talks in Cancun with Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff, driver of liberation theology and friend of the Landless Movement. Sebastian
Levalle and Luciana Levin
Rebellion
Brazil has left us a powerful way to Latin American social movements. Their scholars have invited us to perform a reflection from the south, from below, have made all popular theology, pedagogy itself and, most importantly, the Brazilian people have walked many years in this practice.
You were with the first steps of liberation theology back in the sixties, what is your life today?
poor
While there still has the theology of liberation, in all Latin American countries there are theologians, in Brazil there are many, we've added something else. Because liberation theology was born hearing the cry of the oppressed, but not only the oppressed, ie the poor, women, indigenous, Afro-Latin Americans cry. Also the land cries, animal scream, yell forests. Then within the Option for the Poor has to insert the large poor that is Earth. From this perspective was born a strong eco-theology of liberation is spreading and that is the answer to the crisis besetting the world.
What is the place of indigenous peoples in this Eco-theology?
Look, I have the conviction que los pueblos originarios son portadores de una sabiduría ancestral, de una manera de relacionarse con la tierra no como un baúl de recursos, como algo muerto para ser explotado, sino la tierra como pachamama, como madre, donde nace la veneración, el respeto, el sentido comunitario de la convivencia, la producción no para el enriquecimiento sino para lo necesario, lo suficiente para todos. Entonces aquí hay valores que nosotros, la cultura dominante, hemos perdido y que los pueblos originarios nos recuerdan. Por ahí pasa el futuro de la humanidad. De ahí la importancia de darle centralidad a ellos, hacerlos hablar, escucharlos. Porque eso nos ayuda a encontrar un camino que tiene futuro.
Desde esta perspectiva What lies ahead scenarios global warming?
I think more serious than global warming is a shortage of drinking water. More than one billion people lack water and two billion that have contaminated water. And global warming will cause some regions with less water, will generate soil erosion and loss of crops and there goes the migration, displacement of thousands and thousands of people, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia. I think this situation is so serious that require a kind of Global Governance, because no country has the capacity to solve that problem. Urgencies are
has humanity and that we collectively face, then we must push governments to find global solutions from a global perspective and to be hospitable. Hospitality is a duty and a right: everyone has the right to be upheld, we have a duty to accept them, because we are living in the same common house, brothers and sisters of the same human family. We already talked
Option for the Poor and its updating as Eco-theology, but in Brazil we have seen flourish from Pedagogy of the Oppressed Paulo Freire's thought, a proposal that has perhaps had its most fruitful experience Landless Movement education ...
I think for us there is no other way than that which Paulo Freire taught us that basically tells us that no one is poor, we all have a wealth because everyone, everyone, think, produces values \u200b\u200band poor is not a poor man is oppressed, poor fact, an impoverished. And when the poor, the poor, create a force meet and become subjects of their release. Then a poor but poor does not give two poor, but fairly strong. A poor more poor together make a liberation movement. Then there is the State nor the Church nor the persons of goodwill who will liberate the poor are the poor themselves as they develop a conscience, and join a project. We enter as allies, for the backdoor, supporting, walking together. Freire taught us that that they have a historical force that allows them to change reality and that we, along with them, we accelerate that process.
The Eco-theology invites us to struggle against agribusiness and monoculture from a comprehensive perspective, recovering peasant agriculture. In turn, the pedagogy of the oppressed reminds us that a popular government must not only benefit the excluded but must assume them as the main subjects of his release. However, during the governments of Lula in Brazil land reform has stalled, it has slowed soybean plantations for agrofuels -With its corollary of expulsion of peasants from their lands, and the MST has raised serious questions about government policies ... How to interpret these contradictions and Dilma government expect?
I think we must start with the fact that we are solidifying democracies, which are getting stronger because we all came from military dictatorships. So it is important to maintain that freedom. There are contradictions of the neoliberal project is still in force. Most progressive governments make public policy for the people, as Zero Hunger, is supporting family farming, is strengthening groups base. But they often have to provide for stability, many things that belong to criticize the logic of capital is hegemonic and imposing its strength. And especially the agribusiness to advance on forests and deforestation. So it is important to organize. At least in Brazil we have found that as grassroots groups, the landless and other pressure the state, you are obliged to establish laws, such as using satellites which requires them to establish control of deforestation, which has declined sharply. And to criticize the monocultures because they are the ones most against ecological principles, biodiversity, to maintain soil nutrients.
Then there are contradictions, but fundamentally important to recognize an opening for a social dimension where the poor are included. In Brazil, one learns that before Spain went hungry, it does not happen is a revolution that we have never met before. But there are many things to do. For Latin America, which has a vast ecological wealth, the table can be set to satisfy the hunger of the world, we must have internal policies for the people but open to humanity that is suffering greatly from hunger and thirst.
How do you imagine Latin America in twenty years?
I'm not a magician or a prophet but I imagine that will consolidate democracies increasingly participatory tone, ie not only elect representatives but that the foundations organized movements, pressure and discussed with governments, because there is virtually no major projects need not be discussed with the social movements - then democracy will be more participatory. That I believe is going to strengthen more and more, hence the importance of increasing social movements, maintaining networks of interdependence because it creates a social force since the time can become a political force capable of deciding elections and to impose profound changes in the laws to better preserve the nature and depth benefits to the poor.
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