Palmeiras: Their Environment, Culture, and Society.

8/17

I have not been writing as much as I should. But I cannot help it, I have been too busy absorbing Brasil. Therefore this post is inevitably long. Coming to this town, Palmeiras, is one of the best decisions I could have made. I am learning a lot about life through a different set of eyes, exactly what I wanted. First I will talk about the environment and will then move onto society and culture:

So my main task here is to sort and recycle the materials collected from the town. It is very interesting since everything is done by hand. They only have one machine that compresses paper and soft plastics. Everything else is manually pressed by the contraption you can see in the picture below. It is a metal pole cemented in an oil barrel. This is not easy work. But the people here are determined to make their town a cleaner, healthier place to live in. After the material is pressed it is sold to businesses or to individuals to reuse. Much of the glass is simply separated, washed and resold, they do not have the resources here to melt and form new products from the material. Again, they receive no funds from the state, or federal government. The only sources of income are: a store which sell clothes, some jewelry and tourist stuff, the recycled goods they sell, plants and seeds sold to farmers, and donations. Its not much and they need to provide salaries for about 10-15 people. Its very hard and it is not much income for the workers. But the workers are lovely people and adore what they do and do it with a smile! I have yet to assist with reforestation but I think we will do that this week or the following.

Some days I work, others I adventure. Earlier in the week I had a chance to swim in a beautiful waterfall overlooking a mountain range. I also went on a trail called volta da serra, ate fruit from the trees and watched a farmer dig up mandioca, and replant its stems for new roots to grow back in 8 months time. I climbed a plateau called Pai Inacio and found my god among the hills, valleys and endless vistas…

This NGO, GAP, has an amazing presence in Palmeiras. Everyone knows it and respects it. It is just one of the many factors that helps build the strong sense of Social Capital in the town. Social Capital is very important: it is the base on which cohesive, productive, socially active, communities are built. Robert Putnam, one of the most influential and essential modern theorists of social capital, breaks his theory down into four basic principles: Civil Engagement, Political Equality, Strong Associational Lives, and Trust. All of which exist and thrive here in Palmeiras (Don’t worry I will not delve too deep into these). The people have a loyalty to their city and to the people that live within it. Viviane, my house mother, told me: when someone is sick there is always a group of people checking up on them. They take care of each other and watch each other's backs. Which is one reason why crime in Palmeiras is virtually non-existant.

Sharing is such a basic principle in Palmeiras, some Americans would find it offensive. Friends will walk into each other’s houses without knocking, sit down and help themselves to a meal, or just sit down and “fala”(talk). Brasileiros would rather be socializing than watching tv or scrolling through useless facebook posts. Therefore, there are strong social connections which raise morale and build trust between neighbors.

My favorite part? The streets! They are the complete opposite of American roads. They serve a greater purpose than simple transportation. The “ruas” are where the people are and where the socializing takes place. Right now I am sitting on the door step and not one person, not one, passes by without saying “boa tarde” or “Tudo bom?” And people are constantly walking or biking around, stopping at neighbors’ houses saying hello, with little care for time. They will get to their destination eventually, but they don’t think its rude not to say hello, they sincerely want to socialize. Its beautiful and its imbedded in their culture. On the weekends, everyone is out talking, eating, and drinking, in the streets.

In contrast, American streets are ugly and have one purpose: cars. They do not serve the people except to get from point A to point B. Once in a car, there are no intentions to stop and talk to a neighbor or someone they pass on the street. The car allows Americans to escape from their surrounding environment, to escape society. Because many Americans, in a sad reality, would rather be alone. Phoenix sings about this in their new song, Entertainment:

“Entertainment

Show them what you do with me

When everyone here knows better

What I once refused to be

Is everything they long together

I’d rather be alone”

Our high-tech lives gives us entertainment but leave us ultimately unsatisfied. Why? Because we are trapped, almost chained by our technology in way that is unhealthy. We no longer see the possibilities of the outside world because all we see is the virtual world presented on our various touch screens. We are starting to forget what the world really holds for us. It is not too late to remember though.

Palmeiras, sure has its problems, suffering public education, poor sewage systems, shortage of government funds, etc… But what Pameiras lacks in finances and resources, it refreshingly makes up for with its superior human presence and rich social capital.