Assentamentos rurais e desenvolvimento: em busca de sentido - o projeto Lumiar na Paraíba.

Abstract

The aim of this work is to analyze the experience of the introduction and development of the Projeto Lumiar, which is a State Public Policy to provide technical assistance in the land reform settlements in the State of Paraíba. The Projeto Lumiar was planned in the context of the rise of social movements fighting for land in Brazil by a Federal Governmental Agency - INCRA: National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform. It was introduced throughout Brazil between 1997 and 2000 and was suddenly extinguished by the federal government. This work intends to analyze the diverse conceptions and practices about the social organization of the settlements of the many social actors involved in the Projeto Lumiar, such as the settlers, the technicians, the social movements'leaders and the agents from INCRA. The differences happenned not only among specific social actors but also within each group and institution which are constructing the experience. The different conceptions, expectations and practices formed a social relations network which has been characterized as a space of negotiations about diverse development conceptions and social projects. The specificities of the local social dynamics promoted the debate on peasant and family agriculture and also turned more visible the ambiguities of the public policies on land reform settlements, agrarian social movements and land reform in Brazil. In this context, this work intends to analyze the social practices within the Projeto Lumiar which either reproduced the submission and dependence in relation to some domination devices or became an experience of autonomy and emancipation of the settlers.