Symposium on threats that indigenous peoples suffer in Amazon ends with demonstration in Manaus

Marcela Leiros – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The last day of the symposium “Indigenous Peoples, Resistance to Neoliberal Policies in the Amazon” takes place this Friday, 29, in Manaus, and will be closed with a public act scheduled for 5 pm, at Expedito Monteiro square, between the avenues Djalma Batista and Darcy Vargas, Chapada neighborhood, South-Central zone of the capital. This is the third day of the event, which started on Wednesday, 27, and proposed the discussion and the elaboration of urgent strategies for the sustainable development of the Amazon.

The symposium takes place in the auditorium of the Superior Normal School of the Amazonas State University (UEA/ENS) and also debated the Law Projects 191/2020, about mining in indigenous lands, and 490/2007, referring to the temporal mark.

The theme of the symposium on this last day was “Rights in the city: indigenous peoples in the urban context”, which discussed the struggle of indigenous peoples who reside in urban centers and must face prejudice. One of the women participating was the coordinator of the Association of Sateré-Mawé Indigenous Women, Regina Sateré-Mawé, who spoke about some of the difficulties.

“I am very proud to have witnessed, together with my mother, that there were few indigenous people at the time of the 1990s, when we started, few people recognized themselves as indigenous, but now we see many ethnic groups resurging. This is a reason for great joy. The revival of the indigenous movement is very strong. I have to say that this was very important for our struggle and today we are passing on to our children and grandchildren where we came from and where we want to go,” she said.

“It wasn’t easy and it isn’t easy now, but we are here. We continue in the fight, together with other women, and with this we have many advances, but also setbacks in our journey. But we continue our politics as the indigenous people that we are”, she concluded.

Organization of the symposium

The event is organized by Caritas Archdiocesan of Manaus, Amazonian Service of Action, Reflection and Socio-Environmental Education (Sares), Group of Study and Research in Indigenous School Education and Ethnography of UEA, Dabukuri Laboratory – Group of Planning and Management of the Territory in the Amazon of the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi), Forum of School Education and Indigenous Health of the Amazon (Foreeia), Pan Amazonian Ecclesial Network (Repam) and is supported by Misereor, an entity of the Catholic Church in Germany.

The event is broadcasted by the media of Caritas Arquidiocesana de Manaus on Facebook and YouTube.

Follow the event on the link: https://www.facebook.com/caritasmanaus/videos/1005447486778647