Indigenous leaders from all over the state are in Palmas, this Tuesday and Wednesday (April 5th and 6th), for the meeting to evaluate the political education actions of the Electoral Justice's Program of the State of Tocantins for the Socio-political Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples. About 40 indigenous people were present, representing 24 communities from the state.
The meeting was opened on Tuesday morning (April 5th), in the TRE-TO auditorium, with the presence of Judge Marco Villas Boas, General Director of the Superior School of the Judges of the State of Tocantins (ESMAT); Judge Helvécio de Brito Maia Neto, president of the TRE-TO; Judge Eurípedes Lamounier, vice-president and electoral commissioner; and electoral Judge Wellington Magalhães, the program coordinator.
Highlighting the importance of the values of diversity and inclusion for the strengthening of democracy, the president of TRE-TO, Judge Helvécio de Brito Maia Neto, welcomed the participants and highlighted the experience lived in actions performed in indigenous villages from north to south of the state. "I could personally see the joy and receptivity in each people visited. Now it is with this same joy and hospitality that we receive each one of you here at the headquarters of the Electoral Justice of the State of Tocantins to hold this multicultural and interdisciplinary event, which will certainly result in the improvement of the actions directed to the indigenous people", he highlighted.
The participation of native peoples in the political process was also encouraged by the vice-president and electoral court Judge Eurípedes Lamounier. "A strong and legitimate democracy necessarily involves the organized and consistent participation of indigenous peoples, who can and should elect their representatives in the upcoming elections. I hope that, in 2023, they will have more representatives in the Legislative and Executive branches", he declared.
“I am very happy to see this project come to fruition. I congratulate the Regional Electoral Court and the indigenous leaders present here. I see much prosperity, especially in the State of Tocantins, in the development of political actions and programs that promote indigenous cultures, that give them subsistence and can improve their lives every day," said Marco Villas Boas, General Director of the Superior School of the Judges of the State of Tocantins (ESMAT) and president of the TRE-TO at the time of the appearance of the program.
For the Electoral Judge Wellington Magalhães, the coordinator of the program, besides encouraging the participation of indigenous people in politics, the project fosters the inclusion of these peoples by all institutions and society. "We want all those involved in the electoral system to openly understand the importance of dialog with the communities, of respecting their customs and traditions as well as our Constitution provides for the political and internal organization of indigenous communities," he said.
From the Bananal Island, the chief of the Watau community, Iwraru Karajá, participated in the event and stressed the importance of the educational actions of the Electoral Justice. "I thank God, Doctor Wellington, and the Electoral Justice team that always goes to our island, facing the mud, to bring knowledge to the community. And the result is coming out, we are seeing the importance of valuing indigenous votes. In our village, the "white guy" still comes with the money and takes all the leaderships and we end up without support at the end of the story, but the TRE is fighting and explaining us about the subject, so an event like this is very important, I want to take the result of this meeting to our community", he said.
