Between 16 and 18 May, CESE hosted the Mato Grosso Tapiri in Cuiabá. The gathering was attended by traditional communities such as quilombolas, riverside dwellers, indigenous peoples, followers of African-origin worship houses, fishermen/women, youth representatives, members of the LGBTQIAPN+ movement, people from the Pantanal region, herbalists, healers, and Romanis.
Tapiri, a CESE initiative supported by the Ford Foundation, aims to investigate how religious fundamentalism and racism impact on the lives of traditional peoples and communities in the states of the Brazilian Amazon. Similar activities have already taken place in Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia.
In a state historically dominated by agribusiness, political and religious fundamentalism has converged to form an ultraconservative movement that seriously violates the rights of traditional peoples and communities. Accounts shared during the panels and discussions underscored the power dynamics and violence that result from this convergence.