Cyberactivism of vulnerable communities was the topic presented by the Brazilian researcher Mariana Olívia Santana dos Santos, from Fiocruz, at the last day of the PCST Conference. In Suape, Pernambuco Brazil, the local population looked for journalists and universities to support their protests against the damages that the Suape Port and Idustrial Complex (CIPS) has been inflicting on the local environment. Following the example of Extremadura, Spain, the group has organized a project that included many communication strategies, from public debates to a website, that helped the community to have their voice heard.

Santos compared the work developed in Extremadura, Spain, where a popular environmental movement, the Plataforma Ciudada Refineria (PCRN), was solidified as a response to the lack of information on the impacts of the refinery. The group claimed expert studies on the possible threats of such refineries for the environment.

Similarly to the Spanish model, the Brazilian group created the Forum Suape, a socio environmental space for discussions on the issues experienced by the inhabitants of the region around the industrial complex and its consequences for the future generations. Among the activities, it was constructed a website open for everybody to take part. The issues discussed range from human rights, sustainability and environmental injustices. According to Santos, the cyberspace not only contributed to take the local message to a broader audience, but, it also brought the local institutions and the vulnerable communities closer. “The use of the cyberspace expands the possibilities of participatory social practices in the construction of the collective and effective communicative processes”, observes.

http://forumsuape.ning.com/