Message from Alex Cardoso, MNCR (Brazil)
Greetings fellow waste pickers organized with AIKMM, it would be a great pleasure to be able to participate one more time with you and to debate the big issues and problems together to create solutions, and to contribute with solidarity to the valorization and development of waste pickers in India. Unfortunately I won’t be able to be present, as the situation in Brazil is also not easy. In Brazil, we are facing national problems like incineration of waste, privatization of waste, 30 year contracts for private companies by way of public-private partnerships (PPPs), huge companies and intermediaries disputing the rights of waste pickers together with the federal government.
Despite these huge problems that we have in front of us, just like the Indians, we Brazilians will also not give up, until all of us are included, recognized, and most of all, valued by everyone for the benefits we provide for the environment.
We have in front of us enormous battles in the dispute between the popular/public and the private. We know that in finding solutions to these problems, we will develop. We know that just like us, you too will also win these battles.
For the organization of waste pickers
For the advancement and development of waste pickers
For the recognition and valuing of waste pickers
-Alex Cardoso, Movimento Nacional dos Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis-MNCR (National Brazilian Waste Pickers’ Movement)
From Cooperativa Reciclando Sueños (Argentina) (Recycling Dreams Cooperative)
Greetings, compañeros,
I want to send you all of our support in your struggle, which is our collective struggle – to make sure that all waste pickers in the world are recognized as service providers (informally and economically). Our work is essential for the life of our communities.
This is the only way to understand that our job is not only to collect trash – we do much more, from educating our leaders and neighbors to be responsible and separate at source, so then we can collect materials separated. We recycle and return products to the production circuit, without forgetting that we subtract a huge amount of weight from the trash that will eventually be buried at the landfill. Our work also prevents environmental contamination.
-Cooperativa Reciclando Sueños
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