Solidarity with the landless of Brazil

The Brazilian landless movement (MST) is the most successful movement of its kind in the world, with half a million members and land settlements in 23 out of 26 states in Brazil. Millions of acres of farm land in Brazil lie idle, held for speculation rather than production. To combat this, for the last twenty years the MST has worked on every level, from direct action squatting of unused land through to international campaigning. According to the Brazilian constitution, land which is fulfilling its social purpose should be redistributed to those who need it, the landless peasants. This rarely happens without the landless first occupying the land to put pressure on the government to expropriate. Nearly all the thousands of MST settlements in Brazil have been won in this way. Currently the MST is campaigning for the Lula government to make good on its commitment to land reform.
At Oxford Brazil Solidarity, we support the landless peasants both politically and financially. We have petitioned and protested at the Brazilian embassy for justice for the MST members massacred by military police at El Dorado dos Carajas. We have supported the building of the MST university in Sao Paulo state. And we have supported with financial donations land occupations in Para and Pernambuco states. These donations have supported poor families at their time of greatest need, before they are able to cultivate, either with immediate necessities such as food and medicine, or with basic infrastructue such as irrigation equipment, tools and seeds.
We raise money by putting on some of the liveliest parties in Oxford, and by Brazil-themed dinners with live music. If you are interested in getting involved, come to our meeting this Tuesday.