The Fascist Wave and Environmental Destruction in Brazil: Challenges for Environmental Education

• In Event: Environmental Education and the Eco-Fascism Problem

Abstract

The research analyzes how the rise of neoliberal-ultra-conservatism in Brazil strengthens anti-environmentalist practices and accelerates the speed of environmental destruction. In addition, the authors debate the importance of strengthening a conception of environmental education that is politically committed to the fight for land, water, and territory.

The authors argue that, in Brazil, the environmentalist struggles have been consolidated as a necessity for the survival of indigenous peoples, maroon and traditional communities who have their ways of life threatened (Costa et al, 2021). Thus, the environmentalism directly opposes the economic development model based on the exploitation of land and environmental resources to export ore, wood, and agricultural commodities (Accioly and Sanchez, 2013; Accioly, 2013).

In previous works, we have pointed out that from the left and right, discourses accuse environmental defenders of harming economic growth and social development and acting against the national interest (Accioly and Sanchez, 2012; 2013).

When they were in charge of the federal government, left-oriented parties contributed to strengthening the anti-environmentalist ideology in favor of the interests of agribusiness and mining companies. At the same time, they developed environmental education policies that expressed these contradictions (Stahelin et al, 2015).

Ideas such as that international NGOs serving imperialist interests fund environmental movements in Brazil or that environmentalism is an urban middle-class movement disconnected from the needs of the people have been widespread and gained traction over the last decade. In rural areas, the rate of violence and murder of indigenous leaders and environmental defenders has increased.

In 2018, the far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro was elected president, promising to reduce environmental preservation areas and indigenous territories and criminalize movements fighting for land. One of his first acts was to try to end the Ministry of the Environment. Due to the adverse reactions, Bolsonaro gave up, appointed an ally of the agribusiness sector as a minister, and appointed military officials to the direction of environmental agencies to prevent environmental inspection.

Like Trump in the United States, Bolsonaro propagates climate change denialism and conspiracy theories that consolidate anti-scientific attitudes. In his public pronouncements, Bolsonaro ignites hate speech and endorses the invasion of indigenous lands and forest destruction.

Jurists recognize Bolsonaro's policies against indigenous peoples as genocidal practices, and hundreds of complaints have been filed against him in international human rights courts.
Despite the numerous signs of human rights violations, non-compliance with environmental protection legislation, and irregularities in Bolsonaro's administration, the national congress leaders refuse to put forward an impeachment process, which denotes the connivance of parliamentarians with the fascist political project.

More than ever, being an environmental defender in Brazil is facing the risk of being killed. In the face of the fascist wave, community-based environmental education (Sanchez et al, 2020) has a critical political role in defending the community leaders threatened with death and the communities that resist in the fight for the right to exist. Therefore, the political moment demands from educators the ethical commitment to take a political stand and engage in defense of life.

Authors

• Inny Accioly, Universidade Federal Fluminense
  Presenting Author

• Celso Sanchez, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
  Presenting Author