Folks,
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, where I just arrived at the house of my old host father, Claudio Roberto Castilho, a noted art teacher who hosted me as a college exchange student at PUC-Rio de Janeiro from 2006-2008.
For nearly 20 years, I have been staying at Claudio’s house. Next to Pittsburgh, there is no city that I know well, and it’s like a home away from home for me. We will have more updates from Brazil in the coming days, but we wanted to give you a roundup of some.
Help Us Finish Documentary on the Landless Workers Movement
For nearly 40 years, the Brazilian Landless Workers (MST) movement has used land occupations to help over 400,000 families gain the right to farmland.
Using agrarian reform provisions of the 1988 Brazilian constitution that “property should serve its social function,” the MST has engaged in long legal and political battles to win the right to occupy farms.
Despite often facing deadly violence from landowners, the MST is the largest producer of organic rice in Latin America. They have a network of stores and produce patterns around the country.
In August, I spent a week on a Landless Workers Movement settlement named after slain Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco, who I studied with in college at PUC-Rio de Janeiro in the mid-2000s. Now, I am going to finish filming some scenes in Rio.
As a result of a grant from Illumine Service Foundation, I could afford a plane ticket. Now, we need to raise money to cover expenses while on the road.
Donate today to help us finish the documentary on the Landless Workers Movement.
NEA President Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza
National Education President Becky Pringle called for a ceasefire in Gaza this week.
“With the end of the temporary truce, the need for a ceasefire in Gaza is growing,” said Pringle on Twitter this week. “The killing of children and innocent civilians must stop, humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine must be provided.”
Educators across the union praised the decision.
“As the largest labor union in the US, we have the power to demand the Biden administration to broker a ceasefire and end support of military operations against civilians,” said NEA board President Aaron Phillips in a statement put out this week.
Businesses and Unions Globally Walkout Against War in Gaza
Across the globe, businesses shut down, and unions walked out on Monday to show their support for a ceasefire in Gaza. The strike came in response to a call from a coalition of Palestinian trade unions and alliances to shut things down.
In Dearborn, Michigan, many workers and businesses participated in the strike.
“We decided to close our restaurant today participating in the global strike in solidarity. This movement stands against the open genocide in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing and the colonial settlement in the West Bank,” IceBurg’s general manager told the Detroit Free Press. “We stand together with intentions of calling a ceasefire and putting these innocent Palestinians suffering to an end. As a Palestinian-owned business, we are praying for nothing but peace overseas.”
For more on the dozen businesses that went on strike in Dearborn, check out the Detroit Free Press.
Alright yinz, that’s all for today. We will have more tomorrow. Keeping sending tips, story ideas and comments to [email protected]
Donate to help us finish our documentary on the Landless Workers Movement. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our 764 recurring donors today.
Love & Solidarity,
MElk
