TAKE PART IN THE AJURI OF THE CARACOL IN OUTEIRO
COMMENTARY ARCHIVES, 14 Jan 2009
The Zapatista inspired network "Flor da Palavra" ("blossom of words", in a free translation) invites everyone to participate in a "ajuri" (gathering) to build the first "caracol" (snail) of Brasil, in the island of Caratateua (Outeiro), in Belém, Brasil, starting in January 2009. These "snails" are the bases for the organization of autogestion in the Zapatista’s regions in Chiapas (Mexico), creating unity between its autonomous municipalities and communities and facilitating the communication of the native folks with national and international civil society solidarity.
The "ajuri" (gathering) is a traditional practice of the indigenous people and of the caboclos (brazilian descendants of white and indians), in which groups and individuals unite in solidarity to, for example, clean and prepare the land for cultivation. In Outeiro, the purpose of the "ajuri" is to buy a piece of land and then begin the physical and human construction of a permanent area which can be used by volunteers and inhabitants to cultivate local autonomy and communication with other struggles.
One way of expressing your solidarity is donating for the acquisition of the land, through paypal. (Please click here to go to original)
If you make any deposit, please communicate the "Flor da Palavra" network through the collective list palavra@lists.riseup.net, which is also open for new subscribers for the weaving of this and other actions. In January the volunteers can go to Belém in order to help buying and building the "caracol", to debate with locals, and to start actions seeking to strenghten their autonomy.
There is no previous preparation or planning to receive volunteers, so it’s better to take tents, food and other contributions to the future infra-structure of the place, like old computers, seeds and gardening tools, books for the library, bioconstruction materials, workshops, free radio, cameras and other initiatives to lead off the autonomous practices. The organization is collaborative and horizontal, so everyone is equally responsible for what happens. The culmination of the activities shall occur during the World Social Forum Belém (28th Jan 2009 to 1st Feb 2009).
There are already initiatives for the caracol to be also a place for the gathering of autonomous groups, free radios, Indymedia groups and other collectives. The network reminds that the revolution, for the EZLN, is the result of "the struggle in many social fronts, with many methods, under different social forms, with diverse degrees of compromise and participation", and stands out the importance that the main gathering happens with the people that live and frequent the island. Caratateua (Outeiro) is administrated by Belém, and is connected to the center by an 18km bridge, inaugurated in 1986.
It has a population of 16.665 (data from the Belém City Hall, 1997) distributed in the quarters of Brasilia, Itaiteua, Tucumaeira, Fama, Fidélis, Água Boa, Primavera and Água Cristalina, which combine aspects of riverain rural life (as fishing and production of açaí — a fruit from the amazonic region) with urbanization connected to the expansion of popular turism. It suffers with infra-structure and basic sanitation problems, as well as others linked with its "poor" region profile (in the "rich" point of view) and low priority for the State.
We see each other in 2010…
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