Marobá dos Teixeira Quilombo Association

Confronting the often arbitrary, discriminatory practices of dominant powers. To accomplish this, priority will be placed on land title normalization and reclaiming territory, access to universal rights to basic services, public policies that ensure citizenship for the quilombo community and the strengthening and empowerment of the quilombo in its quest for autonomy.

– Monitoring of administrative cases at Incra through attendance and judicial hearings.

– Mobilization of community in public acts in favor of land reclamation

– Demarcation of reserves, springs, forests, collective use areas and community services.

– Popular mapping of the demarcated areas.

– Group activities for demarcating and enclosing reserves.

– Monitoring of administrative and legal processes for establishment of basic services and public policies (prioritizing electric energy).

– Mobilization and community organizing for public acts in favor of access to energy and other basic services and policies.

– Publicizing of the issue and local events through radio and social media.

– Proposition of a legal suit in case administrative processes fail to produce results.

– Strengthening the Marobá dos Teixeira Quilombo Association.

– Organization of the secretary for the association.

– Training for the secretary, treasurer and project managers.

– Creation of fundraising projects.

– Aide in organizing community work groups.

The quilombo of Marobá dos Teixeira has been marked by violence and mistreatment originating from public organs and the agricultural elite. Leaders suffer constant threats and have to confront squatting, including that of mercenary groups who incite internal conflicts. In its struggle for electric power, the quilombo has attempted to receive services via Luz para Todos (Light for All), Cemig, Incra, the Public Defender, congresspersons, the State Human Rights Council, the Ministry of Mining and Energy and the municipal government, all to no avail. Without electricity, exclusion increases: the sick and elderly lack necessary care, youth cannot go to school and, in order to produce flour, the community’s main activity, long distances must be traversed, incurring travel and labor expenses. Furthermore, families lack access to information and communications technologies.

The Marobá dos Teixeira Quilombo Association’s mission is defending the right to quilombo territory, occupied since 1870; protect the environment; promote sustainable economic, social and cultural development; revive important festival dates; preserve religious and cultural artifacts; respect and demand respect for the autonomy and self-determination of the quilombo and promote living standards.

– CPT (Pastoral Land Commission)

– CMDRS (Municipal Sustainable Rural Development Council)

Among the results of the project is the increase in the number of people representing the quilombo in various instances, including a greater presence in community meetings, communal work and, on various occasions, in the creation of committees. Three more families were incorporated into the process of returning to the land. The administrative process at Incra (National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform) in Belo Horizonte was completed. An important achievement was the acquisition of electricity for 26 families as well as for the flour mill. Regarding the struggle for water, the process meant that the quilombo could be attended by several projects: 1 Million Cisterns (15 families attended until July 2016); Water for All (expected for the next few months with the company already present in the territory); “Water for drought, alternative project presented by the community,” expected to begin servicing in 2017. Other highlights were the visits of the Regional Education Department to the community and those of the community to the public body, with a formal request made for the establishment of Maroon schools in the territory; and the approval of the “Party in the Quilombo” project submitted to the State Cultural Fund and currently in the document verification phase.