The German newspaper ‘Frankfurter Neue Presse’ published a longer article about the visit of human and water rights activist Leninha and her team from Minas Gerais, Brasil, in Büdingen (see previous Blue News here). We translated the article for the Blue News:
Two Brazilian women visited Büdingen on Thursday and Friday to discuss water issues. As Blue Communities, the town and Wolfgang Ernst Grammar School could soon enter into partnerships in Brazil. The two women also reported on the reality of water supply in their home country.
Canadian water activist and co-initiator of the Blue Community movement, Maude Barlow, warns that global water crises and shortages could occur in the future. In Germany, this has had little impact so far – the water coming out of the tap is clean and the supply is in public hands. But this is not the case everywhere. And this is where Blue Community comes in: in addition to promoting responsible use of the resource and the use of tap water instead of bottled water, the water initiative is also committed to greater justice.
The Blue Communities in Europe have therefore adopted a fourth principle, according to which partnerships with institutions and communities in the Global South should be established in order to achieve these goals together. This is not so easy to implement, but it could soon be the case in Büdingen. On Thursday and Friday, two Brazilian women were guests: Marilene Alves de Souza, known as Leninha, Vice-President of the State Parliament in the state of Minas Gerais, and Maria Helena de Souza Ide, known as Barbara, President of the Tourism Council in the city of Canavieiras in the state of Bahia, as well as her husband Hans-Ullrich Ide, who has long been involved in development aid and lives in Brazil. The visit to the Wolfgang Ernst Gymnasium (WEG) marked a first meeting, attended by members of the Blue Community working group, teachers and students from the WEG, teachers from the Janusz Korczak School in Altenstadt, and representatives from the city and the political sphere.
This sparked a lively discussion about the water situation, its challenges and prospects. Ultimately, the conversation shifted towards potential joint projects and partnerships.
In the fight against privatisation
Leninha is a biologist who was committed to sustainability even before entering politics. Currently the first woman to hold the office of Vice-President of the State Parliament, she was delighted to have a colleague from her own party, Lisa Gnadl (SPD), present. ‘There are few women in politics in Brazil,’ said Leninha, before reporting on the situation in her home country. She is currently focusing on fighting the privatisation of water supplies, which already exists in other states. According to the constitution of Minas Gerais, this requires a referendum, but there are forces within the state parliament that wish to abolish this rule.
Teacher Regina Haro asked about the proponents’ arguments, to which Leninha responded by explaining that the state is heavily in debt.
However, 60 per cent of the population already has no access to running water. In recent years, two dams have burst, killing people and contaminating the water supply. Mining and agribusiness consume large amounts of water and pollute it. Jochen Heyermann, the municipal utilities’ operations manager, asked whether the tap water was drinkable. The Brazilian replied promptly: “No!”
Leninha also reported that MPs like her have their own budget, which they use for pilot projects on sustainable water use and technologies for adapting to climate change. To improve the situation and prevent privatisation, she is focusing on mobilising the population. Her goal is for communities in her state to become Blue Communities.
Barbara introduced us to Canavieiras, a town of 32,000 inhabitants located on the Atlantic coast and the Rio Pardo river. It boasts beautiful beaches, a protected mangrove forest and a long-standing tradition of fishing. The town also borders the state of Minas Gerais, where the Rio Pardo originates. Barbara has already identified projects to improve the river’s water quality. Barbara explained that Canavieiras has great tourism potential, and added that she would like to promote sustainable tourism alongside nature conservation.
This could also create jobs for young people in the city. However, she faces challenges in her work on the tourism council. “We want to engage with people, foster a shared identity, and raise awareness of the importance of protecting our resources,” she said. Blue Community also plays a role in this.
Picture: Leninha (6th from left) and Barbara (5th from right) visit Büdingen and talk to teachers from Wolfgang Ernst Grammar School, members of the Blue Community working group and politicians. They report on the challenges they face in their home towns in Brazil when it comes to water and sustainability. © Paulina Gertrud Schick
