The role of civil society and the State in the protection of territories
Promoted by the Pirarucu collective, the course addressed the theme of community surveillance and the challenges faced by the handling communities
Promoted by the Pirarucu collective, the course addressed the theme of community surveillance and the challenges faced by the handling communities
Community surveillance is an essential part of arapaima management, contributing to preventing illegal activities, protecting biodiversity and generating socio-environmental benefits that go beyond the limits of management areas. However, the vast dimensions of the territories, combined with the difficulty of the continuous presence of the rule of law in distant places of the Amazon, make this task challenging and risky. To strengthen this action, the Pirarucu collective gathered in Manaus, in December 2024, representatives of 30 organizations focused on the construction of collaborative solutions and strengthening networking.
This training was the result of debates promoted by the collective, which brings together representatives of communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and public bodies to deal with issues related to the management of arapaima. The discussions gained strength after the preparation, in 2022, of a document that pointed out the relationship between illegal fishing and other criminal practices, highlighting the threats faced by leaders and pirarucu handlers who work in community surveillance.
“This discussion comes to strengthen each participant, making them feel safer in the face of the problems they may face in the territory. The collective is strengthening itself, seeking alternatives to support communities and territories”, evaluates Silvia Elena, Secretary for Human Rights of the National Council for Extractive Populations (CNS).
Topics covered
The course was structured in three main axes: environmental legislation, territorial surveillance and leadership security. The activities included lectures and conversation circles with representatives of public bodies and civil society organizations.
The reports of experiences of the handling communities were the starting point of the discussions. Using the methodology of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the participants collectively analyzed their practices, considering criteria such as the quality of the data collected and community engagement in surveillance actions.
Eduardo Sanches, prosecutor of the Republic, also participated in the training and presented the role of the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in territorial protection. The prosecutor explained that, among the various functions of the body, one of the main ones is the defense of the collective rights of traditional peoples and communities.
“Today the security of traditional territories is one of the greatest demands of these collectivities. The MPF can and should assist in the strengthening of community surveillance and demand, judicially and extrajudicially, that the State do its part, acting based on the complaints made by the community”, highlighted Sanches.
protection of leaders and civil society initiatives
The performance in territorial surveillance increases the exposure of leaders, often making them the target of threats and intimidation. Within the state, there are initiatives such as the Program for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Communicators and Environmentalists (PPDDH), of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), based on the National Policy for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (PNPDDH) and executed through agreements voluntarily signed between the Union and state governments that have protection programs.
Although security is a duty of the State, several civil society organizations also act in the protection of defenders and defenders, offering legal support, infrastructure and qualified information. Among these initiatives are the global justice, aimed at the protection and promotion of human rights, and the frontline defenders, Irish organization that protects defenders and defenders of human rights at risk. There are also international resolutions such as 53/144 of the United Nations General Assembly (UN), which reinforce the responsibility of governments and societies in the protection of fundamental human rights.
The CNS, through its Secretariat for Human Rights, develops a specific project for threatened extractive leaders. “We provide immediate support, often with the withdrawal of leaders from the risk site. We act as a bridge between the threatened person and the organs of justice”, explains Silvia Elena.
Although the focus of the CNS is on extractive populations, the support also extends to indigenous and quilombola leaders, especially when integrated with collectives. “We value the strength of collectives, such as chestnuts, rubber and pirarucu. When we see a threatened leadership and without having anyone to turn to, we seek to help in some way”, he adds.
Possible ways
The last two days of the course were dedicated to reflecting on the possibilities of incidence of the Pirarucu collective and referrals to a joint action between communities and inspection bodies. A participatory mapping activity was also carried out and allowed the identification of the local infrastructure to support surveillance and the main pressure and threat points in the management areas.
“The advance of communities in the organization and implementation of surveillance activities in various territories is impressive, all done with very little support from the State. It is true that a lot can be done, but the existence of good experiences that can and should be strengthened and multiplied was clear”, evaluated prosecutor Eduardo Sanches.
Partnerships for territorial protection
The “Course for Strengthening Capacities for Community Surveillance in Savage Pirarucu Management Areas” was promoted by the Pirarucu collective, with the support of the Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ICMBio) and the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources renewable (IBAMA).
Representatives of the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), Public Ministry of Amazonas (MPAM), National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI), Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) participated in the event, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute (Ipaam), State Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA), International Institute of Education of Brazil (IEB), National Council of Extractive Populations (CNS) and Program for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights, Communicators and Environmentalists (PPDDH), in addition to community organizations and NGOs that make up the Pirarucu collective.