Democracy

Emmaus International and the Solidarity with Brazil coalition raise the alarm for Brazilian civil society.

Emmaus International and the Solidarity with Brazil coalition raise the alarm for Brazilian civil society.


On 23 January 2020, the Solidarity with Brazil coalition, of which Emmaus International is a member, launched its campaign “Brazil resists. Fighting is not a crime.” This is aimed at French and European citizens and political decision-makers. The coalition also took this opportunity to present its “Warning barometer on the human rights situation in Brazil”.

Within the context of increasing criminalisation of social movements and the endangerment of rights defenders, 17 French international solidarity organisations with links to Brazil, including Emmaus International with its 9 Brazilian member organisations, decided to combine their efforts to fight for democracy in Brazil. The Solidarity with Brazil coalition is focussed on “supporting Brazilian civil society organisations through its awareness-raising work, by increasing visibility and advocacy work in France and in Europe, and defending rights, particularly those of the most vulnerable”.

With a notable fabric of partnerships and allies in Brazil, the members of the Solidarity with Brazil coalition are in a strong position to observe the violence suffered by Brazilian civil society organisations. “Such violence is the result of historical structural failings, such as the concentration of wealth and resources in the hands of a minority, or discrimination based on gender, social class and skin colour inherited from colonialism and slavery. However, violence and attacks against the most excluded populations have worsened since Dilma Roussef’s removal from office in 2016, the 2018 election campaign and the coming to power of an extreme right-wing government in Brazil in January 2019″.

In response to an appeal for international solidarity from Brazilian activists and social movements, the coalition has decided to raise their alert in France and in Europe, by launching the campaign “Brazil resists. Fighting is not a crime”.

As a first step in this campaign, the Solidarity with Brazil coalition has equipped itself with a tool to take stock of the social situation in Brazil: a barometer measuring the pressure on civil society in recent times, and more specifically over the last two years, highlighting the struggles and resistance efforts of the same actors.

In the words of Brazilian civil society.

Organised by topic, to allow for greater understanding of the threats faced by Brazilian civil society, the coalition website also highlights the personal accounts of committed activists on the ground, working on a daily basis to defend human rights and the environment (in Portuguese with French subtitles).

Watch videos of their personal accounts here: lebresilresiste.org