tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82695678102771557502024-01-18T15:28:44.362-06:00University of Nebraska 2012 Brazil Study AbroadBrazilStudyAbroad2012http://www.blogger.com/profile/01736709137012042559noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-50491533289257780792012-07-20T17:31:00.000-05:002012-07-20T17:31:39.197-05:00Reflections on Rio<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
A proverb says that, “Travel broadens the mind, and raises the spirits.”<br />
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While traveling in Brazil, it felt important to soak in whatever we were experiencing at that moment. It is good to come home and put the whole adventure into some perspective. I do feel that my mind has been broadened and my spirits lifted. The highlights for me, as a teacher librarian, were the educational lectures and school visits we made. I have written about those in other blogs. Here I want to reflect on the other aspects that I am so thankful to have experienced.<br />
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The language barrier was a big struggle for me. I have not had formal training in Spanish or Portuguese. Most of the other students in the program were quite fluent in Spanish and said this helped them understand the majority of Portuguese. I had dabbled in Portuguese through an online course, but the speed at which the natives spoke often left me grasping for meaning, even with words I thought I had learned. My second language is German. After studying for three years in high school and another three in college, it was exciting to be able to use it during my travels in Europe. I was equally excited to see our Nebraskans using their language training, but wished I understood Portuguese and could get more out of our trip. Sometimes in frustration, I would find myself knowing that English would not be understood, so blurting out German, as that was all I had in my language arsenal. While in Rio, I met a gentleman whose first language was French, but also spoke Portuguese, Arabic, and English. He was a sociologist, and because he knew my language, was able to share his observations. This revealed the exponential power his words carried. He was able to share his ideas with so many people. I hope that we continue to teach our youngsters the importance of and skills in world languages.<br />
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Another aspect of culture shock that I struggled with was the relaxed view of time. We had been told this would be different from the US, but I found I had to experience it to fully grasp its effect. In one of our lectures, Professor Van Speier told us, “You are never sure what is going to happen in Brazil until <u>after</u> it happens.” We had a well-planned calendar of events for our trip, but could never be sure that we would actually do what was scheduled. It was common for lecturers to be stuck in traffic, so late for our sessions. Sometimes the lecture or trip we had planned was canceled, and we found something different but productive to do with our time. We often lingered over meals much longer than I was used to. Because we were traveling and all other responsibilities were suspended for three weeks, this was not too stressful for me. I did wonder how I would respond if I had other responsibilities or people waiting on my timeliness. I think it was good for me to relax and enjoy the moment, rather than being so tied to my agenda. This is something I hope to practice with family and friends at home.<br />
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They say that doing something twenty-one times makes it a habit, and some of the habits formed in Brazil will be hard to break. I am experiencing withdrawal from walking on the beautiful beaches each morning and most evenings. I miss seeing the beautiful tropical scenery and the varied architecture of Rio. I miss the lectures, discussions, and excursions that introduced me to new ideas each day. I am missing the wonderful Brazilians and Nebraskans I met while in Rio. I am so thankful to have been part of this incredible experience!</div>Denise Ebelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455350335698273621noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-88555485648696713592012-07-19T17:06:00.001-05:002012-07-19T17:06:39.344-05:00Reflections on Brazil<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It’s been four days since we got back from Brazil, and in some ways the three weeks in Rio feel like a dream. Cornfields have replaced the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. The Nebraska summer heat has melted away the temperate winter of the Southern hemisphere, and life here at home has picked right back up where it left off. My time in Brazil seems so totally separate, distant, and foreign. It’s always the challenge of the traveler to make sense of what he or she has seen, heard, felt, and experienced, and initially this seems difficult. Just a few minutes of reflection, however, reveals just how deeply I have been affected by the study abroad course in Brazil. That I can even compare the Nebraska summer to a South American winter is evidence that I’ve had the unique opportunity to experience an exotic place. More than having seen and experienced the natural wonders of Brazil, I have been transformed by the people I met and the conversions I had.<br />
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We came away from Rio with much more than the average traveler because we were more than tourists. We were students of Brazil, of its culture, its language, its people, history, successes, and faults. We learned how the Brazilian economy is growing each year as a result of shrewd political decisions by the nation’s leaders after a tumultuous and disappointing past. We learned how the Brazilian school system operates and that new steps are being taken to reorganize the existing half-day schedule into a full, productive day of classes. We learned that Brazil has a large and multifaceted public health system with many strengths but also many flaws, and that free and equal health care does not usually extend into Brazil’s ghettos or favelas.<br />
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Above all, we learned that Americans and Brazilians would do well to learn from one another and join efforts to be responsible citizens of two major world powers. There is more to tie us together than keep us apart. Probably the most valuable thing with which I came home is a set of relationships with several conscientious Brazilian professors and scientists who are working to protect the environment and improve their home country. The world is shrinking more and more each day, and I have a feeling I will see these people again and that our meeting this summer will be the beginning of a continuing friendship. Until then, I will enjoy the new friendships I have made with my fellow University of Nebraska students. After sharing such powerful experiences in Rio and Paraty, we have bonded in a way that is only possible abroad. </div>Patrick Passarellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10444991660005346577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-61606714326611886962012-07-19T17:05:00.000-05:002012-07-19T17:05:01.112-05:00Brazilian Wrap-up<style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y5nyYMUHUY/UAXOvfFTAqI/AAAAAAAAACA/zZvPXfeDzj8/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y5nyYMUHUY/UAXOvfFTAqI/AAAAAAAAACA/zZvPXfeDzj8/s200/IMG_2162.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly, Adrienne, Ozzy and Chloe</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After 3 weeks
together in Brazil, our group managed to see many of the highlights that Rio de
Janeiro has to offer. As the readers know, we were able to stand atop Pão de <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a</i><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal;">çúcar, Cristo Redentor, and climb favela
stairs; some of us even took a sunset helicopter ride. It is in hindsight that
I am able to say, three weeks is not enough to see and do it all. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal;">We spent the last few days
outside of the city of Rio de Janeiro in a colonial town called Paraty. Like
most of the rest of the group, it took a while to get the pronunciation correct
– it is pronounced </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“PAR-AH-CHEE</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal;">”. PUC-Rio was able to send an
international student worker with us – João Schmitz – and together, we were
able to have a wonderful farewell dinner with none other than Mr. Tom Farrell,
the</span></i> Vice Provost for Global Engagement for the University of Nebraska. It was a
great way to end a fast, intense three weeks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lhktu3tPUEY/UAXPg9weZII/AAAAAAAAACI/w2UIxPB1QUk/s1600/DSC00424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lhktu3tPUEY/UAXPg9weZII/AAAAAAAAACI/w2UIxPB1QUk/s200/DSC00424.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Ipanema Beach</td></tr>
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In previous blogs, other
students have cited the Brazilian musician <span class="st">Tom Jobim with his
quotation “Brazil is not for beginners”. I completely agree. Outside of the
normal ethnocentric ideas that we had about Brazil, our group was able to
experience some of the highs and lows of Rio. We stayed in the glamorous part
of town, Ipanema, yet spent hours in local favelas. We navigated the subway
system, local buses, and taxi’s as if we were natives, and cheered on the “team”
at the Flamengo soccer game. We frequently watched the sun set over the ocean,
and enjoyed a beautiful 75-80 degree “winter” season. We watched polluted bay water under treatment, and spoke to many different Cariocas about their various hopes for the forthcoming World Cup and Olympics.</span></div>
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<span class="st">Rio
de Janerio is an amazing place. It has the big city feel of New York, the ocean
personality of Key West, and the residents have the heart of Nebraskans. I
would like to personally thank the University of Nebraska for allowing me this
once in a lifetime opportunity. Our experiences in Brazil were life changing
and talks of returning were overheard numerous times during the 8,000 miles of
return flights. </span></div>
<span class="st"><i></i></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-14937937245382325882012-07-16T12:53:00.000-05:002012-07-16T12:37:01.275-05:00From FLIP to FLUPP<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The red carpet was out at Criança Esperança on Wednesday,
our final day at that NGO.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">VIP’s were
invited to ride the elevator up twenty seven flights from the wealthy Ipanema
neighborhood to the community center serving the favela residents high on the
hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">After exiting the elevator, they followed the crimson carpet to the
center of the educational program, the Biblioteca, or library.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">As a school librarian, this got my attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">On this day they were hosting one of thirteen events in Rio de
Janeiro called FLUPP. This is a literacy festival for favela residents
sponsored by the UPP, the police department that is assigned to pacify these communities. This festival was modeled after FLIP, the
Festa Literaria Internacional de Paraty.
FLIP is “<i>the</i> literary event of
the Brazilian calendar, as well as one of the most influential literary
jamborees in the world,” according to The Rough Guide to Rio de Janeiro. The annual festival began in 2003 by Liz
Calder, co-founder of the British publisher Bloomsbury. It hosts Brazilian authors as well as those of
international fame. We just missed this
year’s event on July 4-8, as we made the four hour drive to Paraty on Thursday,
July 12. <span style="background-color: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">While FLIP is a festival for elite authors and their
followers, Criança Esperança´s FLUPP was
created for the masses living in favelas.
On our three previous visits to this community center, I took special
interest in the library. It was a large
bright space, with million dollar views overlooking Copacabana and Ipanema beaches,
as well as the picturesque lagoon, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. The library had tables for creative projects,
over twenty computers, and hundreds of books on their shelves. There were samples of student work displayed showing
that they had been learning about the environment in response to the recent Rio
+20 conference. When school was out,
every computer was used by students, typically playing online games. The traffic at the bookshelves, however, was
dismal. On closer inspection, it was
clear why. The shelves were filled with “MUSTY”
books. In the library world that stands
for “Misleading, Ugly, Superseded, Trivial, and
Your collection has no use for it” and it means that it is time for them
to go. It appears that the library was
filled with donated books that were rejected by kind hearted people. A book in the medical section looked as if it
represented the average age of that collection.
It was published in 1986, and had stains showing its exposure to
moisture. A patron would have to dig through many old books to find the few
gems that were hidden on the shelves. A volunteer said she had tried to begin a
reading program with the children, but they showed little interest. She said that in the eight weeks that she had
been there, she had only seen three people checking out books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">That is why it was so exciting to see the activities
happening with FLUPP. Children were
brought to the festival with their class.
The vibrant MC introduced celebrity readers, storytellers, and invited
the children on stage to dance between events.
At first the children seemed to struggle to focus their attention. As Arlete Salles took the stage, the boy next
to me tapped my leg and with a twinkle in his eye said something in Portuguese
which I did not understand, apart from the word “novella”. He was in awe of this TV novella star and was
excited to hear what she had to say.
Again, due to the language barrier, I can only guess that her passionate
introduction involved sharing her love of reading. She then used her theatrical gift to read a
rather long book without pictures to this large group of children. Most gave her their complete attention. Following that there was an incredible
storyteller whose body language and sound effects kept me glued to his every
move, even though I didn’t understand a word he said. The children were
thrilled. Then actress Renata Sarrah
took the stage. She spread a pile of
books on the ledge in front of her. She
refused to take the microphone, and got the group so quiet they could hear her unamplified voice. She also began with a
passionate introduction. She then read
to the students with wonderful expression.
At the end, she told them that the books on stage were written for all
levels of readers and would be donated to the library. This was a generous and welcome gift. This was followed with a book read by Rodrigo Fagundes. I do not know his significance, but the
children seeking to have their picture taken with him certainly did. He kept them in stitches with the humorous
way that he read his book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">In reading more about FLUPP I learned that this is also a
writing contest. Favela residents are often
stereotyped as uneducated gangsters. Through
the festival, they are encouraged to write and submit the diverse stories of
their lives. Thirty of the best entries
are then published into a book. I truly
hope that this event awakens a thirst for reading and writing in these young
people. I hope that they are brought into
the library by the new books given by their TV icon, and that they then take
the time to dig for the other treasures on the shelves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Coates, R. & Marshall, O. (2009). The rough guide to Rio
de Janeiro. Rough Guides.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">McLoughlin, B. (2012). Rio de Janeiro festival brings literature to the favelas. Retrievied from </span></o:p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17692984" style="background-color: white;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17692984</a></div>Denise Ebelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455350335698273621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-44736394600074224792012-07-16T09:53:00.000-05:002012-07-16T09:53:03.676-05:00The Last Week<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This flag will not be forgotten as we round up our last week</td></tr>
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We are now in our last week in Rio and the looming feeling that we will be leaving lingers among us. What an amazing experience we have had thus far. We have come to understand a little more about not only the physical beauty of Brazil, but more importantly the nuances of the culture. </div>
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This weekend we saw highlights from the most important aspects of the area. Petropolis was a city rich in history and the passionate soccer game we saw on Sunday emersed us in Brazil's favorite pastime. I am sure our last trip to Paraty will be equally engaging.</div>
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Yesterday and today we had the opportunity to partake in a service learning project at a local community center in a favela in our area, Criança Esperança. This center gives the community children the chance to stay out of the streets and engage in healthy activities. Their vision is that each activity, whether it is sports, play, or the arts, have some education to offer about socialization. They have a very loose and accommodating schedule for all ages which is quite suitable for the variety of backgrounds the children bring with them. </div>
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The activities range from futbol to English class. Yesterday, I had a wonderful experience observing a theater class for a group of fifteen three to five year-olds. The dynamic relationship between teacher and student in this context was incredible. The teacher was so personable, it was contagious. The children called him papai (dad) and kissed or hugged him often. We learned about his type of rapport from a public school teacher earlier at a class in PUC-Rio last week. It was hard to comprehend at the time but makes far more sense after seeing the relations first hand. The children sometimes see their teachers far more than their own parents, so it would make sense to have such a genuine love for teachers - it is quite endearing. Even with all of the differences that stick out between the people of Rio and the US, it is clear that children are the common denominator with their pureness of heart. </div>
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Today we offered our services by painting one of the rooms in the building. As a proud and humble group, they asked not for our money or specialties, but were most genuinely appreciative of our time. Although meager in comparison to all that they do, our token of service through this small project was necessary to continue the clean atmosphere of the new building. We have no doubt left a small piece of ourselves in this facility as well as made an unforgettable memory. </div>
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As the week raps up along with our trip, it is an excellent opportunity to reflect on what we have learned in Rio. Although we have only known each other for a short three weeks, the experiences we've shared with our new friends have made these close relationships strong and lasting. In these last few days in Brazil, I find it vital to soak up as much culture as possible to share back in the states.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-12545807874191266852012-07-16T09:18:00.000-05:002012-07-16T12:38:00.987-05:00Paraty: A Town Stuck in Time<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Paraty was
colonized in the 1500's by the Portuguese.
It is known as the "Venice of Brazil" because it is built
between two rivers and its streets fill up with water during the rainy
season. The streets are made of cobblestone
and are lower than the buildings to channel water to the bay. What is interesting is that the town was
built during different eras. This can be
seen in its architecture. The first
level of most buildings are made of wood usually during the 1600s. Some buildings added second floors during the
1700s using different materials such as steel.
Homes that had glass windows and door knockers identified the homes for
the rich. It used to take Europeans 5 to
6 months to travel to Brazil. Most who came to Paraty would only build
small homes with only one access point and no windows to better protect
themselves against home invasions. They
also only stayed in Brazil
for a short period of time. Many
Europeans would only stay enough time to create a fortune or to better
themselves. As more people came, the
need for a local economy emerged. Slowly
a road to Minas Gerais was developed as gold was found in the mines. However, when the port of Rio de Janeiro
became important, the traffic shifted north.
This caused the decline of this rising city. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chN_Xt3yF-o/UAEDbbZEmbI/AAAAAAAAABA/0VAB32sPw0E/s1600/IMG_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chN_Xt3yF-o/UAEDbbZEmbI/AAAAAAAAABA/0VAB32sPw0E/s320/IMG_0440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Rua Lapa with the Slave church at the end</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Originally, the town was built on sugarcane and then
later on coffee and tobacco. These
products were known as "black gold" because many became rich very
quickly with the help of slavery.
Although at one time Paraty was an important port, the town and its
people were very segregated. The town
had multiple churches, one for each member of society. For example, there was a church for the rich, the poor, the
slaves, and everyone else. Most churches
had a unique symbol sitting on top of its highest point.
The symbol was a rooster standing on top of a globe. This symbol alerted incoming ships that it was a Portuguese colony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The town is now a UNESCO patrimony protected area. There are strict rules Paraty tries to follow
in order to preserve its history and its valuable artifacts. All tourists must be toured by a local
guide. There are only certain areas cars
can drive on, the residents do their best to keep the place safe and clean, and
tourists are asked to only take home souvenirs that are purchased through local
shops. Furthermore, residents work
throughout the year to repair damaged buildings and to keep the traditional
ways alive. Some of the things you can
still find in Paraty are carriages pulled by horses, and numerous types of
cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane liquor). Even
the princes of Brazil
like Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza continue to have a residence
here. His vacation home is adorned with
the Brazilian monarchy emblem. The
emblem includes images of the coffee and tobacco plants, a globe in the middle,
topped with a ostentatious royal crown.
The crown is topped with the Catholic's church symbol of the cross. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brazilian Monarchy Emblem</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We stayed at the Pousada Condessa. A single floor structure with 40 rooms of various
sizes. The hotel runs parallel with a man-made
channel. Many colorful boats can be seen
here. Paraty is surrounded by beautiful
mountains and green forests. This is an
amazing place to visit. It is town that
is stuck in time. Paraty is a colonial
Portuguese town that preserves its history, and continues to attract
tourists from around the globe. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-60001188401630218272012-07-16T08:49:00.000-05:002012-07-16T12:36:43.482-05:00Perspectives<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Being one of the last blogs from Rio, I feel a certain privilege
of taking a look at our entire trip as inspiration for my entry. From my
perspective as a student from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, I have
received so much information from the readings and also while in the classroom
at PUC, I have been able to apply much of it while here in Rio de Janeiro. From
watching movies and reading about favelas in the States, our idea of a favela
is a massive shanty town filled to the brim with thugs, guns and drugs, but
that is not necessarily the case. From movies such as </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">City of God</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tropa de
Elite</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">, we see what many favelas may have been like in the past, however,
today it is different. In 20 of nearly 630 favelas, life has changed dramatically.
It’s safe for children to roam and play, guns and drugs aren’t the common sight
in the spaces between homes that could be considered streets. As more
international events continue to come to Rio, it is likely that many of the 630
favelas will become pacified in hopes to make the city a safer place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">As Ozzie <span style="background-color: white;">mentioned in a previous blog, we
viewed a lecture given by Pedro Evora</span> at PUC about Urbanism and
Architecture. As in any society, there are still many problems to be solved,
but things are changing as the so-called "pacification police" (a concept similar to community policing in the U.S.) continues to take control of each
community. These police set up a central office within a favela and enforce the
new way of life for people living in each community. As Pedro Evora stated,
favelas are a solution to a problem. All
of the job opportunities were located in the city and instead of making a
multiple-hour commute each day, people began taking over unused land on the
hillsides of Rio. It’s all about perspective. Even though there are problems within favelas, there is a certain
beauty. If one were to take a walk to the Feira de Hippie on Sundays or the
market on Copacabana during the weekday evenings, the selection of artwork is
immense. The one thing that stands out is a particular artistic interpretation of favelas: colorful, small shacks staggered up
and down, left and right on the hillsides of Rio. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">It is this artistic representation that brings about
the beauty of an interwoven system that is used to operate a favela. On a tour
through the community of the organization Criança Esperança yesterday, we were
given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the organization of a favela. As
small as this view was, we saw how the mail center worked: heaps of envelopes
are sorted alphabetically and using the trust system, residents pick up their
mail by flipping through the pile under their initial. However small and
insignificant it may seem, I believe that this reveals a level of trust that
lies inside of these communities. As I have said, it’s all about perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Today I was shown another side of Rio from a
perspective unknown to me before. After a delicious, hearty lunch prepared for
us by Criança Esperança, our group went their own ways to complete our last day
in Rio. I chose to go to the beach for a couple of hours to see a side of Ipanema
of which I had not seen. I spent a solid hour and, a half reading, soaking up
some sun and listening to the daytime beach scene. Following this, a small
group of UNO students met at the hotel to catch a taxi to the helipad near the
Lagoa. Although it may have been a little expensive, the helicopter ride truly
paid for itself. We could not have chosen a better day to take the flight
either. Besides being a bright and sunny
80-something degree day, we also planned to take the flight as the last group
of the day, so that we could see the sunset from above Rio. This new
perspective brought a sense of closure and summary of our trip as we passed
over the Lagoa, Ipanema Beach, Copacabana, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Corcovado.
The views can only speak for themselves as I cannot describe them as anything
more than breathtaking.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8xscPQi8Jc/T_6rFliFJ5I/AAAAAAAAAIs/inz4iw6OJ7I/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8xscPQi8Jc/T_6rFliFJ5I/AAAAAAAAAIs/inz4iw6OJ7I/s400/IMG_2162.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group prior to Helicopter flight</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Even if we encountered some slight turbulence along
the way, this trip has been an experience that means something unique to each
and every one of us. We will all take away so much from this experience and I
am proud to say that I was a part of this fabulous fifteen. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cSEcHnYCI3Q/T_6pMtDlpWI/AAAAAAAAAH4/CtnOT3d2kAA/s1600/IMG_2194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cSEcHnYCI3Q/T_6pMtDlpWI/AAAAAAAAAH4/CtnOT3d2kAA/s400/IMG_2194.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Chloe - helicopter ride over Rio at sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8LnqOOvo7OM/T_6pSlRUi8I/AAAAAAAAAIA/uKJ74OZY9aQ/s1600/IMG_2196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8LnqOOvo7OM/T_6pSlRUi8I/AAAAAAAAAIA/uKJ74OZY9aQ/s400/IMG_2196.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Chloe - helicopter ride over Rio at sunset
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAj9IIORcgw/T_6pac5Q_GI/AAAAAAAAAII/Am4GigJXbpM/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAj9IIORcgw/T_6pac5Q_GI/AAAAAAAAAII/Am4GigJXbpM/s400/IMG_2197.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Chloe - helicopter ride over Rio at sunset
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ke0BOsMrqT8/T_6piZxqzQI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/L1c75gBzjPU/s1600/IMG_2205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ke0BOsMrqT8/T_6piZxqzQI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/L1c75gBzjPU/s400/IMG_2205.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Chloe - helicopter ride over Rio at sunset
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gRu6dD38Lh8/T_6ppMVpioI/AAAAAAAAAIY/vgW0HjI7548/s1600/IMG_2227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gRu6dD38Lh8/T_6ppMVpioI/AAAAAAAAAIY/vgW0HjI7548/s400/IMG_2227.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Chloe - helicopter ride over Rio at sunset
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DfGaeZore_k/T_6pvOpnvxI/AAAAAAAAAIk/LuG-XLz_X8U/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DfGaeZore_k/T_6pvOpnvxI/AAAAAAAAAIk/LuG-XLz_X8U/s400/IMG_2239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Chloe - helicopter ride over Rio at sunset
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br /></span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-57836973000361780862012-07-13T14:01:00.001-05:002012-07-20T17:29:21.595-05:00Game Time<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT24Z_nPQ1-I8ooBhwDBS0DBKobhrAaGUFE6RRdKAT4RVXwEoVfuxy711MlQdcBRVeIfIWGKZY5S6A6KhdcTXHSpZWORxKnbbHHQDLepnNnTxzrWsn1TlDylmdGsFd48TIGg2qvzDn7tGq/s1600/IMG_4875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT24Z_nPQ1-I8ooBhwDBS0DBKobhrAaGUFE6RRdKAT4RVXwEoVfuxy711MlQdcBRVeIfIWGKZY5S6A6KhdcTXHSpZWORxKnbbHHQDLepnNnTxzrWsn1TlDylmdGsFd48TIGg2qvzDn7tGq/s320/IMG_4875.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Juanita and Janet at <i>Estadio Olimpico Jo</i><i>ã</i><i>o Havelange</i> </td></tr>
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You can feel the excitement in the air. Everywhere you look flags are waving, cars are honking, and fans sporting red and black jerseys screaming chants for their team. For all you Nebraska Husker football fans out there, sadly I am not talking about game day Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska. This past Sunday we were fortunate to be a part of one of the Brazil’s most prominent and important pastimes. I am of course talking about attending a fútbol game at<i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>Estádio Olímpico João Havelange </i>where Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (Flamengo or Mengão for short) faced off against the team Fluminense<i>. </i>I, myself, have no specific loyalty to either team, but we were warned we had Flamengo side tickets and going against the crowd might not be in our best interest. That is all it took to convince me, I was yelling and cheering for Flamengo and although they were defeated in a 1-0 final score, I will continue to cheer them on.<br />
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Soccer, or f<span style="background-color: white;">ú</span><span style="background-color: white;">tbol as it is called all over the world, came to Brazil in the late 1800's. Rohter mentions in his book </span><u style="background-color: white;">Brazil on the Rise</u><span style="background-color: white;"> the </span><span style="background-color: white;">skepticism with which the game was introduced and the belief the game would fail to catch popularity in the country. F</span><span style="background-color: white;">ú</span><span style="background-color: white;">tbol was a European sport not to be understood by any other people. Nevertheless, with a record five Word Cup championships under its belt, Brazil has not only proven their ability to play but also has shown their </span><span style="background-color: white;">allegiance</span><span style="background-color: white;"> to the game. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxnEgAGVceLR4rdS7erWcerq3fEIpMOli_qiaf5koJ0G_3FvkF6NK9RdbUaCw7v13dzl77z5M2qywodG-Z27ZisE-Belechv42-_bP0cVvZfT8bM3Q8SvPFAxbhtyW80wf7HXZ1nApvq_/s1600/IMG_4900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxnEgAGVceLR4rdS7erWcerq3fEIpMOli_qiaf5koJ0G_3FvkF6NK9RdbUaCw7v13dzl77z5M2qywodG-Z27ZisE-Belechv42-_bP0cVvZfT8bM3Q8SvPFAxbhtyW80wf7HXZ1nApvq_/s320/IMG_4900.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flamengo Vs. Fluminense</td></tr>
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We had been advised many of the streets around the stadium closed for the game so in order to make it on time we left the hotel around two in order to make the four o’clock game. Upon arriving we rushed out in order to keep the group together, we made it though security and the front gates with relative ease. As we climbed around the stadium I couldn’t help but be reminded of the similarities between the emotions I was feeling and the emotions during home games in Lincoln. Before reaching our seat a firework went off only intensifying the feeling of excitement I was feeling about the game. To hear about the love Latin America has for <i>fútbol </i>is one thing, to actually be a part of it is something completely unexplainable. </div>
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Unlike Husker football games the yelling, cheering, and chanting started from the moment we walked to our seats. Seats, however, are completely unnecessary as I witnessed about a total of three people sitting during the game. I was also taken by surprise by the start of the game. While in the United States there is suspense build before the first kickoff by going into silence, Brazil keeps on going without skipping a beat. Also while most games I have been too chants are short catchy, they seemed to be singing full out songs to their beloved team members. They also included a song at the beginning which had all of the team’s names in it. </div>
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I was impressed by the energy held in the stadium up till the very last second. The band kept playing and fans kept singing even after the clock stopped running and their team had been defeated. It was easy to get lost in the moment and join in the cheering and chanting even if I most likely was singing the wrong words. When the other team scored there were furious faces, but most fans began to sing another song in order to motivate their team. The attitude seemed to be one of ‘we can’t let them phase us with one point.’ </div>
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For me, this was probably a once in a lifetime experience. In order to fully understand a culture you must also take part in and understand their feelings for recreational activities. I appreciate the fact that we were able to enjoy this event. It was a break from the ordinary and one I am not likely to forget!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04443475219676682464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-55371093330954279912012-07-13T13:29:00.001-05:002012-07-13T13:29:28.044-05:00Uma Missa no Rio: Catholicism in Brazil<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While touring the downtown area of Rio last week, we made a short stop at the impressive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro_Cathedral">Catedral de S<span class="st">ã</span>o Sebasti<span class="st">ã</span>o</a>. Constructed between 1964 and 1979, the conical cathedral stands at a height of 96 meters with a diameter of 106 meters and has a capacity for 20,000 people. It is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of the city, and
its four sides are decorated with dazzling stained-glass windows. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group heads inside the cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-DTguFW-2e_lFYntK8H-Bn1stQeCihQ9iWmlvPEv7AVAhzhRG-M-_kUFeFzE9i7UbzBSQrIsaNrUFYAYzf208AmVZWlqGi_OkvvGXukg3Zh7Na9EQ0xykkUqAhq4grrbJp2h96AykpPO/s1600/800px-Rio_de_janeiro_cathedral_sao_sebastiao_2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-DTguFW-2e_lFYntK8H-Bn1stQeCihQ9iWmlvPEv7AVAhzhRG-M-_kUFeFzE9i7UbzBSQrIsaNrUFYAYzf208AmVZWlqGi_OkvvGXukg3Zh7Na9EQ0xykkUqAhq4grrbJp2h96AykpPO/s320/800px-Rio_de_janeiro_cathedral_sao_sebastiao_2010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three of the four stained-glass windows (Wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of
my goals for my time in Rio de Janeiro was to attend a Catholic Mass. I did not have a chance to go to a ceremony at the cathedral, unfortunately, but in Brazil, it's never very hard to find a nearby church. I set my alarm clock a little earlier
than usual this morning, got dressed, and walked a few blocks to the church of Nossa
Senhora da Paz (Our Lady of Peace) for the 6:30 service. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOtYhTYBbbpJGq17ViYK627QCsc0duDkXU-4fUMsDZRmk603WXV3gcbpvyzWG_HiWEyH5iCuGjHIZ9mGM3sarDOrlPOFBLE65YIEU4_rDBEEIUzPA70bOcEJHv6E1JVAS2KewbM_F4p6M/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOtYhTYBbbpJGq17ViYK627QCsc0duDkXU-4fUMsDZRmk603WXV3gcbpvyzWG_HiWEyH5iCuGjHIZ9mGM3sarDOrlPOFBLE65YIEU4_rDBEEIUzPA70bOcEJHv6E1JVAS2KewbM_F4p6M/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Church of Nossa Senhora da Paz (Our Lady of Peace)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few things struck me about the Portuguese <i>missa</i>. It was hard to tell tourist from regular parishioner, but I was impressed by the collection of 40 plus people gathered so early in the morning on a Tuesday. The dress code was similar to that in the U.S., everything from button-up shirt and sports coat and dresses to running shorts and a t-shirt. Everyone seemed friendly, and I received several hearty handshakes during the sign of peace, one a double-handed shake complete with a rosary in between. The priest followed the typical sequence. Of course, I did
not understand much of the Portuguese, but the content of the liturgy is
universal, and the English versions ran in my head as the priest went
from prayer to prayer. The priest sat in a chair in front of the altar,
something I had never seen in the United States before. There was also a
handful of people who showed up to Mass only toward the last few
minutes to take Communion, a phenomenon that seems to me to capture the
spirit of Brazilian Catholicism.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D6KP-EJl7ji6UkXlYKeiV0-DGBVDuaZqJP6BadjsHzcryNUKOcVA8BArUflOcFEmSNFcLNaSM1_4pXuvRxu0YsRLnx1cvDyPKntL2o9-9smyLaYBKn0owG9xA4W12TrKzeMtzjJOK4io/s1600/Nossa+Senhora+da+Paz+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D6KP-EJl7ji6UkXlYKeiV0-DGBVDuaZqJP6BadjsHzcryNUKOcVA8BArUflOcFEmSNFcLNaSM1_4pXuvRxu0YsRLnx1cvDyPKntL2o9-9smyLaYBKn0owG9xA4W12TrKzeMtzjJOK4io/s320/Nossa+Senhora+da+Paz+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Church of Nossa Senhora da Paz (Our Lady of Peace)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With 123 million people who self-declare as Catholic, Brazil boasts the single largest community of Roman Catholics of any country in the world. The presence of religion is seen everywhere: statues of saints can be seen in bars, churches stand on every other street corner, feast days are widely celebrated, and people often respond to a farewell with "Se Deus quiser" or "If God so wills it." Carnival, the most important holiday in Brazil, is a final ostentatious celebration of drinking, eating, and dancing before Lent begins. Nonetheless, as author Larry Rohter writes, "those manifestations of what seem to be conventional religious belief mask a deeper and more complicated reality." Many of the approximately two-thirds of the Brazilian population who profess to be Catholic only attend services on major holidays such as baptisms, weddings, or funerals. In smaller towns, "it's not unusual for men to sit in the square playing dominoes or checkers or to be in the pool hall or tavern while their children and womenfolk are at religious services." Others who consider themselves nominally Catholic actually subscribe to syncretic Afro-Brazilian religions, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macumba">macumba</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candombl%C3%A9">candomblé</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbanda">umbanda</a>. These faiths, spiritual cousins of Haitian voodoo or Cuban Santeria, combine pagan elements of Western African origin and Christianity.<br />
<br />
The complex nature of religious faith in this country is another example of how, like the U.S., Brazil is a large country with an ever-changing confluence of cultures and ideas. Things are often not how they appear in Brazil and in Rio, and as the composer Tom Jobim said, "Brazil is not for beginners." Nonetheless, after more than two weeks here, we are moving beyond the status of beginners as we encounter elements of the culture that paint a deeper and more realistic picture of what life here is really like. As our final week flies by all too quickly, we can only hope that our love affair with this magnificent and mysterious country has only just begun. <br />
<br /></div>Patrick Passarellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10444991660005346577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-28147818395362258422012-07-13T13:04:00.000-05:002012-07-13T13:04:53.010-05:00Futebol in Espaco Crisanca Esperanca<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">On Monday the ninth and Tuesday the tenth I was a
part of a basketball and soccer team in Espaco Crianca Esperanca. Espaco
Crianca Esperanca has indoor basketball on Mondays and soccer Tuesday through
Friday. I am glad I was able to attend these two days to see the
tremendous difference in the children from one day to the other. I witnessed a
complete change in atmosphere with the children from Monday to Tuesday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">On Monday the children were very excited to have us join
their teams. They tried to get to know us, and asked lots of questions. They
were simply curious about us joining them for basketball. The children were
very energetic on both days, but in a different way. On Tuesday more than twice
as many children showed up. Their ages were from nine to fourteen years old.
They welcomed us, but were not around us as they were the previous day. They
focused on the game only. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">We were split up into teams of five. There were about
eight teams. Two teams played against each other until one scored, and then
another team would go in. I watched three teams before my team played. I
watched their facial expressions closely, and their enthusiasm. I looked at
the young faces and I saw another type of face. I could see the concentration in their eyes. Their love and
passion for the game radiated in their movements of this "jogo bonito" or beautiful game as famous Brazilian soccer player, Pele, referred to it as. They were so concentrated
that they would not leave even for a drink of water.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Children in Brazil start playing soccer at a very young age. At Espaco Criana Esperanca younger children, both girls and boys, play indoor soccer at an earlier time. They are taught the basics of soccer. One of the biggest reasons why soccer is played so much in Brazil is because it does not require a lot of equipment like other sports do. Soccer also became very popular in Brazil in the nineteenth century, and spread to other countries. Children see soccer as a way to rise in their community and work toward a better future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I was able to talk to one of the boys that I had played
basketball with the previous day. He was showing off his moves and he said that
he wanted to be as good as Ronaldo. After I
saw him play I was sure that he was serious about following in the footsteps of this soccer sensation and role model. He has a dream of becoming a world-class player. I couldn’t
help but think of how that would help his family. I wondered if aiming for a
better income to help his family was what motivated him to work so hard towards
becoming a great player. Whether it is for money, the love of the game, or
a little of both, he dreams of one day being the best soccer player.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-666567241107374222012-07-13T12:56:00.003-05:002012-07-13T12:56:39.778-05:00Brazil: A Hopeful Future<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">For
two days this week, we worked at an organization called Criança Esperança. The
main objective of Criança Esperança is to improve the lives of children by
keeping them out of the streets during non-school hours and providing with
supplemental activities such as theater class, English class, and physical
education in a safe environment. <o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The service
learning project I worked on was repainting a small corridor at the Criança
Esperança facility and participating in the physical education classes.
Although at first I was skeptical about how much learning I would get out of
these activities and how helpful my participation would be to the organization,
the grateful faces and appreciative handshakes showed me that by doing something
that the organization needed, even as simple as painting a wall, can be of
great help to a nonprofit organization which has many things it wants to
accomplish only to be limited by funding availability. <o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Participating
in the physical education class benefited me because I was able to practice my
Portuguese with the children. It also benefited the physical education teacher
because there are often more kids in his class than he could realistically supervise,
and the additional help was clearly appreciated. The children also enjoyed having
guests as well as the additional competition we provided in basketball and
futsal games. <o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Throughout
this trip to Rio de Janeiro, we have been lucky to stay at one of the
wealthiest neighborhoods of Brazil, Ipanema. We have visited one of the best
public schools in Rio, and we have also visited pacified favelas with
established organizations such as Criança Esperança, that are trying to create
opportunities for the youth of the favelas. The places we have visited only
tell us part of the story however, as a majority of Brazilian schools are of
low quality. In our pre-trip lessons we learned that Brazilian education is relatively
weak, represented by 88.6% literacy rate, a low literacy rate compared to other
countries. We also learned during Pedro Evora’s lecture that there are over 625
favelas in Brazil, but only 25 have been pacified. Although the places we have
visited are of higher quality than average, we have been able to see that
Brazil is capable of making strides in improving its poverty and education
systems.<o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">It
seems that Brazil is pacifying the favelas around Rio de Janeiro in attempt to
get ready for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Hopefully, Brazil’s
efforts at the favelas will continue even after these events have passed.
Brazil has also worked on improving poverty and education which they have also
successfully been able to do despite all the corruption and bureaucracy present
in the Brazilian government. When talking with our Brazilian lecturer’s and
locals, all of them seem to have great hope for Brazil in the future, despite
Brazil’s current problems. This hopeful mentality seems to be part of the “Jeitinho
Brasileiro”, which is the mentality that by being friendly, creative, and by
having a positive outlook, Brazilians can solve all problems. <o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">As
we near the end of this trip, I have seen that Brazil has many difficult social
problems it needs to tackle. Throughout this trip I have seen evidence of
Brazil making vast improvements in short periods of time, especially in terms
of education and safety issues in favelas. Although Brazil still has a lot of
work to do to improve these social indicators, I believe that with Brazilian
hope and perseverance they will eventually get there.</span><o:p></o:p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-35756018753725354522012-07-13T12:56:00.001-05:002012-07-13T12:56:25.785-05:00Q: “What is a ‘community’?”<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">A: A
group of living organisms that depend on each other—either physically, emotionally,
or spiritually—to fulfill some need or desire.
There is an unseen bond that links them.
By sharing resources, as a group, they are made stronger.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">Yesterday, to prepare for our volunteer work
at Criança Esperança, the whole group sat down for some serious reflection. One question that we each had to answer in
our own words was this: “What is a ‘community’?” While we had learned that a growing and less
stigmatized name for the <i>favelas</i> was
that of “<i>comunidades</i>” (which
translates to “communities” in Portuguese), at the time, I still didn’t realize
just how relevant the name was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">Before coming to <st1:place w:st="on">Rio</st1:place>,
I had some mistaken notions of what the <i>favelas</i>
(or “shantytowns”) would be like, based on my own, limited exposure to poverty. The prediction was a rough combination of a
Native American reservation I’d visited, pictures of starving children in
India, and the old “Hoovervilles” that I had read about in history class. While the previous <i>favela</i> tours corrected my misperceptions in terms of physical
differences, I still did not see them as <i>comunidades</i>. I still thought of them as poor
“neighborhoods”…and of places devoid of hope or happiness. Today, however, all of that changed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">After a day of volunteering with the
children at the Criança Esperança building, we had the opportunity to take a
more “in-depth” tour of the surrounding, pacified <i>favela</i>. After being given
the option of walking up the twenty or thirty flights of stairs or taking a
cable car up the steep hillside (I chose the cable car), for the first time,
our group escaped the perimeter and tread through the heart of the <i>favela</i>.
The community was quite the opposite of the desolate “shantytown” I’d
assumed it to be. I have never seen a
place so alive. To even begin to
understand what it felt like to walk through the <i>favela</i>, one must remember this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">In a world in which the air is as precious
as the ground, one does not “enter”…rather, one is <i>engulfed</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">In this <i>favela</i>,
the residents live in a vibrant, three-dimensional world, utilizing the space
around and even above them in a way that would put our most “space-efficient”
cities to shame. Houses tower overhead
like pieces of a patchwork quilt, while a labyrinth of brightly grafittied
corridors winds through, often barely wide enough for two people to pass each
other. Out and about, people are walking
their children to and from Criança Esperança, pushing through on their
motorcycles, stepping into the little “mom-and-pop” stores, or just socializing
with neighbors and friends. It is true,
of course, that there are the mounds of garbage whose smell makes you gag, and
that the sewage passes beside you in open grates. But it is also true that young couples walk
down the street hand-in-hand and that strains of music like Bruno Mars’ “It
Will Rain” can be heard from nearby radios.
Also, and perhaps the most striking, is the number of brightly colored
kites that flick at the sky, guided by children perched on the rooftops and
balconies. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">The sense of <i>comunidade</i> that I felt from that single trek through the heart of
the <i>favela</i> was overwhelming. Not only is it a little town, but it is its
own, little <i>world</i>…an ecosystem in
which everything has a part and everything is interdependent. It could easily subsist without the world
around it. There is an invisible bond
that connects all the members, as I had predicted in my definition, but it is
not a bond of poverty. It is a bond of
living and enduring in <i>spite</i> <i>of</i> poverty. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">Where I come from, we have access to almost
everything we could ever need or want; yet, we do not laugh as easily or
heartily, we do not take the time to fly kites on a Tuesday afternoon, sometimes
we do not even know the names of our neighbors.
In my own neighborhood in suburban <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Omaha</st1:city></st1:place>,
I almost never see people simply enjoying life like I saw here. But here, in this little, pacified <i>comunidade</i>—a place that is so often seen
as something to be “pitied” as opposed to something of wonder—they have
something much richer than I have seen in my time in suburban Omaha. A true <i>comunidade</i>.</span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-63519695673882092242012-07-12T13:58:00.000-05:002012-07-16T10:27:27.060-05:00Questioning Assumptions<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
I am learning from the unquestioned assumptions that I hold. Being born in the USA and taught in that school system, I learned certain things over the years. Many of these things I have forgotten but still think of as true. Coming to Brazil has brought many of these to mind and caused me to question them.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For example, if I asked you “Who invented the airplane?” what would you answer? Orville and Wilbur Wright correct? That is what I believed until I came to Brazil.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Going to a city called Petropolis this weekend challeneged my belief in Orville and Wilbur Wright as the inventors of flight. Petropolis was the summer home of Pedro II Emporer of Brazil and is about 2 hours from Rio. We saw the Imperial Museum in this city and we also visited the home of Alberto Santos Dumont, the man who Brazil claims invented flight. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have to be honest, my first reaction was 'Who the heck is Santos Dumont?” As we toured his house we learned many things. Dumont was a native of Brazil who studied aeroanautics in Paris at the turn of the century. According to Smithsonian Online, in 1906, Dumont flew his 14bis, a box kite like machine, for the Aero Club of Paris. His plane took off on its own power, flew several hundred meters and landed without incident. He became an overnight sensation and was credited with being the first man to fly a heavier than air aircraft. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This claim was challeneged 20 months later when the Wright Brothers came to Paris with their plane. They claimed to have made the first flight in 1903 but had kept the flight under wraps so that they could gain a government contract. (See Wings of Madness, PBS website at <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/santos/hadingham.html">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/santos/hadingham.html</a>). The Wright Brother's plane was so more manuverable than Dumont's, that the Wright Brothers were given credit for discovering flight.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is some debate as to weather or not Dumont should still be given credit since his plane took off under its own power. The Wright Brother's plane used skids to give it some power at the start.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Regardless of the exact answer, I was struck by the fact that there was another legitimate claim to who invented flight. I had never questioned the veracity of what I was taught in grade school. This may have been why I was surprised to read in Larry Rohter's book <i>Brazil on the Rise</i> about Embraer in a chapter we read before coming to Brazil. Embraer is a Brazilian Airplane manufacturing company. It it is the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest airplane manufacturer in the world. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rohter pointed out that Embraer intentionally did not complete with manufacturing giants like Boeing and Airbus. It chose to not make large air craft but rather focus on niche manufacturing and make small to mid size jets. It is entirely possible, according to Rohter, that the next time you fly on small commuter jet you are flying on a Brazilian jet. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Embraer, like Santos Dumont at the turn of the century, questioned the assumptions about how to compete in air plane manufacturing and got powerful results.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-79997907499686619722012-07-10T12:20:00.000-05:002012-07-10T12:24:49.250-05:00Reading, wRiting, and aRithematic in bRazil!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">R</span></b><span lang="EN-US">eading, w<b>R</b>iting, and a<b>R</b>ithematic in b<b>R</b>azil!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A highlight of our day was a lecture by public school teacher, Roberto Pinheiro. It is common for teachers in Brazil to have several jobs. Roberto is no exception. Students attend school for a half day in Brazil. Intermediate students are scheduled in the mornings and primary students in the afternoon. Teachers are generally certified in one grade, so only work the half day they are in session. Roberto teaches the English language to primary, intermediary, and university students. He teaches in Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, and in the IBEU (Institute for Brazil and the United States at the university we are attending). He meets with his public school students for fifty minutes once a week. Classrooms often have between forty to sixty students.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We learned that there is a national curriculum teachers are expected to cover. Roberto said that students are missing the background knowledge needed to meet these expectations, so he must adapt and remediate to move students toward their goals. He noted that his students seem to be concrete thinkers, and they struggle with abstract and higher-order thinking. He said few public school students aspire to attend college, and therefore are not highly motivated to push themselves to achieve. He encourages them to work hard and have big dreams.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roberto commented that discipline can be a hindrance to learning. In comparing his experiences in public and private schools, he felt students in private schools were less respectful. These students and parents feel since they are paying tuition, they are superior to the teacher. Students in public schools are more respectful, but are unaccustomed to the social expectations of the classroom. He has had to balance his natural playful nature with being strict and establishing and expecting respectful attitudes. There are times when he needs to send students to the principal or coordinator; however he finds affectionate relationships often curb behavior issues. He noted that in Brazil, students do not call a teacher by their last name, but as “teacher”, “uncle” or “aunt”. They are always in awe if they see him out on the beach or in the community. We sensed his warmth and can only imagine his wonderful rapport with his students.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roberto said most students come from difficult backgrounds. Their homes may lack adequate space and are subject to flooding. Their parents are often illiterate. The school tries to connect to families. Roberto teamed up with a Science teacher to provide health training for families. He said that teachers conduct parent-teacher conferences twice a year. Along with this, they stay in contact by phone and may ask parents to meet at school if there is a specific need. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We asked about the technology that is available in his schools. Roberto said email, Skype, and YouTube are helpful aids. Teachers must share the limited computers and projectors. When he needs them, they are often checked out. He has ended up purchasing his own. He has also purchased a voice amplifier. Now when he is teaching up to 60 chatty middle school students, he can be heard without straining his voice. He also noted that as poor as most students are, they usually have personal access to internet and cell phones. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was incredible to hear all that public school teachers are able to accomplish with extremely limited resources. I feel their wages are far from adequate. In higher paying private schools there is little job security. Roberto was witnessing his more experienced colleagues being fired so that new lower-paid teachers could be hired. He decided to make the move on his own to the public schools which are desperate for dedicated teachers. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The conditions at schools hinder learning. Most Brazilian class sizes are about double those in the United States. They have limited equipment and what they do have is in disrepair. They include all students in homerooms, including the learning and physically disabled, autistic, and gifted students. They are told their class size will be reduced when they have students with unique needs, but this rarely happens. There are no special education teachers or para-educators to support these students. Roberto was an example of someone whose passion is helping him rise above the obstacles in public education. Listening to Roberto, you could sense his passion for his students. He told us that he found it extremely rewarding to have students begin to recognize language and communicate in English. Their success is his reward. I was inspired to serve selflessly in my own teaching position and to keep students as my top priority.</span></span></div>Denise Ebelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10455350335698273621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-64927177389285274242012-07-10T12:16:00.000-05:002012-07-12T17:12:58.415-05:00Soccer?? Não, é FUTEBOL!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> We are currently in Rio de Janeiro’s winter season, which translates into rain instead of snow, but Oh what delightful days we’ve been given throughout our first two weeks here. The warm Brazilian sun has shined kindly on our pasty (some of us anyway) skin. However, we were about due for a good rain and it happened to come this past Sunday, July 8<sup>th</sup> … the day of our planned intercity rivalry soccer match: <b><span style="color: green;">Flu</span><span style="color: #630521;">minense</span></b> X <b>Fla<span style="color: red;">mengo</span></b> … but it was so worth the soggy-bottom jeans and soaked shoes!! CORRECTION: It is not soccer; it’s futebol – “foot – chee – bowl.” Learn it, or else you’ll get mean mugged. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> We have witnessed so much inequality since being here in Rio, from colorful <i>favela</i> slums slung atop five-star hi-rise hotels/condos that line Ipanema beach, to the saddening disparity between educational opportunities amongst young Brazilians (especially post-secondary). With all the chaotic and disheartening paradoxes, we find an <b>equalizer</b> in the simple game of futebol. It’s everywhere; on TV in every Suco Bar (refer to the pic in Ozzie’s July 1<sup>st</sup> entry), played and mastered within the community centers inside the <i>favela</i> communities, as well as on the tricked-out fine sandy beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana where futebol trainers are many and non-futebol enthusiasts are few. This simple game of kicking anything that that carries a spherical shape has a way of ushering down the privileged from their pedestals and uplifting the impoverished out of their shantytowns. It’s quite remarkable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Karina, Kelvin, Adrienne, and myself got a chance to become part of this traditional Brazilian reality on the Monday after the much-anticipated <b><span style="color: green;">Flu</span><span style="color: #630521;">minense</span></b> /<b>Fla<span style="color: red;">mengo</span></b> match … at the pre-selected NGO where we will be carrying out our community involvement/service learning project. <i>Criança Esperança </i>is a before and after school community learning center in a <i>favela</i> community called <i>Morro do Cantagalo</i>, which lies just a few blocks away from our hotel. Now, one might be questioning: Stacked slums next to wealthy Ipanema district hotels? Well, pretty much. However, you must take a 26-floor elevator ride to actually arrive at this <i>favela</i> community … what our group often refers to as Rio’s “nine and three quarters” (referencing Harry Potter and the labyrinth within the train station that transcends realities). Just as Harry disappears from the <i>muggle</i> world and arrives in the land of <i>witchcraft and wizardry</i>, in a similar fashion we took off from expensive sidewalk shops and ascended to concentrated poverty in a mere one minute elevator ride. Quite unbelievable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During this introductory day of service learning, we four opted to assist physical education Teacher, Francisco, in the gym with ~fifteen youngsters from about 9-12 years of age. With the exception of native-speaker Kelvin, us girls’ Portuguese is more like “Portuñolish” (Portuguese + Spanish + English). However, futebol is a language in and of itself and as a result, we non-native speakers found it refreshing to just play ball … futebol served as an <b>equalizer</b> just as it has/does amongst all racial and socioeconomic classes of Brazil; it levels the playing field so that most all are included. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I certainly will never forget the few short hours we spent with these young, die-hard, <i>futebolistas</i> from the <i>Morro do Cantagalo</i> community <i>favela</i>. What I took for granted as a non-vital privilege in my childhood is actually a life necessity for these community kids. It’s not only an escape from a perhaps rough home life, it’s an outlet for them to pretend and hone their skills so as to become the next Neymar/Messi/Ronaldo, as well as something through which these young people can develop strong, lifelong sportsmanship skills. It’s funny the way a ball can pluck us from the highest of highs and lowest of lows and place us on the same, leveled field; equals as it’s meant to be. It truly is a beautiful game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Today we began our service learning experience in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We walked down a few blocks to take the elevator up directly into Criança Esperança. Up we went 26 floors ready for a day of community involvement and interaction with the children at this NGO. Unfortunately, when we arrived to meet with the director, they were not ready for us and we were asked to come back at lunch time. We did the Brazilian thing and improvised. During this unexpected free time, Arturo and Marisol had us engage in a group activity that challenged our personal and cultural perspectives on what constitutes a necessity, a problem, a resource, and a community. This exercise helped me become more aware not only about my own perception and preconceived beliefs, but it also allowed me to keep in mind that my ideas are not the same as the ideas and perception of those in charge of the NGO or of the community members.<br /><br />When we went back to Criança Esperança at noon we were greeted by Miriam, a Harvard student doing her 6 week long international internship there. She led us down to a diner where we had a wonderful Brazilian lunch. After luch, Miriam explained a bit more about the NGO, their philosophy and how we would be helping during our time here. The work we would be doing, she explained, would mainly be interacting with the kids. She explained the center is open to anyone and it is not necessary to sign up for their free services. The reason for this is that they want to remove as many barriers for more community members to be able to take advantage of their services free from hassle.<br /><br />In addition, Miriam kindly shared about her experience at Criança Esperança. She said she learned to accept and embrace their philosophy on the importance of play. They believe play is a powerful tool in teaching values and skills such as respect, cooperation, social wellbeing, effective communication, and discipline. Miriam admitted it was a bit difficult because her expectation was that she would be engaged in more straightforward educational school-like activities versus more learning through play and interaction. At Criança Esperança they believe the best way to serve the children and their families is offering a safe environment for them and to enhance their social environment and learning experiences through play.<br /><br />Finally, we broke off into groups to start our service learning. Some of us went to the Library where they had arts and crafts and the computer lab. Others went to observe a theatre class or an English language class, while the rest went to the gym for basketball. I walked into the library and over to meet the arts and crafts coordinator. At the time, only one little girl was at the table coloring. After some time, more kids started trickling into the library. Most had just got out of school for the day. 4 more girls came in, and the arts and crafts director invited Molly, Janet, and me to dance with them. After our dance break, we went back to arts and crafts where we taught the kids to make folded paper hearts and hats.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Carolina (age 7) and Sanjuanita (UNO Student) during Service Learning at Criança Esperança </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The children were welcoming and happy to have us there. We quickly gained their trust and they were even calling us “tio” or “tia” (literally "uncle" or "aunt") which is what they call their teachers at school and instructors at the NGO. Just being there and offering our time to these kids was a great experience because despite the differences in culture and the language, we were able to share some time with them and teach them a few things as they taught us as well. I learned through their innocence and simplicity that it really doesn’t take much to make a difference. To be present is to serve, and to spend time with someone of a different background is when you learn how similar we all really are.</span><br />
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<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-53266124169918945972012-07-10T12:03:00.000-05:002012-07-10T12:34:02.246-05:00Petrópolis, The Brazilian Imperial City.<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
This past Saturday, our group made a voyage to the Brazilian “Imperial City” of Petrópolis. Located roughly 40 miles outside of Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis is a former capital city of Brazil, and gained notoriety for being the summer get-away of Dom Pedro II.<br /></div>
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Our day began with a few quick stops at the local German village and the chocolate factory. After stuffing our pockets with as much chocolate as we could carry, our guide asked if we could make room for another tour to join us, as their tour bus had broken down. The broken-bus group was from Stanford University, and after making their acquaintances, we managed to find common ground of studying at PUC-Rio. Listening to the Stanford group tell tales of their own Portuguese language learning experiences made myself and a few other classmates very grateful for the wonderful experiences we have had on behalf of PUC-Rio.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="PT-BR">Catedral</span> de <span lang="PT-BR">São Pedro de Alcântara, Petrópolis</span></td></tr>
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Once we parted ways with Stanford, our first official visit was to the Catedral de São Pedro de Alcântara. This cathedral can solely be defined as “breath taking”. Built in 1884, but opening for worship in 1925, the large cathedral holds the remains of Dom Pedro II and his wife Teresa Cristina, as well as their daughter Princess Isabel and her husband, the Count D'Eu. When words failed, some of the students took to their knees and said a silent prayer. If any readers ever get a chance, the Catedral de São Pedro de Alcântara definitely needs to make their bucket list!<br /><br />After a quick buffet lunch, we walked through town towards the Museu Imperial de Petrópolis, the former summer palace of Dom Pedro II. The palace featured “Brazil wood” floors, two large wings, and two stories of exhibits. To preserve the palace, visitors were required to wear over-the-shoe step-in slippers; Nebraskans were sliding all over the place!<br /></div>
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The highlight of the entire palace was a dark room with the sole focus on the Brazilian Imperial Crown worn by Dom Pedro II. The Crown contains 596 precious stones, of which most are diamonds and pearls. Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed on the tour, but to describe the Crown as “stunning” would be an understatement. The photo to the left does not do it justice.<br /><br />After a long day of sightseeing, we piled back onto the bus and headed towards Rio. The day trip was amazing, and the city of Petrópolis is a must-see for future visitors!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-58529660042511832012012-07-10T12:01:00.000-05:002012-07-10T13:33:45.446-05:00Brazil: The Nationalist and All His Friends<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
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Today we had a Brazilian foreign relations professor speak about Brazil’s ideology on the international stage. It was stated that Brazil has three main principles which guide its position on foreign policy issues: universalism, autonomy, and the Brazilian version of manifest destiny. Universalism is the concept that Brazil will try to maintain friendly relations with all countries regardless of government type or physical location. Autonomy is the idea that Brazil wants freedom and flexibility in politics. This includes not forming agreements that may jeopardize or restrict future opportunities. Finally, the Brazilian version of manifest destiny represents the idea that Brazil is meant to occupy a special place in the international stage. </div>
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After getting a quick lesson on the Brazilian perspective on foreign relations, the professor stated that despite all of Brazil’s current economic success, the only way for Brazil to continue to grow is to give up some of its autonomy. She stated that due to globalization Brazil must begin to participate in different treaties and agreements to maintain its reliability and improve its international image. For example, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons became effective in 1970. Brazil only signed the treaty in 1998, when Brazilian credibility came into question. Although Brazil did give up some of its autonomy by signing the treaty, it gained credibility in the international stage. Brazil also maintains its autonomy by protecting domestic companies from foreign competition. Rohter (2012) gives several examples of Brazilian companies that are under government protection including Embrapa (an agricultural research company) and Petrobras (a petroleum company). From the visit to the American Chamber of Commerce, we learned that the Brazilian government requires Petrobras to control 30% of all new petroleum ventures in Brazil. These protectionist actions demonstrate high Brazilian nationalistic pride in wanting to achieve economic success with their own local companies. This protective nationalistic behavior may have stemmed from Brazil’s colonial history in which its resources were highly exploited by European countries. Therefore, I have a huge amount of respect for the Brazilian government for achieving economic success by their own means and with their local companies.</div>
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Brazil’s universalism is something that was discussed during the pre-trip lessons and was also described in Rohter’s book. In the chapter “Industrial Giant, Agricultural Superpower”, Rohter describes Brazil’s trade patterns which are divided as close as “possible into quarters, with Latin America, North America, Europe, and Asia having equal shares.” Brazil’s goal to keep friendly relations with all countries allowed it to create friendly trading relationships with a variety of countries from different continents. This allows Brazil to maintain relative flexibility and prevents Brazil from relying on a particular country for trade. Because of their trading success, Brazil was not particularly affected by the 2008 Recession, which shows that their universalism ideology has its benefits despite the additional diplomatic effort required to maintain all those relationships.</div>
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Toward the end of the lecture, we got a brief overview of Brazil’s relationships with the United States and Latin America. It was said that Brazil has often had a strained relationship with other Latin American countries due to the fact that Brazil is the largest and most economically successful country out of all Latin American countries. Latin American countries have the perception that Brazil is trying to impose their leadership on other Latin American countries. There are often conflicts within the Mercosul (Mercado Comum do Sul) economic agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay due to the balance of economic power tilted towards Brazil. </div>
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Brazil’s relationship with the United States seems to be friendly on the surface. However there are often events which make the relationship strained. For example, it was stated that the United States was the only country which opposed Brazil becoming a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. </div>
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The professor also compared Brazil’s influence style to the United States’ influence style on the international stage. It was said that Brazil uses more “soft powers” which include persuasive and diplomatic skills. The United States not only uses “soft powers” but also has military force to back up their diplomatic talks.</div>
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Overall, the Brazilian foreign policy requires Brazil to balance between protecting its domestic companies while pleasing and maintaining positive relationships between other foreign countries. I believe that Brazil will be able to continue improving and finally achieve the world superpower status if it continues to follow its current ideology. However, many will argue that Brazil has already achieved that status…</div>
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Itamaraty (Brasilia) – Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations</div>
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</tbody></table>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-69179636065133700222012-07-10T11:55:00.000-05:002012-07-10T13:36:11.421-05:00Systema Unico de Saude: Health Care in Brazil<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We had a preview of the health care system last week when we toured a municipal primary care center. Today the lesson continued with a lecture from Monike, a Brazilian nurse who went abroad to Portugal and Sweden for her Masters in Public Health. Monike had just returned from the U.S. where she had been working with the United Nations. She laid out the basics of the health care system in a straightforward way and made sure we recognized that what seemed like an elegant and simple design did not always work in practice.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monike giving her lecture</td></tr>
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Monike began with a brief history of health care in Brazil, which originally consisted of small-scale services to attend to the Portuguese royal family and court when they arrived in Brazil in the early 19<sup>th</sup> century. With the end of slavery in 1888, Brazil saw a series of waves of European immigrants who brought diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox. The public health system was largely in support of an agro-export economy, and its main purpose was to control such diseases coming in on seafaring vessels. From then until the 1960s, the growth of immigration, urbanization, and industrialization brought an increased demand for health care by the country's workers. For the next few decades, only the workers had access to limited services, and the care for the poor, needy, and informal workers was mostly covered by charitable and religious groups.<br />
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As Brazil shook off the yoke of its military regimes in the 1970s, greater demands for a unified system of public health resulted in the S.U.S. or Systema Unico de Saude, which was created by the new constitution of 1988. Today, 80% of Brazilians have S.U.S. as their only source of health care, and 20% have additional private health care. The system contains 6,100 hospitals, 45,000 primary care units, 30,000 Family Health Teams. It performs 2.8 billion outpatient and 9.7 million inpatient procedures and manages 11 million hospitalizations annually. The S.U.S. is financed by state, municipal, and federal taxes. Brazilian law requires that at least 12% of state taxes, and a minimum of 15% of municipal taxes, be dedicated to healthcare expenses. The percent of federal taxes varies each year with GDP. The network consists of many different kinds of healthcare centers from Basic Health Units, primary care centers that provide common health services and surveillance, to Mobile Boat Units that travel via the Amazon River to the farthest outposts of tribal villages. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mobile Boat Unit on the Amazon River</td></tr>
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The previously mentioned Family Health Teams are units consisting of one doctor, one nurse, one medical technician, and several community health workers that are responsible for providing primary care services to people in all sizes of cities and villages. This system was implemented in 1996 and has expanded to cover most of the regions in Brazil. Family Health Teams are always a fixed size, work a set 40 hours per week, and serve a set number of patients. They are required to come from the community they serve, in order for them to establish strong personal connections with the people whose homes they enter and whose lives they affect.<br />
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Despite having an excellent model, the S.U.S. does not always work as well as it should. The Brazilian health care system is beset with problems, many of which are common to the U.S. There are inequalities in access to care, poor service, queues and overcrowding in emergency rooms, and resource shortages and mismanagement, including human resources. There is also a shortage of expertise in some states or municipalities, outright failure of other basic ones, and variations in quality across regions and states. One of the major problems in the health care system is that doctors do not receive adequate compensation and students have no incentive to enter medical school. There is often a lack of adequate medical staffing in rural areas, although Monike said that, as in the U.S., the government gives financial incentives to professionals to work in more remote areas.<br />
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Another topic Monike discussed was the system of medical education in Brazil. Students enter medical school or nursing school directly from high school. Doctors study for 6 to 6 1/2 years and complete a 2 year residency, while nurses study for 4 1/2 to 5 years and also complete a 2 year residency. Surprisingly, there is no mandatory licensing exam after the completion of medical professional school.<br />
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As the U.S. moves towards a system of universal health care, it is important to recognize that in countries that now have such systems in place, there are still major problems with health care administration. It would do us Americans well to study what has gone wrong in these places to avoid future problems in our own country. </div>
</div>Patrick Passarellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10444991660005346577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-57095214957470983892012-07-10T11:47:00.000-05:002012-07-10T11:50:23.668-05:00Pastoral da Criança<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">Today, I experienced something very similar to what I experienced in Clinical during my first year in nursing school. One of the clinical rotations in the nursing program was WIC (women, infants, and children). WIC provides nutrition eduation, supplemental foods, health care, nutrition education, breastfeeding education, for infants, children up to the age of five, and postpartum women of low-income households. One of the main differences between the WIC program and Pastoral da Criança is their funding. The WIC program in the United States is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. Everyone working for WIC receives a paycheck for his or her work. The people assisting women, infants, and children for Pastoral da Criança are volunteers, and they are funded by the church and donations.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building in which they host the celebration once a month.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This organization is Catholic Faith-based. The volunteers volunteer twenty-four hours a month or more. They visit the families’ houses once a month with the leader of the organization to check up on the mother, infant, or child. At the home visit they are focusing on nutrition, abuse, hygiene, citizenship, pregnancy, disease prevention, early childhood education, and other issues. The volunteers and leaders try to find ways to improve care for the women, infants, and children. Once a month this organization has a celebration in which they use the time to weigh all of the infants, children, and mothers. At this celebration the organization provides food to motivate the people to go. The weights for the infants and children are charted on a growth chart. The volunteers increase the number of visits if they notice that infants, children, or pregnant women are low weight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In the visits to the homes the volunteers asked a series of questions. They also try to be persistent on seeing that the answers to the questions are true. The most important thing I noticed as we shadowed the volunteers today into the homes was the trust developed between the families and the volunteers. As soon as we arrived to the homes the children recognized the volunteers. When the volunteers would ask questions that were about the child they would first get on eye level with the child, and direct the question to him or her, and ask for a demonstration. In the visit the volunteers also try to identify safety hazards. The volunteers provide the families with a lot of teaching about pregnancy, child development, and upbringing of children. Issues are brought into attention and together the volunteers and leaders with the family work toward solving the issues. The volunteers gain the knowledge to teach the families in a three-month training session. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At a family visit.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was impressed by their organization and ability to take initiative to assist people in their community out of the goodness of their heart. This experience added to my previous clinical experience. It gave me the opportunity to meet people who perform similar work as WIC but without government funding. I am grateful to have been able to experience this with people from a different culture.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-49885741206763084042012-07-06T21:13:00.004-05:002012-07-23T10:08:25.355-05:00The “Reality” of a Public School in Rio<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">The term “reality” is such a deceptively subjective word. While it is true that our group of 13 students and two professors may attend the same lectures, tour the same organizations, and even sit down to most of the same meals, each event is filtered through 15 completely different perspectives. As such, each of us bring back a different “reality” from the day’s events, and will do the same even at the end of this trip. At the same time, by sharing, sorting, and evaluating our interpretations, we chip away at our own misconceptions and come closer to a clearer picture of the “real” Rio de Janeiro. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our last day at PUC-Rio</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">The uniqueness of my Rio “reality” was clearly evident in today’s visit to the public middle school Escola Municipal Rivadavia Correa. As a future educator of Spanish and English as a Foreign Language (EFL), my perceptions were influenced by pedagogy and language, whereas other students gravitated toward issues of finance and health.</span></div>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">To first provide a little background on the school, Escola Municipal Rivadavia Correa serves 200 students from ages 11 to 15, mostly from the lower-middle social class. This school was actually chosen over a year ago as one of the 10 worst public schools in Rio to be part of a pilot education initiative. With the initiative, the school day was changed from the typical 4 or 4½ hours to an <i>8-hour</i> day, meaning that the students now attend school from 8am to 4pm (instead of in morning or afternoon shifts). In its second “experimental” year of the pilot program, the school is now considered the second best public school in Rio de Janeiro. Students take seven classes a day with subjects ranging from the typical core classes to required P.E. and EFL, to “electives” like photography, cinema, and Mandarin. Class sizes range from about 25 to 30 students, which is much smaller than most public schools in Rio. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A class we visited at Escola Municipal Rivadavia Correa</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">While there were many fascinating stories that I could share about our tour of the school and the few words that I was able to exchange with some students, I would actually like to spend the bulk of my blog on the school library. While the library was definitely limited in scope by Omaha standards, what actually surprised me the most was the multitude of <i>American</i> books (translated into Brazilian Portuguese) that decorated the bookshelves and were postered on the wall. From <i>Eragon</i> to <i>The Shack</i>, <i>Twilight</i> to <i>Moby Dick</i>, and even books by romance writer Nicolas Sparks, the amount of recognizable books was astonishing. The library also had the translated (and apparently highly popular) Harry Potter series and even a poster of the famous Argentinian Mafalda cartoon. </span></div>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">These observations brought to mind several unanswered questions about our own literary culture in the U.S. Why is it that American libraries (and cinemas, for that matter) do not have an extensive repetoire of translated works from other countries...? (Or of non-Caucasian authors, for that matter...but that’s a discussion for another day.) In my Spanish classes, for instance, I have had my eyes opened to brilliant works by authors from Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Spain...and yet, rarely do we see non-American or non-European texts advertised in the public mainstream. Indeed, our multicultural representation seems to be much less than that of even this tiny, poorly-stocked library in a Rio public school. I find it sadly ironic that in the U.S.—a country considered a proud “salad bowl” cultures—the mainstream culture is still so heavily eurocentric. </span></div>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">At the same time, this observation also made me reflect on our pre-trip readings of the book <i>Brazil on the Rise: The Story of a Country Transformed </i>(Rohter, 2012), which stated that "Brazilians...like to argue that theirs is 'not a country of readers'" (p. 131). The author also stated that Brazil is not particularly renowned for their literature in general. These statements strike me as overly generic, but maybe a lack of Brazilian literature could explain the existence of so much American literature in the library. Rohter also described Brazil as being “culturally cannibalistic,” meaning that the country absorbs worldwide influences, taking aspects of other cultures and turning them into something uniquely Brazilian. "As [Brazilians] see it," Rohter says, "their relationship with the rest of the world is one in which they avidly consume and digest artistic artifiacts coming from abroad--whether French novels in the nineteenth century or Hollywood movies and British pop music in the twentieth--and in doing so transform them into something different, something that acquires a uniquely Brazilian character and flavor" (p. 108).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of many colorful classrooms at Escola Municipal Rivadavia Correa</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">Aside from these thoughts, there were a few other observations that deserve a passing mention. For instance, the EFL books that were used in the students’ English classes--while recent and seemingly of good academic quality--were completely Brazilian-centered in terms of culture. For instance, instead of including information about English-speaking countries and customs, the context of the chapter examples were Rio or Sao Paulo tourist attractions, maps of Brazil, etc. Although the EFL teacher said that she tried to include discussions of English-speaker culture in her classes, I didn’t feel that such a vague answer was truly satisfactory. Hopefully, though, the same multiculturalism that can be seen in the school library is also evident in the EFL classes.</span></div>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="font-size: 12pt;">On the wall of the school teaching center, a quote from world-renowned Brazilian educator and human rights activist Paulo Freire reads: "Mudar é difícil mas é possivel," or "To change is hard, but it is possible." As Escola Municipal Rivadavia Correa has already shown, change is indeed possible if one has the means and the motivation. While the experiences that we have taken away from this visit are all going to be different, it's safe to say that we have all seen how change--while difficult--is indeed a reality. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My roommate Molly and I (from left), outside the teaching center</i></td></tr>
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</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-91228569843370715992012-07-06T16:11:00.000-05:002012-07-09T09:50:07.095-05:00Urbanization of Favelas<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Typically urban development focuses on planning and building communities. Those new communities will be developed in available land. However, Brazil lives a different reality. One of their major initiatives is to work closely with existing favelas to better understand their history and development process. Architects and engineers in Brazil are trying to better understand what is the most efficient way to build a community. They have come up with various ideas that are taking the perception of the favelas from that of sickness and making them "sexy" communities. The inclusion of favelas into society has been a hot topic for the past few years. Especially now that the World Cup and the summer Olympics are few years away. In the past, favelas were seen as eye sores and places that were not integrated into society. They were the forgotten Brazilians. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Traveling hundreds of miles to go to work on a daily basis is a luxury the poor can not afford. It is inefficient in money and time. That is why Favelas or slums grow around established communities like Ipanema or Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. People want to be closer to their jobs. In cities, people can use buses, metros, taxis, and vans to get around. However, in many places like the favelas, the only way to get around is by walking. Favelas grow fast as people pour into large cities to find jobs. They are growing in such as fast rate that favelas are sometimes large complexes of 5 or more connected favelas. At times they are at war with each other. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Favelas have grown so large that sometimes it is difficult to drive through them. Many are mazes that only the residents know. At one point, favelas were destroyed and people were relocated to benefit the rich with new developments. Many believe that the hills where the favelas sit on are prime real estate that can become a significant revenue source for cities. We have seen this in places like Beverly Hills. For example, views from homes in Crianca Esperanza, a favela on the hillside of Ipanema, has stunning views of the beach and surrounding neighborhoods. Furthermore, many members of the elite believe that the complete removal of favelas will allow property values to increase as well as the general safety. However, the Brazilians have now realized that the destruction and relocation of favelas affect hundreds of lives and propel those lives to a path of misery without any possibility of a prosperous future. Even today, many are left alone without any government support. These areas have been plagued with poverty, drugs, violence, and inadequate public services. Violence and gunfire are constant realities for favela residents. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is one theory, however, that is beginning to surface. According to Pedro Evora, Brazilian Urbanization speaker, compact neighborhoods (like favelas) are the best economic solution and Brazil is exploring this approach. He gave Tokyo as an example as it is one of the most densest cities in the world, and they have a very low cost of transportation. In contrast with the US, where everyone is moving to suburbs and dependency on vehicles is higher than before. This movement creates problems like pollution, parking issues, and obesity. For this reason, Complexo do Alemao was introduced to the cable carts system. Complexo do Alemao has the worst high density index (IDH) of all favelas. The same cart system is used today in touristic attractions like Pao de Azucar and Cristo Cordovado. It is ironic that some of the poorest areas of Brazil may eventually have some of the most sophisticated technology in transportation. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pedro Evora also mentioned that there are over 625 favelas in Brazil or 144 complexes, but only 25 have been pacified. Pacified is used with a lot of caution because although there is a presence of the Pacification Police Unit or UPP there are still gun battles in those neighborhoods. The UPP is a law enforcement and social services program that aims at reclaiming territories controlled by drug dealers and militias. It is very difficult to pacify favelas because drug dealers have a strong-hold in the communities. Many citizens live in fear retaliation if they speak out against them at times drug dealers are viewed in a mythical Robin Hood way for they provide favela residents with cable, electricity, water, and other services that city governments do not. However, it is important to emphasize that at times these services are not provided legitimately but rather stolen from nearby neighborhoods. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The idea of incorporating favelas instead of destroying them is a paradigm shift started in the late 1990s by a program called Favela-Bairro. The program was implemented by State Public Security Secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame with the backing of Rio Governor Sergio Cabral. The slum to neighborhood project aims to integrate existing favelas into the fabric of the city through infrastructure upgrading and increases in services. The final impact of this program will be seen in the years to come, especially after the World Cup in 2014 and the summer Olympic games 2016. Brazilians have a lot to prove to the world. They have to demonstrate that investments in the poorest of neighborhoods are genuinely for the benefit of society instead of a facade like the one China was accused of during the 2008 Olympics regarding their pollution efforts.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-3742100013608235892012-07-06T15:51:00.000-05:002012-07-09T10:06:20.131-05:00Sustainable Development<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">In the early morning, you can walk along the
beach in Rio. Some of us have made the
trip down Vinicisus Ave, the street that leads from our hotel to Ipanema Beach. We walk north to Copacabana Beach and watch
the sunrise over the bay. From the same
point where you watch the sunrise you can turn toward the city of Rio and see fashionable
high-rises sitting next to hastily constructed favelas which climb up into the
hills.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">This contrast between planned and unplanned
construction is challenging Rio to determine if this is a sustainable way to
build a city. Our first lecturer today,
Jonathon Spier, PhD helped us examine this question. Dr Spier had recently attended the Rio+20 conference
on sustainable development. We had
studied this conference before coming to Rio.
According to the UN Website about Rio+20, sustainable development
“emphasizes a holistic, equitable and far-sighted approach to decision-making
at all levels.” (Retrieved on July 3, 2012 from <u>h</u><a href="http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?menu=62"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">ttp://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?menu=62</span></a>)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Dr Spier
provided us with a way of understanding favelas using the context of
sustainable development. He gave a brief
history of favelas pointing out that favelas started over 100 years ago,
when people came to Rio looking for work.
The number of workers was so great there was a severe housing
shortage. Rather than living several
hours away, these workers chose to occupy land and build their own homes. Over time, these individual homes grew into
communities of people and were called favelas.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">By and large,
the government of Brazil left the favelas to their own devices. Residents would illegally tap into water and
power and build their own multistory dwellings.
Favelas are often built without roads or other open public areas. Crime has always been present in the
favelas. However, when drug trafficking
started to increase, there was a dramatic upsurge in violence. Dr Spiers presentation showed that the
development of favelas was not sustainable. Design and construction
were not far sighted, holistic or equitable.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Recently, the
state of Rio has been using Pacifying Policy Units (UPP) to reclaim the favelas
and reintegrate them into the community.
UPP's consist of heavily armed and specially trained police who occupy a
favela and create a sense of order. In
doing this, the state can also reclaim its role as the provider of services
such as electricity, water and sewage. Dr. Spier said that from his understanding,
this program has been very effective and that favelas have access to library,
internet, public spaces and other services which had not been available before. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">According to Dr
Spier, this process of pacification increases participation in the economy and
therefore the favelas and those who live in them have a greater chance for
sustainable development.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I was curious
about the effectiveness of the UPP's and have read more articles on the policy.
One article entitled “<i>Improving Security
in Poor Areas</i>” by </span><span lang="EN-US">Nicolas Bautès
and Rafael Soares Gonçalves (who is a professor at our host university PUC Rio)
pointed out that residents of favelas do report a sense of increased security
after being pacified. Land values increased
after pacification raising rents and increasing evictions. This happened in particular in those areas close to future international sporting events that will be in Rio in the
next five years. This shows that
UPPs do promote sustainable development but also create situations
where decision-making is not fair and equitable and does not meet the
definition of sustainability.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The UPP policies show that implementing sustainable development is
a complex and difficult process.</span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-32306947985722623142012-07-06T15:20:00.000-05:002012-07-09T09:50:27.224-05:00Learning about Education<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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As another week goes by, I find myself picking up more and
more interesting details about Brazil in unexpected places. E<span style="background-color: white;">xploring the downtown markets, o</span><span style="background-color: white;">verhearing a fight on the sidewalk or listening </span><span style="background-color: white;">to commonly hummed songs give cultural depth to our trip.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPyPCIMnusmDLOhEX5R5KzktXfObXQhxDHIF9gDBBKlqbV0onWVlCsBBK1sCXdoh9rbAC3i40oci689Pa7pa5lb4ef8hvGUkK9ojS0qdlN_vdVMCvCPEtH88VG2QLv4AgTG1biPaVrUEf/s1600/IMG_4268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPyPCIMnusmDLOhEX5R5KzktXfObXQhxDHIF9gDBBKlqbV0onWVlCsBBK1sCXdoh9rbAC3i40oci689Pa7pa5lb4ef8hvGUkK9ojS0qdlN_vdVMCvCPEtH88VG2QLv4AgTG1biPaVrUEf/s320/IMG_4268.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professor Daniela Vargas</td></tr>
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We began our day at PUC-Rio. Our first lecture of the
day was on inequality and social justice with an emphasis on who has the access to higher
education. The educational system in
Brazil is similar to the system of the US but Brazil´s is affected more by their history of social inequality. Students in Brazil attend one year of basic
reading and writing then go to primary school for eight years. They finish off with secondary school for
three years, our high school equivalent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately, we learned that there is a large gap in
the quality of education that students get depending on their attendance to public or private schools. Public schools
do not get adequate funding and have a strong shortage of teachers. Professor Daniela Vargas explained that the
typical salary of public school teachers is 860 R$/month (roughly 430 US$). She expressed with vigor, “I couldn’t get
someone to clean my house three days a week for that!” Teaching here tops the
list of underpaid professions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We learned that the type of university a student will attend
is based solely on one post-secondary education test. The Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio is given
to all students wanting to attend a university and is given on one day each
year. Better
educated students score higher on the exam and therefore get into the free
public university system. Scores on the
ENEM are the only criteria of the selection process. Extracurricular activities, volunteering, and
the like have no bearing. This seems
much different than the entrance process of the US where a well-rounded student
is preferred. This year over 1,200,000
candidates took the ENEM in hope to get one of 108,000 seats in a public
university. Students attending private secondary schools have a clear advantage in this system as they are better prepared.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To combat this gap, programs like PUC- Rio’s Programa
Universidade para todos have been created.
Schools that have adopted this program allow ten percent of their seats
to be filled by students that meet the following criteria:<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">· <span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Must be a graduate of a public high school or
have had a full scholarship from a private school</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Must have a family income of less that 2,600
R$/month (roughly 1,300 US$)</span></div>
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Programs like this have been helping students that want to
excel and attend college and will help close the socio-economic gap. The Brazilian Supreme Court has also passed
several influential decisions this year including the notion that racial quotas
are constitutional and necessary to repair the history of racial discrimination
in Brazil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are similarities and differences between Brazil and
the US’s educational systems. I will
take away from this lecture both hope for Brazil’s future in bridging the gap
in the system, as well as gratefulness for the opportunities we all have in the
US.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269567810277155750.post-5750694514393970632012-07-06T14:57:00.000-05:002012-07-09T09:41:24.783-05:00Taking Back the City - My Rio<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">For our afternoon lecture, we were fortunate enough to have
a founder and local political activist, Miguel Lago, join us to discuss his
recently launched non-profit civic engagement project: <i>Meu Rio</i> (“My Rio”). The
24-year-old Brazilian began his education in economics at the Pontifícia
Universidade Católica (PUC-Rio, our host university here in Rio), but opted to
finish his undergraduate studying political science in France, where he too
earned his Masters Degree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">As a result of our “daily debriefings,” or day-end group
reflections, I’ve become accustomed to critically thinking about
each and every speaker’s incentive, purpose, and overall goal … be that a
university professor, NGO speaker, business professionals, etc. Professor Miranda and Dr. Arbaláez have
assisted me in trying to think outside the box by not simply accepting
everything that Professionals/Scholars are putting on the table. While Brazil has much to be applauded
for, there are underlying factors and not all of these organizations are “in it”
just out of the goodness of their heart.
Reading between the lines can be challenging, but I’m thrilled to be
engaged in such critical thinking … I can feel my brain growing!! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">However, I found Miguel’s lecture on Brazil’s current
political landscape to be innocently refreshing. He’s a young university graduate, which made him more
relatable. Furthermore, he was
just a happy youngster excited to share his vision: engaging Rio citizens into
the political system independent of any political coalition affiliation/funding/influence. Is that the reality? We’d never know. But
the fact that he kicked off his presentation by explaining a very complex
Brazilian political system in layman’s terms indicated to me that he found it important that we know the skeletal structure and from there on evaluate for ourselves. He didn’t pitch us on anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Much like the U.S., Brazil has a presidential system with a house
of representatives (Chamber of Deputies) and state senators (Federal Senate). Different, however, is the multitude of
political parties, which is typical of Latin America in general. According to Miguel, Brazil currently
has around thirty recognized political parties. With such a large political spectrum, it’s near impossible
to ever win a majority vote and as such, coalition governments have emerged as
the norm here. For instance,
although President Dilma Rousseff won the majority population’s vote in 2011,
her party (PT – <i>Partido dos trabalhadores</i>)
doesn’t have a majority in congress … where the diverse political party
affiliation/representation is most prevalent. As a result, getting initiatives passed through congress is
immensely difficult … concessions have to be made; thus the formation of
coalition governments, what Miguel then referred to as practically
parliamentary. In other words, given
the amount of political parties no majority will ever win and as such,
political parties join forces conceding ideals along the way … resulting in (depending
on how you look at it) a very representative government or one that is
fractious and simply unsuccessful given how many voices are in the
equation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The primary challenge with the coalition practice is once it is established (case in point the Mexico’s PRI), it
then becomes near impossible for opposition governments to penetrate the
current system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">After presenting the skeletal structure of the Brazilian
political system and some of the challenges it faces, Miguel explained the
mission/purpose of the non-profit civic engagement project <i>Meu Rio</i>, which according to the website is: <i>… é um movimento criado para incluir o cidadão comum nos processos de
decisão que estão transformando o Rio de Janeiro</i> (<i>…</i> is a movement created in order to include the common citizen in
the decision processes that are transforming Rio de Janeiro). As mentioned previously, Miguel
had said that the organization is not affiliated with any government coalitions
or unions, and doesn’t receive any public funding at this time. However, it is just in its start-up
phase (having begun in Oct. 2011). The organization received it’s initial funding from
“think tank” type institutions. Miguel
did state that <i>Meu Rio</i>’s goal by 2016
is to reach at least 25% of Rio’s population and be totally member-funded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Despite its relatively short existence, <i>Meu Rio</i>’s future appears bright given the young generation at the
helm and the organization’s call for a transparent government in everyday
affairs. While it receives a lot
of tips on government corruption cases, Miguel assured us that the
non-profit organization is not a sensational newspaper and creating trouble is
not their goal. They
simply wish to engage (primarily through media) the Rio population so that <i>cariocas</i> can have a voice in the
rapid changes taking place in their city today.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjAr7MsX0xLu1L2nRTZmC3f77R39JPSGKaSj_5By9w5iEb7zkrHXDRpXeYGYhpmXA27o1WRiFhRjud8IWqjcS5Qb06zBr9C-foAIcCUSSYhFgRaBBXeJNqTIXsPxjvkO58yAiI7cCk6MC/s1600/charge_final_635x435.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjAr7MsX0xLu1L2nRTZmC3f77R39JPSGKaSj_5By9w5iEb7zkrHXDRpXeYGYhpmXA27o1WRiFhRjud8IWqjcS5Qb06zBr9C-foAIcCUSSYhFgRaBBXeJNqTIXsPxjvkO58yAiI7cCk6MC/s400/charge_final_635x435.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of http://meurio.org.br/ - <br />
"<i>Mesmo após mais de 20 anos de democracia, continuamos vendo denúncias relativas à corrupção na administração pública (municipal, estadual e federal). Cabe à nós cidadãos ficarmos de olho para cobrar transparência e boa gestão dos recursos públicos</i>." (After more than 20 years of democracy, we continue to see accusations related to corruption at the city, state, and federal levels of public administration. It is up to us as citizens to become the eye to force transparency and good management of public resources.)</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Chloē Reinwaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756923879526544941noreply@blogger.com1