(en) Brazil, Coletivo Mineiro Popular Anarquista - Occupation Guarani-Kaiow?: Action-Direct, Autonomy, Self-Management and Solidarity. Readings of an anarchist militancy (pt)

 [machine translation]

Encounter between indigenous Guarani-Kaiow? and residents of urban Occupation 
Guarani-Kaiow? -- August 2014, Front of the House Fight For COMPA ---- Since mid-October 
last year, COMPA follows the struggle of Occupation Guarani-Kaiow?, located in Count, 
Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MG). The Occupation has existed since March 9, 2013 
and has 150 families who occupied a land which hitherto housed a huge scrub delivered to 
the flies land speculation. The land, which was pawned-whose proprietary company is tax 
debtor (Construction Muschioni), is in the Hangover region, an administrative area of the 
city that the Count has neighborhoods that, in general, do not have high income 
neighborhoods Profile city. ---- Contradictions PRINCIPLES AND SYSTEM OF STATE CAPITALIST 
---- We are together to fight the occupation by Front Land and Autonomy, FTA, which is 
forward that builds our activists and residents along the more external supporters and 
there about seven months. The FTA consists of an independent front of ideologies and 
political organizations that revolves around certain principles to work in urban struggles 
of the city, currently focusing on housing struggle. Shared principles such as 
anti-capitalism, autonomy, self-management, direct-action, solidarity, mutual-aid, 
horizontality, self-discipline and political independence. The FTA is a very expensive 
joint to the militancy of COMPA, because it is a collective initiative of libertarian and 
anti-capitalist character which aims to insert into fights like housing, that for us, but 
a fight is a worthy potentially revolutionary struggle by directly challenging private 
property - and capitalism.

Not only the defense of private property, the struggle for housing in the current 
political, economic and social conditions, raise other important reflections on the 
contradictions of capitalism of our time. Real estate speculation, gentrification of 
cities, commercialization of public spaces, the neodesenvolvimentista federal government 
policy that guarantees the credit, but not for the housing of really poor people - and 
that either distributes wealth, and even the issue of mobility Urban are in evidence when 
the people is organized and meets with his own hands the arduous task of getting their own 
house these days.

Beyond economics, the criticism of the state and its role in society develops simple and 
practical way even when it has this profile of social struggle, just realize how the state 
and its authorities treat urban occupations. Police repression and lack of dialogue with 
the government the poor people occupying the idle land are postures that highlight the 
character class there - and that is inherent - in the state and which class it belongs. 
These and other questions that arise in the orbit of the struggle for housing are closely 
linked with the concepts that the principles of search and rescue FTA, which complement 
each other and constitute the day-to-day struggle.

Not intending to exhaust a thorough discussion on each principle, we in this paper an 
evaluation of how these principles are embedded in the housing struggle of those 150 
families, in their collective and living spaces are the assemblies, activities, 
demonstrations or meetings spontaneous in the common areas of the community, although many 
maintain up unnoticed. The collective political practice that develops in the occupation 
is predominantly self-managed, autonomous, collectivist and direct-action. What is 
noticeable is that the general awareness of the assembly is guided by means of 
combativeness, direct-action and collective, even though in certain subjects are still 
guided by coordination, such as when you need to take more time on strategic measures that 
require caution and experience (as a negotiation with the government or some more 
elaborate act). Such coordination that is open and horizontal, being also composed of some 
residents and supporters with more experience in the intricacies of the struggle for housing.

MORE LIKE A HOUSE NOT WALLS, ROOF AND FENCES

The sense of community is very developed with residents of the occupation, which, in most 
cases, have lived in the region Hangover. The design of housing built in the course of 
fighting the occupation jumped, for many families, the individual level and today lies in 
the collective. There is a majoritarian understanding that housing is not simply having 
possession of a fenced lot, even though conquered by occupation; vision of housing as the 
entire environment that surrounds his conquest, defense and security of your home expands 
increasingly. Ie, there is an understanding that the interest, care and permanent 
construction of their housing environment, where the community, broad, horizontal and 
self-managed way, is the predominant factor for your roof is guaranteed, making it that 
the legitimate meaning of "dwelling". In this sense, the importance and necessity of the 
meeting, in decision making and collective work becomes real. This can be quite clear if 
we take into account the need to organize themselves to fight the eviction, for example, 
but the issue goes beyond that point, which is somewhat shortsighted way: there is an 
increase in awareness of the collective construction of living, having understanding this 
collective construction as the basis for the sense of what it means dwelling.

Thus, the community organization shall be guided as fundamental to the the daily process 
of occupation. This community organization can be translated as a practical expression of 
the People's Organization, which is vital for long-term strategy that proposes a more 
radical transformation of society, in the bowels of the organization of social relations 
(either in the environment of housing, work, study etc.). So in that aspect, narrow ties 
among residents over the collective decisions become more legitimate and elaborate the 
conditions of conquest are strengthened, individual and shared awareness of residents 
daily advances in pedagogy of struggle and a breeding ground for a new world is sown in now.

As a result of this subjective daily pedagogy fight, the villa, we can say, is to be 
understood as a space of self empowerment, mutual-aid and collective initiative, while not 
exactly a conclusion of a deep critical reflection of the residents. Understood as such, 
concern for the community space becomes common and natural, which explains the various 
mobilizations for the care, maintenance and the construction of collective spaces of 
occupation. And examples for such care and concern abound: the mobilization for the 
fencing of the green area; the decision and delimitation of street names; building a 
community space that welcomes plans, models, photos, texts, memories of the occupation 
itself and the struggle of housing in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, in 
addition to valuables and collective tools; concern with cleaning the Nelson Mandela 
Square (aka Foot Manga); and more recently, the construction of a stage and Social Centre, 
which, with external support of movements, organizations, students and architects today 
has been conducting joint effort in which many residents are participating, giving in 
practice the true meaning of the word "community ". All this, of note, proposed, 
criticized and decided in assemblies guided horizontality.

A MEETING BY POPULAR ORGANIZATION

But the notion of community even goes beyond the care of the Community. Mediation of 
conflicts that arise between residents also occurs in assembly. Interesting that in common 
practices such neighborhoods often do not exist. By the way, non-assemblies common in most 
neighborhoods are performed. This fact is a simple example of the difference in 
organization and proposal of experience between the current prevailing model - capitalist, 
individualistic, competitive and equipped with prejudices - and the model constructed by 
the occupation - which tends more to collectivism, solidarity, mutual-aid and that, 
although there are still many prejudices, takes a few steps toward deconstruction, slow or 
instantaneous. It is an advance awareness of resolving conflicts, disputes and any other 
demands in your place of residence, which has targeted a new way of doing politics and 
organize society.

Highlight these issues Occupation Guarani-Kaiow? not mean it's different in other urban 
occupations. The meaning of this text is precisely to highlight these positive aspects of 
organized urban occupations that support, it might not have this particular goal, some of 
the pillars of new proposals of social organization based on collective, not the 
individual; based on solidarity, not competition; self-management, direct-action and 
independence, not dependence on the state and the private sector; by the people, and not 
imposed on the people.

SOLIDARITY

The issue of solidarity is always a very important factor, but not only in this 
occupation. Poor people, in general, is much more supportive than the handful of rich 
people who raise their strongholds in Mangabeiras, Belvedere or Nova Lima. This is 
evident: while the poor feel the pain and the need of others as if it were his (because 
most of the time is yours), and thus seeks to help as you can, with just a little more 
than necessary to survive, while the rich, his wealth and his greed, is guided by the 
opposite side and tends to be more closed, ambitious, selfish, putting into question the 
models of society proposed and encouraged by capitalism. There may even be philanthropy, 
but she is far from being compared with the solidarity of oppressed people toward himself. 
If there is no class consciousness among our constituted, which prevents more strides in 
the fight against exploitation and domination, there is still a solidarity that is often 
beautiful to behold and is to be rescued, claimed and strengthened to the advancement of 
this class consciousness.

So, just that some companion with their several children come in and ask for some support 
assembly, residents readily disrupt the agenda that may be discussing and seeking support 
her as best as possible. Being a partner with your children, or any resident who lost her 
home for some reason (fire, rain etc.) or anyone else who needs help, the assembly does 
not hesitate to embrace it, and practicing saying here and there in loud and clear, words 
like "solidarity" and "community."

And solidarity is not limited to the territorial aspect of the occupation, the internal 
relationships of families. By having an awareness of struggle, family solidarity turn to 
other popular struggles of the city, which were for housing or not. The expressions of 
solidarity with Occupations Isidoro exemplify this very well: currently three urban 
occupations in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte suffer a real threat of being 
evicted. They are formed by 8000 families and are located in the forest of Isidoro, north 
of the capital, known as "Granja Werneck" region. On the day there was the imminent 
eviction, in which there was a certainty that would be held the police operation, 
occupancy rose at 5am and did an act in Piazza San Vincente, a cross with a huge traffic 
flow, evidenced the danger of massacre that announcing and demonstrating, through-direct 
action and militancy, solidarity to all occupations. There was no eviction action by 
prosecutors and by mobilizing support occupations Isidoro, and the Occupation 
Guarani-Kaiow? had a prominent role in this scenario.

Another example of solidarity with other struggles and underneath was the reception of the 
Indians of the Guarani-Kaiow? occupation. The activity has put the city and fight the 
fight of the field together in a circle of debate that featured a broad participation of 
the residents of the occupation, which torcaram experiences of struggle and resistance 
with indigenous fellows who historically have been harassed and attacked in the region 
Mato Grosso do Sul. Contact was constructive to the occupation, which has once again 
demonstrated their solidarity with the cause ind?gina, reaffirming the choice of origin of 
its name.

DIRECT-ACTION, THE POLITICAL PROGRESS AND THE QUESTION OF WOMEN

Added to such expressions of solidarity and mutual support-a regular direct-action 
advocacy and combativeness as tools for the fight. Recognition of the importance of the 
demonstrations, vigils, direct confrontation, the rallying cheer and the combatant 
positioning are fruits of this struggle. Know that your house will be guaranteed with the 
political struggle, facing the executive, judiciary and the capital is a step towards 
understanding social problems more broadly, getting the ability to perceive the common 
problem, the root of inequality and oppression, What is capitalism and its power 
structures. In this sense, appears a real possibility to sharpen the criticism and 
understand the importance of unity of popular struggles, since between urban occupations 
through among other social movements, because they are struggles arising from the 
contradictions of capitalism and its domains. Residents therefore come to realize the need 
to organize to fight beyond the struggle for housing, but for larger changes in society 
from the grassroots organization.

In this context, there is also a personal breakthrough of some residents that engage in 
both spaces of organization and mobilization of the community become more engaged with a 
higher capacity for social criticism and a less blurry and shortsighted political vision. 
Stands out at this point, the amount of women who get up and have as such. Strong by the 
reality that lies, because they need to work harder, resist more, because of the machismo 
that sometimes physically violent to them, let alone with so many children to raise them 
now, they are what are most people who build the occupation since the beginning, raise the 
barracks and take firmer and forceful occupation by attitudes. Even with the machismo, 
that too affects poor black women, has built up and some become these community leaders. 
In the case of this female community leadership, there is still one more positive outlook 
with regard to the example of strength and willingness to other women, both in the housing 
struggle, as in the fight against sexism.

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS

These are some elements raised by the political practice of the occupation Guarani-Kaiow? 
with links to principles of FTA, which also shares the COMPA. Some of them have a close 
bond with the families of those everyday, while others, the FTA seeks to forge the 
day-to-day of his fight with the occupation. Attention, dialogue, debates, proposals, 
activities, ethical (and listening quietar the ego, be a companion and not pretentious, 
vain), are crucial points for the continuous and necessary absorption of the reality of 
occupation and for example, fostering and encouragement of what we propose to share with 
the community.

Guided by such libertarian ethic that guides us through the base, in the autonomous, 
supportive and anti-capitalist route, follow companion / the afflictions, conflicts, 
confrontations, victories and proposals alongside the occupation, not stealing us of being 
anarchists, revolutionary / the but without abandoning our principles so expensive 
paddling against the rigging of the ideological and social movement. Building People's 
Power is given by the base, the organized and independent popular struggle: thus 
understand the strategy of Creating a Strong People to walk conscious towards social 
transformation, against capital and the cultures of oppression imposed by capitalism in 
the day to -day.
Posted by COMPA