ECO_CARE meets Cecília Campos

An exchange between the Tropics and the Arctic

By Cecília Campos

 I have been in Tromsø for two months and what can I say about it? I am just in love with the city, the coziness, the university, the people, the way of life and the landscape. The cold weather has not scared me at all. For a tropical woman, I think I adjusted pretty quickly. This experience has been enlightening and has opened my mind and heart to try more challenging projects and enjoy the opportunities along my path.

The return of the sun in Tromsø 

Aurora borealis from UiT

I am currently a Master's student at UNIRIO – Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro enrolled in the Law, Public Policies and Sustainability program. I am passionate about examining how we can improve the lives of all to achieve a more equitable and sustainable world that respects the environment and includes people. My thesis, which I will defend in March 2023, deals with blue economy and collaborative governance as constructs that could improve waste management policy in a coastal region in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Costa do Sol) and ensure development in harmony with nature and humankind. Upon completing the program, I intend to apply for a Ph.D. program and continue to research environmental matters such as water pollution, climate change and the relationship between ecosystem-based management and the law. I am motivated by this exchange to continue my studies and even consider the
Law of the Sea program at UiT.

My picture during the ECOCARE Symposium and Workshop in Rio de Janeiro, 2022.

As a team member, I have been collaborating with ECOCARE for almost 2 years. We started our journey during the Legal Design and Visual Law course at UNIRIO, taught by Giulia Parola, in 2021. The first and most challenging work so far, for me, was the book Tarumã, Waters that Speak - A legal design and visual law project co-created by law students and the Chiquitano people: the pollution of the Tarumã River and the consequences for the Chiquitano people, coordinated by Giulia Parola and Margherita Poto. It was my first experience with the approach of co-creation of knowledge and also engaging with the Chiquitano indigenous people and I could experience all the richness and challenges of researching with such a stimulating approach.

It has also been my privilege to assist ECOCARE in translating the blog content into Portuguese and organizing events such as the Workshop held in Rio, in December 2022. Currently, I continue to carry on my research with the Chiquitano indigenous people, especially focusing on their struggle with the right to water along with Giulia Parola.

My journey has not been easy, since I have to handle my academic studies and projects in addition to my job as a lawyer. However, as I continue to pursue an academic path, I expect to balance my career and family life by working with empathy, compassion and care, just as ECOCARE has been teaching me.

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This post may be cited as: Cecília Campos, An exchange between the Tropics and the Arctic, February 28, 2023, online: here