In one of many protests on Thursday April 17, around 500 MST workers from the Brazilian Federal District (state to which Brasilia, nation's capital, belongs to) and its surroundings blocked sections of the BR 020 highway, between the Planaltina (DF) and Formosa (GO) municipalities, at the height of kilometer 43 and the BR 070 highway, in direction towards Águas Lindas de Goiás.
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MST HOLDS 6th CONGRESS: STRUGGLE, BUILD PEOPLE’S AGRARIAN REFORM
In February, the MST held its 6th Congress, gathering more than 15,000 MST delegates and 200 international guests in Brasilia, the 
Brazilian capital. The Congress also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of the MST.
The purpose of the Congress is to adopt the MST’s Agrarian Program to guide its work over approximately the next five year period. In order to develop this program, the analysis and debate of the current economic, political and ideological situation in Brazil and the world began at the settlement level over two years ago. The struggle over the Agrarian Program has been discussed and debated at each level of the MST (settlements/encampments, state and national) until agreement was reached on the current stage of the struggle for agrarian reform and the program (steps and tasks) in this next period. For information on the Agrarian Program and a copy in English, click HERE.
The Congress is also a place where comrades can make and renew connections and gain strength for the struggle ahead. MST delegates pitched tents and camped by states, preparing food and working together on all the tasks. Additionally, each region set up a "farmer's market" to sell products produced on the settlements. For information on the life at the Congress, click HERE.
There was also mistica every day, which inspires and renews the spirits of all participants. For information on mistica at the Congress, click HERE.
Many of the MST delegates traveled as families. There was the Paulo Freire Itinerant School, with educations programs for children of all ages. For more information on the school at the Congress and youth activities, click HERE.
Being in the national capital also afforded the MST an opportunity to march to the seat of government to press demands for agrarian reform. For information on the march at the Congress, click HERE.
There was significant press coverage of the Congress. This page has links to articles we have translated.
Finally, the Friends of the MST participated with a delegation consisting of members of the FMST and representatives of political and social organizations, who will be bringing back information on the Congress to their communities. For blogs and information on our delegation, click HERE.
NOTE: As more materials are translated, they will be added to this page. Please check back on a regular basis.
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