Newsletter #56 – ‘At the Brazil Fund, we are you’: 15 years defending Human Rights

Hello there!

I would like to start the Brazil Human Rights Fund Newsletter #56 with some celebratory news. This year, 2021, more precisely, in December, the Fund has its 15-year anniversary.

The date is being remembered and commemorated with a number of actions that will go on into December. I invite you to watch the video “At the Brazil Fund, We are You” that illustrates the essence of these 15 years resisting alongside those who resist.

Given the serious social crisis deepen in Brazil bt the pandemic, we are aware that our role in supporting organised civil society in its struggle for rights is even more relevant. So, I would like to share with you the fact that over the years, 880 projects, by grassroots groups and activists across the whole country have received support. They have transformed lives and strengthened democracy through their work.

Actions to commemorate these 15 years will continue until Human Rights week, in December. A series of debates are planned as well as a publication to reflect on the journey of human rights in Brazil over these 15 years, as well as prospects for the future in this field. And, of course, new calls for proposals will be launched. I invite you to accompany these rich and exciting dialogues, with contributions from activists from all over the country. We will publish dates, times and further details in the coming weeks.

In the last three months, Brazil Fund joined forces with the Baobá Fund for Racial Equality and the Casa Socioambiental Fund to form the Alliance between Funds, an innovative collaborative philanthropic action that will contribute to advances in the field of social justice philanthropy in Brazil. Through this alliance, the three funds are pooling their experience to increase fundraising to be passed on to particularly vulnerable groups and communities. Initial support will be for indigenous peoples and quilombola communities.

Our first programme under the umbrella of the Alliance between Funds, In Defence of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has been launched and the first registration period was in September and October. The indigenous organisations and communities that will receive support from Brazil Fund will be announced in December.

Also concerning the indigenous agenda, we supported action by the Coordination of Indigenous Organisations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) during articulation by hundreds of indigenous peoples who went to Brasília in August and September to speak out against the timeline thesis that could restrict the rights of these peoples to their ancestral land. Over 11 thousand indigenous people were in the federal capital during the week of mobilisations.

We have started series of meetings between partner organisations in a programme about Criminal Justice, aimed at institutional strengthening. Dialogues on Criminal Justice will continue through to June 2022 with the participation of around 30 groups and activities to share experience, monitoring, training and articulation. A further training initiative starts this month. It is aimed specifically at projects that have received support through the programme, Tackling Racism at the Grassroots Level and is focused on strategic planning.

I close this message by thanking all those who accompany and believe in the work of Brazil Fund. Your support is fundamental to the fulfilment of the mission of the Fund and is helping transform the lives of thousands of people around the country. We look forward to your continued support!

In order to keep up with the results and transparency of our work, follow us on our: site, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Once again, thank you so much. At the Brazil Fund, we are you!

Ana Valéria Araújo
Brazil Fund Superintendent