Presenter:
Rodrigo Penna-Firme
Ph.D. Student, Anthropology
Friday, September 28 @ 11:30 a.m.
ACT Conference Room, Student Bldg. 331
Abstract: On one hand, multicultural policies in Brazil and Latin America have had enormous positive impact on the empowerment of hundreds of rural and “traditional communities” by recognizing rights over land and knowledge, based on ethnic identity. On the other, environmental policies have created restrictions and opportunities to resource use by these communities (i.e quilombolas) through mechanisms such as the establishment of protected areas. I argue that the socio-economic and environmental outcomes created by the juxtaposition of these policies may either threaten or empower quilombolas. It may also lead to environmental degradation or conservation. Upon being transformed into “traditional population” and granted land rights, quilombolas may benefit directly from access to resources and new economic opportunities, but they risk being kept poor since “traditional populations” are not expected to develop strong market links and high consumption rates. I call the paradox commodification of poverty, given that the goal of nature protection schemes might contribute to maintaining these “traditional populations” under continuing economic constraints. The question is whether this is creating a contradiction. Namely, empowering groups such as quilombolas (Brazilian maroons), but limiting their freedom to use local resources, develop market connections and self-governing local institutions. The big challenge, however, is to understand how the superimposition of ethnic-based and environmental policies has affected people’s poverty and the environment. Similarly, how granting land rights for people living in protected areas have affected both people’s livelihood and the environment? In this presentation I will take you to a short trip to Cambury, a quilombola community located within the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (Serra do Mar Sate Park, São Paulo, Brazil). I will talk about the challenges of doing this kind of research and some of the major preliminary findings and data collected from this community, government offices and NGOs in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Join us and bring your lunch!