September was a month full of meetings, exchanges, and discussions for a more just and sustainable world. The good news began on September 7, when LACLIMA (Latin American Lawyers Climate Initiative for Mobilizing Action) was officially launched. This is a network of lawyers who work with legislation related to climate change in Latin America.
The first meeting of the network took place in São Paulo, and was attended by several partners, such as Ana Maria Nusdeo (USP), Alice Vogas (Institute for Climate and Society), Fabio Feldmann (Fabio Feldmann e Consultores), Osvaldo Lucon (Brazilian Forum for Climate Change), and Mark Lutes (WWF). The meeting was an opportunity for members to get to know each other personally and to outline the operating strategies of the group. “From this point forward, we will have specific actions that can help in the climate change agenda in Brazil,” says Caroline Prolo, one of the founders of the network.
A few days before the launch of LACLIMA, experts from different areas of knowledge also met in São Paulo to discuss the issue. On September 3-4, the Ethos Conference organized approximately 60 debates with 117 speakers. Over one thousand people gathered at the Ibirapuera Park to listen to the discussions.
The economic solutions of Amazonian biodiversity, the dismantling of the environmental agencies, climate change, and the construction of a new and diverse corporate environment guided the debates, which also included the experiences and perspectives of indigenous peoples. “The forest is one of the fundamental elements to our existence. Indigenous young people are committed to following the struggle of our ancestors,” declared the youth leader, Hamangaí Pataxó.
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Before the month ended, in Rio de Janeiro, there was the 2nd Seminar of the Observatory of the Brazilian Legislature (OLB), which is a platform that monitors and evaluates the performance of parliamentarians in the National Congress. At the event, the team that developed the project showed the studies and services that had been performed by the OLB and presented the new tools that are now available on the website, such as the legislative monitor, the biographical record of the parliamentarians, and the estimators of the proceedings of legislative bills.
“The Observatory of the Legislature hopes to be a channel to stimulate Brazilian citizens to interact with the National Congress, expressing their opinions, comments, and preparing proposals that contribute so that the approved laws respond to the social demands and desires,” says the opening text of the OLB.
