We present the following declaration of support and solidarity with the Brazilian society and solidarity economy, which live crucial moments in defense of democracy and transformations achieved by the social movement in recent years. We ask organizations of the social solidarity economy on all continents to support this Declaration and to disseminate information about the alarming situation in Brazil with their media and social movements, with the aim of breaking the hegemonic discourse imposed and state clearly that it is a blow against democracy.
In Twitter posts, please add #EconomiaSolidariaPelaDemocracia
Declaration of the Social Solidarity Economy Movement in Defense of Democracy in Brazil
Breaking democratic institutions or taking illegal and unconstitutional paths in Brazil, a great country that has lived under a military dictatorship and wishes to overcome these years, is unacceptable. This break in the democratic process would also destroy immense achievements of the Brazilian society and important social, economic and political advances conquered in the last fifteen years, particularly those achieved by the social solidarity economy.
Numerous Brazilians are linked to the solidarity economy. According to a survey carried out with more than 15,000 solidarity enterprises, nearly three million Brazilian families have built solutions and collective benefits that have improved their quality of life and their communities in recent years, through various forms of solidarity economy enterprises and cooperatives. These achievements were made possible by public programs and policies promoted by the federal government and many state and local authorities, and the commitment of solidarity economy organizations and networks.
Promoting and encouraging production, marketing, consumption and financial services and others by the solidarity economy was possible thanks to the implementation of several national programs (aimed at strengthening family farming, school feeding, employment generation and productive microcredit, fair trade, among others) and the creation of public bodies such as the National Secretariat for Solidarity Economy-SENAE and many local bodies that position the Solidarity Economy in Brazil as a state policy.
The events that aim to undermine the democratic rule of law in Brazil are not only part of an attempt against the legitimacy of the national government democratically elected, but they also seek to impose a model that would undermine the advances and transformations conquered by the civil society. The necessary fight against corruption, not only in Brazil, should contribute to improving the institutions, not deteriorating them, and much less to destroying the democratic normalcy.
The international movement of the Social Solidarity Economy unites its voice with the voices rejecting calls to take authoritarian measures in Brazil and invites in solidarity the Brazilian society, with respect for its Constitution and laws, to deepen a development model based on sustainability and solidarity, and to pursue decisively its efforts to overcome social exclusion and deepen social justice and living well for everyone.
-> Sign the Declaration online (before Wednesday, April 13th)
