Lula says he will bring "collective effort" to the dictionary of the Global South.
"A 'collective effort' to end the war, the killing in the Gaza Strip. A 'collective effort' to do many things," the president stated at a SUS (Brazilian public health system) event.
247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) defended this Saturday (13), in Brasília, during the National Task Force to Reduce SUS Queues, that the concept of “mutirão” should transcend Brazil’s borders and be incorporated by the Global South as a symbol of collective cooperation. In his speech, Lula highlighted the indigenous origin of the word and spoke of transforming it into a world reference for joint mobilizations in different areas, including the fight for peace.
“A ‘collective effort’ to end the war, a ‘collective effort’ to end the killing in the Gaza Strip, a ‘collective effort’ to do many things. COP30 will be a ‘collective effort’,” declared the president, emphasizing the importance of solidarity as a tool for social and political transformation.
The collective strength of the "mutirão" (community effort)
Lula explained that the idea of a collective effort translates to a joint effort capable of overcoming challenges that, individually, would be more difficult to face. He made an analogy with football to illustrate his vision. According to the president, when a player is sent off, the team is weakened, but if the other athletes give "10% more effort," the team can compensate for the absence. "What are we pointing out to Brazilian society? That the [SUS] waiting list can be fixed," he stated, thanking doctors, nurses, drivers, and employees engaged in the SUS collective effort.
From "multilateralism" to "collective effort"
In a relaxed tone, Lula recalled that his name had already been linked to the introduction of a term in France. “I went to France and was honored at the French Academy of Letters because I introduced the word 'multilateralism'. They didn't know the word 'multilateralism'. They knew 'multilateral', but the 'ism' wasn't there. So they could say that Lula went to the French Academy of Letters to introduce the 'ism' there,” he joked.
Now, the president claims it's time to internationalize the term of Brazilian and indigenous origin. "The Global South will create the word 'mutirão' in the world dictionary," said Lula, associating the concept with an agenda that includes everything from peace in the Middle East to cooperation in global events, such as the Climate Conference (COP30), which will be held in Belém, Pará, in 2025.
