A problemática socioambiental de uma comunidade, discutida a partir de encontros democráticos

Abstract

Based on the analysis of an environmental problem regarding the hydro-resources at Conjunto Agrotécnico Visconde da Graça (CAVG), an agri-technical school, in a systemic approach, the origins of its impact on the district called Getúlio Vargas (GV) were studied. I decided to widen the community´s knowledge about the environmental issues they experienced by clarifying their rights and duties, as well as explaining the power a collective action can have to generate changes – the aim was to implement a Center on Environmental Education, besides other alternatives to deal with the problem. Taking into consideration that Environmental Education can become an agent to change reality, since it is political education in the implementation of citizenship, I attempted to get close to the community through several representative institutions in that district, and took part in different activities. Thus, I could know the reality and its main problems, such as hunger, the most relevant one. A group called “Democratic Meetings”, which was comprised of mothers who lived in that community was contituted inspired in Paulo Freire´s Círculo de Cultura.