The Movimento Sem Terra- Brazil

I am sorry for not writing recently, I have been seriously busy with revision and work- it is horrific. Having said that, I have been doing a lot of research on social movements in Latin America and the more I read about them the more I love the Zapatistas ( I am definitely a Zapatista at heart). I would LOVE to go to Chiapas and provide some sort of skill, maybe teach English or help them out in some way. I have decided I want to do a PGCE next year so maybe this could help towards my goal of setting up a charity and going to Latin America to teach. I really hope I can do this, I have wanted to do it for so long!

I have been doing a lot of research on the Movimento Sem Terra (MST) in Brazil, another social movement that fundamentally fights for indigenous rights. 

This movement is literally amazing. I have had mixed opinions from different people, but I really like their ambitious character and ideas. Basically they emerged in the 1980s as a response to neo-liberalism in Latin America and the privatisation of land in Brazil, which left a very high number of rural workers without land and with no real options for the future. The MST was formed to fight for a fair agrarian reform, a just and fraternal society and to end capitalism. They have been extremely successful so far. Their main technique is to protest and to occupy unproductive land all over Brazil and then produce on it. They then make money on the products they produce, and each family they settle donates 3% of their produces to the MST. Critics argue that they are lazy, 'they could go and find a real job in the city'. I completely disagree with this. From my point of view, it is extremely difficult to find jobs in Latin America, especially for indigenous people who are seen as 'inferior' to the richer classes. They are framed as backward, standing in the way of modernisation. Why should these people move to the urban areas, where they will be oppressed by the people and, most probably, unemployed? Why can they not enjoy life in the fields and in the crops, producing and being active? It seems irrational for anyone to say that they are lazy. They are simply ambitious and they are fighting for what they believe in, there is no laziness in that. 

I am definitely going to post more about this as soon as I have time but if you wish to discuss this more definitely facebook me or contact me, I am happy to talk about it. I feel very passionate about it! 

I have been reading a book called 'Cutting the wire' by Jan Rocha and Susan Branford. It is very interesting and tells the story of the MST. If you are interested in this post, I definitely recommend it. I promise to post more soon!