Forum for Life: medicinal plants and social mobilization in the Northwest Gaucho

Abstract

This article presents the identification of the dynamics of social actors related to the theme of medicinal plants in the Northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul, through the experience of the Forum for Life. The study is justified by the contributions it can make to the discussions on development, demonstrating the heterogeneity of the rural and the valuation of traditional knowledge. It is a qualitative research that used the Oriented Perspective to Actors (POA) as a theoretical and methodological tool. Data collection took place from March to June 2015, through a semi-structured interview, observation and analysis of data and content. It was verified that, in following the social practices, the experiences and the worlds of life of the actors show the heterogeneous forms in the rural, making possible to rethink the development processes, once the social actors have agency and they realize maneuvers to guarantee their worlds of life. Through social action, in addition, we sought the construction of public policies aimed at the recognition of popular practices and knowledge and emphasized social action and the struggle to rescue knowledge about medicinal plants.