MST

Created in 1984, the Movement of Rural Landless Workers (MST) is the largest grassroots organization in Brasil. One of the many outcomes of the movement was land reform. The joy expressed when agreements were reached--on the Cuiaba plantation in Sergipe, Brasil--for landless workers to have access to land is captured in this photograph by the great photographer, Sabastao Salgado. Please do visit his website, which captures the challenges faced by the “majority world.” http://www.terra.com.br/sebastiaosalgado/ I was introducted to the work of Salgado in a wonderful way, this is one of three Salgado photos that are prominantly displaced in the office of Professor Pedlwoski.

Field Workers Rights

Today (May 29) an important conference was held at the federal Technical Institute that included local field workers and social movement leaders that stress the lack of rights for field workers. The increased production of sugar cane for ethanol will likely place many at risk if these issues are not addressed. The photo is of some workers walking the street of Campos before the session began.

Coursework

My class in UENF is interdisciplinary, with students from the College of Natural Resources and the Center of Human Sciences. The course examines forms of public participation with examples from environmental management. This class is characterized by its strong engagement over these important issues.

A New Saint

Pope Benedict XVI ended his visit in Brasil today after arriving on May 9. This historic visit has come with mixed reviews as the Church traditions are questioned and many have left the church for alternatives. Brasil is home to the largest Roman Catholic population in the world but it is reported that membership is declining with Pentecostal and Protestant membership increasing. On Firday, the first native-born Brasilian was canonized, Farther Antonio Galvao.

Mother's Day

On this Mother's Day I was thinking of Christine and wrote this on the sand in Farol de San Thome, a town som 40 kilometers from Campos. Happy Mother's Day Christine!



Farol de San Thome is a fishing village surrounded by a long beach with kiosks and summer homes. This photo was of some beached boats waiting their turn to get backt to the sea.

Upon the late afternoon, the fisherman return to port in Farol de San Tome. Because there is no port, they run their vessel on to the sand, where a tractor is waiting to pull them ashore to ground above the sea.

Domingo

Domingo (Sunday) brings futebol in Brasil. This day was the final for the state of Rio de Janeiro. The two teams playing are neighborhoods next to each other in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo and Botafogo. These teams played in famed Maracana stadium and the stadium was full to capacity. The winner was Flamego in penalties. In this photo, a Botafogo player realizes the loss despite hitting the then go ahead goal at the 70 minute mark.

This Domingo took me to Atafona, a small town where the Paraiba do Sul meets the Atlantic Ocean. Atafona is a fishing village. Small restaurants are located on the river serving the local catch of the day.


The area that surrounds the town of Atafona is confronted with the erosion of the coastline where many homes have fallen way to the encroaching sea.

The New Bridge

May 1 is the world’s national holiday celebrating the laborers and workers (the US version is labor day in the fall). Campos had the added pleasure of celebrating the partial opening of a new bridge that crosses the Rio de Paraiba do Sul connecting North Campos (Guarus) and Campos Downtown. The gala was attended by the past governor (Rosinha Garotinho) and current governor (Sergio Cabral) of the state of Rio de Janeiro and the mayor of Campos.


The new bridge was needed as one previously collapsed and an additional bridge was in need of repair. This new bridge, named after Rosinha Garotinho, connects with roads north of Campos bringing more traffic. This photo was taken May 2 where the congestion on the bridge is already noticeable. My rides to work are now more complicated.