This chapter is about understanding, responsibility and trust. It is difficult, without making a bigger discourse, to point out the main points why a society works and what makes the people of a community feel that they belong together.

Certainly during the course of history it showed, that whenever cities or villages focused within themselves, may it be because of a particular religious belief, a special skill, a powerful leader, good economic conditions or just out of fear against the enemies, they were able to create genius loci, which preserved a sense of community often for many generations.

In order to make this whole project work, this sense of community has to build roots in Sítio Joaninha. As every little part of the imagined ecological development plays an important role, and cannot easily be replaced by something else, every person has to take his part in this development as well. As the situation is right now, the population of Sítio Joaninha has to become aware of the fact, that something in their environment and their behaviour has to change, otherwise everybody will one day have to leave their homes, because there will be no more water and no more soil left. Or lets not look so far, because the moment, that everybody has to leave can come quite soon, when a judge decides that for the well being of the population and the environment at whole the area of Sítio Joaninha has to be evacuated immediately. Seeing it from this perspective the people of Sítio Joaninha are facing a common enemy that is called "expulsion" and have to unite their forces in order to overcome it.

Source: http://www.landless-voices.org/vieira/archive-04.phtml?ng=e&sc=3&th=55&se=0

As often seen in European urban history enormous strength was required to overcome the obstacles, so that soon it became obvious, that in cooperation many more problems could be resolved. The same way as all the little parts of this ecological development work carefully hand in hand, people have to learn their part in it and be enabled to be responsive to the challenges. Cooperatives have thus a long tradition when live cycles are concerned, and not only in progressive communities. The Brazilian Journalist Marcello Barroso describes their role in sustainable development of modern Brazilian agriculture.(pdf 916 kB)

Where could cooperatives be created in Sítio Joaninha?

With the allocation of land for vegetable farming and the widely spread plantation of fruit trees, there will be work for many in the field of agriculture and marketing. Fresh vegetables and fruits can be organically grown and sold in the nearby cities to markets and restaurants. Bees can be held to produce honey and other apicultural products. Fruits can be dried with the sun and the waste heat of the landfill gas power plant. The management of the nutrient exchange program will be in the hand of these cooperatives as well. They take care of the collection and storage of urine, the maintenance of the phyto clarification plants and the use of the septic tank sludge. In exchange they get most of their fertilizers for free. To incite the urine separation program, the cooperatives could organize the yearly festa junina and entertain the villagers with delicious homegrown food.

Source: http://www.ifad.org/photo/region/PL/BR.htm#

Another work opportunity can be found in the development of affordable solar heat collectors. Here a number of people can be involved. Some, for example the already existing crew of waste pickers have to organise the recyclable materials, others have to build and do the marketing of the collectors. The adult education program can promote the development of other affordable and sustainable technologies, like the production of recycled building material for popular housing.

The production of clothing can possibly extended and become a cooperative work

Source: http://www.ifad.org/photo/region/PL/BR.htm#

The implantation of the landfill gas power plant, although not cooperative, will provide job vacancies for the villagers.

I already mentioned the agreement "urine for food" as a simple example of citizenship supporting community agreements. Right now, the fresh water supply is offered free of charge to the community of Sítio Joaninha by water lorries. Once the new drinking water system is working, the use of water should be connected with a certain amount of community work. There is no need to charge for the water as this would only inspire the people to find ways not to pay for it, but they could instead watch over the water catchment areas and the environment of their village in general, i.e. keeping the roads clean, keeping the trees healthy, report environment law violations, etc.