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Summary
Amazon - The creation, in 1990, of extractive reserves in Acre was of great importance not only for the local populations but also for the environment as they enabled the exploitation of the forest without its being devastated. Now these communities call for an expansion of their activities since, today, they are basically limited to rubber-tapping and the collection of Brazil nut, which are insufficient to guarantee decent livelihood.
Health - The Brazilian government has decided to create a state company dedicated to the production of blood derivatives. If, on one hand, such measure caters for the needs of the country in an area in which foreign dependence is responsible for the bleeding of public coffers, on the other, it raises a series of doubts. Even the location of the plant and the processing technique to be adopted constitute reasons for polemic among specialists.
Nutrition - The pursuit of improved quality of life for Brazilians gave rise to a series of initiatives regarding food and nutrition security. The key target of these actions, in which government and civil society act in partnership, are those people in more vulnerable situations, as the population of poor rural communities, indigenous peoples, descendants of runaway slaves - "quilombolas" -, and slum-dwellers in the outskirts of big cities.
Urbanism - For decades Sao Paulo’s inner city has been in decay. Several city administrations have failed to reverse the process due to uncoordinated initiatives. Though boasting good infrastructure, the region, according to specialists, lacks a comprehensive project designed to effectively restore it.
Publishing market - Brazilians do not have the habit of reading. On account of that, the population’s average cultural level is low and the publishing sector is sluggish. To reverse this situation, several initiatives meant to facilitate access to books, both in the private and public spheres, are being implemented nationwide, the opening of new libraries and the reduction of book prices among them.
Conjuncture - On November 18, 2004, the Conselho de Economia, Sociologia e Politica da Federacao do Comercio do Estado de Sao Paulo convened to discuss the Brazilian reality. The meeting’s result, published in this issue, portrays a rather pessimistic outlook of the country, starting with the political area, affected by the negative image parties and Congress alike have with the population. In the economy, a lack of investments in infrastructure, high interest rates, and the excessive tax load are a cause of worry. In the cultural sector, the situation of schools and of teaching in general, in permanent crisis, is deplorable.
Brazil - A school founded by priests in the early nineteenth century in the Caraca region, Minas Gerais, which has been responsible for the educational background of numerous important politicians, is a favored destination for visitors interested in ecological tourism. Surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery, the place also offers visitors cultural and gastronomic attractions.
Immigration - Angolans who fled the war in their country and immigrated to Brazil face life’s harsh reality in areas dominated by factions controlling drug trafficking. Having moved in to the Mare slum, in Rio de Janeiro, the Angolan community also complains about a lack of job opportunities and about being discriminated against even by the police.
History - In May 1937, in Ceara’s outback - the "sertão" -, some 700 peasants were slaughtered by a joint public force, in an operation that came to involve even Brazilian air force planes. Members of a community led by a religious leader, the peaceful "sertanejos" developed a well-succeeded organizational system based on collectivism but incurred the wrath of local elites, who branded them communists.
Memory - In 2005, Brazilian literature celebrates the 25th anniversary of the death of two important writers, Gilka Machado and Adalgisa Nery, who, despite their distinct biographies, had to stand up to the same kind of adversity in order to be recognized and accepted by the intellectuality of their time, characterized by prejudice.
Photography - More than a beautiful work of art, the book "Rocinha" is indeed a faithful portrait of Brazilian reality in black and white. Photographer Andre Cypriano reveals, in eloquent images, the daily life of one of the largest slums in Rio de Janeiro, with its incredible buildings, suffering people, and amazing landscapes.
Thematic panel - At a talk held at the Conselho de Economia, Sociologia e Politica da Federacao do Comercio do Estado de São Paulo, sociologist Francisco de Oliveira spoke on the theme of Economics versus Politics. In his opinion, Brazil’s current economic and political instability stems from the fact that politics has been rendered irrelevant today as a result of the powerful transformations that have occurred on the planet, with globalization at the helm, that have generated rules and systems that more and more elude the control of political systems.
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