Main proposals of MAB’s Eight National Encounter

Three thousand and five hundred people affected by dams from all Brazil and hundreds of leaderships of popular organizations, labor’s unions, left parties, activists from 23 countries and with the presence of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have gathered in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) during October 1^st until the 5^th of 2017, in defense of Sovereignty and celebrating the 100^st anniversary of the first socialist Revolution in the world.

Within our struggles, we have shared experiences, heartened with the courage of thousands of militants that fight everyday for a better world. We contributed for the unitarian march that gathered 15 thousand people and within the justness of our cause, we reaffirm that:

– MAB is an organization that encourages and practices humanitarian and socialist values, as to the love for the people and life, solidarity among the people of the world, pedagogy of example and the combat against all forms of exploitation, domination and prejudice.

– Our struggle is for the overcoming of present society and the construction of a society alternative to capitalism, with justice, fraternity and equality.

– For the society that we aim for it’s fundamental the building of a popular energy project, with sovereignty over our natural bases and territories, as well as regarding the public patrimony build by the work of our people.

– This project foresees wealth distribution with popular control to improve the life conditions of the Brazilian people.

– The fight of the people against the building of dams is legitimate in today’s society, in which energy is used for private capital accumulation.

– We will intensify the struggle for rights of the people affected by dams. For that, it’s necessary a national policy of rights and recovery and development plan for the regions.

– The struggle is in defense of water and energy to satisfy the needs of the people with adequate environmental sustainability.

– Only the determined work of the militants, the massive grassroots organization and the struggle of the Brazilian people can put pressure as the main form for social transformation.

– Historically, women, the black and indigenous people, the youth and the LGBTT are the most oppressed within this society. As revolutionaries we should not accept any type of injustice or discrimination. We belong to the same class and for this we are equal. We are all protagonists of the transformation process.

During this Encounter we have stated that, there is a conservative offensive, led by imperialism, that at this moment of crisis of capitalism wants to expand exploitation on the workers, expand the appropriation of natural bases (water, oil, minerals, land and biodiversity), privatize companies and to subordinate state structures in benefit of their interests. All these measures worsen the living conditions of the people.

In order to overcome the difficulties of this historical moment, MAB proposes to face the following challenges:

• Strengthen MAB throughout the country by building a higher quality organization than we currently have.

• Intensify the base work with the Brazilian people with special attention to urban work.

• Implement MAB’s strategy in all regions.

• Take measures to protect the militants and the organization of our people.

• Demand justice for the social-enviromental crime in Mariana at the Rio Doce Basin and Espirito Santo coast.

• Stimulate the environmental struggle and the defense of the Amazon.

• Participate actively in the struggle for National Sovereignty.

• Contribute to the construction of unity of democratic, progressive and popular forces in Brazil, with special dedication to Via Campesina, the Labor and Peasant Energy Platform and the Popular Brazil Front.

• To practice international solidarity, strengthening the Movement of Those Affected by Dams – MAR, the organization of people affected in all possible countries and the international articulation on water and energy issues.

• Only the fight will make us win.

  Water and Energy with Sovereignty Distribution of Wealth and Popular Control