Human dignity and the fight against enviromental racism: regional agreement of Escazú and E-Carroceiros Program, in Fortaleza, Ceará

Abstract

Through this article, the emergence of environmental racism in the society of global risks is analysed, as a negative impact of globalization, in the peripheral countries. While a privileged minority demands and obtains a higher quality of life, the well-being of vulnerable individuals and groups is directly affected. For this reason, the Latin America and the Caribbean aim to promote human rights by means of the Escazú Agreement, focused on achieving environmental justice and the democratization of environmental relations. The argument used relies on capabilities theory, created by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. From the international to the local sphere, the brazilian E-carroceiros Program is approached as a model of integration between State, social technology, private initiative and third sector in Fortaleza, Ceará. In this scenario, focused on the waste collectors, the program’s ability to promote equality of dignity and social inclusion of these subjects is questioned. In this bias, it is concluded that the initiative indeed benefits the social inclusion of the collectors, but does not implement the aimed equality of dignity, due to the nature of the work performed. The research realized is classified as qualitative, pure, bibliographical, doctrinal, legislative and documentary.