In Brasil, 16 million people live in favelas, a population larger than that of many countries. So, how do we deal with popular claims without listening to these people? The G20 Favelas and Favelas 20 emerge as platforms for contributing to global debates, with the favelas' vocation on resilience, creativity, and cultural transformation as guiding principles.
"The favela is a fertile valley. It is a vast orchard, with no owner".
This is an adaptation of an excerpt from the book Os Sertões by Euclides da Cunha, a milestone in Brazilian literature published in 1902. Why did you choose this reading to illustrate the idea of favela? The book narrates the War of Canudos, which took place at the end of the 19th century in the countryside of the state of Bahia between the Brazilian Army and community members coordinated by religious leader Antônio Conselheiro. In the context of this conflict, the term "favela" arises with the meaning we know today.
Canudos was built next to a couple of hills, including Morro da Favela, named after an abundant plant on the site, Jatropha phyllacantha, popularly known as faveleira. After the War, many soldiers who fought in Canudos landed in Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brasil at the time, without substantial financial resources. Furthermore, thousands of black people who were newly freed from slavery by the Law of Free Birth, without conditions of access to housing, came to live at the favela too. These two groups gave rise to Morro da Providência, the first favela in Rio de Janeiro.
More than 120 years after the occupation of Morro, favelas have become part of the history, culture, and geography not only of Rio de Janeiro but of Brasil as a whole, and under different names, they are spread across the world. Last year's data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) show that the country has more than 11,000 favelas in its cartography, where about 16 million people live, more than 7% of the total national population.
The result indicates an expansion of about 40% in the number of Brazilians living in favelas over 12 years. The G20 Social, this Brazilian innovation in the G20, sought and welcomed all the favela diversity, a term that has now been redefined. Thus, the Unified Center of the Favelas (G20 Favelas) and the Communities' Voice (Favelas 20) join the G20 Social team as collaborative organizations in the production of content and act in the elaboration of agendas and events that will have their main gathering and debating place at the Social Summit in November.
"By involving global leaders, governments, civil society, and the private sector in these discussions, there is a potential to develop collaborative and innovative solutions to complex problems that disproportionately affect favelas, such as climate change and inequality. International cooperation can offer new resources and technologies to address these challenges more effectively." Defended Erley Bispo, who, along with Rene Silva and Gabriela Santos, is a co-founder of Favelas 20. "The issues faced by favelas ultimately affect humanity, such as the struggle for social justice, equity, and sustainability. Recognizing this shared responsibility creates a sense of cooperation and international commitment to social transformation," he added.
Conferences held in Brasil and worldwide
This vision aligns with what the G20 Favelas also proposes: a group led by Cufa along with the Parliamentary Front of Favelas and the National Antiracist Front. The initiative has proposed conferences in various territories, with agendas that dialogue with the priorities of the Brazilian presidency of the G20. "More than 3,000 conferences have already taken place throughout Brasil and in more than 40 countries. This is a global initiative aimed at addressing the demands of those who actually go through and suffer the problems that exist in favela territories. Placing the favela at the center of the debate is essential for us to achieve real progress on existing problems in Brasil and worldwide, such as the issue of inequalities," said Leticia Gabriella da Cruz Silva, national coordinator of G20 Favelas.
Conferences are held in Quilombola regions, riverside areas, religious centers, prisons, and rural spaces to ensure a broad and democratic experience and approach.
"The activities that the Favelas 20 and G20 Favelas groups have already carried out throughout the year give the dimension of this segment's engagement in the three priority themes for the Brazilian presidency of the G20, which directly impact the communities' daily lives. The participation of these groups in the G20 Social shows the power of favelas: the strength of entrepreneurship projects to tackle hunger, for example, and also shows the full potential of creative work done in these territories," said Márcio Macêdo, Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, who coordinates the G20 Social. Last month, the minister participated in activities in Rio de Janeiro on both fronts.
If, on the one hand, the meeting of the initiatives of the Communities' Voice and Cufa in the G20 Social contributes to global debates with the vocation that favelas have of resilience, creativity, and cultural transformation, on the other hand, the platform that brings together the largest economies in the world promotes the empowerment of these communities that, historically, have been excluded from decision-making processes. With several victories throughout their struggles, Favelas 20 and the G20 Favelas have, among many other agreements, a common goal at the G20: to consolidate the participation of favelas and favela residents in the forum. Several activities organized by the groups will continue until November 16th, the final day of the Social Summit.
