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Summary
History – Fifty years ago Brasília was designed as a modern, mid-sized urban center, planned to house the capital of the country. Today, surrounded by satellite-cities where poverty is fertile soil for electoral cronyism, the city sees its dream turn into a nightmare.
Textile industry – Albeit satisfied with the country’s recovery in terms of economic growth, businesspeople in the textile sector have no reason to celebrate. This is due to what they classify as predatory competition by Chinese-made goods, which have flooded the Brazilian domestic market.
Cities – The chaotic growth experienced by São Paulo, the country’s largest metropolis, has spurred gigantic problems. While officeholders and specialists seek means to humanize the city, not few of its residents and companies dream of settling in quieter areas of the countryside.
Nutrition – Because it is a rich source of carbohydrates, bread is a nutritional mainstay. However, its consumption in Brazil is below the level recommended by the World Health Organization.
Market – More often than not, mergers have become synonymous with trouble for the consumer. Recent examples, in the banking and telephony industries, confirm the problems brought about by insufficient competition.
Biotechnology – In Brazil, at least ten research groups are using animal transgenesis to produce medication, promote the genetic enhancement of economically interesting species, or conduct studies into human diseases.
Cattle ranching – Boasting the largest beef herd in the world with approximately 200 million animals, Brazil has in cattle farming the most outstanding segment of its vigorous agribusiness. By tapping modern handling techniques, the country has become the world’s largest meat exporter.
Poetry – 300 years ago there appeared in Japan a poetic modality that until today arouses great interest virtually all over the world: Haiku poetry. In Brazil, great literary names have surrendered to this art’s charm.
Education – Late last March, took place in Brasília the National Conference for Education, with specialists meeting to discuss the field’s themes of interest. The proposals debated will guide the Executive and Legislative branches in setting objectives.
Technology – The Internet arrived in Brazil 15 years ago, and the country ranks fifth in the number of accesses to the network. According to a Google-sponsored survey, 57% of the Brazilian Internet users access at least one social network every day, while the world average is 31%.
Social inclusion – The number of devices and apparatuses available on the market, as for instance computer programs, catering to the disabled is increasing steadily. Due to these resources, people with special needs can once again become professionally active and productive.
Music – A phenomenon that has spread to several parts of the world is invigorating the Brazilian record market: the return of the vinyl record. The interest is such that entrepreneurs are investing in a factory, one of a kind in all of Latin America, to meet the needs of the product’s aficionados.
Heritage – More than two and a half centuries after the apogee of the gold cycle that strewed the lands of the state of Minas Gerais with villages, the chiming of the state’s churches has been declared a part of the Brazilian historical heritage.
Literature – The first woman to join the Brazilian Academy of Letters [Academia Brasileira de Letras], Rachel de Queiroz had a controversial career. The author’s unquestionable talent could not prevent her political stance from marring her image.
Thematic panel – Lawyer Plínio de Arruda Sampaio was a federal representative and an exile in Chile after the 1964 military coup. A champion of the agrarian reform and socialism, he discussed the Brazilian reality with the members of the Economics, Sociology and Politics Council of the São Paulo State Fecomercio, Sesc and Senac. In his view, the country is not well and the way out is a “radical overhaul of capitalism that points to another type of society that we can organize better”.