Organizations for Black Empowerment Defend the Importance of International Articulation
WBO Press release
November 13 2023
Working Group on Racial Justice brings together 14 civil society entities in the fight against racism
In a series of videos, industry leaders talk about the importance of coordination within and outside Brazil, driven by the WBO
Leaders of Brazilian Black empowerment organizations gave video testimonies this Thursday, November 2, 2023, about the importance of international articulation in the sector. In a series of short statements, they spoke of the contribution made by the Washington Brazil Office (WBO) in formulating the Working Group on Racial Justice, created in December 2022 and that today made up of 14 organizations.
• Center for the Study of Labor Relations and Inequalities (CEERT)
• National Coordination of Quilombos Coordination (CONAQ)
• Collective of Black Entities (CEN)
• Agbara Fund
• Geledés - Black Women's Institute
• Peregum Black Reference Institute
• Maria and João Aleixo Institute (IMJA)
• Marielle Franco Institute
• Steve Biko Cultural Institute (ICSB)
• Data and narrative laboratory about favelas (LabJaca)
• NZinga Black Women's Collective
• Observatory of Whiteness
• ODARA – Black Women’s Institute
• UNEAFRO Brazil
“It is very important for us to have the support and recognition of the organizations for black empowerment with which we are working in a very close and coordinated way. All our efforts are focused on giving voice to these Brazilian civil society organizations that are today on the front line of combating racism in its different forms”, said Paulo Abrão, executive director of the WBO.
In eleven months of joint action, the Working Group on Racial Justice managed to promote a series of initiatives linked to the relationship between the governments of Brazil and the United States, multilateral organizations, and academics. Among these actions, the central role of the advocacy carried out by the Group for the reactivation of JAPER – the acronym in English of the Joint Brazil-United States Action Plan for the Elimination of Ethnic-Racial Discrimination and the Reduction of Inequality – stands out. This resulted in the US and Brazilian governments resuming the plan and promising to give more space and greater importance to civil society organizations in the design and implementation of their joint policies for the sector.
See below the video testimony of six industry leaders.
