The Strength of Mística in the MST: Collective Resistance Against the Neoliberal Logic
The article “Mística as a Shaper and Inducer of the Common: The Experience of the MST”, by Pedro Almeida da Silva and Odair Neitzel, analyzes how the practice of mística within the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) relates to the concept of the common developed by Pierre Dardot and Christian Laval. The French thinkers argue that, in the face of neoliberalism, it becomes essential to collaboratively develop alternatives based on cooperation, co-organization, and self-management. In this context, the MST emerges as a tangible example of resistance, particularly through mística, understood as a pedagogical, cultural, and political practice.
The research, of bibliographic and analytical character, shows that mística, rooted in Liberation Theology and re-signified within the movement, acts as a mobilizing and formative force. It unites activists, strengthens critical awareness, and keeps alive the memories of struggle while projecting new collective dreams. Through theater, music, symbols, and rituals, it creates bonds of solidarity and belonging.
Despite challenges such as internal hierarchies and neoliberal influences, mística remains a central element in the MST’s pedagogy, capable of overcoming individualism and reinforcing the commitment to agrarian reform and popular education. For the authors, it is a practical example of the common, as it transforms indignation into collective action and hope into a political project. The article demonstrates that mística is more than a ritual: it is a driving force of resistance, formation, and the construction of a more just, democratic, and solidary society.
