Published 12/02/2023 15:01 | Edited 12/04/2023 08:28
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met this Saturday (2) with representatives of 135 Brazilian social organizations participating in the United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP 28, in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
Lula asked for their more active participation in the construction of a new society. “Either we participate or the extreme right will return with great force, not just in Brazil, but in many other countries”, said the president in a calling tone.
For him, organizations, of claiming agents, have to be formulative and participatory. “It’s more than claiming. It’s participating. It’s more than claiming. It’s helping to do it,” he said.
The event, organized by the Minister of the General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic, Márcio Macêdo, was attended by three other ministers: Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change), Sonia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples) and Mauro Vieira (Foreign Relations) .
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“It is a historic moment. I am already participating in my fifth COP and I have never had a moment like this, of sitting down with a Brazilian head of state to talk and build an environmental policy together”, said Dinaman Tuxá, coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil ( Apib).
The Apib coordinator stated that the entities are aware of the demands. “We know the challenge that Brazil is facing, not only with the environmental commitment that was made at an international level, but mainly with fulfilling this commitment within the national scenario. We leave here with yet another commitment from President Lula to pursue this green agenda and especially to ensure that indigenous peoples have access to their territories,” he continued.
In addition to Tuxá, spokespeople for the entities were Kátia Penha, a quilombola environmental activist; Marcele Oliveira, who represented Brazilian youth; and Márcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory.
Lula heard the desires and concerns regarding the protection of indigenous and quilombola territories, learned about a proposal from the Youth Council for Climate Action and the Environment (Conjuclima) for the creation of the National Council for Climate Action and the Environment, and was alerted by the representative of Climate Observatory that the worsening of climate change will result in the loss of thousands of lives, especially in the most vulnerable communities across the planet.
Kátia Penha highlighted the feeling of belonging that everyone felt throughout the event. “President Lula welcomes Brazilian civil society. After three COPs of a non-inclusive government, we can be here with the Brazilian government, collectively setting the agenda for social movements organized in Brazil”, he praised.
“And addressing the emergency climate issue for Brazil is a priority. Not only from the Brazilian government, but from all of society, from all the people in the countryside, from all the people in the forests and in quilombola communities”, he continued.
For Marcele Oliveira, member of the Climate Change Coalition, from Rio de Janeiro, and representative at COP 28 of Conjuclima, the event brought encouragement knowing that the federal government is attentive to the climate crisis and involved in finding effective solutions in the medium and long term. term.
“I leave here with great hope that we will be able to think about this possible future in an organized way. Today we came not only to give this speech as youth, but also to make a proposition. When we talk about proposing a council, we are proposing a path of dialogue where it is possible to discuss delicate issues, such as fossil fuels, environmental racism, climate justice together with the periphery, with youth, with quilombola communities, communities indigenous people, with the LGBTQIA+ population”, stated Marcele.
Referring to the role of social movements in strengthening the democratic environment, the president warned: “You have learned in recent times to understand that many of the things that you demand, that you fight all day long, depend on something called: Strengthening of democracy in our country”, he stated.
“If we don’t take this into account, at each election we will complain that the legislative branch is more conservative. And if he is more conservative, the more difficult it will be for us to approve much of what you spend the entire year demanding”, concluded Lula.
With information from Planalto
Source: vermelho.org.br
