Rejection Letter

We, capoeirista women (black, white, cis, LGBTTI +, etc.), educators, artists, and activists from different groups and collectives of capoeira angola and beyond, declare our repudiation of any act of gender violence and / or sexual abuse committed in the context of capoeira, especially when it involves someone in a leadership relationship (Mestre, Contramestre, Professor, Treinel) to women in the groups. For this reason, we have not shied away from publicly expressing our support for Mestra Dandara, who denounced the sexual violence she suffered in the city of Salvador in 2017. This act was committed by an equally recognized mestre, part of an international institution of capoeira angola, with groups around the world.

The case occurred in June 2017 and the full testimony of Mestra Dandara is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUfFH7lj9Gk&t=3s 

We express our support in defence of the Angolan capoeirista Mestra Dandara, who, has decided not to remain silent about the violence she suffered and therefore has been harassed by the above mentioned Mestre, his friends, relatives and defenders.

We repudiate the various forms of trivialization of, cover-ups and attempts to make invisible the practices of violence against women, as well as all other forms of violation of human rights within the scope of capoeira, inter alia racial and ethnic, social and economic, gender, sexual orientation or preference.

We repudiate too any attempts to silence her denunciation of the crimes against her, as they represent a open attempt to maintain the privileges of patriarchy within the structures of capoeira groups.

We stand up in solidarity with all the women (black, white, cis, LGBTTI +) who feel silenced by the macho, patriarchal and misogynistic structures that took over capoeira.

We know through other narratives shared by capoeirista women that this is not the first time that this man has used the practice of Capoeira Angola to sexually abuse women (some of these women have broken their silence in response to the complaint in question). We also know that this is not an isolated case. More and more, we are having the courage to talk about the violence that we suffer in the context of capoeira: in the social groups and in the circles.

We do not accept the attempted victimization by the aggressor, who has been circulating videos on the Internet reading a distorted message to try to change the focus of the complaint and change positions. Master Dandara was a victim of violence, but she doesn’t play the victim: she fights! And we fight with her and grab the opportunity to debate the topic and carry our message of respect to women.

When a woman suffers sexual violence, we are all affected, either because we experience our own traumas, reliving memories and feelings repressed from past violence, or because gender violence is always an insult to us, as a group, as a collective, as a class! Sexual violence practiced by masters intensely affects our lives and experiences within capoeira. The impact can never be minimized.

In this specific case, the act of violation was practiced by a master who is one of the greatest exponents of capoeira angola, a black man, and who despite experiencing a series of oppressions throughout his life, proved unable to respect basic limits for the maintenance of the physical, moral and emotional integrity of a black woman. This scenario has an aggravating effect because the aggressor lives with many women and had numerous training opportunities for non-violence. After all, what is the learning and teaching of capoeira?

We have the duty to denounce violence against women in the capoeira circle and in the circle of life, and to fight for capoeira to be truly an instrument of liberation, education and the fight against all types of oppression, violence and discrimination. This is a fundamental requirement for the construction of social relationships that are more just and egalitarian in any capoeira group or collective.

As such, we reinforce our total repudiation of what happened and speak out through this letter against silencing! We demand that Master Dandara’s aggressor:

1. Acknowledges the violence committed and apologises, publicly, through a video that can be freely shared on social networks;
2. Joins a socio-educational space on gender relations before resuming his role as capoeira master and social educator;
3. Promotes training spaces on toxic masculinity and ways to confront and combat violence against women;
4. Proposes spaces that deal with the mental health of men and women as a way of repairing the violence committed.

# EUSEIQUEFOIVOCÊMESTRE

# I KNOWTHAT WEREYOUMASTER

Signatures untill 03/04/2020

Joel Alves Bezerra Capoeira Angola – pesquisador do tema, aluno e agora sem grupo.

Luciane Camões

Wellington correia

Ivana Guimarães Nunes- sem grupo

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Nefertiti altan casa rosada

Laís Osório silva Vendedora

Eisenstein Jorge Cavalcanti – Grupo São Bento Pequeno Capoeira Angola. 

Alice Malícia – Ngoma Capoeira Angola

Rodrigo Dias de Paiva – Moleque A CAPOEIRA MANDINGA

Sergio Leandro Cordeiro  Angoleiro Escola de Contos Étnicos do Brasil ECE 

Brenda Neila Guerreiro Orixas (La Plata – Argentina)

Marcelo Chapolin

Maria Lucilma Freitas de Sousa – Associação de Capoeira cearense Zumbi de capoeira -ASCEZUCA

Rodrigo Lemos Batista, Grupo Abaô de Capoeira Angola

Maria Cristina _ACARBO 

Michelle, Índia , Professora de Capoeira (Barra Velha/SC)

Douglas Henrique Silva de Oliveira, Namorado de uma professora de capoeira

Helem Lara, Jornalista, capoeirista.

Jorge Oliveira – Casa charriot

Ana Ribeiro

Marcha Mundial das Mulheres do Tocantins, Marcha Mundial das Mulheres

Rodrigo Kauka – Educador/agricultor

Rosa – Escola de capoeira Baobá

Ivana Tavares Muricy – UFRB

Ubiraneila Capinan Barboasa

Rejane Alves – Ensino Superior

Angela Maranhão Lima de Souza – Ufba

Adriana Cerqueira Silva – Coletivo Flor de Jasmim

Fernanda Oliveira Cerqueira Lima – Capoeirista

Bernardo Cunha Cataldi de Almeida – Capoeirista

Claudio Cima Argolo Colares -Sem grupo

James Berimbau – Angoleiros do Interior

Kenya Ricarte – Formigueiro de Angola

DANIELA SOL – Capoeira Angola da Matriz Jericoacoara

Carolina Portela Morales – Ufba

Diênifer Monique da Conceição – ACECAM RS

Beatrice – Capoeira

Miriam Rabelo – Professora da UFBA

Denilson Francisco das Neves- Escola de Dança da UFBA

Fernanda Silva dos Santos – Grupo de Capoeira Alabama

Mestra Maria Pandeiro – Capoeira Dandara Bremen

Monica Cordeiro – Simpatisante

Ines jimenez – Novo capoeira

Mestra Ursula Canto – Grupo Guaiamuns França

Jerusa Pimentel – União na capoeira

Christine Larsen – Grupo União da Capoeira

Carolina Lebrun – Grupo Senzala

Sabrina Abade – Grupo de Capoeira Beribazu

Maria de Lourdes Ferreira – Beribazu (corda azul)

Niceh Souza – Cecac capoeira

Professora Eleguá – Centro Cultural de Capoeira Awo Àiyé

tida.senzala – Grupo Senzala

Naélia Cristina Forato – capoeirista, jornalista e palhaça

Neve – Abada-Capoeira Madrid Movimiento Matriarcado Capoeira

naiara rezende

Casa Rosada – Salvador -BA

Herika Otoni – Professora de escola Pública

Maria Donizete – Professora de escola Pública

Ivana Guimarães nunes – Fica Go

Renata Linhares – Coordena ações de projeto de extensão da UEG sobre capoeira e crianças com deficiências

Clecia Satel – Estudante de doutorado

Rärea Gessica Porto Araújo – Grupo Calunga de capoeira angola

Carol Souza – Cultura

Nildes Sena – Clã Otá Destino

Clã Otá Destino – Mulheres de corpos encapoeirados.

Natalia Vieira Costa – Educação

Lamartine José dos Santos – Mestre Pernambuco – Instituto de Capoeira Cordão de Ouro/MS

Keila Serruya – Realizadora Audiovisual e Produtora

Margarita Galo – Particular

Leandro Couri Tintim – Coletivo Terrêru BH

Anacleto Mendes – Ex capoeirista

Amanda Vieira Teodoro – CECA Londrina – Capoeira Angola

Emilly – Filhos de angola núcleo Itinga

grupo iuna capoeira angola belo horizonte MIna gerais – grupo iuna capoeira angola

Francis Anderson Silva e Lima – Grupo Abaô de Capoeira Angola

Laura Ramírez Cortés – Capoeira Brasil

Regina Gomes – UFBA

Camila Aulestia Calero – Independiente

Bruna Mascaro – capoeira, dançarina e pesquisadora

Tali Boy – Artivista trans sapatão

Mayara Sucupira – Cadê Salomé Tocantins, Angoleiras de Upaon Açu, Feminista e Agroecologista

João Caetano Brandão Andrade – Filhos de Bimba Escola de Capoeira

Ester Cândida Corrêa – Historiadora, professora, capoerista.

Joice Lorena Sacramento – Terreiro Caxuté

Mascote – Cordão de Ouro

Ísis Valentini Caldas Manuel – Coletivo Froceta – Poesia Feminina

Jaislane santos conceicao – Coletivo Froceta

Natalia Leiria Dantas – Aluna Graduada de Abadá Capoeira, Barcelona Espanha.

Eunice Silva – Associação de Capoeira Toque de Berimbau – ACTB

Micaela Leonardi – Ganga Zumbi

Rosa Costa – Escola Baoba Capoeira

Silvana Cerqueira Borges – Atriz e produtora cultural

Sara Cuentas Ramírez – Red de Migración, Género y Desarrollo

Gilmara Regis da Silva

Letícia Golubov – Mojuba

Daniele Araújo Teles – Grupo Abaô de Capoeira Angola

Joe Marçal G Santos – Abaô Aracaju Sergipe

Wellington Ajussã Bomfim – Grupo Abaô de Capoeira Angola

Lucas Souza Viana – Realizador Audiovisual

Brenda Guerrero – Mão no chão – Scotland

Mariana Fraga da Silva – Capoeira São Bento

Elainy Cruz Santos – Grupo de Capoeira Dandara Bambula

Fernanda Garcia – Coletivo dona Maria como vai você

Paulo Rait Mota – Casa de Angola

Barbara Majdalani – Capoeira Viola

Vinicius Benevides Santana de Oliveira – Produtor cultural

Ingrid Mendes Guimarães – Bióloga

Tâmara Caroline Almeida Terso – Jornalista e ativista do coletivo Enegrecer

Fernando Lorenalis – Autor-Compositor, musico, professor de manifestações culturais popular

Andrea Vega – Movimiento Mujeres Capoeira Ecuador

Tatiana Badaró – Capoeira Angola Palmares

Esmeralda Moura – Vivência Cultural

Aluno graduado Gavião – Grupo de Capoeira MestrA ArarA, Rio de Janeiro

Larissa Gaspar – Capoeirista – Vereadora de Fortaleza – PT – Presidenta da Comissão de Direitos Humanos da Câmara Municipal

Natália Lima – CECAB

Ludmilla Luciano de Carvalho

Railson Sousa Campelo – Ass. Cap. Beira Mar

Camille Massip – Association Figue e Guaraná

Joyce Peres – Cordão de Ouro

Aline do Carmo – integrante do Ngoma, militante e educadora

Sergio Pereira – Malungos

Professora Guruça Bruna Ferraz Dumont – Cordão de Ouro Barcelona

Alexa

Terreru Bh 

Joseane de Faria Calazans – Grupo Abaô de Capoeira Angola (Aracaju/SE)

Laricy Machado Venditti de Matos – Educação

Alena Arce Calderon Contramestra – bailarina creadora – Capoeira Sul da Bahía Chile

Vermelha Martín – Capoeira Gerais Madrid

Rita Farinha – Projeto flor de Mandacaru

Juliana Pinheiro Bordon – Tabono cultural

Aline Pedrosa – Cecab

Aliisa Colírio – Angoleiros do sertão, Helsinki Finland

Sofía M. Hernández Claverie – Ginga brasil Cordao de ouro

Lara – Ica

Laura Paez (India) – Porto da Barra

Julie Ghemard – Sul da Bahia

Maria Kamí Campos – Atriz, Poeta, artista plástica – Coletivo Froceta de Mulheres. Capoeira independente.

Cauê Rocha – Sem grupo

Anna Flynn – Coletivo Ginga de Angola