On 1st May 2023, Brazil Human Rights Fund is publishing the list of organisations that have been selected to receive support through the call for proposals Strengthening Informal Workers in the Fight for Rights.
This is the first call for proposals issued by Labora – Fund for Decent Work, a Brazil Fund initiative in partnership with Laudes Foundation, Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations to support organised civil society in this cause.
Twenty-five groups were selected, from 16 states in the five regions of the country. Twenty groups will receive up to BRL 50,000.00 (USD 10,000.00) in the category aimed at institutional strengthening and development of grassroots organisations. Whilst five organisations will receive up to BRL 100,000.00 (USD 20,000.00) in the category focused on political incidence and advocacy.
The selected projects are focused on the rights of domestic workers, sex workers, delivery app workers, sewers, immigrant workers, people recently released from prison, recycling workers, street hawkers and LGBTQIA+ workers.
In the coming days, the selected groups will receive an email from the Brazil Fund team with guidelines for formalising support.
See below the list of organisations selected:
| CATEGORY 1 | ||
| GROUP/COLLECTIVE/ORGANISATION | STATE | REGION |
|
Rede de Redução de Danos do DF e Entorno – Tulipas Network for Damage Control in the Federal District and Surrounding Area – Tulipas |
FEDERAL DISTRICT | Centre-West |
|
Colettiva Preta Black Collective |
GOIÁS | Centre-West |
|
Movimento Nacional dos Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis – Goiás – MNCR National Movement of Recycling Collectors – Goiás – MNCR |
GOIÁS | Centre-West |
|
Articulação Nacional de Profissionais do Sexo – ANPROSEX National Articulation of Sex Professionals – ANPROSEX |
BAHIA | North-East |
|
Sindicato das Trabalhadoras(es) Domésticas(os) do Estado do Maranhão Trade Union of Domestic Workers in the State of Maranhão |
MARANHÃO | North-East |
|
Sindicato dos Empregados Domésticos do Estado da Paraíba Trade Union of Domestic Workers in the State of Paraíba |
PARAÍBA | North-East |
|
Coletivo Mulheres do Polo Women’s from Polo Collective |
PERNAMBUCO | North-East |
|
Sindicato das Trabalhadoras Domésticas de Pernambuco Trade Union of Domestic Workers in the State of Pernambuco |
PERNAMBUCO | North-East |
|
Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Entregadores, Empregados e Autônomos de Moto e Bicicleta por Aplicativos do Estado de Pernambuco Trade Union of Employed and Self-Employed Motorbike and Bike App Delivery Workers in the State of Pernambuco |
PERNAMBUCO | North-East |
|
Coletivo de Entregadores por Aplicativo de Natal/RN – “Galera da Pressão” Collective of App Delivery Workers in Natal/Rio Grande do Norte – “Putting on the Pressure” |
RIO GRANDE DO NORTE | North-East |
|
Coletivo de Familiares e Amigos de Presos e Presas do Amazonas Collective of Family and Friends of Prisoners in Amazonas |
AMAZONAS | North |
|
Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Domésticos, Arrumadores, Camareiros dos Municípios de Belém e Ananindeua – PA Trade Union of Domestic Workers, Cleaners and Chamber Maids in the Municipalities of Belém and Ananindeua – Pará |
PARÁ | North |
|
Coletivo Clã das Lobas Clan of the She-Wolves Collective |
MINAS GERAIS | South-East |
|
Tereza de Benguela Coletivo de Faxinas BH Tereza de Benguela Cleaners’ Collective – Belo Horionte |
MINAS GERAIS | South-East |
|
Associação dos Angolanos em Londrina – Aldemiro Vicente Association of Angolans in Londrina – Aldemiro Vicente |
PARANÁ | South |
|
Coletivo Meu Corre Meu Corre Collective |
RIO DE JANEIRO | South-East |
|
Emancipação e Luta Livre a Orientação sexual Emancipation and the Struggle for Sexual Orientation |
RIO DE JANEIRO | South-East |
|
Movimento Unido dos Camelôs United Movement of Street Hawkers |
RIO DE JANEIRO | South-East |
|
Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Domésticos de Campinas, Paulínia, Valinhos, Sumaré e Hortolândia Trade Union of Domestic Workers in Campinas, Paulinia, Valinhos, Sumaré and Hortolândia |
SÃO PAULO | South-East |
|
União Social dos Imigrantes Haitianos – USIH Social Union of Haitian Immigrants -USIH |
SÃO PAULO | South-East |
| CATEGORY 2 | ||
| GROUP/COLLECTIVE/ORGANISATION | STATE | REGION |
|
Federação Nacional das Trabalhadoras Domésticas – FENATRAD National Federation of Domestic Workers – FENATRAD |
FEDERAL DISTRICT | Centre-West |
|
Projeto Viver Project Living |
CEARÁ | North-East |
|
Centro de Direitos Humanos de Cristalândia – CDHC Centre for Human Rights in Cristalândia – CDHC |
TOCANTINS | North |
|
Grupo Conexão G Connection G Group |
SÃO PAULO | South-East |
|
Associação Rede de Economia Solidária dos Catadores Unidos do Espírito Santo – REUNES Association of the Solidarity Economics Network of the United Waste Collectors of Espírito Santo – REUNES |
ESPIRÍTO SANTO | South-East |
Workers’ rights
Employment in Brazil is undergoing a profound crisis. The 2016 labour reform and the 2017 pension reform took away the rights of thousands of workers who now live with unrestricted outsourcing, contracts without fixed working hours, temporary contracts with no minimum number of working hours, obstacles to their receiving legal reparation for rights violations and new rules on pensions and welfare benefits.
In a scenario in which racial and gender discrimination are determining factors in the increase in inequalities, support for initiatives that are tackling the dismantling of workers’ rights, with an intersectional approach, is central to strengthening the fight against setbacks. The call for proposals Strengthening Informal Workers in the Fight for Rights aims to bolster this cause by supporting workers in the fight for decent work and social guarantees.
According to Allyne Andrade, deputy executive director of Brazil Fund, “racial and gender justice underpin the guarantee of decent work for the whole of Brazilian society. An intersectional approach is fundamental in making progress with dialogue and articulation in a strong and effective fight for this cause”.
Two hundred and forty-eight applications were received. Following a preliminary selection process, which assessed the suitability of each project in terms of the criteria of the call for applications, 131 proposals were passed to the external selection committee.
“We were able to carry out a broad analysis of what is going on in the country today. Based on this map of organisations, we identified leaders and projects that are strategic in tackling the precarious conditions”, said Dandara Rudsan, a member of the selection committee.
Ana Valéria Araújo, executive director of Brazil Fund, follows the same train of thought as the selection committee. “Based on the projects received for the call for proposals, we have a good initial mapping of the needs and priorities of the cause of decent work in Brazil. This means we can think strategically regarding Labora’s next steps and understand where resources are most needed for this cause”.
Selection comittee on a workday in Brazil Fund’s office. Photo: Mônica Nobrega/Fundo Brasil’ Collection
Selection procedures
The following people made up the selection committee for the call for applications, Strengthening Informal Workers in the Fight for Rights: Dandara Rudsan, a Law graduate, currently studying for a Postgraduate degree in Labour and Human Rights Law and a member of the National Network of Anti-prohibitionist Feminists and the Black Initiative for a New Drugs Policy; Juliana Teixeira, Lecturer and Researcher at UFES and author of the book Trabalho Doméstico (Domestic Work), in the Collection Feminismos Plurais (Plural Feminism); Leila Giovana Izidoro, who holds a Master’s and a Doctorate in Human Rights at USP and is a researcher on the cause of waste and recycling collectors in Latin America; and Rodrigo Portela Gomes, who holds a doctorate in Law, State and Constitution, Lecturer on the Undergraduate and Post-graduate Programmes at IDP and a Programme Coordinator for Rede Liberdade (Freedom Network).
After the applications were received the selection process was split into three stages. In the first phase, the organisation carried out a preliminary selection to check whether the applications were in line with the terms of the call for proposals.
In the next phase, the projects were sent to the external independent selection committee. For each call for applications, Brazil Fund invites activists with relevant experience in the field, to act on the committee. This group assessed the proposals and prepared a list of the projects it recommended for support.
Finally, in the last phase, the list was presented and approved by the board committee of Labora – Fund for Decent Work, made up of Brazil Fund, Laudes Foundation, the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations.
Labora: Fund for Decent Work
Labora – Fund for Decent Work was launched on 7 December 2022 in the city of São Paulo. Leaders from the field of philanthropy and non-governmental organisations that fight for human rights assembled at MAM, the Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo to watch the panel “The role of philanthropy in the fight for decent work”.
In the coming years, Labora will provide continuous structured support to the cause of decent work and social guarantees, with the understanding that this cause is one of the most important ones in thinking about and reconstructing the advance of democracy in Brazil.
