Audio Slideshow: Eucalyptus Farm & Interview

Amilton is a farmer in the Conselheiro Mata village in Minas Gerais. His primary crop is eucalyptus, one of Brazil's biggest exports. He toured the EJB group around his farm and addressed some questions regarding eucalyptus and its environmental impact.

Community Inclusion in Rural Minas Gerais

“If you pay attention, you will see the rhythm of the work,” spoke a man as he leaned on the handle of his shovel, grinning from behind his dreadlocks. A few feet to the right two other volunteers with hoes were working their way around a pile of dry concrete and sand, moving in unison to break down and reconstitute the mixture until it was all one smooth blend.  “We have a great community here, people work together.”

               

The man speaking was Alexandre, a capoeira teacher and chiropractor, as well as a volunteer. The here he spoke of is the town of Sao Goncalo, the venue being a community-based nonprofit called FUNIVALE. The organization focuses on agro-ecology and natural medicines, making and administering plant-based medicines at no cost to individuals in the area, as well as providing a venue for locals to learn about organic farming of natural plants. The operation itself has a satisfactory model, but the “community” aspect raises some questions.

               

Alexandre, the friendly Capoeira teacher, had plenty of good things to say about the community in Sao Goncalo, however he was not born there. Having moved to the former mining checkpoint 3 years prior he was part of an influx of outsiders that had become steady over the past 2 years or so. Labelled “hippies” by some, they shared the sentiment about a “simpler” life to be found in Sao Goncalo, such as the one Alexandre spoke fondly of.

The Hippies made up the majority of volunteers at FUNIVALE when EJB arrived to help. They were welcoming and friendly, but the question arose; who in the community is really benefitting from this project? There was a feeling of a good idea manifested as a project created by outsiders that largely benefitted outsiders. But then again, how does one define exactly who is part of the community and who isn’t? The complexities of service often render such questions.

A few days later, at his home over coffee Alexandre spoke about his admittance into the community. “The people here wait to see what you are bringing to the community. They want to see that you are adding to it, not taking away”. Hopefully the same holds true for outsider-funded community organizations. Through some more formal cooperation lies the potential for progress.

Land Use and Questions of Voice in Rural Minas Gerais

When EJB2013 arrived in Capivari on a Wednesday evening, the plan as everyone understood it was to climb a mountain. What we encountered at the base of the mountain turned out to be far more intriguing – a community of people with a whole lot to say, and no voice with which to say it. Located in between two federal land preserves, Capivari found itself boxed in by regulations and land issues, and possessed of too few ears to hear their side of the story.

“I am known as a fighter, because I will not stop bringing [up community issues].” So spoke Nancy, the current president of the village association at Capivari. Nancy had hosted 6 of us in her home the night before the EJB group climbed Itambe, a mountain in one of the two parks. Her husband had been one of the guides who led the group to the peak. All told, approximately 8 people are employed by the park – 6 directly as park employees, and two as guides. In a community of roughly 300 people, that is a small percentage given the supposed benefit of ecotourism which is expected to come from the establishment of the parks.

The issues that Nancy continued to bring up involved the various ways the parks and associated government officials and environmentalists had impacted life for local communities. Protection over preserve land meant that folks in the community could no longer expand their subsistence farms, limiting the ability to grow a surplus crop and sell for some profit. Furthermore the parks inhibited another primary source of income; the harvesting of flowers known as Sempre Vivas which are used to make bouquets and other crafts, symbols of Minas Gerais.

The Sempre Viva issue was not simply about money, but also a question of ecological change. “There are 50 species of flowers,” said Nancy, “we know which ones to harvest and when,” she added, touting the locals’ situated knowledge of the land. Of particular importance is also the how, being that traditionally Sempre Vivas are harvested using slash and burn techniques. Environmentalists employed by the Brazilian government have outlawed this practice specifically – much to the chagrin of Nancy and other locals. “The burning keeps the grasses at bay, otherwise they will encroach upon the land and the Sempre Vivas will die out”. This was one of the stories for which Capivari needed a platform.

A First-Hand Taste of Ethnography in Capivari

“It’s time for a true ethnographic experience!” Said Professor Campbell, almost giddy with the possibilities. Those were a few of his final words before leaving six of the EJB boys in the care of a family in the rural village of Capivari, where no one spoke anything other than Portuguese. As the bus pulled off with the rest of the group, the six young men from the U.S. took their places in the children’s rooms which had been vacated specifically for the group’s stay. Not knowing what to expect, the wait began.

The houses were clean and orderly, but in need of some repair. Thatched ceilings drooped down in the corners, needing to be replaced or fixed soon. The task of weaving often falls to the women in a given culture, and tonight the women were busy with preparing a satisfactory meal for a group of hungry Americans who had never been to a place like Capivari before. The guys from EJB were just looking forward to warm food and some sleep.

A town of maybe 500 people, Capivari is an unofficial quilombo community, meaning inhabited by the descendants of escaped slaves. The official recognition process is a long one which requires a good deal of research, not to mention community consensus, and Capivari had not officially begun seeking recognition. More than just filing paperwork, some people struggle with the notion of accepting the slave history of their ancestors, and it can also inspire self-hatred due to social pressures such as “whitening”.

               

What occurred that night in Capivari were two groups of people separated by a language barrier. The boys knew enough to say “thank you” in Portuguese, and little else. Their hosts knew no English but were clearly practiced in sign language to get their messages across – “dinner is served”, “help yourself”, “would you like more?”, notions of hospitality and generosity. The guys from EJB were simply as polite as they could be. Two parties, so close in proximity yet so far in understanding. And both were trying to meet the other’s expectations without being able to discern what they were.

Eucalyptus: More Than Meets the Eye

A first-hand look at a Eucalyptus farm brought into focus some of the important environmental questions being raised along the Environmental Justice in Brazil trip. Amilton, a local farmer, invited EJB to his farm in the village of Consilheiro Mata, near the Agarthy preserve. After touring through his various fruit gardens and conducting some interview questions, we finally got to get up close with the tree which is king amongst export crops in Brazil; Eucalyptus.

Later turned into paper, charcoal, and building materials, the eucalyptus which grows in Brazil is non-native, endemic to Australia and Southeast Asia. The particular species being grown in Brazil is one which can be harvested after 7 years, according to Amilton. However, the prevalence of eucalyptus farming in the country is one that comes with a slew of environmental concerns, in particular because the tree is most often monocropped, meaning large swaths of land which are used exclusively for growing a single crop.

When asked about ecological impact, Amilton touted eucalyptus farming as a form of reforestation, “Eucalyptus is beneficial to the environment,” Said Amilton. “Planting eucalyptus saves virgin forest from being cut down…for every hectare of Eucalyptus, 8 hectares of virgin forest are being preserved”. This makes sense, but what about the impact on the local environment where the non-native tree is being planted and monocropped? “The animals have mostly left. The bees like the eucalyptus, but not the other animals. Maybe they don’t like the smell,” added Amilton.

It takes 1.5 years to be approved and licensed by the government to plant and farm Eucalyptus. In that time, officials from the municipal, state, and federal governments conduct a rigorous analysis of the environmental impacts of growing the crop in a specific area. The requirements are rigorous, including keeping a distance from growing near any free flowing natural water sources, and creating a permanent preservation area which will never be used for farming. According to Amilton, the larger eucalyptus plantations leave a strip of non-deforested land in the middle of the eucalyptus for wildlife. Though the licensing process was described as expensive, Amilton would not disclose the exact cost. 

Audio Slideshow: Music School in Diamantina

At the Antonio de Carvalho Cruz Music school in Diamantina, at-risk youth are being taught how to integrate into the community through music. Many of the students of the school go on to play in municipal bands or the military police band.

Zen and the Art of Nose Breathing

“Did you know that humans breathe out of one nostril more than the other?” This was the question posed by Marcos Vallias to a group of college students visiting Agarthy, Marcos' zen preserve in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The answer from the group was a unanimous, “huh?” as they began the first in a series of breathing exercises led by Marcos, intended to wake the bodies of thirteen individuals who had been abruptly woken by a gong at 6am. Among the planned activities that day was a 2.5 kilometer hike to a rare waterfall, into which Marcos said “each must find their own way”. But first, they had to breathe.

Breathe they did, and after a few rounds of inhaling through alternating nostrils, followed by vigorous nose inhalation/exhalation, the group was surprisingly alert. “The breathing exercise really woke me up,” said Professor Nathan Darrity.

Before so much as sniffing at a cup of coffee, the EJB group had gathered in the center of the Earth temple, surrounded by paintings and sculptures representing the pantheons of many faiths, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. An interfaith worship room, it was one of several such temples scattered across the roughly forty thousand hectares of land on the preserve. The preserve, called Agarthy, was owned by Marcos, a former businessman who found himself on a self-described journey of awakening.

“I climbed to the top of every mountain I could find, looking for god,” Said Marcos. But what Marcos was looking for externally, he found within. That was part of the reason for creating Agarthy, a beautiful, sprawling property designed for meditation and peace for any visitors. Marcos said he had considered becoming a monk during his quest, but a voice inside told him that he must share his newfound wisdom with others. Hence, opening up a space for reflection and the pursuit of inner knowledge in the form of his massive preserve.

By the end of the first breathing exercise, the majority of the group conceded that their breath had shifted from the left nostril to the right, indicative of preparedness for physical activity. Like many things Marcos said, the students weren’t sure what it meant – but Marcos had proved his point.

A Bittersweet Goodbye

To visit the city of Diamantina and only see it’s UNESCO World Heritage neighborhoods is to miss the full story of the city. And while EJB2013 did see some of the happenings in the more marginal parts of town, the bus ride out of the city revealed so much that had yet to be uncovered by a group of 11 students and 3 professors trying to pack myriad activities into five days.

The inner part of the city is carefully tended to, preserving the historic architecture, elaborate woodwork, and very specific color schemes just as they have been for centuries. You can hardly turn 90 degrees without seeing the classic white walls with blue trim that was the standard of the Portuguese crown, and supposed to represent divine protection. But a drive through the outskirts of town, where one is witness to the defiant greens and pinks which adorn the no-frills houses of concrete and brick, is to see the way history informs the present realities of life in Diamantina, and much of Minas Gerais.

The majority of the great wealth that came out of this region never trickled down to those who ended up inhabiting it long-term. Instead, a few profited off of their privileged positions at the expense of many who toiled their lives away in mines and up and down the Royal Road between Diamantina and Rio De Janeiro. Many of the workers were slaves (up until 1888), and many were simply expendable labor being exploited for the profit of business owners and officials. These ancestors are reflected in the often dark-skinned residents of the communities on the margins of Diamantina, indicative of Brazil’s majority population of Afro-Brazilians.

Even as the EJB bus left the town proper, historical influences reared their head. Passing a small village not far from Diamantina itself, the first thing to stick out from afar was the church, standing tall in its coats of white and blue, the largest and most instantly recognizable structure. It seems as though everywhere you go in Minas Gerais, there are constant reminders of where power has been concentrated in Brazilian society.

One Education Please, Hold the Bells and Whistles

There is a sense of irony walking the Juscelino Kubitschek campus of the Federal University of the Jequitinhonha Valley (UFVJM). Named after the former Brazilian president and driving force behind the building of the capital city Brasilia, the campus on the outskirts of Diamantina is one large construction project itself – completed class buildings juxtaposed against standstill structures, some of which have sat unfinished for years.

But don’t let the presentation fool you – there are good things happening behind the walls and under the roofs of the completed parts of the campus. “I have great teachers,” remarked Kleber Lopes, a first-year tourism student, “They are very smart, some of the best in all of Brazil”. Lopes similarly complimented the school itself, describing it as one of the best in all of Brazil, known particularly for its schools of engineering and dentistry. The engineering building is soon to be finished, while the dentistry school is located in the heart of Diamantina at the old campus – the new dentistry building hasn’t seen construction in at least three years, according to Lopes.

What has caused such a drawn-out process? There are a few factors, according to Lopes. The construction of these schools seeks to employ smaller, local contractors to erect new buildings, which can lead to companies taking on projects larger than they can handle. Furthermore there are whispers of corruption surrounding the school’s Dean. This has manifested in inflated estimates of building costs, amongst other hold-ups. Problems such as these make sense within the context of a university system that is regulated by a large centralized government, but there are also benefits – for example, the military police have no jurisdiction on university campuses, part of a number of measures taken by the federal government in the wake of Brazil’s former military dictatorship. When asked if military officials were involved at all in school administration, Lopes replied in the negative, “There is complete separation of universities and military involvement”.

Despite its appearance, the UFVJM campus provides an air of possibilities, like so many buildings and locations christened with the Kubitschek name. Possibilities that are reflected in the wide-open feel of the grounds as well as the sweeping hills that rise up in the distance. 

For the Youth of Brazil, it's Not About How, But Why Go to College

In Diamantina, Minas Gerais, several community organizations are working with at-risk youth to impart values and skills they can take with them into adulthood. With the opportunity to attend a tuition-free federal university, the choice to seek higher education in Brazil is not about finding money or building a resume, but about finding the reason and desire to seek college level education.

The university entrance test (Vestibular) is open to all students, placing them based on results and chosen major to the school deemed appropriate. Existing in stark contrast to universities in the United States, Brazil’s federal universities are tuition-free, only requiring students to finance their cost of living. Yet students must also choose their major before taking the exam, and there is little leeway to change it later. This means that for a young Brazilian, it is interest and motivation that must be furnished up-front.

The organizations EPIL, VEM, and AJIR are programs working with local youths to build this motivation through the cultivation of skills and values. This triumvirate of social organizations works with kids aged 7-17, focusing on trade and craft skills, as well classes about important topics such as ethics – yes, ethics, even for children as young as 7 and 8 years old. These supplementary schools seek to provide a holistic set of tools that young people can carry with them into the world as responsible, capable adults. In addition to teaching trades and instilling values, each organization also incorporates music and art into their curriculum.

            As for the requirement on the part of the kids? “[The boys] find us, or their family finds us…They have to want to be here,” said Jean-Francois Favreau, coordinator of EPIL, the Professional School of Irma Luiza, a boy’s program which teaches woodworking, ironworking, printmaking, and IT skills. Before EPIL can take on a new student, there must be two-way interest. Thus the seeds of commitment and motivation are being sown from the first interaction between organization and child. With the care of individuals such as Favreau, or numerous former students who return as teachers, they hope the seeds of interest and motivation will germinate.