Espaços livres públicos em assentamentos rurais: a experiência do Rosário

Abstract

In an over-20-year partnership between the GERAH/UFRN and the MST, several actions have been taken to improve living conditions in rural settlements coordinated by the Movement in Rio Grande do Norte. Permitting the interventions of the Group, the construction of public spaces has taken a secondary role due to the lack of resources allocated to them, in the set of financing of habitats in the field. Exploring this need the GERAH, linked to other university groups, has coordinated the Program “O verso do reverso na construção do habitat do campo: gênero, participação e cidadania”, in order to carry out the actions of both social and technical training through the participation of the community in the construction and management of the public space, enabling the development and consolidation of settlement areas and their social areas as well. The collective construction of the Rosario Square, conquered by the community, brought new possibilities not only to 120 families in Rosario settlement but also to other settlements coordinated by the MST. Moreover it brought new possibilities to those involved in technical and scientific assistance who seek the consolidation of the relationship between praxis and theory as well as among teaching, research and extension.