On July 02nd and 03rd, 2025, the Trevo Clube de Paraty hosted the 1st Seminar of the Observatório de Territórios Sustentáveis e Saudáveis da Bocaina (OTSS - Bocaina Sustainable and Healthy Territories Observatory). The event brought together around 250 participants, including employees, representatives of traditional communities and partner institutions, in a day of listening, exchange and collective construction, with the active presence of Fiotec, a strategic partner in the management of the project.
Created from a partnership between Fiocruz and FCT (Forum of Traditional Communities of Angra dos Reis, Paraty and Ubatuba), the OTSS is a techno-political space that integrates traditional and scientific knowledge, promoting strategies for sustainability, health and guaranteeing rights for the well-being of traditional communities. The Observatory's actions involve artisanal fishing, agroecology, health care, socio-environmental justice, differentiated education, ecological sanitation and Community-Based Tourism (CBT).
Past, Present and Future in dialog
With the cross-cutting theme of temporalities - past, present and future - the seminar was structured to promote reflection on the trajectory of the OTSS, value experiences and collectively build the next steps.
Edmundo Gallo, Fiocruz researcher and general coordinator of the OTSS, highlighted the importance of the meeting: "We are bringing together almost 250 collaborators, many people who have recently joined the Observatory, so that they can learn about its history, understand what has already been done, reflect on the present and think together about the paths for the future. Fiotec is a key partner in managing the Observatory process."
Fiotec’s team took an active part in the discussions and reflections in the 17 OTSS areas of activity. Gabriela Silva, a project analyst at the institution, described the importance of the on-site experience: "Taking part in the OTSS Integration Seminar was a profoundly transformative experience. The event reaffirmed the power of the connections between memory, territory and the future, bringing together ancestral and contemporary knowledge in a space of listening, affection and collective construction."
She also pointed out how the moment was essential for connecting administrative work to the real impact in the territories: "as we work predominantly on the technical and operational side of the project, this experience was essential for connecting technical knowledge to the reality in the field."
A program marked by culture, affection and sustainability
The program has been carefully designed to welcome participants with affection and socio-environmental commitment. The opening night included a collective dinner prepared by the FCT's Kitchen of Traditions, followed by a lively Samba circle (Roda de Samba) by Quilombo do Campinho (Campinho Quilombo) and a set by DJ Manu Orixum, reviving cultural memories and promoting integration.
The second day was marked by the systematization of lessons learned, rounds of dialogue and projections for the future. The Closing Festival, with Bloco Afro do Quilombo, closed the event with music, celebration and hope.
In addition, the event was held under the Zero Waste label, with the collaboration of the Paraty Recycling Cooperative and local composting initiatives, reinforcing the OTSS's environmental commitment. For the children, the ring-around-the-rosie (Ciranda) was a safe and playful welcome.
By bringing together different voices and perspectives, the meeting consolidated itself as a milestone in the Observatory's trajectory - signaling possible paths towards a future based on socio-environmental justice, sustainability and well-being.
