Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

The senator and former President of Uruguay José Mujica ended his speech at the opening ceremony of the 11th Conference of the Latin American Youth on Climate Change ( COY11 ) with a very specific request: “Please, be no traitors to what is about to come”. And he went out , leaving in the air the weight of the words he spoke for about an hour and twenty minutes before the 1300 people who occupied all over the Garapuvu Auditorium on the evening of Thursday, November 26.

From the beginning, it was clear that it was not a common opening: the great demand for applications to ensure presence, the queue already forming outside the Culture and Events Center when it was still clear day, the strong expectation, all attested to the charisma and the strong attraction exerted by Mujica. The ceremony, scheduled to start at 20h, delayed about an hour for the public , anxious to accommodate. It was 21h20min when the statement of the president of Young Engajamundo Association, Rachel Rosenberg, was interrupted by the news of the arrival of the illustrious visitor, who started talking immediately. Unlike the usual protocol, he was not introduced with full name and title. Instead, the cliché “needs no introduction” was taken seriously; Rachel and the general coordinator of COY11 and student of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at UFSC, Thaianna Elpidio Cardoso, simply said “come, Mujica” and he came.

The enthusiastic ovation that followed the senator stage presence made him look even deeper the respectful silence done when he started talking. And for all the statement, the silence was only interrupted by applause moments in the speech that reveal another important component of fascination it created: the frasista who knows how to communicate with the audience in front of him. He made a point of explaining that came to Florianópolis not out of obligation, but because he wanted to and was not to go to the beach, it was to be there, talking to young people, who laid both his hope and a responsibility load, “you will have enormous challenge of fighting with mildness, will be less primitive. You will be less strong, but much more intelligent “and” it can not be guaranteed by the government, is a cultural issue”, he said. He used the language of its position politically to the left when he said “what we call organized proletariat will be groups of students of the future professionals of the future”. Further recalled that the existence of both groups fighting for change as conservative predates the classification between left and right, but warned: “the two guys have pathologies. the face of change falls into infantilism, which confuses desire with reality. The conservative may fall in reactionary or even fascist”.

Latin Union , ethics and future

About ecology, he did not speak too much. He noted that the new generations no longer have ignorance excuse to continue causing damage to the planet , he noted that “we have seen the birth of the mitigation industry damage to the environment” and that “Latin America is very rich in natural resources and is a paradox there starving people”. But preferred to focus his lecture on the power of change and progress of youth in the criticism of consumerism , the union of Latin America and personal ethics , which summed up simply and unusual vocabulary, “means not fuck with others; is simple, you do not have to complicate. Do not be mean to others,  youdo not have to give a lot back”, he explained, while was applaused and between laughs. And he expanded: “the economy can not be separated from ethics and human behavior”.

The emergence of the European Union as a strategy of survival and economic defense before the polarization between the United States and Soviet Union after World War II was the example to say that closer ties between the countries of Latin America” does not mean losing independence means joining forces to maintain independence”. For him, the independence of Latin American countries “coincides with the formation of the world market and we spent almost 300 years looking around without looking at us”. However, he said, “will we be able to integrate our universities and our knowledge if we do not integrate the intelligence of the Americas?”. The reservations, incidentally, appeared all the time, as weighting the possibilities that envisions. “The love of life is the way of you and fight. We do not fight the ultimate prize, fight for life itself; want something a little better for the soul of those who are to come after us”, he said. Counteracted with “there is never definitive triumphs, there is never final defeats. There can not be, because the ladder of progress is infinite” and dimensioned the challenge again, “there is much that we have to defend, but much more we have to reach”.

More than an advisor or former head of government, Mujica spoke as enthusiastic and encouraging. “Can I say ‘ old man, are you crazy?’ No, I’m not crazy , I’m in love with life” was defined. And set: ” life is beautiful if it is dedicated to a cause of human progress”.

Opening

The dean of UFSC attended the opening session, Roselane Neckel; the rector of the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC), Maria Clara Schneider; Deputy Consul in Charge of Political Affairs and the Consulate General of Press of France in Brazil, Thibault Samson; the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Bolivia, Pablo Alarcón Ezedin Prado; the consultant of the United Nations Program for the Ministry of Environment, Camila Mello; the general coordinator of COY11 and student of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at UFSC, Thaianna Elpidio Cardoso; the general coordinator of COY10, Israel Maldonado; the president of Young Engajamundo Association, Rachel Rosenberg .

Manifestations

The opening of COY11 was preceded by two events. Shouting “It was no accident! Environmental Crime”,”Mud is Samarco!” and “Stop mining”, about 20 young people covered in mud and carrying signs expressed outrage at the recent breakup of dams with toxic waste Samarco mining in Mariana (MG). “We can not let go unchallenged, this is an unprecedented destruction and we have no idea of ​​the whole environmental impact. Migratory birds are traveling the world spreading toxins. Communities living along the 600 km from the Rio Doce are without water, without food and livelihoods”, explains journalist and environmentalist Flora Neves, 28, member of the Collective UC Island. The public joined the manifesto, swelling the chorus of protests. “People understand the importance and seriousness of what happened in Mariana”, added Flora. The act in COY11 is part of a series events that have been organized by local NGOs to support those affected by the mud in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo.

Another group, composed of natives of the Upper Itajaí Valley region, spoke out against the Constitutional Amendment Project (PEC 215) authorizing Congress to change the demarcation of indigenous lands, quilombo territories and environmental conservation units. Led by Indigenous people graduated from UFSC Woie Patte, representative of Laklanõ/Xokleng people, the group carried posters with the phrases “Demarcation Now!” And “No to PEC 215” (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution proposed that the demarcation of indigenous lands, titles of quilombo territories and the creation of environmental conservation units are the responsibility of the National Congress and not the executive branch, as it is today). “The conference is a time to speak not only for the country but also abroad. We want everyone to know that the Brazilian government has not given to indigenous issues, guaranteed in Contituição 1988. By law, our territory should be demarcated in a period of five years. But our territory only decreased. The PEC 215 ignores all our trajectory struggle. Since 1500, when the Europeans arrived here, we are massacred in every way. The PEC 215 PEC is a death, is a genocide “expressed Woie, who also criticized the coverage of the media in relation to indigenous issues. “All materials distort our information, what we want it to be known is never disclosed. We always show up in a negative way: the Indian is invasive, the Indian is all that no good. Meanwhile, we are decimated”.

About COY11

The COY takes place annually since 2004 and prior to the Conference of the Parties (COP) , organized by the UN. The COY11 is orchestrated by Youngo globally, international non-governmental organization of youth on climate, and associations Avenir Climatique, Climates, the Fédération du Scoutisme Français, the Refedd and the WARN Movement!. In Brazil, the realization is through the Engajamundo NGOs, together with the Movimiento de Jóvenes y Latin American Caribeños frente al Cambio Climate; Facilitator Civil Society Committee of Santa Catarina Rio + 20; Institute Youth Zero Waste Brazil; Center for Environmental Education; Free Academic Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental UFSC; and Route Project, with co-production of Luumen Business Creative Economy and support of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC). More than 8500 young people are expected in the eight COY11 sites to be carried out this year.

Further information on the site, Facebook fan page and Twitter.

Daniela Caniçali – Journalist/Agecom/DGC/UFSC

Fábio Bianchini – Journalist/Agecom/DGC/UFSC

Fotos Henrique Almeida – Agecom/DGC/UFSC