Empatheatre – Indlela Yokuphila
Using the arts to transform our current social challenges.
Fishers’ struggles during and after the 2019 Southwest Atlantic oil spill
Brazilian coastal small-scale fishing communities were hit by a large and ongoing oil spill from an unknown source between August 2019 and June 2020. Fishers were left without proper government assistance, so together with volunteers they mobilized to try to clean coastal environments themselves. Though the oil spill was an ecological and socioeconomic disaster that affected fisheries and tourism, it was never properly addressed or even fully investigated.
Seeking Blue Justice through the “Popular Court of the Sea Economy” in Brazil
In Brazil, a “Popular Court of the Sea Economy” was established in 2022 as an act of resistance against historical and on-going socio-environmental harms caused by Ocean Economy sectors. Led by a nationwide movement of fisherfolk ocean defenders, it aims to defend traditional fishing communities’ rights, fight environmental racism, and preserve traditional ways of life. Despite challenges, the movement has gained political influence and achieved successes, including involvement in the Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries as of 2023 after federal presidential elections, while fighting for policy changes and environmental protection.
