‘Omolàiyé’ Society for Ethnic, Political, Social and Cultural Studies

“Omolàiyé” Society has the mission of contributing to the empowerment of traditional communities of African matrices in the state of Sergipe, through the conduct of studies and research on afro-descendant traditions and culture, as well as assisting and conducting educational and political actions regarding the defense of human rights, the fight against racism and religious intolerance, the strengthening of the identity and self-esteem of afro-descendant communities and the promotion of their self-sustainability.

The organization conducts and coordinates activities of racial equality promotion and combating racism and religious intolerance, in the fields of religion, education, health, culture, youth and other segments of society.

The institution is also responsible for carrying out the Enjune/SE (Afro-Descendant Youth Meeting) and the Forjune/SE (Afro-Descendant Youth Forum). Currently, it coordinates the Conen – National Coordination of Afro-Descendant Entities in the State and the Permanent Forum on Education and Ethnic and Racial Diversity of the State of Sergipe, as well as being part of other political spaces.

Project

The project aims to provide those who have been initiated in the several terreiro communities of Aracaju, Grande Aracaju and Vale do Cotinguiba with the ownership of content and information that will facilitate the affirmative construction of their cultural and religious identity, as well as to serve as tools for addressing religious intolerance and fighting for public policies regarding the protection of human rights and the promotion of racial equality.

From this perspective the project includes the conduct of a cycle of debates and trainings in areas of higher incidence of these communities, exchanging the work of professionals in the fields of education, history, anthropology, health and law, and ending the whole process of information and education with a seminar and a booklet containing the most recurrent and pertinent issues and relevant as final tools of visibility, support and strengthening of these communities.

Context

According to the group, there is a claim presented by the terreiro communities (1) in Aracaju and the region regarding the need for expansion of the strategies of actions that ensure information and basic education, in the sense of equipping these communities, leading to a decrease in the distance that exists between them and all the discussions that are taking place in the formulation and implementation of public policies for this segment.

Apart from the prejudice and discrimination that still victimize these traditional communities of African matrices, the process of depoliticization, disarticulation and isolation to which the terreiros have been subjected for a long time have weakened the struggle against religious intolerance and racism, daily experienced by those communities.

(1) Terreiro communities are those of particular afro-Brazilian culture and religion. The word “terreiro” means the physical space or the ground in which their cultural and religious rituals are practiced.