Advocacias com e para comunidades negras rurais: diálogo de saberes e direito ao território no Brasil e no Equador

Abstract

A presente tese intitulada “Advocacias com e para comunidades negras rurais: diálogo de saberes e direito ao território no Brasil e no Equador”, versa sobre dois estudos de casos – decorridos entre 1990 e 2015 – em que analiso as práticas e os saberes emergidos da atuação de comunidades negras e de organizações de advocacia, atuantes na defesa do direito coletivo destas comunidades ao território ancestral. No Equador, o estudo de caso envolve a comunidade negra La Chiquita e a organização de advocacia ambiental Corporación Ecolex. No Brasil, trata-se da comunidade quilombola da Ilha da Marambaia e da organização de advocacia em direitos humanos Centro de Assessoria Jurídica Popular Mariana Criola. O objetivo é conhecer, analisar e comparar como as práticas e os saberes dessas comunidades e de seus advogados interagiram e dialogaram ao longo do processo de reivindicação ao território. Busca ainda responder quais os impactos dessa interação na luta comunitária das comunidades La Chiquita e Marambaia. Além disso, analisa como se caracteriza o tipo de advocacia praticada pelas duas organizações considerando, particularmente, a relação e a ‘concepção metodológica’ de trabalho adotada. Ao longo do trabalho, a metodologia de pesquisa utilizada foi o estudo de caso alargado (Santos, 1983; Burawoy, 1998), com suporte em diferentes métodos, entre eles: a observação participante, o grupo focal (focus group), a análise documental, os registros em nota de campo, entre outros. Os debates teóricos recorrem ao campo das Epistemologias do Sul e aos estudos sociojurídicos críticos. A modo de conclusão, a investigação verifica que há uma pluralidade de práticas e saberes ‘nascidos na luta’ e ‘úteis à luta’, evidenciados na ação das comunidades e no trabalho jurídico das organizações de advocacia. Constata ainda que Mariana Criola e a Corporación Ecolex constituem modalidades de advocacia distintas: a primeira corresponde à advocacia popular e a segunda à advocacia de interesse público’. São ainda representativas de uma prática jurídica ‘com’ ou ‘para’ as comunidades que assessoram. Por fim, conclui que a interação e o diálogo entre as práticas e saberes das comunidades e das advocacias oscilou entre períodos de maior e menor articulação, impactando o processo organizativo comunitário e os períodos e ascenso e descenso de suas lutas.

This Ph.D. thesis has examined two case studies – for the time period of 1990 to 2015 – in which it has analyzed the practices and knowledge that have emerged from the actions conducted by Latin-American rural black communities and legal advocacy organizations that specialize in the defense of human rights and the environment, and that are active in defending the right to ancestral territory. The case study in Ecuador involved the black community of La Chiquita and the environmental advocacy organization Corporación Ecolex. In Brazil, the case involved the quilombola community of the Island of Marambaia and the human rights advocacy organization Centro de Assessoria Popular Mariana Criola. The objective was to analyze and to compare the practices and knowledge of these communities and their lawyers, as well as to see how these practices and knowledge have interacted and dialogued throughout the process of claiming the communities´ ancestral territories. In addition, the study answered the question what are the impacts of this interaction of the communities and their lawyers` practices and knowledge on the communities´ struggles? Furthermore, it also analyzed what methodologies were adopted by the lawyers for their work with the communities. The methodology that was used in this thesis was extended case study (Santos, 1983; Burawoy, 1998). This was supported with the use of participant observation, focus groups, an analysis of documents, among others. The theoretical debates were based on the theoretical field of the Epistemologies of the South as well as that of critical socio-legal studies. In its conclusion, this investigation verified that there exists a plurality of 'born in the struggle' and 'useful to the fight' practices and knowledge. This was evident in the actions that were taken by the communities and their lawyers. It also took note of the fact that Mariana Criola and Ecolex used different methodologies in their legal practice. The aforementioned was representative of a legal practice 'with', and the latter was representative of a legal practice 'for' the communities that they represented. Finally, it concluded that the interaction between the practices and knowledge of the communities and those of their lawyers oscillated between periods of greater and shorter articulation. This impacted the community organization process and the periods of growth and stagnation of the two struggles.