Sesc SP

Citizenship – In Rio de Janeiro the non-governmental organization Viva Rio has launched the program Balcao de Direitos, which, besides informing the population living in the shanty towns on the city hillsides about their rights and duties, also issues papers and mediates disputes. As it has been happening in Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo, other Brazilian States have been introducing the program called Promotoras Legais Populares (Popular Legal Promoters). This project aims at instructing women from the poor communities to impart law, justice and citizenship information to these people.

Politics – In 2002 we celebrate the hundredth birthday anniversary of Juscelino Kubitschek, the 21st president of Brazil, who, in many people’s opinion, was the best president the Republic has ever had. Besides having constructed Brasilia to be the capital of the country, he was responsible for taking the first steps towards the industrialization. After the coup d’etat in 1964, when the military seized power, Juscelino had his political rights annulled and was sent into exile. The fact of being prohibited from entering the city he built, imposed by the armed forces because of his popularity, was what most hurt him.

Development – The business incubator has become a viable option for people who have got good ideas but no resources for developing projects. The incubator provides an environment that supports technically and financially small emerging or young companies during their critical start-up period by teaching them effective business practice or to develop and improve their products.

Economy – The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) is celebrating 50 years in 2002. The most important financial institution in introducing the industrialization in Brazil, the bank has been responsible for investments that provided the country with means to start producing steel, constructing hydroelectric power plants. And recently the bank has sustained the privatization process in the country.

Jesuits – A museum in which objects of cultural and historical interest concerning the Society of Jesus showing their importance and role in the history of Brazil during the colonial period was reinaugurated in Sao Paulo. Located in the central area, in the Patio do Colegio, landmark of the city foundation, the museum gives prominence to Father Jose de Anchieta’s life, a Jesuit whose canonization process is being studied in Vatican. With the title of Apostle of Brazil, Anchieta exerted a strong influence on education, founded many schools and wrote the first grammar in Tupi, an Indian language.

History – In Brazil there is a white racist elite, whose origin goes back to the beginning of the colonial era. Salvador Correia de Sa e Benevides, responsible for this kind of ideology, became the great statesman at that period of time, together with Father Antonio Vieira, a Jesuit priest. In the name of Portugal, Salvador de Sa reconquered Luanda (Angola) from the Dutch and expelled them from Bahia. Having tireless energy, he enslaved Indians and Africans, and he also built the biggest galleon in the world at that time, a floating fortress.

Ecology – Ten years have elapsed since the Eco-92 took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 in order to launch a policy of sustainable development. A decade later the world will be meeting in South Africa in August, in an event known as Rio+10, just to render a report on the achievements and redefine the policy to be taken from now on. But this time, instead of euphoria, the environmentalists seem pessimistic.

Voluntary services – The TV Globo’s psychologist and project director, Andrea Tissenbaum, has made a speech at the Federacao do Comercio do Estado de Sao Paulo’s Economy, Sociology and Politics Council on the issue of social voluntary services performed by companies, non-governmental organizations and individuals. She has pointed out the importance of these activities involving multiple partnerships and having good results in Brazil. In the debate it has been said that the Government officials should play a more active role in it, but because of their omission representatives of the civil society replace them.