Pólo Sindical

Pólo Sindical, (the Coalition of Rural Workers' Organizations) is a federation of 13 independent rural workers' unions striving to improve living conditions in the São Francisco river valley region in the states of Pernambuco and Bahía. Pólo was formed when a coalition of rural workers, the Catholic Church's Pastoral Land Commission, and agricultural unions came together in 1979 in opposition to a government plan to build a huge hydro-electric dam. The World Bank-sponsored dam eventually displaced 70,000 families in the region. Strong organizing efforts on the part of Pólo Sindical secured a resettlement agreement for the communities in 1986.

Unfortunately, twenty-plus years later, many of the terms of that agreement still have not been fulfilled. Pólo Sindical's work includes putting pressure on the government to abide by resettlement accords, preserving the ecology of the São Francisco River and developing agroecological techniques for local family farmers to promote food sovereignty and water security.

As many rural families are neglected by government support, Polo Sindical’ initiatives are bringing hope to local communities and strengthen the local organization around appropriated and participatory water policies in the region.

Pólo Sindical is one of the leading organizations of the Million Cistern Project of the semi-arid region that is fighting water insecurity in the drought-prone Northeast region of Brazil. Providing small communities with rain-water capturing cisterns is a much more efficient and ecologically sustainable method for relieving the effects of the Northeast’s dry season and droughts.Through its regional and local networks, Polo Sindical advocates for government transparency in water projects in the region and against the unquestioned dominance of hydropower in Brazil's energy production policies.

Grassroots also supports Pólo Sindical’s work assisting displaced families by preparing them to deal with the area's frequent droughts, improving awareness within the community on gender and generation issues, and providing leadership training for community members.