Unidade de conservação, câmara temática de educação ambiental e diálogos com Espinosa: rumo às sociedades sustentáveis?

Abstract

With the crisis of modernity, dictated by alienating consumption and reckless use of natural resources, environmental public policies were needed to mediate the relationship between nature and society. The National System of Conservation Units – SNUC and the National Environmental Education Policy – PNEA are considered to be two of these policies. In this work, we have as study area a Protected Area classified as a National Park (PARNA): the Pau Brasil National Park (PNPB). Our general objective is to contribute to the construction of sustainable societies through the analysis of possible links between the constitution of a socio-environmental collegiate - Thematic Chamber of Environmental Education (CTEA) - of a Protected Area and the increase in the power of action of this collective and of the involved in its founding and operation process. Power to act is a concept that was elaborated by the philosopher Spinoza, with that, we carried out the analysis of the results from the perspective of his philosophy. To implement the methodology, we adopted the case study and the following tools: triangulation, document analysis, narrative interviews and discursive textual analysis. Thus, we answer the problem question of this work: “Can the foundation of a socio-environmental collegiate, in a Protected Area, increase the power of action of those involved in this process?” We observed through the analysis of the results that it is possible, but there were and still are many challenges to be overcome such as the lack of communication, the overload of the Protected Area managers, in addition to the environmental political dismantling and the pandemic that made CTEA's activities very difficult during the survey period. We found the direct relationship between participation and the power to act, reflecting in an approximation between the UC and the surrounding community. We also verified that when spaces for dialogue and participation are provided in a UC, several positive developments occur for the people involved, increasing their confidence and consequently positive developments for the Protected Area through socio-environmental projects carried out by these actors, now powerful. This research constitutes a possible tool in helping to build sustainable societies, in which everyone is a participatory actor