The first lecture of the series is entitled ‘Food Sovereignty and Agrarian Territorial Development in Brazil’ featuring Ana Terra and Josiane dos Santos.

 

Ana's work focuses on issues related to agrarian reform in Brazil, conducting research on the Landless Workers' Movement. She currently leads the National Secretariat of Supply, Cooperativism, and Food Sovereignty at the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MDA). Josiane, the daughter of a smallholder farmer settled through agrarian reform, holds a degree in Financial Management. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Productive Chains at the Secretariat of Supply, Cooperativism, and Food Sovereignty within the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MDA), where she works to strengthen family farming and promote food security in Brazil.

 

Ana’s lecture highlights the historical and structural dimensions of Brazil's agrarian issues, urging a critical examination of the plantation-based model and its enduring impact on the country’s agricultural landscape. She underscores the centrality of food sovereignty, family farming, and agrarian reform as pathways to counteract the exclusionary practices of agribusiness. Drawing from her extensive academic and professional background, Ana frames her discussion around three key areas: Brazil’s agrarian history, the role of family and peasant agriculture, and the challenges to consolidating food sovereignty in the context of global capitalism and the climate crisis. Her presentation explores how addressing these challenges requires policies that promote access to land, sustainable production methods, and the empowerment of rural communities, who remain vital to Brazil’s food systems despite systemic inequities.

 

Josiane’s lecture builds on these themes by examining the transformative potential of agroecology and public policies aimed at strengthening family farming. She emphasizes programs like the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) and the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) as critical tools for ensuring food security and market stability for small producers. Josiane highlights the role of cooperatives, social movements like the MST, and community-based initiatives in fostering sustainable agricultural practices, knowledge exchange, and territorial resilience.

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The second lecture of the series is entitled ‘Indigenous Movements of Southern Bahia, Brazil’ featuring Juliana Tupinambá, an Indigenous leader of the Tupinambá people of Olivença, Bahia. An educator and geographer, She holds a Master's degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Brasília and is currently a PhD candidate in Social Anthropology at the same university.
 

Juliana Tupinambá’s lecture centers on the resilience of the Tupinambá people of Olivença and their struggles for territorial demarcation and recognition. She highlights the historical violence of colonization, including ethnocide and dispossession, and connects these injustices to contemporary challenges, such as land invasions and biased policies. Juliana emphasizes the cultural significance of Tupinambá traditions, the importance of reclaiming ancestral lands, and the broader role Indigenous territories play in climate justice and environmental conservation. Her message underscores the urgent need for historical reparations and collective efforts to protect Indigenous rights and preserve humanity's future.

The third lecture of the series is entitled ‘The Territorial Struggle for the Conservation of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil’ featuring Dione Torquato, the General Secretary of the National Council for Extractivist Populations (CNS), a national organization that keeps the legacy of Chico Mendes alive and brings together several communities from the amazonian forest.

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Dione’s lecture focuses on the territorial struggles of traditional and local communities in Brazil and their vital role in conserving the Amazon. Drawing from his background as a rubber-tapper and Secretary-General of the National Rubber Tappers' Council, Dione emphasizes the need to protect traditional territories from land-grabbing and environmental degradation. He highlights the intrinsic connection between these communities and the forest, advocating for inclusive policies, sustainable development, and respect for traditional ways of life as essential for combating climate change and ensuring socio-environmental justice.

The fourth lecture of the series is entitled ‘Protecting Traditional Peoples and their Territorial Rights: The Role of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office’ featuring Wilson Rocha, a Federal Prosecutor with a Master's degree in History from the Federal University of Goiás and a Master's degree in Constitutional Law from the University of Seville in Spain. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Territórios Vivos Project, a Voluntary Geographic Information System (VGIS) designed to collect self-declared data on the territories of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Brazil.

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Wilson’s lecture examines the role of Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry in protecting the territorial rights of traditional peoples and communities. He highlights the historical context of colonization, racism, and land dispossession that continues to shape Brazil’s legal framework. He highlights the innovative use of the Traditional Territories Platform, a tool developed to support self-declaration of territories by Indigenous, quilombola, and other traditional communities. This platform aims to address the slow pace of official land demarcation and the vulnerabilities it creates in Brazil. By advocating for self-declaration, Wilson emphasizes the connection between ethnicity, culture, and territory while seeking to advance public recognition and legal security for these communities in face of systemic challenges and land disputes. Wilson argues that traditional peoples and communities represent civilizational alternatives, offering sustainable and equitable ways of living that challenge dominant paradigms and provide vital insights for humanity's future.

The fifth lecture of the series is entitled ‘Quilombola (Maroon) Audiovisual Production in Brazil’ featuring Fabio Martins, a filmmaker and musician from the Quilombo do Campinho in Paraty, Brazil. He studied cinema and has been involved in independent film groups active in social movements. He directed the short film “Paraty, Land of Black People”, which was awarded by the National Arts Foundation (Funarte). Currently, he is in post-production on multiple feature films, such as Pedra do Sino, Umbanda - Brazil in Trance, and Agudás - Passengers of Memory.
 

Fábio’s lecture explores the intersection of Afro-Brazilian identity, cultural resistance, and cinema as a tool for reclaiming ancestral narratives. He recounts the history of Quilombo do Campinho, his matriarchal quilombola community, and the struggles for land rights faced by quilombola and Afro-diasporic peoples in Brazil. Through his films, like Agudás, Fábio challenges the narrative beginning with slavery, instead focusing on pre-colonial African histories and connections. His work celebrates Afro-Brazilian culture as acts of “re-volt,” or circles of resistance and healing, emphasizing the importance of reconnecting with African heritage to transform trauma into resilience and empowerment.

The sixth lecture of the series is entitled ‘Contemporary Indigenous Cultural and Artistic Production in Brazil’ featuring Caio Dutra and Priscila Tapajowara. Caio Dutra started the cultural occupation movement in the Setor Comercial Sul in Brasília and is the producer of the 'Festival Brasil É Terra Indígena', currently the largest festival of Indigenous culture and art in Brazil. Priscila Tapajowara is from the Tapajó people in the Brazilian Amazon. She is an indigenous activist, climate activist, photographer, producer of audiovisual content and co-coordinator of Mídia Indígena.

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Caio’s lecture emphasizes the transformative power of culture in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change and urban marginalization. Drawing from his experience as a cultural producer in Brasília, he highlighted initiatives like the Brazil is Indigenous Land Festival, which connects indigenous artistry and environmental advocacy. Caio underscored the role of cultural expression as a catalyst for social awareness and change, using art and technology to amplify indigenous voices and promote the preservation of Brazilian biomes. His presentation calls for society to embrace culture as a vital tool for fostering environmental consciousness and combating disinformation.

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Priscila’s lecture focuses on the intersection of indigenous activism, art, and environmental justice. She shared her work with Mídia Índia, a collective empowering indigenous communities through media training to document and denounce territorial invasions and environmental degradation. Priscila highlighted the Brazil is Indigenous Land Festival as a platform for showcasing indigenous culture and resistance, blending traditional and contemporary art forms. Her presentation reinforces the importance of preserving the Amazon’s ecosystems, linking cultural survival to the defense of ancestral lands and advocating for global solidarity in the fight against climate change.