Instituto Equipe de Educadores Populares – IEEP

Povos Tradicionais: Visibilidade Social, Direitos Coletivos e Emancipação Social

The IEEP was created in 1994 and works in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, developing projects that promote civil rights in the region. “Faxinais” are small, traditional farming communities in Brazil that have preserved their unique culture, in part by employing agricultural techniques that are in harmony with nature.

People in these communities normally have little access to political institutions, and therefore no ability to defend their unique lifestyle and guarantee its survival. This project trained residents of 15 communities to present their demands to public authorities. The objective was to gain recognition for their cause and influence public policy in their favor.