Empowerment through participation: assessing the voices of leaders from recycling cooperatives in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

This paper describes the findings of a project assessment on empowerment and leadership development of recyclers (catadores), recorded after the third year of the Participatory Sustainable Waste Management project (PSWM), a University Partnership initiative implemented in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. In March 2008, video-taped, structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with leaders from recycling cooperatives and associations in the region, who had participated in the project's capacity-building activities, initiated in 2005. Throughout in-depth interviews, individuals were also asked to produce a timeline diagram highlighting the events that have contributed or hindered their personal development and empowerment within the context of inclusive waste management (coleta seletiva solidária). The interviews revealed the significance of: (i) the organization and mobilization of the recyclers movement (Movimento dos Catadores de Materiais Reciclaveis), (ii) specific events that have empowered or disempowered the recyclers, and (iii) inclusive public policies in waste management as well as community outreach strategies to overcome stigma and marginalization. The personal histories focused on the successions of events and processes supported by the PSWM project until March 2008, which include the development of a collective commercialization network, a pilot experience with a micro-credit scheme for working capital of the coops, participation in meetings,

From Distant Neighbours to Bedmates: Exploring the Synergies Between the Social Economy and Sustainable Development

“…). In the practice of social enterprises, democracy and participation are implemented to empower stakeholders that are not traditionally given a voice in the shaping of organizations and supply chains (Tremblay and Gutberlet ). Empowering stakeholders is a major avenue towards social justice and social change (Phills et al.…”

Participación social en la gestión ambiental: estudio de caso en una unidad de conservación urbana en el municipio de São Paulo, Brasil

“…Los conflictos sociales y la falta de acceso a los servicios básicos generan exclusión social (Gutberlet y Hunter, 2008;Tremblay y Gutberlet, 2010), la cual es percibida como sentimiento de insatisfacción en los habitantes, como quedó registrado de viva voz en uno de los entrevistados: "Es negligencia de la prefectura, nos sentimos abandonados". Esos dos problemas también fueron identificados por Thomaziello y Santos (2007).…”

“…Creemos que se refuerza el concepto de gestión participativa propuesto por Carlsson y Berkes (2003,2005), toda vez que se contribuyó a promover la capacidad de crítica, se impulsó el aprendizaje social del grupo, se logró la ejecución de acciones colectivas y se amplió el grado de responsabilidad y participación de los involucrados en la gestión pública local. El modelo de gestión se apoyó en la reflexión sobre los conflictos existentes en el área, hecho que según Tremblay y Gutberlet (2010) rara vez lo contemplan los actores sociales, y significa un paso importante para la capacitación social y promover la mejora social, según Acselrad, Varvalho y Scotto (1995, Tremblay y Gutberlet (2010).…”

‘It can be dangerous for the uterus’: hegemonic masculinity and cooperative recycling in São Paulo, Brazil

“…Ahmed and Ali 2004;Wilson 1998;Nas and Rivke 2004;Fahmi 2005;Gutberlet 2006Gutberlet , 2008Gutberlet , 2009Gutberlet , 2010Moreno-Sanchez and Moldanado 2006;Medina 2007;Gutberlet and Hunter 2008;Tremblay and Gutberlet 2010;Yates andGutberlet 2011a, 2011b;Gutberlet and Hunter 2012). And although the informal waste management sector over the past decades has become both an important component of the country's urban environmental waste management strategy and a significant source of employment for marginalized individuals, academic researchers have only recently begun to turn their attention to the industry's labor structures, health concerns, and social practices (see e.g.…”