APIB delivers proposals to Lula and sets target of demarcating land by 2030

The set of public policy proposals was delivered to representatives of the federal government to be incorporated into the government program for President Lula's re-election campaign, highlights Mônica Bergamo in Folha. One of the propositions listed is the demarcation of all Indigenous Lands in the country by 2030, highlights Dinaman Tuxá, executive coordinator of APIB.

The project is organized around six axes: Sovereign territory is where life begins; Knowledge that keeps the world alive; Democracy with the People in Power; Participate to decide our future; Life above profit; and Alliance to transform Brazil.

In addition to the demarcation of ITs, the proposals include strengthening supervision against invasions, ensuring prior consultation with communities affected by projects and combating illegal mining, mining and other activities considered harmful to traditional territories. The text also proposes to recognize rivers, forests and other ecosystems as central elements for protecting life and combating climate change.

Presented as a “country and life project”, the document aims to guide the election debate, strengthen indigenous participation in institutional politics and serve as a reference for indigenous and non-indigenous candidacies, explain O Globo and Campo Grande News. It can be consulted on the “Our Territory, Our Life” platform, where citizens and organizations can also formally join the initiative.

“Our Territory, Our Life” wants to consolidate a permanent strategy of political action in the Indigenous Territories, in the National Congress, in the Executive and in the Judiciary. The proposal also seeks to expand alliances with other social movements and popular organizations.

The text also states that the country is experiencing a dispute over its development model and that attacks on Indigenous Peoples are part of this scenario. "More than facing each threat in isolation, we affirm that they are part of a dispute over the future of Brazil. Therefore, we present a project capable of guiding collective action and strengthening the organization of people beyond the elections", says the document.

The project also establishes a dialogue with the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program by stating that it expands the notion of housing from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples. The proposal is based on the idea that the house is located in a territory that brings together cultural, environmental, spiritual and community dimensions. "This reference recognizes the importance of housing and expands this meaning from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples. For us, the house exists within a living, shared and protected territory", says the text.

The document also reaffirms APIB's support for the re-election of President Lula, made official by the movement during the Acampamento Terra Livre (ATL), in April, in Brasília. But he reiterates that the indigenous movement will maintain a critical stance towards his management.