On Thursday 16 December, Brazil Human Rights Fund is publishing a list of 10 projects that will receive support under the call for proposals: “In Defence of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”.
The projects are from eight states, in five different regions of Brazil. Each one will receive up to R$ 50 thousand, to carry out activities focused on: the struggle for the right to land and territory; tackling the dismantling of programmes and public policies in areas such as education, health and the environment and strengthening the autonomous organisation of indigenous people in defending their rights.
This call for proposals is under the umbrella of the Alliance between Funds, an initiative that unites the Baobá Fund for Racial Equality, Brazil Human Rights Fund and the Casa Socioambiental Fund, in providing support to organised civil society, which continues to face huge challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To find out more, click here.
See below the list of selected proposals.
| Region | State | Applicant |
| Centre-West | MS | Tumuné ûti – Nosso Futuro (Tumuné ûti – Our Future) |
| Centre-West | MS | Retomada Aty Jovem Kaiowá E Guarani (RAJ) |
| North-East | CE | FEPOINCE |
| North | AM | Associação das Mulheres Indígenas de Eirunepé (Indigenous Women´s Association) |
| North | AM | Fórum de Educação Escolar e Saúde Indígena do Amazonas – FOREEIA (Forum for Indigenous Schooling and Health in the Amazon) |
| North | RR | Organização das Mulheres Indígenas de Roraima (Organisation of the Indigenous Women of Roraima) |
| North | AC | Organização dos Agricultores Kaxinawa Na Terra Indigena Colônia 27 (Organisation of the Kaxinawa Rural Workers on Indigenous Land Colony 27) |
| South-East | RJ | Associação Comunitária Indígena Guarani da Aldeia Rio Pequeno (Guarani Indigenous Community Association of the Rio Pequeno Village) |
| South-East | SP | Associação Indígena Comunidade Indígena Pankararu (Pankararu Indigenous Community Association) |
| South | SC | Juventude Xokleng (Xokleng Youth) |
Understanding the selection process
The Brazil Fund team received 175 valid projects. All the projects submitted underwent an initial analysis of their suitability to the scope of the programme. Next, they were sent to the independent selection committee, composed of Mariazinha Cordeiro, of the Baré people; Maria Inês de Freitas, of the Kaingang people; Mauricio Serpa França, of the Terena people and Paulo Celso de Oliveira, of the Pankararu people.
The organisations whose projects were selected will receive communication from the Brazil Fund team.
The timeline thesis and other violence
The period between the end of August and the beginning of September 2021 entered the country´s history books with the enormous and continuing mobilisation of hundreds of indigenous people who camped in Brasília to put pressure on the Federal Supreme Court to throw out the timeline thesis which would restrict territorial rights of the indigenous people on Brazilian territory. These rights are guaranteed by the 1988 Constitution.
The Call for Proposals: In Defence of the Indigenous Peoples was launched at a time when the anti-indigenous agenda is deepening. In addition to issues with the demarcation of indigenous lands, the Covid-19 pandemic also exacerbated the ongoing rights violations suffered by the indigenous peoples. An increase in land invasions has been registered in this period, marked by violence, armed conflict, disease and disrespect for indigenous families´ social organisation and lives.
According to Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), there are at least 246 indigenous lands awaiting full recognition by official organs, in Brazil.
Find out more about the call for proposals here. Please note: the registration and selection processes have now closed.
