Open Letter to President Jair Messias Bolsonaro
To Mr. President Jair M. Bolsonaro,
It is a harmful practice to ascribe to others the responsibility for events for which you are actually responsible. The undersigned organizations are deeply concerned with the fallacious and very serious statement made by you on the 21th of August, implying without any evidence that non-governmental organizations could be responsible for the ongoing burning in the Amazon as way of denouncing your government internationally.
As the President of Brazil, your responsibilities include the conservation of an ecologically balanced environment, according to our Constitution.
This specific accusation is already an unacceptable outrage in itself - but what makes the situation even worse is that this is not an isolated case. You have frequently highlighted your will to eradicate all activism activity in Brazil, as well as declared, without any evidence, that NGOs in Brazil have illegitimate practices.
It is outrageous to see that institutions which dedicate themselves fully and selflessly to social causes are attacked and unfairly accused of being responsible for the harms that they actually work hard to exterminate. Unfortunately, doing this brave job in Brazil often brings a risk to the lives of those who work for a more just and humane country that respects its environment and its freedom.
NGOs should be considered government allies in many key agendas for building a prosperous, dignified and developed society. We therefore reinforce that if there is genuine aspiration and concrete action to defend the public interest and to tackle illegal practices, the government must respect, value and seek to collaborate with organized civil society. We are able and willing to join efforts to work for Brazil.
- 342 Amazônia
- 342 Artes
- Advocacy Hub
- Agenda Pública
- Atados
- Bancada Ativista
- BrCidades
- Casa Fluminense
- CEDAPS
- CENPEC
- Cidade Escola Aprendiz
- Delibera Brasil
- Engajamundo
- Frente Favela Brasil
- Fundação Tide Setubal
- Gestos-Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero
- Gregaria (Argentina)
- Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil
- Hivos - Organização Humanista para Mudança Social
- Imargem
- Instituto Alana
- Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor - Idec
- Instituto Cidade Democrática
- Instituto Construção
- Instituto de Defesa do Direito de Defesa - IDDD
- Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Baiano
- Instituto de Governo Aberto
- Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social
- Instituto Luísa Mell de Proteção aos Animais e Meio Ambiente
- Instituto Physis - Cultura & Ambiente
- Instituto Socioambiental - ISA
- Instituto Update
- Instituto Vladimir Herzog
- Mapa Educação
- Move Social
- Movimento Acredito
- Movimento Boa Praça
- O Instituto
- Open Knowledge Brasil
- Oxfam Brasil
- Pacto Organizações Regenerativas
- Política Viva
- ponteAponte
- Programa Cidades Sustentáveis
- Rede Conhecimento Social
- Rede Justiça Criminal
- Rubens Naves Santos Jr Advogados
- SOS Mata Atlântica
- Szazi Bechara Storto Rosa Figueiredo Lopes Advogados
- TETO Brasil
- Transparência Brasil
- Uneafro
- Urbanismo Vivo (Argentina)
- Vote Nelas
Pacto Pela Democracia is a civil society platform that coordinates the efforts of more than 120 NGOs and political actors from across the ideological spectrum, to strengthen the capacity of civil society to defend democratic processes and institutions, promote dialogue, tolerance, and the value of a democratic political culture in Brazil. You can reach us via email: contato@pactopelademocracia.org.br