Friends of MAB in the United States prepare to participate in the National Encounter

Since the end of the last year, when members of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) visited the United States, individuals and ally organizations created a solidarity network to discuss issues related to energy and ways to support the struggle of people affected by dams in Brazil.

This year, two meetings of the US Solidarity Committee with MAB were organized and the group is organizing a U.S. delegation to MAB’s National Encounter that will be held this June, in São Paulo city. “One of the goals of the visit of MAB to the United States last year was to invite key allies to the National Encounter and several people have responded that they are interested in participating. Through a delegation to the National Encounter in June, we hope to continue building a strong alliance between MAB and US organizations. Back home, we are committed to amplify the voices of people affected by dams in our communities in the U.S.” said Saulo Araújo, from Grassroots International and coordinator of the US Solidarity Committee with MAB.

Several meetings and encounters were organized in the cities of Boston, New York and Washington (DC), during the visit of two members of MAB to the United States in November. “We saw that our critique of energy policies in Brazil resonated with many people in the United States. The case of Belo Monte and the new dam projects in Tapajós attracted the interest of students and organizations in general. And that is very important to us”, affirmed Josivaldo Alves de Oliveira, member of MAB that represented the movement in the November trip to United States.

In addition to the delegation from the United States, MAB will receive friends and allies from Europe, Africa and Latin America.

For more information about the US Solidarity Committee with MAB and the US delegation, please send an email to [email protected]. You can learn more about the US Solidarity Committee with MAB on Facebook.