease, trying to minimize the shame and embarrassment of approaching the distribution point. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“We’ve been doing the Christmas of Peace [distribution] since 2015… [So] we already had a relationship with the community… When the pandemic hit, Tela Firme launched a campaign in March to support the population and collect food called Solidarity Terra, with support from churches, terreiros, cultural facilities, etc… This gave us a certain expertise in carrying out actions like the one we did this week.” \u2014 Francisco Batista<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Some<\/a>
Some young motorcyclists from Terra Firme asked for packed meals to distribute in S\u00e3o Br\u00e1s, a neighboring community, where people were also experiencing food insecurity. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Police Violence Occurs Even in This Context: \u2018You Know How It Is in the Periphery\u2019<\/h3>\n

On the evening of November 13, during the distribution of packed meals, those present were shocked to witness the Military Police of Par\u00e1 harassing a young boy, a minor, even leaving cigarette burn marks on his body. The boy was later released, as they found nothing illegal in his possession.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, on the next evening, November 14, the police arrived about halfway through the distribution, driving a patrol car at high speed in an irresponsible manner on a narrow dirt street crowded with pedestrians and cyclists of all ages.<\/p>\n

\"On<\/a>
On the evenings of the People’s Summit, 2,200 meals were distributed in Terra Firme alone. In front of the Peace Chalet, there were many pedestrians in the street, especially women and children. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The RioOnWatch <\/em>team witnessed the military police get out of their patrol car, already pointing their rifles at a middle-aged man riding his bicycle. After a long time of violent searching and shouted humiliations for everyone to hear, the officers released him, as he wasn\u2019t carrying anything illegal. According to his testimonial shortly afterward, his allegedly suspicious behavior \u201c[was]\u2026 being a resident of a baixada and in my own territory, in my home where I was born, riding a bicycle on a Friday night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Military<\/a>
Military police already got out of their patrol car pointing rifles at a middle-aged man who was riding his bicycle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While they searched and humiliated the man, one of the police officers took two meal packs from him. In a very loud voice, he walked confrontationally toward the meal distribution point, shouting and acting disrespectfully.<\/p>\n

After releasing the man, the police, rifles raised and maintaining the same violent attitude, entered an alley next to where the meals were being distributed. There, they found a young man and, while violently searching him, began to beat him. Other residents who witnessed this were outraged by the gratuitous violence but could not intervene, fearing reprisals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’re beating the hell out of Joaquim*… I was very worried, because he was here just now [at the distribution point, getting food] and I was right next to him.\u201d \u2014 Jo\u00e3o Almeida*<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"The<\/a>
The military police stopped their patrol car in the middle of the road, preventing the truck that had brought the meal packs from leaving Terra Firme along that street for a few minutes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After all the meal packs had been removed from the truck, the vehicle carrying the People\u2019s Summit activists tried to leave. However, the Par\u00e1 Military Police patrol car was blocking the way. The driver had to wait for the police to stop their abusive actions and clear the public road, which they had obstructed for no reason.<\/p>\n

After some time, the officers got into the patrol car, backed up, and stopped in front of the meal pack distribution point. They stared slowly and intensely at each of those present, in a threatening manner, without getting out of the car. Then they maneuvered and, shortly afterward, crossed the bridge over the stream and headed into another area of the community.<\/p>\n

Despite the blatant police violence, the meal pack distribution went on as if the Par\u00e1 Military Police had never been there. Even amid all this violence and adversity, the Terra Firme collectives, together with the COP30 People’s Summit, managed to put food on the plates of the community members.<\/p>\n

Check out the Photo Album<\/a> of the Hot Meal Distribution by the COP30 People\u2019s Summit Solidarity Kitchen:<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"C\u00fapula<\/a>