Legal assistance and the development of citizens participation

Our research will be developed analyzing a specific land situation in the island of São Luis do Maranhão (Brazil), but intending an wide purpose: to discuss the fundamental right to housing, besides the right to the city – which is deeply related to the other -, and how can people fight for them by themselves without waiting for the State to take initiative – what usually does not happens. In fact, the right to the city encompasses a large range of rights in order to ensure the well living for all people.

“Loteamento Todos os Santos” is an irregular community housing located in Paço do Lumiar, which is one of the four cities that makes part of the island of São Luis. There are 350 people living there, of which 170 are children. The community is threatened by builders of luxury houses – the area suffers a high speculation process both because of the proximity to the beach area, as the building “boom” in the island of São Luis do Maranhão.

Both the authors develop an extension work in the Núcleo de Assessoria Jurídica Universitária Popular “Negro Cosme” - a law assistance group formed by law students from Universidade Federal do Maranhão (a public university from Maranhão). The Najup guides its actions by the thoughts of Paulo Freire, which preached the emancipation of the human by himself. The group uses the Freire’s method of Educação Popular – “People Education”. It is based on a mutual learning: the community - Todos os Santos in this case – and the students. Because of that, the Najup does not work for someone, yet with.