You will die trying... or?

Had an interesting conversation with people wrestling to make some change in this city today. Went to se the Directory of Environmental Education in the Municipality of Salvador. 

The Municipality of Salvador has a baaad baaad reputation, I have understood this much during my months here. The municipality does nothing, the prefect is a thug and all money that ever circulated in the system has succumbed to corruption. This may be a very badly nuanced picture but I don’t think it is too far from the reality and the people I met today didn’t really alter it ether.

Of course many people in the municipality works a lot, they try to do a lot and they engage with body and soul, but with to little support from their elected leaders, their management. Money is inexistent for al municipal interventions that includes social transformation and people working in the area are proportionally too few – almost invisible. 

It isn’t strange if most people start going on autopilot, closes them selves to feelings of shame or responsibility, just happy they receive their salary each month. It is a subconscious act of self-defense because there is no better way to get worn out, or “walk in to the wall” as we say in Swedish, than to continue trying.

There is however people that continue trying - strong people, with visions not so easily shattered. Although I believe that their shell is warn down and their self esteem on the verge of shattering – because that’s what a corrupt system does with honest people.

The woman I talked to today started crying when I told her that she had been indicated by every one as the person leading the work of Environmental Education in the municipality. She had never thought people recognized here work, never understood here importance and recognition in the larger context.

Next week the VII Brazilian Forum for Environmental Education will be held here in Salvador. A huge event that will host I don’t know how many mini courses, lectures, panel discussions and cultural exhibitions. It will offer an opportunity for every one that struggles for social, ethical and environmental changes in this country to come together and strengthen each other and gain forces.

Looking forward to it! 

Sunflowers to trigger community initiatives in Nordeste Amaralina

Yesterday I went with the Environmental Education Team from SEMA to attend the “Social street market” in Nordeste Amaralina arranged by the project Pact for life. The Idear was that alla state secretaries that participate in the project in some way would contribute in some way with a stand in the street and promote their individual activities that way.

The Project Pact for life – in its extended form – is only in its beginning in this part of town. Nordestre Amaralina is like a city in the city. A huge neighborhood divided in to at least three districts. During the last 10 years it has been a highly problematic area where parts have been totally abandoned by public administration and it has been very dangerous for outsiders to enter. The grate majority of the neighborhoods inhabitants lives in poverty and suffers from social exclusion. Problems continues but with the state turning its gaze towards this – quite central but – forgotten part of town it is getting more and more integrated with the whole of society.

SEMA had arranged to distribute information about the secretariats activities-to-come in the neighborhood as well as basic environmental education, environmental ethics etc. By distributing small bags filled with sunflower seeds (all handmade by non other then ME) we where able to draw attention to our table. We had also brought a dozen seedlings of native Atlantic-forest trees to distribute and help plant.

With the help of a banner showing an incomplete sunflower we also colected contacts, experiences and ideas trough asking people to write on yellow leaves made out of paper to help complete the flower on the banner.

The day could be summed up as – apart from hot but windy – productive and fun!

Insha'Allah I'll get there...

With one school situated in the far away suburb of Salvador and another in a neighborhood municipality - interviews with people at the state university, in a favela in the city center, and yet other strange places to come in the following weeks - I’m trying my best to locate my self on the map of Salvador.

It is not the easiest task to travel with the community transportation in this town. The traffic situation is more than chaotic and if you don’t have a car, the only way to travel is by buss or taxi. During 15 years a central metro line that does not extend further than 6 kilometers have been under construction. According to media, the Metro is finally finished, although it won't start running until 2014 - the year when Brazil hosts the World Cup. I cant confirm it, but I have heard that the entire project have had higher expenses than the under-ocean-tunnel that was built between France and the United Kingdom…

During the last couple of years an increase in living standard among many of the cities lower middleclass have been evident – something that manifest it self especially in the increase in traffic. The roads don't support the amount of cars and busses and the traffic stays nearly paralyzed in certain parts of the city during most of the active time of the day. However, every one with the possibility to buy a car does it - it is considered insupportable to travel by buss (and some days, I assure you, it really is). Still, a majority obviously doesn’t have an option and the buss-stops and busses are always overcrowded.

The buss route is indicated with signs on in the front window of the buss as well as on the lateral, just beside the back door – the door where passengers enter. The sign is composed of a list of names for places or neighborhoods, which the buss passes. Most of the time it is not sufficient to know what name you should look for on the list though. Since there are several busses with the same names taking different routes you also have to know how to ask your way around.

Last week I visited one school in a nearby municipality of Salvador, Vila de Abrantes. I waited one hour for the buss. To morrow I will go to a school in a northern suburb to do Interviews and to arrive there I will have to take two busses.

The historical - and current - situation of transport in this city probably has some blame in the fact that a frailly modern and active city such as Salvador still suffers from a “Manhana, Manhana” mentality where no one lifts an eyebrow when you arrive one hour and a half to late for a meating... Could be comparable to stories you might have hired about Arabic or African outskirts where you’ll be able to ravel on a set time “if Allah wants”...