This case is part of the Copenhagen Business School Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) free case collection.
This case was featured in the November 2024 issue of Connect.
Who – the protagonist
Antônio Almeida, community leader.
What?
The Quilombo community of Cumbe was situated between the bustling city of Fortlaeza and the tourist haven of Canoa Quebrada in the Ceará state of northeastern Brazil.
The ancestry of the Quilombo people stretched back to absconded and former slaves - largely from Angola - and other marginalised individuals who escaped the colonial order to form maroon settlements known as Quilombos.
The Quilombo community was surrounded by dunes, which had been viewed as sacred ground. The discovery of millennia-old archaeological sites only added to the dunes’ importance.
Why?
The exceptional wind quality of Cumbe led to the development of wind farms on the site, which could account for approximately 10% of Ceará’s power supply.
Over time, assurances of damage mitigation, socio-economic development, and community engagement began to unravel. Promises of employment and community development largely remained unfulfilled, with residents often relegated to temporary labour roles. Infrastructure improvements, including the paving of roads, were seen as one of the few tangible benefits of the project. However, they were eclipsed by a cascade of unforeseen problems.
In the end, as compensation, the Quilombo community were offered a museum to be erected within the community.
They had seen enough. Under the rallying cry of Antônio, Cumbe’s residents came together to mobilise against the wind farm. They stopped its construction for 19 days.
When?
It was 2009 when construction of the wind farm was halted.
Where?
Cumbe’s population stood at around 1,000 people across 180 familial units, with 110 defining themselves as Quilombola.
Brazil’s Quilombolas were first officially counted and mapped in the country’s 2022 census, with over 1.3 million Brazilians identifying as Quilombola.
Key quote
“We are a living museum! We need safeguarding!”
Antônio’s furious response to the developers’ offer of a museum.
What next?
Executives of Companhia Paulista Força e Luz, who were responsible for the development, were prompted to ponder the trajectory of their renewable-energy ventures in light of the experience in Cumbe.
How could the cultural and environmental ethos of communities like Cumbe be honoured and preserved in future endeavours? How could the voices of Cumbe be integrated into narratives on sustainability to foster harmony between renewable-energy projects and Indigenous heritage?
On the reasons for writing the case…
Jacobo said: “We were driven by the desire to amplify the voices of the Quilombola Cumbe community, bringing attention to the impact of wind energy investments that disregard Indigenous rights.
“Like many nations, Brazil aims to diversify its energy sources, but Indigenous communities, such as the Quilombolas, continue to bear the consequences of poorly executed climate change mitigation policies. These policies often overlook the communities’ worldviews and their relationship with nature.
“This case highlights how the firms involved in a wind energy project acknowledged the disruption of a significant archaeological site where the wind park was built. As compensation, they constructed a museum to showcase the remains of the Cumbe community’s cultural heritage, which was damaged in the process. This juxtaposition of destruction and attempted remediation is what inspired us to write this case study.”
On the case writing challenges…
Jacobo continued: “The main challenge was ensuring that the voice of the Quilombola community was represented authentically, without romanticising their struggles. At the same time, we had to fairly present the companies' perspectives on the construction of the wind park.
“Balancing these viewpoints - those of the local community and the firms involved - was crucial to providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges in constructing a wind park on an archaeological site, and the resulting consequences for the Cumbe community.”
On teaching the case…
He added: “This case has been taught in higher education institutions worldwide, as well as in NGO seminars focused on Indigenous peoples' rights. Overall, the experience has been positive, raising awareness about the complexities of climate change investments that fail to respect the local context and the people living there.”
On how students react to the case…
He commented: “Students often express surprise and disbelief that an archaeological site and the cultural heritage of the Quilombolas could be sacrificed for climate change investments. They are also struck by the firms’ simplistic belief that building a museum could somehow compensate for the damage done to the community.
“Additionally, many are shocked to learn that Brazil, despite having ratified robust frameworks such as ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous rights, fails to enforce these protections in cases like Cumbe, leaving firms unaccountable for their actions.”
On case writing tips…
Jacobo explained: “Focus on crafting a compelling story backed by in-depth interviews, enriched with secondary data, visuals, and maps. Strive to present balanced perspectives from all actors involved, allowing readers to form their own conclusions.”
Final word…
Jacobo concluded: “Writing a case study is time-consuming and requires considerable effort, but it is an excellent tool for engaging students and fostering critical thinking.”
The case
Who – the protagonist
Antônio Almeida, community leader.
What?
The Quilombo community of Cumbe was situated between the bustling city of Fortlaeza and the tourist haven of Canoa Quebrada in the Ceará state of northeastern Brazil.
The ancestry of the Quilombo people stretched back to absconded and former slaves - largely from Angola - and other marginalised individuals who escaped the colonial order to form maroon settlements known as Quilombos.
The Quilombo community was surrounded by dunes, which had been viewed as sacred ground. The discovery of millennia-old archaeological sites only added to the dunes’ importance.
Why?
The exceptional wind quality of Cumbe led to the development of wind farms on the site, which could account for approximately 10% of Ceará’s power supply.
Over time, assurances of damage mitigation, socio-economic development, and community engagement began to unravel. Promises of employment and community development largely remained unfulfilled, with residents often relegated to temporary labour roles. Infrastructure improvements, including the paving of roads, were seen as one of the few tangible benefits of the project. However, they were eclipsed by a cascade of unforeseen problems.
In the end, as compensation, the Quilombo community were offered a museum to be erected within the community.
They had seen enough. Under the rallying cry of Antônio, Cumbe’s residents came together to mobilise against the wind farm. They stopped its construction for 19 days.
When?
It was 2009 when construction of the wind farm was halted.
Where?
Cumbe’s population stood at around 1,000 people across 180 familial units, with 110 defining themselves as Quilombola.
Brazil’s Quilombolas were first officially counted and mapped in the country’s 2022 census, with over 1.3 million Brazilians identifying as Quilombola.
Key quote
“We are a living museum! We need safeguarding!”
Antônio’s furious response to the developers’ offer of a museum.
What next?
Executives of Companhia Paulista Força e Luz, who were responsible for the development, were prompted to ponder the trajectory of their renewable-energy ventures in light of the experience in Cumbe.
How could the cultural and environmental ethos of communities like Cumbe be honoured and preserved in future endeavours? How could the voices of Cumbe be integrated into narratives on sustainability to foster harmony between renewable-energy projects and Indigenous heritage?
Author perspective
On the reasons for writing the case…
Jacobo said: “We were driven by the desire to amplify the voices of the Quilombola Cumbe community, bringing attention to the impact of wind energy investments that disregard Indigenous rights.
“Like many nations, Brazil aims to diversify its energy sources, but Indigenous communities, such as the Quilombolas, continue to bear the consequences of poorly executed climate change mitigation policies. These policies often overlook the communities’ worldviews and their relationship with nature.
“This case highlights how the firms involved in a wind energy project acknowledged the disruption of a significant archaeological site where the wind park was built. As compensation, they constructed a museum to showcase the remains of the Cumbe community’s cultural heritage, which was damaged in the process. This juxtaposition of destruction and attempted remediation is what inspired us to write this case study.”
On the case writing challenges…
Jacobo continued: “The main challenge was ensuring that the voice of the Quilombola community was represented authentically, without romanticising their struggles. At the same time, we had to fairly present the companies' perspectives on the construction of the wind park.
“Balancing these viewpoints - those of the local community and the firms involved - was crucial to providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges in constructing a wind park on an archaeological site, and the resulting consequences for the Cumbe community.”
On teaching the case…
He added: “This case has been taught in higher education institutions worldwide, as well as in NGO seminars focused on Indigenous peoples' rights. Overall, the experience has been positive, raising awareness about the complexities of climate change investments that fail to respect the local context and the people living there.”
On how students react to the case…
He commented: “Students often express surprise and disbelief that an archaeological site and the cultural heritage of the Quilombolas could be sacrificed for climate change investments. They are also struck by the firms’ simplistic belief that building a museum could somehow compensate for the damage done to the community.
“Additionally, many are shocked to learn that Brazil, despite having ratified robust frameworks such as ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous rights, fails to enforce these protections in cases like Cumbe, leaving firms unaccountable for their actions.”
On case writing tips…
Jacobo explained: “Focus on crafting a compelling story backed by in-depth interviews, enriched with secondary data, visuals, and maps. Strive to present balanced perspectives from all actors involved, allowing readers to form their own conclusions.”
Final word…
Jacobo concluded: “Writing a case study is time-consuming and requires considerable effort, but it is an excellent tool for engaging students and fostering critical thinking.”
