The Justice determined that three thousand and five hundred families leave the camp Anita Garibaldi, an vacant area occupied nine months ago in Guarulhos (Brazil), because of a court order of eviction. Since then all of those people have been resisting bravely there. They are already settle down in this area with their children enrolled at schools nearby and their houses built. Now there is a threatening risk of losing everything - everything they fought for - and going back to live on the streets where most of them came from.

They took over a vacant area which had no function at all. It was used just for wrecked cars and real state exploitation. The so-called owner of this land is nothing but a notary public of the region (Guarulhos) who is authorized to certify documents and take legal statements. The Homeless Workers' Movement - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem-Teto (MTST) - provided this land with the real social function that all lands should have and a right guaranteed in our Constitution.

As we know, the mayor of Guarulhos, Elói Pietá, a Workers Party member, can interfere in this process, based on a County law - Lei Orgânica do Município. Following the principles of a true politician, he should only declare that land a Public Utility area for social function. A former mayor of Guarulhos - not long ago - used the same means in another area to achieve the results those families are waiting for right now. It's a question of attitude we are tended to believe.

Three thousand and five hundred families - around 15 thousand people - have no place to go and are convinced to fight for their right to stay in this piece of land. It's all they have. If you agree with our cause, send an e-mail to the mayor of Guarulhos and for the respective authorities in town.

Follow the pattern:
To:
 habita@ouvidoria.sp.gov.br;  ouvidoria.guarulhos@sp.gov.br;  habitacao.guarulhos@sp.gov.br;  eloipieta@uol.com.br

Example of letter:

Dear Sir,
We are extremely concerned about the situation of these 3,5 thousand families in the camp Anita Garibaldi, in Ponte Alta, Guarulhos and we give support to the Homeless Workers' Movement cause - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem-Teto (MTST). We are against the order of ownership reintegration given by the Justice in February, 6th to the so-called owner of the land. The order can be executed anytime from now on, putting in risk thousands of families who live there.

The right for a home to live and the human law are against the basic principles of life and against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The social function of the land, a fundamental victory written in our Constitution, was ignored by the judges, as it has been for ages. To garantee the stay of these homeless citizens in Anita Garibaldi camp, in Guarulhos, is a duty for those who search for social justice.

They planted a seed of hope in a vacant land, former used for wrecked cars and real state exploitation. We can't allow the others - led by their human ambition for property - to destroy it. It's mandatory for us!

That's why we are just asking you to interfere in this process against injustice to preserve the right of those who fight for a home to live, a basic right the government has been denying. We can't accept that the interest of just one person, who has a place to live, defeat the right of three thousand and five hundred families, without a shelter to bring up their children. We want justice and your political participation in this fight is a duty. We count on you!

Contacts:

Secretaria Municipal de Habitação e do Bem-Estar Social
Najla Jamile Santos Machado Araujo
 habitacao.guarulhos@sp.gov.br
Tel.: +55 11 6468 0011 - R.: 2440
Tel.: +55 11 208 0330 / 208 5355 / 6440 6114
Ouvidoria Municipal de Guarulhos
 ouvidoria.guarulhos@sp.gov.br
Tel: + 55 11 0800-5517158
Fax: +55 11 0800-551715
Secretaria de Estado da Habitação
Francisco Prado de Oliveira Ribeiro
 habita@ouvidoria.sp.gov.br
Tels.: +55 11 3168-7189 / 3078-4855
Fax.: +55 11 3078-6026
mayor of Guarulhos, Elói Pietá
 eloipieta@uol.com.br

www.anitamtst.cjb.net/