THE CONSTITUTION OF THE "GUARDIÕES DAS ÁGUAS" MOVEMENT IN SOUTHERN MINAS GERAIS

This study addresses the formation and dynamics of the “Water Guardians” movement in the Circuito das Águas region of Minas Gerais. The research aims to describe the establishment of the water justice movement “Water Guardians” in southern Minas Gerais, exploring how it was formed and consolidated its struggle for the protection of mineral waters, using Habermas's concept of the lifeworld as a theoretical lens. The research was conducted over more than two years of continuous interaction between researchers and civil society organizations. Participant observations, local diagnostics, interviews, and informal conversations were employed, along with the collection, systematization, and analysis of documents. The data analysis was guided by the concept of the lifeworld, seeking to understand the symbolic and social relationships that sustain the movement. The results reveal that the “Water Guardians” movement unifies different social actors around the valuation and protection of mineral waters, understood as a common good and an element of local identity. Since the 2000s, the movement has constituted a resistance to bidding processes that aimed at the commercial exploitation of the waters. The study identified the interconnections between culture, personality, and society, highlighting how water acts as an element of socialization, identity, and knowledge transmission among the “water peoples.” The research concludes that the “Water Guardians” movement played a fundamental role in constructing a collective identity around mineral waters, positioning itself as an important form of resistance to commercial exploitation and reaffirming water as a common good.