Sesc SP

Adolescents – Ten years ago Brazil approved a modern legislation for dealing with minors and adolescents who break the law. Meanwhile, the situation of minor delinquents (90 per cent are male) is still crucial for the country. The systems for care-taking and confinement are faulty, and the minors, instead of being taught how to live in society, learn the secrets of being a criminal. There are examples of states and counties which have succeeded in enforcing the law and are getting good results. In fact, subjects as minor delinquency, sexuality, teen pregnancy and use of drugs by minors are dealt with prejudice and misinformation by adults. This is an evidence that also in this area the nation has still much to accomplish.

Natural food – The excessive use of chemical products in agriculture is provoking a reaction: people are looking for food produced in a natural way, with no toxic substances. There are many advantages, both for health and for ecology. The supermarkets, keeping an eye on this tendency, offer a range of food with a special stamp, certifying its origin, grown without toxic substances. Small producers are taking advantage of this tendency, and it is forecasted that the agribusiness companies will drastically reduce the use of chemicals in order not to loose this market.

The face of Brazil – Brazilians are commemorating the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the country. In Sao Paulo, as a part of this commemorative celebration an art exhibit, called Exhibit of the Rediscovery - Brazil+500, is taking place. Actually there are several linked exhibits, offering a grandiose view of Brazilian history, or a great portrait, through the artistic manifestations, of the reality of the country.

Dangerous transportation – In Amazonia there are very few roads, and rivers are the main means of transportation. Meanwhile, there is a lack of infrastructure for transporting people and goods. The control is careless, the ports are improvised, and the boats are precarious. In spite of it, the boats are always overcrowded, weighting more than its capacity can support. As a result there are tragic accidents, with hundreds of casualties.

Housing project – The great number of people living in shanty towns in Brazil shows the extent of the housing problem in the country. A project developed by civil organizations is being offered to the government, as a way to lessen this problem. The main idea is to finance houses for the low-income workers, using subsidies from governmental funds, but the Federal Administration has not welcomed the idea.

Verissimo, a storyteller – Erico Verissimo (1905-1975) is one of the most popular Brazilian writers. He used to consider himself as an dissatisfied author, with an excessive self-criticism that he maintained up to the end of his life. Idealist and enemy of dictatorships, he always made public his thoughts in defense of freedom. According to his son Luis Fernando Verissimo, also a writer, Erico was an author who kept ‘a rare consistency in an era of changeable principles’.

Socioeconomic reality – The geographer Milton Santos analyses the Brazilian territory and inhabitants during the past 500 years of its history. According to him, in recent years the shrinkage in the size of the State, due to the globalization process, and the prevalence of the companies’ political speech and of the ‘ethics of results’ have converted the poverty into something natural and, consequently, justified.

Law that does not work – It is terrifying the increase of the crime rate in Brazil. In 1999 there were 5,418 cases of homicides in the city of Sao Paulo, 12 per cent more than in 1998. One of the main cause is the impunity, made possible by a completely confused and decaying legislation. For instance: kissing a 14-year-old girl can mean nine years imprisonment, with no right to parole. If instead of kissing her the criminal prefers to kill her, the penalty will be six years in prison, and the right of being set free on parole.