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Published: April 2nd 2013
The MST demonstrates the potential of the peasant
As the world’s 9th largest economy, Brazil’s rapidly growing financial clout is rooted in agriculture with coffee, beef and soya constituting its most valuable exports. Yet it is one of few nations to have never passed agrarian reform and social inequality continues to blight rural society with 3%!o(MISSING)f the population owning 2 thirds of cultivable land. Consisting of well over 1 million members, the ‘
Movimento Sem Terra’ (MST or Landless Movement), one of the planet’s largest social movements, actively encourages the rural poor to occupy land belonging to others and grow foodstuffs in a subsistent manner, generally as part of a cooperative.
Since its inception in 1985, the MST’s achievements are startling when considering they exist purely on donations and handouts. Its successes include the construction of an institute capable of large-scale education-designed in part by internationally acclaimed architect Oscar Niemeyer-and legally winning land for approximately half a million families. As Brazil hurtles towards a period of intense international scrutiny courtesy of the Football World Cup and Olympic Games, the MST and the vast social inequalities it combats will become increasingly scrutinised.
Brazilian society has undergone a transformation since the 1980s before which the resounding majority of the population lived in rural areas. Over the last few decades technological advancements have culminated in fewer jobs in the countryside and consequential urbanisation has surged. Today over 80%!o(MISSING)f residents live in cities and towns, indeed only Tokyo and Mexico City house more citizens than Brazil’s commercial capital, São Paolo.
The MST seeks to buck this trend and reverse rural to urban migration, encouraging its members to construct temporary homes on unused land out of sight of its landlords. Despite fatal clashes with police in the past, the MST claim their occupation is legitimate, invoking Brazil’s constitution which states that land must fulfil a social function.
Despite the discrimination faced by rural communities, the landless poor can attain a more salubrious existence than their city-dwelling counterparts. In urban favelas, even pre-pubescent children are lured to the potentially lucrative drug trade, a consequence of Brazil’s status as the world’s second largest consumer of cocaine. The MST, through its dedicated educational programmes, instructs young members to cultivate, maintain and produce, often in spite of scarce resources.
Movements such as this demonstrate what can be achieved when political awareness is encouraged and education-albeit meagre-provided. This initiative has developed resilient, politically aware communities united against injustice and inequality. With the 2014 presidential campaign set to commence in the coming months the support of the expanding and politically active MST could yet be crucial.
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Mike Bass
non-member comment
Helpful, educational, and entertaining
Just got here March 29 from U.S. I am living with a lady friend who I met here about 18 years ago. She is a sociology professor at the Federal University here. If you are still in town, can you forward me an E-mail or would you like to meet. (While I am an older guy, I don\'t own a phone with any videos currently downloaded). Great writing and very helpful. Thanks.