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Summary
The explosion in the Third Sector — There are 220,000 institutions, a US$ 9 billion budget, 12 million volunteers and the care of 9 million people. These are the figures of the Third Sector in Brazil, dedicated mainly to social issues bridging some of the area forsaken by the State. The Third Sector shows increasing signs of specialization. Some of the Brazilian universities offer courses specifically designed for the Third Sector; and alongside the traditional volunteers there are increasing numbers of professionals working for these institutions. Among business companies it establishes the idea — stimulated by frequent awards such as Eco — that successful social initiatives are a priceless strengthening of their public image.
Railway Station reaches 100 years — On the eve of reaching 100 years, the Estação da Luz, in São Paulo, faces obstacles for its conservation. A restoration project has been debated since 1988, and even today the details of its execution are not quite defined. Meanwhile the station, in the British style, which became one of the symbols of the largest South American metropolis, deteriorates each day.
Angola — For 25 years the Angolans have been living through the horror of a civil war. A Portuguese ex-colony, the country watches the struggles between the government and the Unita forces, who control the diamond production in the hinterland. Bombings, destroyed roads, refugee camps and 20 million mines hidden throughout the country and towns are the image of Angola. Brazil following the lead of other nations, also has investments in Angola, which are constantly threatened by the guerrillas.
Children’s education — Since 1996 when the Brazilian government decided that the education of children aged 7 to 14 would be the priority of the country’s educational policy, there are less funds for the younger children state-owned schools. At the same time the Ministry of Education has announced a new standard of quality these schools are supposed to achieve. Most of the schools cannot make it without a large amount of funds. So, who is supposed to pay the bills?
Banks of the future — The automation of the banks is already an irreversible reality in Brazil. The lower costs of the electronic operations have stimulated bank investments in technology. The traditional banking branches are overtaken by smaller banks, in shopping center or large stores, ATM’s (self-service machines), Internet banking and other electronic facilities. The other side of the coin is the unemployment issue: in 1986 banks employed 900,000 people, today only 406,000 are employed.
The Portuguese language is back! — Although the congressman Aldo Rebelo fights for a law restricting the excessive use of English or other foreign languages in Brazil, programs and articles on Portuguese grammar have been very popular in the media. Teachers disagree whether the mixture of languages is a bad influence on Brazilian’s education. In the meantime countries where Portuguese is spoken, still wait for an orthographic unification of the language.
Frail parties — The Brazilian political history registers a chronic frailty of its political parties. Personal interest corrodes the doctrinary basis and keeps away the search for the common good. Such is the opinion of lawyer Cláudio Lembo, president of the Partido da Frente Liberal, in São Paulo, who debated the theme during a meeting at the Federação do Comércio do Estado de São Paulo. It is the subject matter in the insert of this issue, in which the author relates the historical and today’s causes of these problems.