Global Voices » Luis Henrique

Brazil's Comic Book Artists Break the Industry Mold

Luis Henrique — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:12:54 +0000

After delving into the world of comics throughout Latin America in our previous post, we return to Brazil to explore Brazilian comicdom just as the country comes off its celebration of National Comic Book Day (Dia do Quadrinho Nacional) [pt] on January 30.

First celebrated in 1984 by the São Paulo Cartoonists Association, the date pays homage to the first time “As aventuras de Nhô Quim” [pt] (“The Adventures of Mr. Quim), considered to be Brazil's first comic strip, was published in 1869.

To mark the holiday, let's take a look at latest trends and innovations arising from the comic book community in Brazil.

A comic strip by Pablo Carranza. The cartoon plays with the fate of a cartoonist in his worst nightmare. “(1) Mister, would you draw me? (2) You won't end up at a child's party drawing caricatures of a girl named Evelyn… It was just a nightmare…”. Used with permission.

Self-publishing and crowdfunding

Faced with a comic book market centered for the most part in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, artists from other regions find it difficult to publicize their work. Although the core remains located in those larger metropolitan areas, nowadays there are more options available to artists, such as Vitor Batista, to reach a larger audience with their artwork. Batista, who is from the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará, decided to publish his work on his own blog Território Marginal [pt], from which he also sells his books.

“The man with a pain” by Vitor Batista, published in Território Marginal under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 BR license. (1) The biggest issue with repression in the today's society is its invisibility. (2) Ooops. (3) See? I have just been arrested and indicted.

The production and publishing of comic books in Brazil has changed a lot over the years. As comic book artist Bira noted in an interview [pt,en] with a Polish blog:

We used to buy Comics in the Newspapers’ stands in the streets. Nowadays this is the last place to find Comics magazines, when you look for them. Of course you’ll find Marvel, DC, Disney and MSP (the only Brazilian) comics there. As the publishers have preferred the book or graphic novel format, the best place to find them is the Bookstore. But also we have had a fantastic boom in the comics production (alternative line) with fanzines, independent or small publishers, since 2006. The fanzine was an important cultural happening in Brazil in the 70’s, but they appeared again.

Self-publishing is a type of strategy that could impact the comic book world not only locally, but also nationally, promoting more geographic diversity within its market.

But it isn't always easy. In an interview [pt] with the Itiban Comic Shop blog, José Aguiar, an artist and curator for the comic book convention Gibicon [pt] talked about the pros and cons of publishing your own work:

A autopublicação impede que o autor fique parado. E que fique à mercê dos interesses de editores que não estão abertos a propostas diferentes. Isso lhe dá liberdade criativa total (…)
Já o tempo e a energia dispendidos na distribuição e no retorno por parte dos pontos de venda é uma desvantagem nesse processo. Não há organização, nem muito respeito com o editor independente (…)

Self-publishing prevents the artist from getting stuck or being under the rule of editors who are not open to different approaches. This gives them complete creative freedom (…) But the energy and time devoted to distribution tasks and the returns from the points of sales is a disadvantage in this process. It is not organized and there is not much respect towards the independent editor (…)

Crowdfunding has proved successful for some initiatives, including this campaign from Quadrinhos Rasos, a duo of artists who adapt popular songs into illustrated situations that are generally different from the more obvious interpretations of their lyrics.

A comic strip by Quadrinhos Rasos, a project that presents other interpretations of lyrics of Brazilian pop songs. “(1) Go go go go go go (2) time, my friend (3) be nice to me (4) I count on you (5) all over the night (6) just drop me down (7) in the end”. Based on the song “Sobre o tempo” by Pato Fu. Published under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.

And more and more artists are adopting crowdfunding as an alternative way to finance their projects. This page [pt] on the crowdfunding website Catarse shows examples of comic book projects that have followed such a strategy, some of which have already succeeded.

Brazilian comic book influence abroad

Comic book writer Timothy Callahan noted in a column for Comic Book Resources in 2010 that a significant percentage of mainstream comic books in the United States were “actually made in Brazil. Or at least drawn in Brazil. It's a huge percentage, comparatively”. It seems the majority of Brazilian comic book artists who find success in the American market are part of the same talent agency.

In “The Boys from Brazil” column, he wrote:

I just find it interesting that so much of the look of mainstream comics is dependent on a single talent agency in Brazil. And I also find it interesting that some of the best artists working in comics today are also from Brazil, even if the existence of the former does not necessarily relate to the latter.

So. Brazil. Goldmine of talent? Fertile ground for comic book artists? Or machinery of the mainstream? You can decide that.

A big change from a few decades ago, when making it big within the mainstream comic book industry was not very common for Brazilians.

Not only for boys

The comic book industry is one that historically has been male-dominated, and many authors and collectives in Brazil are trying to change that. For starters, blogs such as Lady's Comics [pt] offer a different point of view, talking about female “characters, authors and pencillers”.

Mulheres nos Quadrinhos (Women in Comics) [pt], a community on Facebook asks: “who said only boys know everything about comics?”. The page features comic strips from various sources, all written with women in mind.

Illustration in the timeline of Mulheres nos Quadrinhos [Women in Comics]. (1) Step by step for women's self defense. (2) adopt an attentive position (3) demonstrate you are interested in a more serious commitment – I love you, I want to be forever by your side and have many children (4) watch him run away in panic.

Projects such as Inverna [pt] aim at individual or collective productions among women in the field of graphic arts. In a partnership with a Canadian magazine, they are promoting Defrosting Women [pt], a contest meant to encourage works by women in that field.

Me, you, them, we… collectives and collaboration!

Collaborative arrangements are becoming more common. Artists join forces with publishers, videographers, editors, and other creative types to work together, fostering the creation of unusual products and bringing more variety to the market, as well as making the business of comic books more viable.

Distribution chains are still an issue for print materials. And reaching a wider and global audience online is easier than ever. As a result, artists such as Pablo Mayer, Fernando Medeiros, and Diogo César have taken the digital approach and publish their comics together on their website Pocotomics [pt], updated weekly.

Another example is the independent publishing house Beleléu [pt]. Based in Rio de Janeiro, the publishing house presents collaborations from various artists, publishing a calendar made by many hands, called Pindura [pt]. In addition to print, they offer online material, even in English (check out Beleléu Magazine!).

The future of Brazilian comics

The National Comic Book Day in Brazil was marked by many celebrations, such as this one [pt] in Fortaleza and this one [pt] in Salvador. The 2013 edition has come and gone. What's next for comic books in Brazil?

In a 2005 post, blogger Ubiratan Araújo wondered about the future of Brazilian comics:

”Maybe the future of the Comics in Brasil will depend on if we, foreign artists, publish or not in USA…”.

Was this ever true? You will not find an answer to that question in this post, simply because there isn't one formula for success in the Brazilian comic book world. What can be said is that as long as Brazilian artists continue to experiment, the future holds in store many alternative and varied approaches to comic book production.

This post was written with the collaboration of João Miguel Lima.

Cultural extravaganza in Latin America! Comic books and beyond

Luis Henrique — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:59:15 +0000

[This is a cross-regional post on comic books and cultural interchange, brought to you by GV Latin America and GV Portuguese.]

In the first post of this series, we had the opportunity to read some opinions – from a Brazilian perspective – acknowledging how little we know of the Latin American comics scenario and what a rich and fruitful moment the region lives in, with artworks being produced and going online almost everywhere. Now, it's time to meet some of the authors and links to their projects. Ready. Set. Go!

Volume II: Building Bridges

Liniers, from Argentina, went on tour [pt] in Brazil in 2012. Gustavo Trevisolli, an artist and blogger, in a post [pt] for Raio Laser, a blog about comic books wrote, “it is hard to find recent publications that can appeal to so varied ages as Liniers’ work does.”

Trevisolli identifies a trend in the Brazilian market that indicates it is evolving towards more serious plots, leaving behind characters like “Monica's Gang, Charlie Brown and Calvin & Hobbes”. Moreover, he considers that “comic books written in Spanish are experiencing a great moment in Brazil”, and that now they are easier to find in the country.

Las verdaderas aventuras de Liniers (The real adventures of Liniers) [es] republished in the blog Raio Laser [pt] under a CC License (BY-NC-ND 3.0).
“(1) When you walk around Brasília… (2) you are in the future of the past. (3)… (4) I can´t help thinking about this Woody Allen movie*”.
*In a previous interview, Liniers said that Brasilia reminded [pt] him of the scenario in the movie Sleeper. And, according to the IMDb site, Woody Allen had the intention to shoot Sleeper, his 1973 movie, in Brasília.

How about Chilean comic books?

In another blog post [pt], Gustavo Trevisolli traces a panorama of Chilean comics, acknowledging, after some research in loco, that “Chilean comics are going through a good moment and young authors are excelling”.

Talking about Condorito [es], a popular character in Chile, he mentioned the huge success of this magazine and also the peculiar fact that it was created as a Chilean answer to Disney's Saludos Amigos, an animation that promoted the encounter of Donald Duck and Latin American characters. But Trevisolli also found new materials, such as Malaimagen.

Asco (Disgust) [es], by Malaimagen [es]. Published under CC license (BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Online comics – bring it on!

Either online or offline, comics assume a new identity in a new scenario marked by intense use of technology for production, promotion, collaboration and sharing. Find out what some Latin American artists have been doing while you were sleeping.

Doctor Comic [es], from Colombia, not only draws but also writes about the industry, both mainstream and local. In the same line of work, the blog by Zuplemento Magazine [es] in Venezuela aims at creating a platform to present artworks produced in the country, either in comics or illustration, because “in spite of its undeniable transcendence, [the Venezuelan artworks] unfortunately have been forgotten within the general cultural framework”.

Artists like Agustina Guerrero [es] from Argentina, amuses volatile men and women with her series “Diario de una volatil” (Diary of a volatile [woman]).

Al acecho (Ambush) [es], by Agustina Guerrero. Diario de una volatil. Used with permission.

In ComicBolivia [es], a whole new world of comic book artists unveils, and one can check the blogroll at the right column looking for Bolivian and Latin American authors, among others.

Alberto Mont, from Chile, who produces Dosis Diarias [es], drops in some good humor.

68, by Alberto Montt. “What if we produced a reality show in which participants got tired at home and pretty soon turned on the TV to watch a reality show?”. Published in Dosis Diarias [es] under a CC License (BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Adriana Blake, from Venezuela, publishes Cuenta Conmigo [es, also available in English] and shows aspects of the daily life of a couple.

Francisco Javier Olea, from Chile, publishes Oleísmos [es] and profiles himself as someone who “rarely speaks seriously and”, when he does so, “the words just won't come out”.

Bridges

Looks like if we search for them, we shall find consistent works in the comics field – not to mention other visual arts – all over the region. But is someone building bridges between these artists? Do all those cultural pots somehow communicate?

Brazilian blogger and comic book editor Garota Sequencial identifies [pt] “movies as the main cultural bridge between latin countries”:

(…) o intercâmbio cultural com os outros países da América Latina sempre foi prejudicado pelos moldes relativamente restritivos dessa indústria [dos quadrinhos], bem como acredito que, assim como no Brasil, sua produção tenha sido prejudicada por percalços econômicos. Mas hoje já percebo o cinema como principal ponte cultural entre os países latinos (…).

(…) cultural interchange between Brazil and other Latin American countries has always been hurt by the relatively restrictive framework of the comic book industry, and I also believe that, as it happened it Brazil, comic book production has also been affected by economic downturns. Nowadays I see that the movies are the main cultural bridge between latin countries (…).

In fact, the image below hints at such a connection too.

Apenas Salgo a la Calle #51 (I just go out to the street, #51). Posted on El blog[es] de Arbelo, a Bolivian artist. “Lady Democracy and her two husbands”, reference to a Brazilian novel and movie.

Moving away from artists and aiming the eyes at communities, one can find quite interesting initiatives.

Si no puedo bailar, no es mi revolución (If I cannot dance, it's not my revolution) [pt] is a collective project about “new ideas in Latin America”:

(…) uma rede independente criada para aproximar e relacionar novas ideias latino-americanas. Começou em 2007, com foco em música, para em seguida expandir seu interesse sobre produções e artistas com trabalhos nas áreas de ilustração, design e literatura. Cria e articula projetos, organiza publicações, mostras, e promove ciclos de música.

(…) an independent network formed to gather and correlate new Latin American ideas. Started in 2007, aiming at music, which was followed by the widening focus, looking for artworks and artists from fields like illustration, design and literature. The network creates and articulates projects, organizes publications, exhibitions and promotes music cycles.

The collective is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and counts on collaborators living in several countries.

One of their projects [pt], Não moro mais em mim (I don't inhabit me anymore), combines songs by Adriana Calcanhotto performed by Latin American bands (free download), a website with illustrations by Gustavo Gialuca, and audible links followed by short comments by the bands on places where they have lived before.

Yet another initiative is Se quema y se acaba (It goes away as it burns) [pt]. As stated in the project´s page:

Se quema y se acaba é um pequeno livro de memórias. Uma coletânea de afeto e saudade. Convidamos 19 ilustradores latino-americanos a recriar – sob efeito do tempo e da imaginação – amigos, amores ou colegas que compartilharam a fileira da sala, trocaram recados proibidos, riram do tênis novo ou pouco se falaram. Pessoas que vieram para ir embora. Que se despediram com poucas palavras, e nunca disseram tchau.

It goes away as it burns is a tiny little book of memories. A selection of affection and nostalgia. We have invited 19 Latin American illustrators to recreate – influenced by time and imagination – friends, lovers or mates who shared school rows, exchanged forbidden messages, laughed at the new sneakers or barely talked to one another. People who came just to leave. Whose farewell was with few words, and never said goodbye.

Projeto Nosotros is building bridges to establish cultural bonds within the region. Their homepage reads:

Quando o resto do mundo pensa em América Latina, as primeiras imagens são do nosso folclore e dos povos mais antigos. Mesmo tendo muito orgulho do passado e reconhecendo o quanto ele enriquece a nossa cultura, sabemos que os países e os próprios latino-americanos mudaram muito desde então.

Para desmistificar essa visão que ficou parada no tempo, criamos este projeto que apresenta jovens artistas, profissionais criativos e suas produções na América Latina. Aqui, conversamos e debatemos sobre os processos criativos e referências destes profissionais.

When the rest of the world thinks about Latin America, the first images that comes to mind are those of our folklore and ancestors. As proud as we are of our past, acknowledging how it enriches our culture, we are aware that the Latin American countries and their people have changed a lot since then.

To demystify this vision stuck in time, we have created this project to present young artists, creative professionals and their work in Latin America. Here we can talk and discuss their creative processes and references.

And they do so with interviews, videos and comic strips like this one:

Projeto Nosotros [Project Us, in Spanish], a cultural project under a Latin American perspective. Nosotros Practical Dictionary, lesson 3, published with permission.

The image explains how to ask for straws in Spanish (in different places of the Americas) and shows how words can have completely different meanings depending on the country.

In contact with Priscilla Midori and Victor Marcello, the masterminds behind Projeto Nosotros, they were kind enough to indicate extra references of artists to be mentioned in this post. Here they are:

Berliac and Juan Sáenz Valiente [es], are artists from Argentina and stars of this video produced by Projeto Nosotros.

“The comics don't matter to anyone. You can do whatever you want because no one will see it as something serious”, says Sáenz at some point.

Agree/Disagree? Watch the video and see how creative freedom stems from that sense that nobody cares for comics, at least for Sáenz. Don't miss out the thoughts and views of those two artists.

Berliac + Juan Sáenz Valiente [from Argentina]. Video by Projeto Nosotros.

A wide array of initiatives indicate that Latin Americans have very powerful and creative forces in each country, approach subjects with varied techniques, ranging from raw humour to strong criticism, from routine facts of life to deeply human stories full of tenderness. Several initiatives are pursuing new identities while looking back too – where did we come from? Where are we headed to?

From a Brazilian perspective, this is a time when our heroes can hit the big screen in high definition, be them mainstream or independent. And the sounds we listen to, the graphics we stare at, come from very far places, but also from right beside us, in Spanish. ¡Que vengan más!*.

*¡Let there be more!

The two posts focusing on comic books and cultural interchange in Latin America are fruit of the collaborative involvement of Eddie Avila, Laura Vidal, Luis Carlos Díaz, Lully Posada and Sara Moreira. Also, a huge thank you to the artists who authorized us to post samples of their art – Projeto Nosostros (Priscila Midori and Victor Marcello), Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, Agustina Guerrero (Diario de una volatil), and to those who CC licensed their sites – Alberto Montt and Malaimagen.

“La Movida” – Revival of Spanish Language Comics in Brazil?

Luis Henrique — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:37:38 +0000

[This is a cross-regional post on comic books and cultural interchange, in two parts, brought to you by GV Latin America and GV Portuguese.]

Volume I: Invisible stories

What lies beneath the greater interest within the Brazilian comicdom for comic books written in Spanish? While the country is surrounded by Spanish speaking neighbors, it is strange that their artwork goes largely unknown in Brazil.

A comic strip by Argentinian Liniers posted on Pós-Pop, a blog about pop culture. “(1) Learning to fly (2) isn´t easy. (3) Learning to fall (4) neither. (5) but living on the ground is boring”.

The Brazilian market in the 1980-1990s looked quite different. Foreign material in the local language, other than US comics, used to be available through magazines such as Animal and Heavy Metal. There were not many specialized stores outside of major cities then. Monica's Gang, a famous comic strip turned into comic series did great among children and is republished in various languages now, including one in Spanish – Monica y su pandilla [es].

A few underground national comics in Portuguese were easier to find at that time, and names like Angeli, Glauco and Laerte [pt] come to mind. Funny enough, at some point they worked on a comic strip called Los 3 Amigos, in which they adopted Portuñol as the main language.

Currently, the comics market in Brazil has gained scale in terms of variety. Online strips fostered a whole new scenario for artists like Andre Dahmer, the creator of Malvados [pt].

And twins Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá [pt] made the spotlight with their acclaimed work Daytripper.

Emerging markets, yet invisible to one another

Shaken by major changes in the comicdom, brought on by the internet and greater access to content from all over the world, Brazil is also experiencing a moment of greater exchange from a variety of cultures.

Poster of the comic book festival Viñetas con Altura 2012 (Comics in the heights), promoted in Bolivia.

The reasons why Latin American cultural products, in this case, comic books, are not known in Brazil is not a new concern. Such questions have been asked before by people like artist Gabriel Bá, in a blog post in 2010 [pt]:

Qual será o problema do Brasil com o resto da América Latina? Será que é a língua? Por que só queremos saber dos Quadrinhos Norte Americanos, Europeus e Japoneses? Porque nos encanta tanto as culturas mais distantes, enquanto há tanto a ser descoberto logo aqui ao lado? Será que é só com a gente, ou do outro lado acontece a mesma coisa?

What is the problem with Brazil when it comes to Latin America? Is it the language? Why do we only want to hear about comic books that come from North America, Europe or Japan? Why are we so amazed by so distant cultures while there is so much to be uncovered right by our side? Is it just us, or does it go both ways?

And Paulo Floro, in a 2011 post for O Grito [pt], a pop culture site wrote:

[Danilo] Beyruth, um dos quadrinhistas presentes na Fierro [es, mas o comentário refere-se à edição brasileira], esteve na Argentina recentemente. “Achei curioso eles terem um mercado de quadrinhos tão rico e tão desconhecido da gente. Um é completamente invisível do outro”. O oposto também acontece. “Eles não conhecem Laerte, Henfil, do mesmo modo que não conhecemos os autores deles”.

Danilo Beyruth, one of the [Brazilian] artists published in the Fierro magazine [es, though the comment refers to the Brazilian edition], has been to Argentina recently. [He said:] “I found it curious that they have such a rich comic book market and yet it remains unknown to us. Completely invisible to one another”. The opposite also occurs. “They don´t know artists like Laerte, Henfil, the same way we don´t know their authors”.

Cover art of Fierro Magazine [es], published in Argentina and now, also, in Brazil.

Quino and Maitena enjoyed some success in Brazil, but what about other authors?

Garota Sequencial [pt], blogger and comic book editor, is also intrigued by the awkward feeling of knowing so little about Brazil's neighbours: “the richness of Latin America's comic book materials are barely known in Brazil”. She comments:

(…) são raros os casos de quadrinistas argentinos que chegam ao Brasil – e também de outros países do continente.

(…) comic books produced by artists from Argentina seldom get to the Brazilian market – and it also takes place with other countries within the continent.

And adds a mea culpa:

Se há algo pelo qual me recrimino é o total desconhecimento sobre a produção quadrinística dos outros países da América Latina.

If there is one thing I blame myself for is my total unawareness of comic books from other Latin American countries.

To Garota Sequencial, the unawareness issue goes both ways:

E isso é meio que recíproco: na entrevista que linkei (…), Liniers diz que Angeli é quase desconhecido na Argentina – O ANGELI!

This is reciprocal: I've put a link to an interview [pt] (…) in which Liniers states that Angeli is almost unknown in Argentina – THE ANGELI!

There are two great business factors that create trouble for indie publishers: “a bad distribution chain for sales and high end prices for customers”. As an ending, she adds:

Agora que as fronteiras não são mais tão impossíveis de serem atravessadas, considero importante que voltemos os olhos para o que ainda não conseguimos enxergar, seja por leniência (no meu caso) ou simples inadvertência.

Now that frontiers are not so impossible to be crossed anymore, I deem it important for us to focus on what we still cannot see, either for being lenient (which is my case) or simply because it went on inadvertently.

As stated by Gabriel Bá in a review [pt] of the year 2012:

O bom trabalho precisa de tempo pra amadurecer, o autor precisa de tempo pra ter o que falar. Não precisa ter pressa. O mundo não vai acabar.

Good work needs time to mature, the artist needs time to have a say. No need to rush. The world is not going to end.

Indeed. And maybe even readers, as audiences, need some time to mature. Maybe we are finally figuring it out.

Quase Nada 191 (Almost Nothing 191). Comic strip by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, published on their blog [pt]. Used with permission. “(1) Thank you for helping me out in this journey. (2) You´re welcome. (3) I wish I were like you, to feel everything on the edge. Stop hiding myself. (4) I can help. You´re not alone. (5) And what if I stay alone? (6) I will look for you till I find you”.

Follow us to the next post, when we´ll meet some Latin American artists and some of the bridges between their worlds. In the meantime, acknowledging that an exhaustive list is an unfeasible task, we would rather ask for your helping hand – what Latin American comic books do you recommend?

La movida, as used in this post's title, plays with the concepts of culture, resurrection and emergence of new identities.

‘Travelling with Nannies’ Proves Controversial in Brazil

Luis Henrique — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:03:57 +0000

It's vacation time in Brazil. Children are away from school and parents are figuring out ways to amuse them. Recently a blog post [pt] on Viajando com Filhos (Travelling with Children), presented what was supposed to be handy tips for families travelling with their nannies. The post went viral, not because of its usefulness, but because some of it was downright pretentious:

Em outras oportunidades em que vc quer que ela [a babá] coma antes porque o restaurante é caro ou porque vão outros casais vc pode dizer problemas, tipo assim, “hj vamos a um restaurante com a comidas muito diferentes que vai demorar ou muito caro e etc, então vamos passar pra vc comer em algum lugar, vc prefere pizza ou Mc Donals”, porque, lembre-se ela está trabalhando.

There will be moments when you need her [the nanny] to eat before either because the restaurant is expensive or because other couples will join you. You can allege issues like this: ‘today we are going to a restaurant that offers very unusual types of food, or it will take a while, or it is too expensive, and so on. So we are going to stop by for you to eat somewhere else. Do you prefer pizza or Mc Donals´ [sic], because you should bear in mind she is working.

Amidst economic growth and the rise of the middle ‘C’ class, Brazilian society is seeing a transition in domestic work. We have written before about this type of employment and its connection to issues like social inclusion, bad work conditions, social hierarchies, gender inequalities and empowerment. Blogueiras Feministas [pt], a feminist blog, posted this reaction:

A mulher que escreveu esse post não é a única que pensa dessa maneira, portanto, não adianta culpar e crucificar apenas essa pessoa. As relações com trabalhadores domésticos no Brasil tem estreita relação com nosso passado escravocrata. Assim como ela, há muitos homens e mulheres brasileiros que encaram os trabalhadores domésticos como pessoas que devem ter gratidão por estarem empregadas e por terem a chance de conviver com uma família de classe social alta. Isso, quando não os tratam como bens da família, sem permitir qualquer tipo de vida particular.

The woman who wrote this post is not alone in this line of thinking, therefore it is useless to blame and crucify her. Work relations regarding domestic workers in Brazil are linked to our past slavery. Same as this author, there are many men and women in Brazil who see domestic workers as people who should be grateful for having a chance to cohabit with a family with a high standard of living. Not to mention when those workers are treated as a family asset, with no right to a private life.

Focusing on the matter of nannies travelling along with employers, Blogueiras Feministas adds:

Trabalhadores que viajam a serviço recebem hora extra, diária para alimentação, transporte e não estão à serviço 24 horas por dia. Por que um trabalhador doméstico não estaria submetido as mesmas regras?

Employees who travel for work earn overtime, daily allowances for food, transport, and are not at service 24 hours a day. Why shouldn't a domestic worker be subject to the same rules?

Reflecting on the role of parents and the debate around “high earnings” of domestic workers, Blogueiras Feministas writes:

Questiona-se não só o valor pago para babás e diaristas, um trabalho menosprezado, não intelectual e majoritariamente feminino, como também questiona-se a maneira que cada mulher exerce a sua maternidade. Como se “cuidar das crianças” fosse apenas sua responsabilidade e o companheiro não tivesse nenhuma participação nessa relação. Perdem patroas e empregadas. Perdem as mulheres como um todo, quando não entendemos que o exercício das funções internas e domésticas são responsabilidade de todos os membros da família, independente do gênero.

The amount of money paid to nannies and maids is questioned – [it doesn't require] qualification, its not intellectual and is mostly a female job – the same way each the role of mothers are questioned. As if ‘looking after children’ was her sole responsibility and the partner didn't share any part on this. Both employers and domestic workers lose. Women as a whole lose, as we don't understand that internal and housekeeping tasks are duties of all family members, independent of gender.

Ana Teresa Fernandez's sculptural instalation “Carry On” used with permission. “Through this installation, [Ana Teresa] Fernandez hints at a metaphor of immigrants within our society inconspicuously carrying the heavy workload of service and cleaning industries”.

In another reaction, BiDê Brasil [pt], a feminist a socialist blog, writes:

Como disse no começo do texto não acho ser possível uma mãe dar conta de ser mãe, trabalhar, estudar e – no meu caso – militar. Não dá para dar conta, é extenuante, mas uma coisa é você saber quais são os flancos importantes para dividir o bem estar da criança e outra é delegar completamente a criação dos filhos para outrém.

I don't think it is possible for a mother to be a mother, to work, to study and – in my case – to advocate. One cannot stand it, it is exhausting, but one thing is knowing the parts of your life that can be shared aiming at the child's well being; yet another one is to completely delegate your child's upbringing to someone else.

And she adds that there is a debate to be had regarding public facilities to be offered by the State, such as public spaces and libraries. And another one regarding workloads and free time so that men and women can have time to themselves. But nothing justifies treating nannies like assets:

Mas isso não justifica tratar alguém que te ajude como se fosse um “item” da bagagem a se levar nas férias ou nas viagens.

It is not justifiable to treat someone who helps you as a baggage “item” to be taken on vacation or on trips.

These and other reactions led the blog post to be taken down, as this revoke note [pt] states:

Prezados leitores, sentimos muito que o texto do post “Viagem Levando Babás” tenha ofendido tanta gente. O objetivo do nosso blog nunca foi ofender ninguém e, por causa disso, retiramos o post do ar. Considerando o feedback de todos, a partir de agora teremos mais cuidado com o conteúdo publicado no blog.

Dear readers, we feel sorry the post “Viagem Levando Babás” (Travel along with a Nanny) has offended so many people. The objective of this blog was never to harm anyone, and because of that, we have taken down the post. Considering everyone´s feedback, from now on we shall be more careful with the contents we post on the blog.

Classe Média Sofre [pt], a Tumblr page that “stimulates self-criticism” based on middle class stories and a share of Brazilian's very own “pettiness” did post a link to the blog post that originated the discussion, but later on, published a critique against some of the reactions:

mas é impressionante a facilidade com a qual pessoas que nem a conhecem já assumem imediatamente uma posição de superioridade moral e se arrogam o direito de fazer comentários fortíssimos que não se justificam (…)

but it is impressive how easy people who don't know her [the blog post author] immediately assume they are positioned on higher moral ground and have the right to post unjustifiably strong criticism (…)

Slapping with a velvet glove, the Tumblr page states:

jogar pedra na moça sem-noção que viaja com babás é a melhor maneira de não pensar na maneira como você trata seu porteiro.

throwing the clueless girl who travels with nannies to the wolves is a way of forgetting how you treat the doorman at your place.

Brazil: Sexist Reporting Taints Olympic Coverage

Luis Henrique — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:11:54 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

In Brazil this Olympics, greater awareness of mainstream media's take on female athletes has opened up space for citizen media debate, challenging the current way major events are broadcast and reported.

Ativismo de Sofá [pt] blog comments on news [pt] reporting claims that an Australian swimmer is said to be overweight. Apart from citing Twitter controversy between a male journalist and Brazil's women's soccer team supporters, the blog post moves on to comment on the issue surrounding the athlete's uniforms:

Mainstream media coverage as it is for male and female athletes. Image available from Jornalismo B, under CC BY-NC-SA 2.5.

Essa objetificação passa pela desvalorização do esporte feminino. Não foram poucas as vezes em que ouvi, por exemplo, que o vôlei masculino é melhor que o feminino. Ou que o futebol masculino é superior ao feminino e etc. Então se o esporte feminino não tem tantos atrativos quanto o masculino, o que o torna viável, inclusive financeiramente? O corpo da atleta. Ao menos é isso que parece pensar uma parte da mídia esportiva, quando o esporte e a superação deveriam ser as estrelas dos Jogos.

Depreciating the role of female participation in sports is part of the process of [sexual] objectification. For instance, I've heard far too many times that the men's volleyball team is better than women's. Or that the men's soccer team masters that of the women, and so on. As a result, if women's sports don't hold as much attractiveness as men's, what makes them viable, including financially? It is the athlete's body. At least this is what part of sports media seems to believe, in a moment when sports and exceeding limits should be the stars of the Games.

In another blog post, Jornalismo B [pt] reports how the sexual orientation of Brazil's handball team goalkeeper became a top priority for Brazilian journalists, and led them to miss the perspective of the “athlete's great performance in her role” and the series of games that team had been playing.

Machismo chato de cada dia [pt], in the post Olimpíadas do Machismo (Machismo Olympics), classifies the reports focused on the beauty of Olympic female athletes as “non-news”. The post continues:

Um espetáculo de desrespeito com tod@s nós, mas principalmente com elas, mulheres que entraram na competição representando seus países após anos de esforço e resumidas a quilos a mais/menos, cabelos, sorrisos, e claro: bundas.

A disrespectful spectacle to all of us, women and men, but especially to them, female athletes who got into this competition representing their countries, after long years of training, and now, are simply summarized to the excess or lack of weight, to their hair style, smiles and, of course: buttocks.

The blog Direitos Fundamentais LGBT [pt], discussing human rights in its various manifestations, elaborates on the discrimination issues involving women, gays and sports:

…a discriminação na Educação Física e no esporte é construída em cima de uma imagem estereotipada que reforça a identidade masculina dessas práticas culturais. Logo, a homossexualidade e a feminilidade são utilizadas como referências negativas.

…discrimination in the Physical Education field and in sports is built upon a stereotyped image that reinforces men's [triumph over women in terms of] identity associated to these cultural practices. Hence, homosexuality and femininity are seen as negative references.

To the blog Pílulas Diárias [pt], the presence of women in the Olympics “poses a challenge to male authority”. Adding yet another element to question common sense, the author discusses the logic behind the division between men's teams and women's:

A ideia de que meninos jogam num lugar e meninas em outro não é algo inerente à natureza humana. É uma imposição social.

Claro que sempre haverá tipos diferentes de atletas, mas nada obriga que o critério tenha que ser o de gênero. Por que não considerar a força, o peso, a agilidade? A divisão com base no sexo é arbitrária. E é mais uma forma de nos dividir e nos faz sentir diferentes uns das outros.

The idea that boys should play in distinct spaces than girls isn't something inherent to human nature, it is a social imposition. It is clear that there will always be different types of athletes, but it isn't mandatory that the criteria for such distinction must be that of gender. Why not consider strength, weight, agility? Sex based division is arbitrary. And is yet another tool to keep us apart and make us feel different from each other.

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

“The Most Misterious of Brazilian Writers” Receives Camões Award

Luis Henrique — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:15:30 +0000

Blog Semióticas [pt] celebrates this year's Camões Award – “the highest honor” for a Portuguese language writer – given to Dalton Trevisan from Curitiba, Brazil, for his “extraordinary contribute in the art of short stories”. Trevisan, “the most misterious of Brazilian writers”, is well known for his mystical reclusiveness, and refuses being photographed, interviewed and participating in ceremonies.

Brazil: A Comic Book and its Soundtrack

Luis Henrique — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:13:31 +0000

Brazilian blogger Francielle Costa reviews [pt] Achados e Perdidos (Lost and Found), a comic book in which each chapter counts on an original soundtrack produced especially for the story. The project was crowdfunded. Chapter 1, and its soundtrack, is available here [pt].

Brazil: Domestic Work in Transition

Luis Henrique — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:05:21 +0000

Discussing GDP and interest rates is not enough to apprehend the profound changes that Brazilian society has been facing recently. New trends in the social fabric are emerging and citizen media has been keeping track of them.

One such example is domestic work. During 2011, the subject came up as a debate around social inclusion, bad work conditions, social hierarchies, gender issues and empowerment.

New trends

Social inclusion seems to be a key element to many of the changes. Research [pt] by Instituto Data Popular has put into perspective the rise of the ‘C Class', “the new middle class” – a social group that has taken advantage of more access to education, revenue increase and social programs. Now finally seen as a relevant market niche, this is the reason why many companies are interested in understanding this group's characteristics.

Untitled (Performance documentation). Painting by Ana Teresa Fernandez, used with permission.

The research has identified empowerment trends in women's career profiles; in comparison with the previous generation, the number of women involved with domestic work has decreased by a half as they pursue other employment options concerning their own career development.

Marketing consultant Luiz Marinho, on his blog presented [pt] some data that reflects this process: in the last nine years, the number of domestic workers has only increased 9% while the population has had a 13.5% growth. Domestic workers’ rising wages are also influenced by this fact.

To put that in numbers, Espinho no dedo (Thorn in the finger) [pt], a blog on philoshphy and politics, has replicated data published in an article on the matter by BBC Brasil: while the Brazilian average went up by 25%, the domestic worker got a 43.5% wage increase in the same period.

It is important to take into consideration that the issue of domestic work in Brazil goes far beyond a market approach to the matter. There are many social and cultural traits linked to the role of domestic workers, their self-esteem, their rights as workers, and also prejudice and gender issues.

Social transformation

Cristina P. Rodrigues, on the blog Somos Andando (We are walking) [pt], wrote some reflections about a recent article by The Economist, regarding domestic work in Brazil, saying that Brazil, in a way, is freeing its domestic workers as part of a process of social transformation in which the poor will not abide by the rich's rules anymore.

Comba Marques Porto, on Consciência feminista (Feminist conscience) [pt], argues that the home, where the most intimate interpersonal relations take place, is also the stage where subtle gender discrimination occurs. Since the beginning of Brazilian history, domestic duties were always responsibility of women, “a patriarchal heritage that made its way into modern times, setting inequalities incompatible with the new democratic ways”:

A figura da criada chega aos meados do século XX pela permanência do modelo de desmedida exploração da força de trabalho no âmbito doméstico. Segue-se, assim, uma constante de tratamentos desiguais, de descumprimento das leis, fatos somente explicáveis pelo desvalor conferido ao trabalho nos setores do mercado em que há concentração da mão de obra feminina.

The role of the maidservant [role played by slaves during slavery times] reached the mid-20th century due to the continued exploitation of domestic workers. What followed was a default pattern of unequal treatment, not abiding by the laws, facts that can only be explained by the undervalued character of those tasks in a market with predominance of female workers.

In a post for a blogging carnival on domestic work, journalist Luka adds that [pt] domestic work is invisible and somewhat marginalized, usually performed by women due to a gender division of work in which it's the role of women to care for the private space and the families. She wonders if that is not a reason why this type of employment is so precarious.

Michell Niero, in O Patifúndio [pt], comments on the “maid´s little room”, still present in modern residential buildings.

A presença do “quartinho de empregada” nas plantas residenciais, longe de ser tratada como um aspecto “atrasado” da sociedade do país, representa um dentre tantos elementos formadores da modernidade brasileira, avessa a rupturas e adepta a repaginações de processos que se mantém inalterados na sua essência.

The existence of the “maid's little room” in residential plants [developments], far from being considered a backwater, represents, in fact, one amongst various founding elements of modern Brazilians’ society, averse to ruptures and fond of redesigning processes just to keep them unaltered in essence.

Untitled (Performance documentation at San Diego/Tijuana border). Painting by Ana Teresa Fernandez, used with permission.

Even today, there is much evidence of a persistent clash in the relations between domestic workers and those who hire them. Michell Niero, in O Patifúndio [pt] talks about the multitasking nature of domestic work, one that leads to the incorporation of extra activities with no concern about the limits of the worker's contract, because usually such a contract doesn't formally exist. So, taking care of the children, educating and entertaining them, all become part of the daily routine.

Na ausência da mãe, a empregada se ocupa de tarefas maternas (…)

In the mother's absence, the maid is charged with maternal duties (…)

That is apparently the case of the blogger behind Sem Empregada (Living without a maid) [pt], who explains why she misses her maid:

Às vésperas de completar quatro anos sem empregada, pela primeira vez, estou cogitando voltar a ter uma na minha vida… as meninas estão em recuperação no colégio, com perigo real de repetir de ano (…). Um absurdo. Eu e meu marido estamos nos perguntando se isso tudo não está acontecendo porque não tem ninguém dentro de casa para cobrar horário de estudo, fiscalizar se estão na internet ou vendo televisão.

On the verge of celebrating four years without a maid, for the first time, I am considering hiring one back… the girls weren't approved at school and are at risk of having to repeat the school year (…). How ridiculous. My husband and I are questioning ourselves if that is not due to the lack of someone present at home to demand study hours, to check if they are browsing the web or watching television.

Revelar-se (Unfold) [pt] complains:

E então que, logo que me mudei, minha querida funcionária me pediu demissão com um bilhete na geladeira. Sim, um bilhete!!! E ela saiu da minha casa em uma 2a feira à tarde deixando louça na pia, uma pilha de roupa pra lavar e passar.

And as soon as I moved to a new home, my dear maid quit with a note on the fridge. Yes, a note!!! And she left my house on a monday, leaving the tableware on the sink and a pile of clothes to be washed and ironed.

Writer and translator Maria do Sol, on the blog Família Floresta (Forest family) [pt] says that counting on the services of a domestic worker holds an element of glamour, the idea of being free to enjoy life and family without getting too involved with routine tasks. But she reminds herself and the readers that is an ideal and far from reality.

Jeanne Callegari on the blog Blogueiras Feministas (Feminist bloggers) [pt] presents an alternative approach to a future without domestic workers: acknowledge that counting on a domestic worker is a privilege that tends to disappear and start taking care of your stuff, “and it's good that it goes that way”.

Brazil: Real State Speculation Threatens Sacred Ground

Luis Henrique — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:21:48 +0000

Sagrada Terra Especulada (Sacred Speculated Ground), a Brazilian collective that advocates for indigenous land rights, is promoting a documentary [pt] and a petition [pt] in defense of the Pajé Sanctuary, close to Brasilia´s Pilot Plan. Real estate speculation [pt] threatens this area of savannah with the construction of a so-called “first eco-neighborhood in Brazil”.

Brazil: Children's Book Sparks Racism Debate

Luis Henrique — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:03:50 +0000

Whilst reading this article, why not listen to the song Yellow Woodpecker's Ranch (Sítio do Pica-Pau Amarelo) [pt], the soundtrack of the classic Brazilian television series based on Monteiro Lobato's children's books.

Song by Gilberto Gil, available from the artist's website. Click to open the audio player in another window.

During recent months Brazilian citizen media has been debating literature, censorship, racism and education, following the suggestion by the country's National Council on Education (NCE) to withdraw celebrated author Monteiro Lobato's book Caçadas de Pedrinho (Pete's Hunting) [pt] from schools.

Lobato's Caçadas de Pedrinho was made into a famous television series in the 1980s which is still broadcast in Portuguese language-speaking countries today. In the late 1990s it was adopted as teaching material in schools throughout Brazil, and it has also been part of a government program that distributes books to children in public schools.

However, at the end of 2010 a citizen filed a complaint claiming the book does not follow NCE's courseware directives [pt], particularly regarding “the absence of prejudice, estereotypes or doctrination”, in a list of criteria that also includes “the quality of the text, the theme, the graphic quality and the reading potential, considering the target audience”. Sergio Leo explains:

(…) os especialistas do MEC [Ministério da Educação] analisaram a denúncia e tiveram de admitir que a obra tem elementos racistas e concluíram que, do jeito que está, não deve constar da lista de distribuição, a menos que tenha uma orientação ao professor e aos pequenos leitores, mostrando que lá em 1933 havia mais racismo no Brasil e que não se deve tomar como padrão de conduta e valor o tipo de referência depreciativa que Lobato faz a negros.

(…) experts in the Ministry of Education analyzed the complaint and had to admit that the novel presents racist elements and concluded that, as it is, the book should not be part of the distribution list unless it offers some kind of guidence to teacher and young readers, showing that back in 1933 there was more racism in Brazil and that the derogatory references made by Lobato to black people should not be taken as normal behaviour.

Opposition to the suggested withdrawal has come from many sides. Intellectuals from the Brazilian Academy of Letters have protested [pt] the move. Jarbas, from the blog Boteco Escola (Pub School) [pt] described the case as “pedagogical censorship”.

The blog Música Pura (Pure Music) [pt] stated that literature is a heritage that cannot be proofread according to conceptual innovations. Aldo Rebelo from the Communist Party posted [pt] a harsh criticism comparing the veto applied to Caçadas de Pedrinho to the installation of “a literary court in Brazil”.

Valdeci, from the blog Mais de 140 caracteres (More than 140 characters) [pt], made an appeal not only in support of Lobato but also to all writers who dared to challenge political correctness:

Agora o Conselho Nacional de Educação vai tomar para si o direito de invadir editoras mundo a fora, com se donos da verdade absoluta fossem, para recolher os livros de Monteiro Lobato, Machado de Assis, Castro Alves e tantos outros escritores que “ousaram” escrever suas histórias longe da hipocrisia do politicamente correto (termo e conceito estes que nem existiam na época)…

Now the National Council on Education will assume the right to invade publishers all over the world, as if it was the sole guardian of truth, to retake the novels of Monteiro Lobato, Machado de Assis, Castro Alves and so many other writers that “dared” to write their stories free from the hypocrisy of political correctness (a concept that didn't even exist in their time)…

Picture of Monteiro Lobato, circa 1920. Image in public domain.

Monteiro Lobato is the mastermind responsible for books that have entertained generations of Brazil's children. Viewed as a national hero, he has made a significant contribution to the country's cultural heritage.

Brazilian author Maurício de Souza, the creator of children's comic book Turma da Mônica (Monica's Gang) [pt], was quoted by Silvana Nunes in Meu caderno de poesias (My poetry notebook) [pt], making a heartfelt defense of Lobato's work:

(…) durante essa guerra que travava contra o atraso, semeava ideias e livros para as crianças. Os melhores de todos os tempos.

(…) meanwhile he fought a war against backwardness, he was seeding ideas and books for children. The best of all times.

However, César Baldi cited by BloQ [pt], sees limiting the idea of racism to the moment the book was written (an argument used in Lobato's defense) as denying the permanent nature of the discrimination of black people.

The cast of Yellow Woodpecker Ranch in the Globo television series based on Monteiro Lobato's children's books. Image courtesy of Obvious magazine.

Terezinha Pereira from the blog Alma Carioca (Carioca Soul) [pt], questioned the criteria adopted by the NCE and the Special Secretariat in the analysis of the complaint:

Nem devem imaginar que personagens da ficção “tem voz própria” que, necessariamente, não é a mesma do autor. E se fosse? Não seria um bom motivo para discussão na escola?

They probably don't even imagine that fictional characters have “their own say” which is not necessarily the same as the author's. And what if they were alike? Wouldn't this be a good point with which to foster debate at school?

Idelber Avelar, from the blog O biscoito fino e a massa (The cracker and the mass) [pt], gave an educational perspective to the matter:

a contextualização [é] necessária para que epítetos, comportamentos discriminatórios, racismo explicito, ódio a povos ou a orientações sexuais etc., sancionadas e apresentadas como normais no contexto em que a obra foi escrita ou no interior dela (…) sejam lidos criticamente e não replicados como modelo pelos alunos. Não é tão fácil como parece. No caso de Monteiro Lobato, é imensamente difícil.

it is necessary to contextualize so that epithets, discriminatory behaviours, explicit racial profiling, hate towards people or sexual orientation, and so on, either sanctioned or presented as usual behaviour in the context in which the novel was written or within the novels (…) are read in a critical perspective and not replicated as models by students. It is not as easy as it seems. In Lobato's case, the difficulty becomes huge.

To Sergio Leo [pt] the greater share of critics of the NCE's report never read Lobato's novels, getting to know his work only through television adaptations which were freed from “racism and other stuff”.

Alberto Mussa, cited by Rafael Rodrigues in Entretantos (Meanwhiles) [pt], believes it is time to get over the idea that in Brazil neither racism nor prejudice exist. In his original post in a literature journal, Mussa asked to be convinced:

Me convençam que uma criança negra lendo uma passagem racista de um dos livros do genial Lobato não vá se sentir vexada, discriminada, constrangida. Me convençam que livros como esses não violam a integridade psíquica e moral da criança – que somos, por lei, obrigados a proteger.

Convince me that a black child, when reading a racist phrase in one of the books of the great Lobato, won't feel harassed, discriminated, troubled. Convince me that books like these don't violate the moral and psychic integrity of children – which we are, by law, obliged to protect.

The debate over the Monteiro Lobato case showed clear differences between mainstream media coverage of the issue and that of the blogosphere. The former was comfortable with the censorship approach, setting an agenda that fueled in some cases the wrong discussions.

The blogosphere meanwhile went deeper into the subject and presented a variety of points of view, for and against, ones that were not available to the average media reader or viewer.

This post was proofread in English by Emma Brewin.

Brazil: Real Estate Speculation Threats the Cerrado

Luis Henrique — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 05:40:25 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

4 Bedroom property advertising in the street. Photo by Reverbe, used with permission.

Real estate speculation is taking over Brazil as the country experiences a boosting economy and a new round of consumption extravaganza: people are having access to more credit and are willing to pursue dreams like getting rid of rent and buying their own home. In this scenario, constructors, their suppliers and other companies involved in the real estate chain are taking over every free square meter in the cities and converting them into apartment buildings, commercial buildings and condos – all quickly built with the aid of new technologies in construction and easily sold thanks to the easiness of credit access. Such a phenomena poses some threats to nature and to society itself, as it changes the way people nest.

In Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, this theme is gaining momentum as property projects multiply, invading the last remains of the typical savannah vegetation, known as cerrado.

Brasilia is a modern city, a product of the creative minds of Lúcio Costa (the urbanist responsible for the Pilot Plan project) and Oscar Niemeyer (the architect responsible for the city´s architectonic projects). In the Pilot Plan, the superblocks (blocks 300m long) hold buildings no more than 6 floors tall so that everyone can admire the sky and, where possible, see the lake Paranoá; the ground floor (pilotis [pt]) is considered public space – it does not belong to the private space of the buildings – and is supposed to be shared by the community (based on the idea that people should circulate freely and that the buildings should float above everything [pt], according to blogger Daniel Duende, “not occupying the spaces but rather placing themselves harmonically above them”). All these were part of an urbanistic trend in the 1960´s. For Fernando Serapião, an architect and an urbanist, the peculiar traits of Brasilia will find no parallel:

Apesar das virtudes, nenhuma outra cidade terá uma área residencial como a da capital brasileira. Suas contradições e problemas foram fundamentais para a evolução do pensamento urbanístico. Desde os anos de 1960, os urbanistas não rezam mais a cartilha que gerou Brasilia.

In spite of its virtues, no other city will have a residential area similar to Brasilia. Its contradictions and problems were fundamental to the evolution of urban thought. Since the 1960´s, urbanists no longer follow the guidelines that led to Brasilia.

Original image of the Pilot Plan, Brasilia, available from the Ministry of Culture of Brazil under a CC license Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Brazil.

For Roberto Segre, who is also an architect as well as a critic and historian of Latin America architecture,

(…) a cidade expressa agora as contradições políticas, econômicas, sociais e culturais existentes no país.

(…) the city now expresses the political, economical, social and cultural contradictions that exist in the country.

The contradictions Segre mentions have hurt the utopia concepts of the capital of Brazil. Professor Carpintero (p. 4-5) citing [pt] Brasilia's conceptual standards as proposed by Lúcio Costa, the urbanist responsible for Brasilia's Pilot Plan, summarizes the global idea of what a city means (or could mean):

Ela (a cidade) deve ser concebida não como simples organismo capaz de preencher satisfatoriamente e sem esforço as funções vitais próprias de uma cidade moderna qualquer, não apenas como URBS, mas como CIVITAS, possuidora dos atributos inerentes a uma capital … a cidade não é apenas construção – urbs -, mas lugar de cidadãos, – civis, civitas.

The city must not be conceived only as a simple organism capable of satisfying, effortlessly, the vital functions that are part of any modern city. The city is not just URBS, but also as CIVITAS, owner of attributes inherent to a capital… a city isn't only about its buildings – urbs -, it also the place of the citizens – civis, civitas.

"To trade savannah's plants for millionaire property plans is bad a bargain for Brasilia (Federal District)". Photo by Daiane Souza, used with permission.

The free areas left by Lúcio Costa, the bucolic scale, are now threatened by corporate plans that are taking advantage of Brasilia ever growing real estate market. Bloggers like Pedro Júnior [pt] believe there's a property bubble in Brasilia. With property offer rising, greater are the environmental costs. Construction sites are multiplying and this is happening against strong criticism: activists have denounced in a series of videos (watch video: 1, 2, 3) the impact (on nature and on the lives of an indigenous community located in the green area) of building Setor Noroeste (Sector Northeast), advertised as the first ecovillage [pt] of Brazil.

During the process of public hearings that discussed the Noroeste project, even the indigenous presence in the lands of Setor Noroeste – in the place called Terra Indígena Santuário dos Pajés [pt] or Reserva Indígena do Bananal [pt] – has been questioned or treated with contempt. The former governor of the Federal District (where Brasilia is located), stated [pt] (1min37sec) in a public hearing in 2007: “in that area (…) where Setor Noroeste will be built (…), there are exactly six indians living in that area”.

Indigenous protest against the construction of Setor Noroeste. Photo from Movimento Cerrado Vivo, available in the blog Os Verdes de Tapes.

In order to build Sector Northeast, an area covered by cerrado is already being deforested. Soon, in another expansion planned for Brasilia, the Setor Sudoeste (Southwest Sector) might host 22 new buildings with 6 floors each, in spite of community protests [pt] and legal concerns [pt] regarding the project, which was the result of an exchange between the Brazilian Navy, owner of the public land where the Southwest expansion might take place, and a construction company, which has offered to the Navy, in turn, a certain share of apartments in Águas Claras (a district 20 minutes far from Brasilia).

Protest against real estate speculation in Setor Sudoeste and for the savannah (Cerrado). Photo from blog Grupo Currupião, 2009.

The speculation context contrasts with the fact that Brasilia was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Cidadania Online remarks [pt] that

O tombamento assegurou que as premissas urbanísticas do Plano Piloto não podem ser desfiguradas, nem pela especulação imobiliária.

Being protected as historic heritage assured that the urban premises of the Pilot Plan could not be distorted, not even by real estate speculation.

On September 11th, Brazil commemorated Cerrado's day. Some environmentalists and activists claim there's not to much to celebrate, though. The tropical savannah is also the stage upon which farmers are boosting agriculture. Cerrado, though rich in its biodiversity, is not as famous as the rain forest. The efforts to protect it are more diffuse, or, somewhat less coordinated in global terms. The statement on a recent report on The Economist accounting that Brazil “is often accused of leveling the rainforest to create its farms, but hardly any of this new land lies in Amazonia; most is cerrado”, probably could be expressed by the average Brazilian who doesn't know that particular environment or who is not directly affected by its deforestation. It might be the case in Brasilia, where people and the government might not value the local vegetation.

In fact, SOS Parque Ecológico do Guará regrets [pt] the lack of interest of the government of Brasilia for the environment and for quality of life.

Brasilia is not the only region where real state speculation is taking a stand. Dimas Santos, deputy mayor of the municipality of João Alfredo in the state of Pernambuco, on his blog says [pt] that people consider him to be “against progress” when he reflects on the negative impacts of real estate speculation on nature. He also questions the role of speculators in Brazilian society and discusses the use of public funds to build the basic infrastructure in certain regions that, later on, have those benefits privatized by speculators who bought the land to do exactly that: wait for improvements and sell. From Dimas point of view, the current situation is summed up in a song by Chico Science, a local composer, who says that

a cidade não pára, a cidade só cresce: o de cima sobe, o de baixo desce.

the city doesn't stop, the city only grows: the one from the top goes up, the one from the bottom does down.

To the global audience I ask if real estate speculation is taking place in your regions, too. Use the comments to answer, if you feel like sharing your stories.

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

This article was proofread by Marta Cooper.

Brazil: Limits on Food Ads Shake Market Forces

Luis Henrique — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:23:08 +0000

"I'm Condimenting Myself". CC By Steve Snodgrass

The Brazilian federal agency regulating health, Anvisa, recently ruled [pt] that the advertising of soft drinks and food rich in saturated or transfats, sugar and sodium will change. By the end of 2010, the industry will have to adapt.

Particularly one point from the new set of rules generated controversy in the media:

- whether in tv, radio or in print, food advertising should include warnings [pt], similar to those presented in anti-smoking campaigns. Sugar-rich products would show, printed on the packaging, warnings that the product contains too much sugar and increases the risk of obesity and cavities if consumed in large amounts.

The industry's reaction was strong: editorials in newspapers questioned the agency's mandate to change a federal rule that regulates advertising. Many issues are involved, from the rights of governments to interfere in the private lives of citizens, to the cultural traits of people who are used to consume tastier, albeit unhealthy food. Also part of this debate is the role of government to promote nutritional education and, as argues the government, the citizen's need for clearer information about food ingredients and how food affects the human body in order to freely choose what to consume.

Reactions in the blogosphere were diverse.

Libertatum [pt] speaks of an attack on freedom of expression and freedom of property.

Matrice [pt] presents some background information:

A publicidade desse grupo de alimentos contribui para a atual epidemia de sobrepeso e obesidade em crianças, que vem ocorrendo no Brasil e no mundo, o que fez com que a Organização Mundial de Saúde aprovasse, em maio deste ano, uma recomendação [en] orientando os países membros das Nações Unidas a restringirem a publicidade de alimentos direcionada a crianças.

The advertising of this type of food contributes to the current overweight and obesity epidemic among children, which has been affecting Brazil and the world. This led the World Health Organization to approve, in May 2010, a recommendation to the member states of the United Nations to impose restrictions on food advertising focused on children.

Blog do Ronaldo [pt] questions the effectiveness of such a campaign against the products that are the target of Anvisa's new rule.

arinelli [pt] comments on the industry's early moves:

Quando a Anvisa começou a levantar o assunto diversos fabricantes de alimentos – como a Nestlé, por exemplo – começaram a manifestar, publicamente, uma nova postura acerca da publicidade infantil. Algumas empresas assinaram acordos de não-veiculação de propaganda de alimentos que fosse direcionada diretamente às crianças e prometeram uma maior cautela na divulgação de itens do universo infantil.

When Anvisa began raising concerns on this issue several food manufacturers – such as Nestlé – began to express publicly a new attitude towards advertising to children. Some companies have signed pledges commiting to refrain from broadcasting or publishing advertising aimed directly at children and promised greater caution when directing messages to the age group.

Leonardo Sakamoto [pt] presents the industry's point of view and tries to catch what lies underneath:

"People shouldn't be afraid of their governments…" CC by Carlo Nicora/Flickr.

Parte das empresas de publicidade e da indústria reclamam que toda essa movimentação é um atentado à liberdade de expressão. Mas, ao usar essa justificativa, o que elas acabam defendendo é o direito de ficar em silêncio para não se expor diante à sociedade. O problema é que essa omissão de informações acaba sendo um atentado contra a liberdade de escolha. Como é possível decidir se não há informação suficiente para isso nos rótulos dos produtos?

Some of the advertising agencies and the industry complain that this whole move poses an attack on freedom of expression. But by making this point, what they end up defending is their “right” to remain silent and avoid exposing themselves before society. The problem is that omitting information leads to an attack on the consumers’ freedom of choice. How can one decide if there is not enough information for [freedom of choice] in the products’ labels?

Radiomargarida [pt] makes a counterpoint to the industry's legal arguments:

Contudo, é importante que se diga que o setor regulado não está preocupado em garantir preceitos constitucionais ou defender a Carta Magna. Quer sim impedir a Anvisa de atuar no âmbito da regulamentação da atividade publicitária, seja ela relativa a qualquer produto ou serviço. Cervejas, remédios, alimentos. Não importa. O setor regulado não quer o Poder Executivo ousando imiscuir-se nesse assunto.

Nonetheless, it is important to say that the industry is not concerned with guaranteeing constitutional principles neither in defending the Constitution. What they want is to prevent Anvisa [pt] from making moves to regulate of advertising, no matter if it is related to a product or service. Beer, medicines, food. It doesn't matter which. The regulated sector does not want Executive Power daring to interfere in this subject.

The Union's Advocate-General (AGU), legal defender of the Brazilian government's interests, manifested his opinion against Anvisa's resolution and recommended the suspension of its effects until it is further analyzed, in response to a consultation made by CONAR, the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation. As a result, IDEC, a consumer rights advocacy institute, called on civil society groups to protest saying yes to the food advertising rule [pt]. These are the facts so far and the industry, the government and civil society are preparing their next moves. Do consumers, the citizens, have a say in this debate?

A complex game. CC by paulasofiasimoes/Flickr

This article was proofread by Janet Gunter.

Brazil: Yellow Whistles Warn about Global Hunger

Luis Henrique — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:42:27 +0000

This whistle is being used by people to call attention for the hunger problem in the 1 Billion Hungry campaign.

The 1billionhungry campaign was officially launched in Brazil on Thursday, July 1st. The purpose of this initiative is to put pressure on politicians to combat hunger. Sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, the global campaign is virtually catching the attention of audiences everywhere with the help of social media and web tools. There is a symbol to this campaign, a yellow whistle, which helps audiences to make themselves noticed.

Blow the yellow whistle and bring the noise!

That's what Brazilian bloggers started doing: they reproduced the release provided by FAO, as did alinemenezes, but, digging a little deeper, some elaborate thoughts emerged. Not all comments are related to the 1billionhungry campaign but they are helpful to see the big picture and try and capture what are the thoughts of bloggers regarding the hunger debate.

Messias Martins talked about statistics and posed a question [pt]:

Para você ter uma idéia o Brasil é o 4º maior país em produção de alimentos no mundo. O Brasil é o 6º país no mundo em subnutrição. Para onde vai tanta comida?

So that you can have an idea, Brazil is the world's 4^th major food producer. At the same time, the country is the 6^th in the undernourished ranking. Where does all that food go?

Wilke Lima cited [pt] Josette Sheeran, from the United Nations Food Programme:

Um mundo faminto é um mundo perigoso…. sem comida as pessoas tem apenas três opções: fazer protestos violentos, emigrar ou morrer. Nenhuma dessas opções é aceitável

A hungry world is a dangerous one… without food people have only three things to do: violent protests, migrate or die. None of them is acceptable.

He argued that nations probably know what needs to be done to combat hunger but [pt]:

É mais cômodo e mais seguro responsabilizar o crescimento populacional, a preguiça do pobre ou ainda as adversidades do meio natural como causas da miséria e da fome.

It is more comfortable and safer to blame it on population growth rates, the laziness of poor people or even environmental odds for the causes of misery and famine.

Zelmar Guiotto and Socialismo e Democracia have posted on their blogs a report by Carta Maior magazine which presented an interview with french agricultural engineer Marcel Mazoyer, who stated [pt]:

A falta de alimentos para grande parte da população é fruto de um processo histórico de desenvolvimento agrícola desigual e não pode ser resolvida com o simples aumento da produção(…) a parcela da população global que tem menos acesso aos alimentos é justamente a dos camponeses.

The lack of food for a great part of the population stems from a historic process of unequal agriculture development and it cannot be solved by simply increasing production(…) the share of the global population that has less access to food are peasants.

Mr. Mazoyer has a point of view on the effects of market practices on the agricultural activity, as reported by the both bloggers [pt]:

Atualmente, o mercado equilibra a oferta e demanda daqueles que podem pagar e não a oferta e a necessidade.

Currently, the market balances suplly and demand of those who can afford to pay [for food] and not the balance between supply and necessity.

Manifesto in the streets of Porto Alegre, Brazil (2009). CC by Paulo Paiva

Marcão Tilápia – O Pescador, a fisherman blog, discusses some data on poverty and presents his opinion on the hunger matters in Brazil [pt]:

(…) existe um conluio disfarçado de grande parte de nossa sociedade hipócrita, especialmente a de classe mais “abastada”,usando um simples exemplo: PREOCUPAÇÃO EM TRATAR BEM, ANIMAIS DE ESTIMAÇÃO, (não que eles não mereçam ) gastando seus recursos financeiros de forma exagerada,em detrimento aos seus semelhantes carentes de tudo, que poderiam simplesmente ajudar. Na defesa de seus interesses e de ponto de vista, preferem dizer que isto é tarefa do Estado ou dos políticos, afinal, para tal foram eleitos, considerando a carga tributária que lhes são impostas, cuja arrecadação, não recebe prioridade de aplicação em áreas sociais em geral.

(…) there is a hidden covenant by greater part of our hypocrite society, especially the richer part, [which can be demonstrated ] by a simple example: caring for pets (not that they don't deserve it), spending resources in an exagerated fashion, letting behind the most needy peers whom these people could help. Defending their interests and points of view, they prefer to say that this is a duty of the State, or one of the politicians’ tasks, after all, they were elected for that, especially considering the taxes imposed on society, funds that are not prioritized for financing social areas in general.

Earthlingorgeous makes a clear statement: the problem goes beyond not having enough to eat:

Most people think of malnutrition as not having enough to eat. But for many of the world’s one billion hungry people, the problem is that they get too few of the minerals and vitamins that they need to thrive, physically and mentally.

Kale puts it in another words:

The 1.02 billion people only tells us how many are undernourished, it says nothing about the millions of people who are “malnourished”, those who do eat, but not have a full diet.

According to Jacques Diouf, FAO Director-General, a hungry man is an angry man. The 1billionhungry campaign promotes intense video messages by actor Jeremy Irons, who claims to be “mad as hell” because 1 billion people live in chronic hunger. Watch his video to understand why FAO's director is equally angry.

Society isn't always aware of how to act. Stop racism, stop war, stop hunger… So many agendas, so many ways to work for the benefit of the community: by blogging, volunteering, donating, and so on. Another way to contribute is by taking part of online petitions, which have gained momentum with the adoption of e-mails and other web tools. Complementing traditional door-to-door requests, or even innovative performances in public spaces, petitions now can reach a global scale. One of the key aspects about 1billionhungry is how easy it is to participate – as simple as filling in a form in the web. Besides, the communication strategy counts on a website which is written in multiple languages, in other words, that has global reach. Depending on the results of this campaign, online communities might have new references for civic engagement.