textfiles/politics/SPUNK/sp000948.txt

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anarchist activity in Brazil
FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL SECTION 84B, WHITECHAPEL HIGH ST.
LONDON E1
Antimilitarists from eight countries in Latin America came
together for the Latin American Conference of Conscientious
Objectors from the 8th to 14th May in Paraguay. Brazil was
represented by SERPAJ. The meeting allowed participants to
exchange information and share experiences of the realities
in each country. It also allowed for the planning of joint
activities and concrete actions relating to the two major
themes of antimilitarism and conscientious objection. During
the five days various themes related to that of
conscientious objection were also discussed including
freedom, civil disobedience, social justice and solidarity.
Since June 94 the Brazilian Anarchist Movement has organised
a national campaign for the liberation and against the
execution of the anarchist Katsuhisa Omori who has been
condemned to death by the Japanese state. Omori has been in
jail for 18 years now for a crime he did not commit. During
the first week of August letters, telegrams and a petition
with more than 4,000 signatures calling for Omori's
liberation were sent to the Japanese embassy in Brazil. In
addition some cities saw public demonstrations against
Japanese state terrorism.
As the Brazilian elections came up various parts of the
country saw activities against politicians and the elections
in general. In Campinas (central Sao Paulo) some anarchists
burnt their ballot forms on the public square protesting
against the electoral farce and the system of compulsory
voting.
From the 8th to the 17th July the Festival of Art and
Culture without Frontiers and Libertarian Education was held
in Florianopolis. Lectures, exhibitions, performances, films
and a workshop on computer networking were some of the
attractions at this important event which brought together
comrades from Portugal, Spain and Brazil. In addition to
this the second southern conference of anarchist groups and
individuals was held. The comrades who attended this
conference decided to come together for propaganda purposes
relating to common struggles and with the future objective
of forming an anarchist federation.
To mark the 49th anniversary of the American bombing of
Hiroshima anarchist groups in Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Londrina
and Salvador came out onto the streets to protest against
military expenditure, war and the militarization of society.
The historian, film director and anarchist Valencio Xavier
recently produced his latest short film: Pao Negro - Um
Episodio da Colonia Cecilia. It was 40 minutes of emotion,
passion and anarchy. The film deals with the testimony of
descendants of the colony and the story of Rossi and two
colonies that were bought as pieces of land in Palmeira. A
book will soon also be published about Valencio and the
history of this anarchist experiment in Brazil.
The University of Ceara saw anacho-punks from the north and
north-east come together for a conference (15th/17th July)
The meeting brought together individuals and groups from
five separate states to discuss various themes.
The anarcha-feminist group in Sao Paulo (CAF) organised an
anti homophobia event in Espaco Vadiagem on 30th July. 10
anarcho-punk groups performed to young audiences. The event
was marred by the infiltration of Nazi Skinheads who were
exposed and removed by some young libertarians. Since that
time some members of CAF have been the target of
intimidation by these troublemakers.
At the university of Campinas - UNICAMP organised from 24th
to 26th August a seminar: 20 years of the Archives of Edgar
Leuenroth - one of the best libertarian archives in Latin
America. Workshops were organised on the history of the
left, the workers movement, industrialisation, human rights,
culture and politics. There was also an international
workshop discussing archives and social history. This was
accompanied by a photographic exhibition. The conference
closed with a talk by Professor Rudolf de Jong of the
International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam with
the title: The Spanish Civil War and the Anarchist
Revolution. Professor Martha Ackelsberg also gave a talk on
the women's liberation movement and the anarchist movement
in Spain.