2023 is a special year for CESE: the moment the organization will celebrate its 50-year history has arrived! There have been so many partnerships, so much dialogue and networking, projects supported, families benefiting. The CESE team came together on 26 and 27 January to discuss its annual plan, in the face of new possibilities and the many challenges that presented themselves at the beginning of this year.
A lot of activities have already been planned for CESE’s 50th year, including exhibitions, campaigns, grant-funding, training, seminars, courses, meetings involving leaders from different regions around Brazil, ecumenical and inter-religious action. The administration and finance sector, and the projects sector also gave an overview of what is expected over the year.
But the struggle continues, now more than ever, alongside indigenous peoples, quilombolas, extractivists and other traditional communities, rural and urban young people, women, black women, LGBTQIA+ populations, continuing our work prioritizing the North, Northeast and Central-West regions, the Cerrado, the Amazon and the Pantanal. Some new areas will be presented here.
This year, CESE will have a new website, with a new brand and new fields of work, including inclusion. CESE’s brand manual will be made available for supported groups to use in the publicity material for their projects. This will include guidance on how to use it and what to avoid.
Meetings will also be scheduled for intense analyses of the political situation, with a focus on the change of Federal Government and the new prospects moving forwards, the situation of the Yanomami peoples, the reconstruction of important bodies for the struggle for rights, as well as nation councils and similar. We will publish new series on our networks, new initiatives will be discussed with the groups, there will be new challenges and a great desire to fight.
Sônia Mota, CESE’s Executive Director, talked about the changing winds we are experiencing, with the departure of the former head of state. “These are hopeful times. The departure of the ex-president is a victory, achieved through great struggle. But we cannot let our guard down. We must continue to be aware of the challenges which will certainly come, and hold the new government to account in its commitment to Human Rights.”