SEBASTIÃO LAN NA TERRA PROMETIDA

Based on the authors’ experiences, this article initially presents the Sebastião Lan encampment, which arises from the intersection of agrarian reform and environmental conservation policies, driven by movements such as the MST. It faces logistical challenges and land tenure conflicts, highlighting the collaboration among researchers, the community, and institutions. The case reveals tensions between preservation, infrastructure, and access to land, as well as resistance to land grabbing and rural violence. The university, through the GT Ecossocial, the Fluminense Land Observatory, and the Environmental Justice Laboratory, played a key role in mediating conflicts and producing assessments and technical reports. This experience highlights the complexity of public policies, the importance of interdisciplinary academic engagement, and the transformative potential of university action within society. In the second part, the trajectory of the Terra Prometida Settlement is described, revealing structural challenges and the central role of women in the struggle for land, facing stigmatization and historical inequalities. The diverse and collective agroecological production, characterized by respect for popular knowledge, strengthens local autonomy and resistance to the agribusiness model. Women, especially through collectives, play a central role in social organization, productivity, and the affirmation of identities in rural areas. The lack of adequate public policies for infrastructure and rights exposes the limits of the agrarian reform process. Popular education, solidarity, and self-management emerge as strategies for transformation and social emancipation in rural settlements.