Brazil Fund launches the programme, In Defence of Indigenous Peoples. See below for criteria and deadlines

Brazil Human Rights Fund launched the programme  In Defence of Indigenous Peoples on Thursday 9 September 2021.

R$ 500 thousand will be donated to at least 10 projects up to the value of R$ 50 thousand each, for up to 12 months of support. 

Projects can be sent via email to [email protected] or using the online form, by 11.59pm on 7 October 2021 (Brasilia time).

This programme is part of the Alliance between Funds, which is an initiative between the Baobá Fund for Racial Equality, Brazil Human Rights Fund and the Casa Socioambiental Fund, to support organised civil society groups who have been tackling the biggest challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. The initial priority is the indigenous peoples and the quilombola communities. Each fund will launch its own public calls for applications. To find out more, click here. 

The timeframe thesis and other acts of violence
The period between the end of the month of August and the beginning of September of 2021 will go down in the history of Brazil for the huge continued mobilisation of hundreds of indigenous people who camped in Brasília to put pressure on the Supreme Federal Court to shelve the timeline thesis. This concept could restrict the land rights of the indigenous peoples on Brazilian territory which are guaranteed by the 1988 Constitution. 

The programme In Defence of Indigenous Peoples is being launched in the midst of a deepening anti-indigenous agenda. In addition to a halt in the demarcation of indigenous land, the Covid-19 pandemic has further aggravated the ongoing rights violations directed at the indigenous peoples. Land invasions have been recorded more often in this period, characterised by violence, armed conflict, disease and disrespect for the social organisation and lives of indigenous families. 

According to The Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), there are at least 246 areas of indigenous land in Brazil that are awaiting full recognition by official bodies. 

Priorities for support and dates
The programme, In Defence of Indigenous Peoples is aimed exclusively at indigenous organisations that are tackling setbacks to their fundamental rights. The programme is primarily (although not exclusively) focused on: 

– the right to land and territories, with exclusive use of natural resources on indigenous land;

– the defence of rights given the dismantling of public programmes and policies in, for example, the areas of education, health and the environment;

– the strengthening of indigenous communities, organisations and leadership by means of training activities on political and human rights matters.

The selected projects will be announced on the Brazil Fund site and social media networks from 16 December. See below the most important dates of this programme:

Please note: projects sent after the deadline will not be considered for participation. Brazil Fund will not be extending the deadline for this programme. 

We recommend submission of applications in good time. We cannot be responsible for any glitches with the application form caused by a high number of people accessing it at the same time. 

Any queries will be answered solely via the email [email protected]. Before sending your query, consult the FAQ page of the programme: just click on the + sign in the black strip above Presentation.

You can also download the PDF on the programme, with all the information and links for your application, by clicking here.