Popular education and militancy

Base Ecclesiastical Communities in Juruti, State of Pará, Brazil, (1970-1990)

Abstract

This article discusses the efficiency of popular education in Juruti, a municipality in the Amazon region of Pará. From 1970 to 1992, the Franciscan nuns Maristella, with priests, developed a project in the municipality that included health care, construction of popular houses in a collective effort, incentives to generate income through handicrafts and assistance to needy children through kindergartens and preschools. Those involved in the project were also active in a movement called Base Ecclesiastical Communities (CEB). The dynamics of the CEB consisted of linking biblical teachings to the needs of small communities to fight for their rights, especially against the oppression of large farmers and businessmen. In Juruti, CEB contributed to the strengthening of small farmers through the Rural Workers Union and were also important promoters of conflicts against large landowners who harmed the economy by keeping unused large swaths of productive land to be used as a bargaining chip in the market of logging and agriculture. The intensification of conflicts and the constant threats of violence culminated in the departure of the nuns from the municipal headquarters in 1992.