These people are members of the Movement of the Landless, or MST, and right now they are seizing the land they need for their very survival. They know their legal rights. The Brazilian Constitution is clear in its mandate that all land must serve a social function. This constitutional clause is remarkable in a nation where the land distribution patterns have changed but little since the times of the Conquistadores. A mere one percent of the population owns fifty percent of the land, while one fourth of the people live in conditions of the most abject poverty.
Educational opportunities are scarce and the cities offer little in the way of employment.
For many, the choice is simple enough. Find land or starve. The MST began to press for enforcement of the constitution some fifteen years ago. Rejecting outright the use of violence or resort to weapons, the member families have peacefully occupied unused lands throughout the country, insisting that the government take action. The MST provides them with medical, agricultural and administrative training, and helps to establish community schools and leadership classes.