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