Terrazul Alternative Civil Society Association

The organization’s mission is to contribute to building a critical and environmental awareness in society through popular education programs, projects, actions and seeking to influence public policy.

The NGO, founded in 1999, has its office in Fortaleza, Ceará. It develops activities related to sustainable consumption, Consumer Law and Agroecology, and participates in the National Network of Youth and Environment, the Brazilian Forum of Organizations and Social Movements for Environment and Development and the National Youth Council. Terrazul also develops actions with international networks regarding projects, programs, campaigns and mobilizations aimed at sustainable development.

The initiatives are focused on vulnerable populations, particularly youth and women.

Project

Supported by Brazil Fund, Terrazul’s project was designed to train socio-environmental citizenship agents to work in Serviluz and Parque Santa Rosa, on the outskirts of Fortaleza. The communities were chosen because of the occurrence of problems regarding environmental rights’ violations.

About 25 thousand residents could be affected by the construction of a shipyard in Serviluz. In Parque Santa Rosa the big problem is lack of sanitation. A group of garbage scavengers strongly resist turning trash into income generation, and there are no public policies to support the initiative.

By training agents on issues such as Environmental Law, Consumer Law, Human Rights and Educommunication, the idea is to disseminate information within communities and produce a “biomap” in order to identify problems of environmental injustice in the community.

Using strategies of popular communication, the organization intends to mobilize residents to engage in the fight against environmental rights’ violations.
Terrazul will carry out its activities with the support of the NGO Serviluz Without Borders, the Forum of Fortaleza’s Agenda 21, the National Network of Youth and Environment, the Cooperative of Garbage Scavengers of Santa Rosa’s Park, and the Municipal and National Youth Councils.