Brasil Observer #28 - English Version

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BRAZIL AND THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM BEIJING

CAETANO VELOSO AND GILBERTO GIL ARE BACK

EDUARDO CUNHA AND THE TRAMPLING OF CONGRESS

CHINA’S CHECKBOOK

LONDON, LONDON

POLITICAL STORM

2 brasilobserver.co.uk | June 2015

3brasilobserver.co.uk | June 2015


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IN FOCUS The arguments of Brazil’s Finance Minister, Joaquim Levy

BR-UK CONNECTION Brazilian start-ups in London for international mission

PROFILEThe street art of Fábio Oliveira, better known as Crânio

CONECTANDOThe ideas behind the School of News project in Sao Paulo

GUEST COLUMNIST Nildo Ouriques writes on the Brazilian economic crisis

BRASILIANCE Eduardo Cunha’s political reform crushes the Congress

BRASILIANCE Brazilian football; Internet.org; and teachers on strike

GLOBAL BRAZILBrazil is going to receive huge Chinese investments, but...

GUIDEExclusive interview with Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil

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IN FOCUS

TThe economic slowdown is tempo-rary; Brazil is doing “homework”; the new middle class has brought oppor-tunities; the infrastructure sector will require private investment; the country is creating more security for business and reducing bureaucracy. These were the arguments of Brazil’s Finance Minister, Joaquim Levy, du-ring an unprecedented event held at the London Stock Exchange, on 13 May, to encourage investment in the country, according to BBC.

The minister was confident that the results of the fiscal adjustment implemented by President Dilma Rousseff ’s government will already be seen in the coming year. “We ex-pect the current slowdown is tempo-rary,” he said. For him, this is partly due to the uncertainty of recent eco-nomic results, but the confidence is beginning to stabilize.

The Brazilian economy fell 0.2% in the first quarter of this year, compared to the previous quarter (October, No-vember and December 2014), when there was growth of 0.3%. In the first three months of 2015, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 1.6% over the same period last year, the biggest drop since the second quarter of 2009 (retraction of 2.3%). In 12 months, Brazil’s GDP has fallen 0.9%.

Joaquim Levy said that with the new fiscal adjustment policy, he expects a change in the economic sense. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts a contraction of 1% in the Bra-zilian economy in 2015 – but with the return to growth in 2016.

The minister also explained to foreign investors the most important measures of economic adjustment. The federal go-vernment decided to cut 69.946 billion reais (almost 15 billion pounds) from the Federal Budget as part of the fiscal adjust-ment to balance the public accounts of the country. The government’s objective is to achieve the primary surplus target of 1.2% of GDP this year, which is the economy for the payment of interest on public debt.

Also part of the adjustment are the provisional measures 664 and 665, approved in the Senate, which restrict access to employee benefits and pen-sions for death, and increased taxation on the profits of banks, which will yield 3 billion to 4 billion reais.

According to the minister, this cou-rse is essential to protect the economy from the inflationary effects of depre-ciation of the real.

About the “new middle class”, Levy pointed out that more than 30 million people have escaped the poverty line in Brazil in recent years through programs such as Bolsa Família. “Social inclusion for the middle class means more oppor-tunities,” said the minister.

The social inclusion facilitated ac-cess to education, in Levy’s opinion, which may influence productivity. According to the minister, increased productivity can help wage growth, since more qualified professionals usually earn more.

Regarding the infrastructure aspect, he said the area needs the support of the private sector and the capital market can play a key role at this point. Levy pointed out that Brazil has a history of concessions – he said telecommunications, energy, hi-ghways and airports are managed by the private sector. A new package of conces-sions was set to be released on 9 June.

Finally, Levy said the government is preparing the environment for in-vestment. “Reducing aggregate risks is essential to motivate people to take idiosyncratic risk,” he said. “Sim-plifying the process is important to grow business in Brazil. We have to make adjustments to increase busi-ness security,” he added.

The lower oil prices are a major challenge for Brazilian plans to sell dozens of oil and gas fields, according to an evaluation made by the general director of the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Magda Chambriard in event held on 2 June at the Embassy of Brazil in London. To an audience made up of about 60 foreign investors, she ex-plained that the country had to “adjust all calculations” for the next auction, scheduled for the end of the year.

“Companies are telling us they are more conservative because of oil prices. From August to February, prices fell from $ 110 per barrel to $ 48 [today are about $ 65]. And that’s the real difference for the entire in-dustry,” Chambriard said. “This was something that made us adjust all

calculations relating to this round of bids that were ready in 2014,” he added without specifying what the agency had to adjust.

On the cases of corruption in-volving Petrobras, she believes that should not affect the outcome of the auction. “Every country has good and bad times, but the size of the oil sector is very large. Investor interest continues,” she said, considering that 60% of recent discoveries in deep wa-ter are in Brazil.

The 13th Bidding Round of the ANP, scheduled for 7 October, will offer 269 blocks in 22 sectors of 10 sedimentary basins. The final ru-les would be announced in a reso-lution of the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE, in Portugue-se), on 12 June.

Chambriard admitted that ad-justments to the rules for contracts could be made, but hinted that there was no change in the forecast per-centage for local content, which gua-ranteed it a priority policy of the go-vernment. “My advice to companies is: do not provide a value that is not feasible, because at some point, they will have to pay.”

The 13th round will be held un-der the concession regime and will not include areas of pre-salt, which can only be offered under the pro-duction sharing system. A new spe-cific auction to the pre-salt areas can be accomplished next year or early 2017. Announced in 2007, the pre-salt discoveries are among the largest in the world. Estimates range from 30 billion to 100 billion barrels of oil.

JOAQUIM LEVY’S ARGUMENTS TO ‘SELL’ BRAZIL TO INVESTORS

THE CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW OIL AND GAS

EXPLORATION AUCTION

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Brazil’s Finance Minister in an unprecedented event held at the London Stock Exchange, during the Brazil Capital Markets Day


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GUEST COLUMNIST

By Nildo Ouriques g

TThe Brazilian ruling class produced a dangerous consensus for the country: ac-cording to them the major newspapers, TV, radio, deputies and senators (major parties), economics professors and go-vernors, the country is experiencing a severe fiscal crisis. The production of this ideological consensus refuses to see the root cause of all our current ills: a huge financial crisis of the state, the product of mega public debt (internal and external) organized since 1994, when came into effect the Plano Real (which established Brazil’s current currency).

In June 1994, when former President Itamar Franco announced the Plano Real, the domestic debt did not surpass 64 billion reais. Fernando Henrique Car-doso won the election that year, and at the end of his second term, debt reached 720 billion reais. The multiplication of debt is no secret: economists decided to control inflation with a sharp rise in interest rates at higher levels to 50%! In the last two decades, Brazil has almost always been the world champion of inte-rest rates, fuelling an unprecedented ren-tist republic, where all capital fractions (multinationals, bankers, landlords, tra-ders and pension funds) are fed at the expense of public debt. The Lula govern-ment (2003-2010) doubled the bet, when debt reached 1.5 trillion reais. The PT (Workers Party) government of Dilma Rousseff did not soften the generosity: debt reached the stratospheric figure of 3 trillion reais.

What is the most important conse-quence of the phenomenon? The govern-ment allocates half of the public budget, or almost half of everything it collects in taxes for the payment of debt interest that nevertheless continues to grow at breakneck pace. In 2014, for example, the government allocated 45.11% of all tax revenues to interest payments and partial debt relief. It is as if the country worked in the rhythm of a war economy, like Nicaragua in the 1980s. However, the debt continues to grow every month, fuelling the rentism of the holders of go-vernment bonds.

The numbers make it clear that we do not suffer a fiscal crisis, i.e. caused by the assumption that the “govern-ment collects too much and spends much worse.” Indeed, there is fiscal surplus if we take out government’s fi-nancial expenditure on debt interest. The 1988 constitution in force provides for the audit of the debt, but the parlia-mentary majority composed by the two main parties in the country (the ruling

PT and the opposition PSDB, the Social Democrats) prevents any movement in this direction. Thus, parties are strug-gling in minor issues (reduction of le-gal age, quota system, etc.) while main-taining strong alliance on economic issues. Similarly, any serious attempt to reform the political system ends in minor changes in the electoral system that, in fact, are unable to grant repre-sentation to the political system, each day further away from the popular ma-jorities and even the average voter.

It should be noted the essential: the PT-PSDB consortium rightly manages the political situation. Despite the mu-tual accusations of corruption and petty quarrels in Congress, the truth is that in the field of economics and central issues, both the PT and the PSDB are substan-tially in line. It is the ‘petucano’ system, a mixture of PT and PSDB that for a sig-nificant number of voters have no diffe-rence, which is why between abstention, the invalid and white vote, reached 37 million people in the second round of an election considered as “the most dispu-ted of Brazilian democracy.” It is of con-siderable figure when you consider that the re-elected president took 54 million and Senator Aécio Neves, defeated can-didate, reached 51 million.

In this context, more important than the existence of the PT’s social programs is the continuity of this golden rule of monetary stability in the country: the re-ligious payment of debt interest system. It is true that the latest measures voted on in parliament take workers’ rights and, again, we can see how PT and PSDB vote together on key issues. Both have the same focus and public discourse: the country “must” seek the primary fiscal surplus to honour the financial cost of domestic debt and the additional costs of external debt.

In the public debate, this matter is always hidden from the general public. The press, displaying unwavering com-mitment to press freedom, acts as if it was in fact submitted to the united order that we can see in military parades. As a result, it simply ignores the phenome-non. No one writes or debate the public debt mega-state that guarantees extra-ordinary profits for all capital fractions and intended for the poorest sectors of the population measly 0.47% of GDP for the Bolsa Familia program, considered the government’s main social program. While the government spends near-ly 10% of GDP to the annual increase of the debt, not even 0.5% goes to social pro-

gram that has been considered the most important in the history of the country.

Therefore, there can be no doubt about the immediate future. The libe-ral illusions under which the “social question” was being addressed by social policies are over. The abysmal income inequality – a product of the overexploi-tation of the labour force – cannot be resolved without touching the property and power of the rich. The ‘petucano’ system lived comfortably keeping the poor in poverty without killing them hungry. The budget crumbs (0.47% of GDP) constituted Catholic charity and spent the pleasant impression to the rich and powerful that could face violence and misery of millions of Brazilians with programs that quickly found the support of the two main parties in the country. The economic crisis, derived from the corrosive and silent action of debt inte-rest and falling prices of agricultural and mineral products exported by Brazil, severely limited the possibilities of con-sensus and, consequently, the ‘petucano’ system agreed that the adjustment was even inevitable.

What will the result of the econo-mic policy implemented in the cou-ntry be? Can we leave the economic and political crisis as it is? It is very unlikely. The measures guided by the International Monetary Fund – unable to take the small peripheral countries of Europe from the violence of the fi-nancial crisis – won’t work in the Latin American capitalist periphery either. The number of poor and miserable already returned to growth and there is no privatization program – roads, ports, airports, etc. – able to raise the investment rate in the economy becau-se the ongoing rise of the interest rate becomes even more attractive to re-sist investment rather than productive one. This year, there is a clear reduc-tion of the industrial sector and the li-velihood of GDP growth rates close to zero is possible only because agricul-ture – fuelled with pesticides and for export – continues to grow. In short, the country suffers serious industrial regression and strengthens its position in the international division of labour as a mere exporter of agricultural and mineral products. However, the scho-lars, the dominant journalism and po-liticians and successful businessmen will follow stating his optimism in the country while Brazil deepens the es-sential characteristics of any country underdeveloped and dependent.

What will the result of the economic policy im-

plemented in the country be? Can we leave the eco-nomic and political crisis alone? It is very unlikely

BRAZIL:

g Nildo Ouriques is Professor of Economics

and International Relations at the Federal

University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), President

of the Latin American Studies Institute

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PROFILE

FFabio Oliveira was born in 1982 in Sao Paulo. He began drawing at two years old and, at 16, began risking the first drawings on the walls of the lar-gest city in Brazil. At school, being a good student brought the nickname by which he is still known today: Cra-nio, which roughly translating means brain. On the streets, his graffiti give

a new look to a city known for its gray tone, and London as well.

From 1998 to 2008, he treated his art as a hobby – he had to work to pay the bills, after all. By the end of the last de-cade, however, which was a hobby be-came a profession. Last month, for the third time, Cranio was in London for business. And spoke to Brasil Observer.

From Sao Paulo to the walls

of London: a conversation with

Fabio Oliveira and his graffiti

By Guilherme Reis

THE ART OF CRÂNIO

How did you get here?

Drawing... I’ve always loved to draw. But in 1998 I started drawing on the streets, doing gra-ffiti. It was not art. It was something from kid to kid.

What was your first graffiti?

It was my name, with a different letter, pain-ted in yellow and black. It was very ugly, but I li-ked it anyway. It was a wall inside an abandoned ground, so I thought I would have no problem.

And then...

And then I came to like the experience to le-ave home without knowing exactly where I was going to paint...

And how was this feeling?

It’s the same thing to be playing football and scoring a goal. But of course, several times, the ball hits the post: you are painting, and suddenly a police car arrives, for example.

Have you ever had any problem with the police?

Yes... I have been arrested because I was doing graffiti without permission. I had to pay a mini-mum wage for a charity.

Did you go mad?

Yes, because I didn’t finish my graffiti and lost my Sunday at the police station.

How was this thing of illegality?

In 1998, if you went with a spray can in hand in São Paulo, you were a ‘pichador’ (like a tag-ger). But the guys started painting everywhere, and here I speak of the old school guys, thus now it has the recognition of art. Today there is the recognition of the artist; at the time we had no-thing. Today it’s seen as a job, not as something criminal. But that the street art, graffiti continues in the illegal scene.

What do you mean?

There is a big difference between the writer and the guy who makes street art, the muralist. Graffiti is something else, it has some rules...

What kind of rules?

Who does more, cries less; who respects is res-pected. The rules are clear. You respect, go and do your graffiti without covering anyone. Each one does work regardless of anything. It’s like you feel thirsty, being with a dry mouth and take that glass of water.

Changing the subject a little: here in London, who have you had the opportunity to meet and exchange experiences with?

I met a lot of people. Fanakapan... Stik, who is a very nice guy, very polite...

And what are their rules here?

It’s the same... do not paint on anyone’s work. And the graffiti: I’ll explain: graffiti is letter; it

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Cranio and his street art at Brick Lane


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is writing on the train, it is writing on the walls. Sometimes it has a drawing, but the idea is to put a name.

So don’t you call yourself a graffiti artist?

Yes, because I also write. The graffiti was a school for me because I learned to manage the spray. Then I started to have my ideas, I started doing street art, some urban interventions that were drawing a character that interacted with its environment. So it’s not a word, it is an image.

But is it not graffiti?

In my view it’s not. Graffiti is one thing, is a movement. The street art is another movement that is merging with graffiti.

And what about ‘pichação’?

‘Pichação’ is graffiti with no colour. Why? Because it is a kind of illegal calligraphy born in that environment of São Paulo, with that city’s architecture, it is a fusion of things that you can-not find anywhere.

And what is your style?

I think the style of art that I’ve been doing is well represented by Brazilian graffiti. We do not make a street art similar to American or Europe-an. We have this thing to be more from rap mu-sic, to be happier. I have the impression that our creations are generally happier. It may even be a punch in the face of society, but has a touch of happiness, fulfilment, pleasure...

As your drawings... In a country that does not respect its indigenous population, you elect a blue indigenous character being dominated. But at the same time, the character is also an explorer...

Yes. The indigenous are being dominated ac-tually. But the point of view of my work is not seeing the indigenous only as the one part of an Amazon tribe. It is a reflection of modern society and large cities, which are jungles of stone. So it’s a jungle that does not have the trees. Everyone in this environment is a kind of indigenous in my view. Everyone has to kill a lion a day, hunt to eat, make things happen.

And what do you like the most, your painting on the wall or in the gallery?

I like both. I like to expose my work indoor because I came from the opposite. My studio has always been the street, I never had a studio. To-day I have, so I create internally and expose in-ternally, from inside to inside. But all my life has always been from the inside out, to say “what the hell, I’ll go outside and paint wherever it is.”

What do you think your art represents?

It is a reflection of what is inside of me, but like it or not we have a collective voice, so I do not speak only for myself. I believe my work represents a nation, a reflection not only of Brazil but of an entire generation, one thing that we all live. Today we are in Lon-don, but we come from Sao Paulo. So it’s cool when someone sees my drawing here in Lon-don and feels represented in some way, feels part of it too.

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NNavigating is necessary, wrote the Portu-guese poet Fernando Pessoa on the condi-tion of man on earth and Portugal’s histori-cal tradition of exploration of the seas. For a government with political and economic problems at home, it is necessary is to crea-te an international agenda to generate good news. This is the challenge of Brazil’s Pre-sident, Dilma Rousseff. Ahead of an unpo-pular administration, in three months she will have attended meetings with three le-aders of the five largest economies in the world, as well as another BRICS summit. There are other less showy encounters but equally important to generate dividends to a stagnant economy that fell 0.2% in the first three months of the year compared to the previous quarter (October, November and December 2014).

In May, Rousseff received an official visit from the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and the president of Uruguay, Tabaré Váz-quez, and met with the director general of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christi-ne Lagarde. The following week, she visited Mexico and President Enrique Peña Nieto. In late June, the destination is Washington to meet with Barack Obama. In July, she will go to Russia for the annual summit of the BRI-CS, when news about the development bank to be created by the block is expected to be released. In August, she will host the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Most promising at the moment are the possibilities opened up with the Chinese. Li Keqiang went to Brazil with investment pro-

posals and loans that could reach 103 billion dollars. This is within the China plan to in-crease investments in Latin America to 250 billion dollars over the next decade. This Chinese participation is coveted by Dilma Rousseff as an alternative to the suspicions from the markets about her administrative capacity and also to enable infrastructure projects and industrial investments to go ahead – at a moment when Brazil is putting into practice many budget cuts.

China has become the world’s largest economy according to data released in April by the IMF. When calculating GDP in 2014 based on purchasing power parity, the Fund saw China for the first time ahead of the US: 17.6 trillion dollars to 17.4 trillion. That is why Brazil, in seventh with 3.2 trillion, sees in a attachment to the Chinese economy a chance to get out of the quagmire – first focused on the purchase of Brazilian com-modities and small participation of Chine-se companies in the exploration of oil mega field of Libra, in the pre-salt area, now the Chinese want to invest massively in infras-tructure: railroads, ports, airports, highways and dams.

WELCOME INVESTMENTS

Negotiators from Beijing gave to Brazi-lian officials a list with 58 infrastructure, mining and industry projects that interest them. The list included the company that could participate in the projects and the bu-dget of the work, a total of 53 billion dollars.

They also offered other 50 billion dollars from ICBC bank to finance such projects.

Unlike China, however, Brazil has a Bidding Law, and hasn’t a state structure with such capacity. To understand the pro-jects and their adherence to Brazil’s prio-rities, a joint committee was created to prospect opportunities in both countries, not only in Brazil.

The ICBC 50 billion dollars offer turned into an agreement with Brazil’s bank Caixa Econômica Federal. In the next two months, the two financial institutions will discuss how the money will be used. The fate seems certain: infrastructure, especially the con-cessions program launched by the federal government in the second week of June.

For Márcio Sette Fortes, professor of in-ternational relations at Ibmec and former director of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce, China’s money is essential to contribute to Brazil’s economic recovery. “The ‘Brazil cost’ has a chance to reduce with the presence of the Chinese capital. It will help to reduce logistical costs and poor infrastructure,” he said to the Brazilian ver-sion of Deutsche Welle.

The menu with 35 agreements is varied – it includes, among others, the union be-tween Chinese manufacturers and mobile operators in Brazil for research and busi-ness; the renewal of a partnership for the production of a Sino-Brazilian satellites for environmental monitoring; and the end of the embargo on Brazilian beef im-posed in 2012.

In line with the plan

to increase investments in

Latin America, China agrees

funding worth billions to

the stagnant Brazilian economy

Keqiang and Rousseff signed 35 agreements

THE CHINESE GOLD GLOBAL BRAZIL


Brazil and Mexico are the two largest Latin American powers. Both account for half the population, GDP and exports in the region. Even so, they are not great part-ners. Although bilateral trade between the two has doubled over the past decade, to 9.2 billion dollars, neither of them is among the top seven trading partners of each other. But that could change.

The Brazilian and Mexican governments will start negotiations in July to expand the economic complementation agreement whi-ch deals with trade relations between the two countries. The announcement was made by President Dilma Rousseff on 26 May in Me-xico City, where he served state visit agenda. According to the president, despite the in-crease in trade between businesses on both sides, the numbers are “below the potential size of the economy and the size of our po-pulation.”

“Today’s agreement covers a little over 800 products. What is apparently good, but for us, it is little, given the more than 6,000 products we can lead to an agreement and mutually benefit our economies. As soon as possible, we will promote the expansion

and the balance of bilateral trade, with the inclusion of sectors that list, which are now out of it.”

Speaking to the press after a private me-eting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Dilma Rousseff celebrated investment facilitation agreement also signed between the two countries. She stressed the impor-tance of Mexico and Brazil to seek closer, as the major economies are in Latin America, the countries with the largest populations and large territory.

For Peña Nieto, the visit of Rousseff is a turning point with the signing of these two major agreements. The documents were sig-ned between the countries also involve coo-peration in tourism, environment, fisheries, agriculture and air services.

Among the reasons for the cold rela-tionship between Brazil and Mexico is the fact that the latter joined the North Ameri-can Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada, which took effect in 1994 and led the country to become more focused in the north. On the other hand, Brazil was more interested in building economic rela-tions within Mercosur.

The initiative that drew the most atten-tion, however, was the decision to conduct a feasibility study of a railroad coming out from Brazil, crossing Peru and reaching the Pacific Ocean – a 10-billion-dollar project. The studies will be paid by the Chinese and will be ready in a year. Brazil will be respon-sible for environmental analysis.

Two of the biggest Brazilian companies also closed important agreements with the Chine-se. Petrobras, damaged by Lava Jato Operation and with accounting problems, got a loan of 7 billion dollars – a relief as it recently had its credit rating downgraded by Moody’s. In the case of Vale, beyond the promise of future pur-chases by the Chinese, it obtained more than 4 billion dollars from ICBC.

Also, a delegation of about 200 busines-smen from various fields such as banking, machinery and equipment manufacturers and contractors arrived.

NOT ALL THAT GLITTERS...

Experts point out that the financial ge-nerosity of China has two explanations. The first is that, thanks to exports in the last decade, China holds the largest reser-ves of dollars in the world – about 4 trillion, equivalent to the GDP of Mercosur. Ano-ther reason is the slowdown in the global economy since crises started in 2008: there are not many investment opportunities in developed countries.

Thus, to end the persistent weaknesses in infrastructure, the Brazilian government and other Latin American countries identi-fied in China an alternative to the United States and the conditions imposed by the In-ternational Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Before Brazil, Argentina and Vene-zuela also had run after the Chinese capi-tal – the first one received 20 billion dollars and the second, 18 billion.

For Marcos Troyjo, director of BRI-CLab at Columbia University, “Beijing pragmatically sizes its interests in the re-gion, which is a source of raw materials and safe destination for its manufactured goods exports.” “The required counterpart comes in the form of opening to Chinese priority access to energy, mining, trans-port, agriculture and other key sectors,” he told to Deutsche Welle Brazil.

The danger, therefore, is obvious. The deepening of an unequal relationship: the Chinese buy our raw materials and export manufactured goods. China, interested in reducing the cost of imports, may end up reinforcing the Latin America expertise in commodities, which may not be a good for a sustainable growth. There is also the factor of environmental degradation caused by lar-ge projects such as the railway to connected Brazil to the Pacific Ocean.

The success of this relationship will de-pend on the strategic vision of Latin Ame-rican countries, so as not to become a pas-sive partner of China. In Brazil, it is also at stake its leading role in the region. Without a firm defence of its interests – for exam-ple, the possibility to process raw materials in the country – Brazil runs the risk of sim-ply changing the origin of dependency. In this case, after the Portuguese, the British and the Americans now would be the turn of the Chinese.

BRAZIL AND MEXICO:

ON THE BALANCE SOURCE: BRAZIL-CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL

77.9 BILLION

3.2 BILLION

79.8%

48,4%

dollars was the value of bilateral trade between Brazil and China in 2014. The number reflects a decrease of 6% over the previous year, but is the second best result of the entire series, which began in 2004.

dollars was the positive balance for Brazil. Exports totalled 40.6 billion dollars, representing a decline of 12% compared with 2013. Imports coming from the Asian country totalled 37.3 billion dollars, a small increase of 0.1%.

of all exports to China by Brazil corresponded to three products: soybeans, iron ore and crude oil. The reduction in the value of Brazil’s exports to China in 2014 was mainly because the downward trend in the prices of commodities.

of all imports by Brazil from China corresponded to the sectors of machinery and electri-cal and mechanical devices. Purchases of machinery and electrical appliances ended the year with a modest increase of 0.3%, while that there was a fall of 12.1% in machinery and mechanical appliances sector.

FINALLY TOGETHER?


BR-UK CONNECTION

BRAZILIAN STARTUPS IN SIGHTPart of Start-UP Brazil program,

entrepreneurs come to London in June

for technology week and meet local

investors

FFive Brazilian startups land in London on 15 June for an international mission. For four days, they will participate in one of the bi-ggest start-up events in the world, London Technology Week, and meet local investors, entrepreneurs and potential customers.

Members of the National Program for Startup Acceleration, or Start-Up Brasil, these young companies were chosen from a selective process made in May by Softex, which is the manager of the federal gover-nment initiative – it was taken into accou-nt the more advanced stage of the business and its potential for internationalization.

Held last year for the first time, the te-chnology week celebrates the global posi-tion of London as an innovation hotbed for business opportunities, entrepreneu-rial and creative talent. The program in-cludes everything from large conferences to workshops, meetings with investors and a customized schedule for each startup. In 2014, more than 40,000 people from over 40 countries participated in 203 events held in different locations during the Lon-don Technology Week.

“This mission is an initiative of the in-ternationalization project we are designing for startups. In London, we aim to present them to the innovative UK market, new bu-siness models and methodologies, as well as new forms of access to capital, such as crow-dfunding,” said Ney Leal, vice president of Softex, to E-Commerce News portal.

Vitor Andrade, chief manager of Star-t-Up Brasil, will accompany the delegation integrated by Convenia, a management platform of human resources; Maxmilhas,

a platform for brokering the purchase and sale of airline tickets with miles; Emotion.me, a online centre for wedding organiza-tion; Sistema Hiper, a high productivity point of sale system for small and medium retail stores; and Virtual Avionics, which designs and develops equipment and sys-tems for flight simulation.

On the agenda, in addition to parti-cipation in lectures during the technolo-gy week, they have scheduled meetings with experts in legislation, tax incentives and guidance on how to invest and start a business in the UK; presentation of case studies, sessions on access to capital and pitch to potential investors, as well as networking.

STRENGTHENING THE ECOSYSTEM

In the management of Start-Up Brasil since its inception in 2012, Vitor Andrade recently gave an interview to the Brazilian portal Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Ne-gócios on the challenges and the future of the program. For him, it is necessary to “strengthen the startups that are with us and those who have already participated”. So far, four groups have already been for-med by the program.

“How do we do this? Continuously im-proving the ecosystem, that is, promoting business meetings with startups, connec-ting entrepreneurs with investors, talking to acceleration and also learning from the success stories from abroad,” said Andrade. “We have to look out for and learn the les-sons from those who have gone through all

the stages of the world of entrepreneurship. That’s why we’re going to London. The in-teraction between Brazilians and foreigners will be valuable to advance in many ways, some that we do not even know.”

Vitor Andrade explained that “the pro-posed goal of Start-Up Brasil is to enable startups to receive private investment” and that this objective has already been achie-ved. “The program’s first class graduated in late 2014, had eight million reais of gover-nment investment. But entrepreneurs with their innovations and potential were able to raise 14 million reais with investors,” he said. It is, in the opinion of Andrade, “a valuable metric because it indicates that government, entrepreneurs, businesses and investors are gaining.”

On the future of the program, the chief manager indicated that the priority now is to help entrepreneurs with good ideas that are far from the major centres. “I want the Start-Up Brasil helping more start-ups from North, Northeast and Central Brazil. There are excellent local entrepreneurs, but still a minority in the project”.

Andrade also ensured that despite the fiscal adjustment promoted by the presi-dent Dilma Rousseff, the program is kept to the schedule. “So far we have not dis-cussed budget cuts. So we will continue with the selection process of startups”. For him, “the ecosystem sees in the crisis an opportunity. We face a problem, right? We can help companies decrease costs, inno-vate and have cheaper products. So, I can say we have a good time to solve the cou-ntry’s issues”.

The most iconic symbol of the Olympic Games is decorating the city for the Rio 2016 Games. City Hall has installed giant Olympic Rings in Madureira Park, ahead of the largest sporting event in the world. The symbol, which rep-resents the union of the five conti-nents, was donated by the United Kingdom. The rings decorated the Tyne Bridge, in Newcastle, one of the football host-cities for the 2012 London Olympic Games. It is the first time such a donation has taken place. Alex Ellis, British Am-bassador to Brazil, affirms that the gift will seal a growing partnership between the two countries in re-cent years. “We’ve been flirting with the Olympic Games in Rio for a long time and now we are giving to the city, and to Brazil, our com-mitment rings”, jokes the diplomat. “We are confident of the success of the Rio 2016 Games and want to be part of its story”, he concludes.

OLYMPIC RINGS ARE INAUGURATED IN RIODIVULGATION


£10 Standard£8 Students

The Forge3-7 Delancey Street, Camden NW1 7NL

ILESSI27th JUNE 7pm


IT CAN MAKE THINGS WORSE

BRASILIANCE

POLITICAL REFORM:

TThe Chamber of Deputies in Brazil be-gan to vote in the last week of May on an issue that is one of the main grievan-ces of its young democracy: political re-form. Analysing what has been appro-ved so far, however, there are more reasons for concern than achievements to be celebrated.

There is a great risk that the country is institutionalizing, rather than correc-ting, vices of the current political and electoral system. Instead of an extensive discussion with society, the trend is the adoption of rules that meet the most re-actionary interests of national politics.

The discussion on the forms of fun-ding parties, candidates and election campaigns is the most relevant. Throu-gh skilful manoeuvres, the Chamber of Deputies’ president, Eduardo Cunha (Brazilian Democratic Movement Par-ty) managed to enforce one of his gre-atest desires, fine-tuned to the interests of the groups he represents: the appro-val of “business funding” model for fi-nancing elections.

To understand how he did this and how this reform is far from satisfac-tory, it should be noted how the issue is being processed.

CUNHA LEADS

The text of the political reform is within the Proposed Constitutional Amendment 182/2007, a result of the assemblage of 154 other proposals. It is the PEC 182/2007, which began to be voted on 26 May. It was decided that the vote would be made by theme.

The topic of electoral funding was voted in the same day. Members should approve or reject the legalization of corporate and individual donations to campaigns. The measure received 264 votes in favour, 44 less than the three-fifths required to pass the amendment.

The session was closed and, as esta-blished the agreement of leaders, would be on the agenda at the next meeting (27 May) the approval of the exclusive public financing of campaigns or com-bined public funding with donations from individuals. However, mobilized by Eduardo Cunha, leaders allied to the president of the Chamber considered that the previous vote concerned only the financing of candidates, not politi-cal parties. Thus they managed to inclu-de in the agenda the vote on business financing specifically political parties.

Within 24 hours, the defenders

of business financing arranged 71 deputies to change their position: 68 of them changed their votes from “no” to “yes” and three others, who had opted for abstention, decided to migrate to “yes”. Thus, with 330 vo-tes in favour (22 above the minimum required), compared to 141 votes against the bill and one abstention, the Chamber of Deputies approved the inclusion of the corporate fun-ding to political parties in the Federal Constitution.

This manoeuvre was not unique. The very inclusion of the proposal in the plenary session was the result of a last-minute table turn.

It turns out that before going to the final report of the plenary, the project should have been voted by the Special Committee on Political Reform, esta-blished in February. The vote, originally scheduled for May 19, was transferred to 25, and then cancelled by Eduardo Cunha.

The Chamber’s president claimed that the report would stop the vote and that the decision to take the issue di-rectly to the plenary have been agreed with leaders in line with the regulations of the House.

THE OTHER SIDE

Although these changes were agre-ed between the leaders, there were many complaints. The federal deputy Chico Alencar (Socialism and Free-dom Party) said the Special Commit-tee on Political Reform was “killed”. Deputy Henrique Fontana (Workers Party) has classified the group’s ex-tinction as a “coup”. The same word was used by deputy Jean Wyllys (So-cialism and Freedom Party) on the “agreement” between Cunha and par-ty leaders that allowed the return of the bill on the agenda a day after being rejected by the same plenary.

In addition, political reform has no public consultation. The Hou-se thus ignores the discontentment expressed in most of the demons-trations since June 2013. Initiatives such as the Popular Plebiscite, held last September by social movements, are disregarded. This unofficial con-sultation had the attendance of eight million Brazilians: 97% of them said “yes” to the proposal that was to elect an Exclusive Constituent Assembly to carry the political reform.

A constituent assembly would

have more credibility to set new rules for the political and electoral systems. How can we expect a Cham-ber of Deputies that benefits from the current system to propose progressive changes that would end with the vices that guarantee the power maintenance of most of the current parliamentarians?

Another initiative, led by the Na-tional Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and the Order of Attorneys of Brazil (OAB), with support from several other organizations and social movements is the Coalition for De-mocratic Political Reform and Clean Elections. The group seeks 1.5 million signatures to send the bill to Congress – the text proposes an end of corpora-te financing of political campaigns and strengthening mechanisms for direct democracy, among other proposals.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Besides business financing for poli-tical parties, in the first week of voting the Chamber of Deputies approved the end of re-election for mayors, gover-nors and presidents. The ban does not apply to those elected in 2014 and who are able to be re-elected in the munici-pal elections next year. The re-election of senators, congressmen, state legisla-tors and councillors was maintained. The re-election mechanism was not included in the 1988 Constitution and was established through the Constitu-tional Amendment 16/1997, approved by the government of Fernando Hen-rique Cardoso.

On the other hand, the House rejec-ted the end of coalitions for proportio-nal elections. The maintenance of coali-tions for proportional elections ensures the survival of small parties which alo-ne hardly reach sufficient number of votes to achieve the electoral quotient.

In contrast, small parties lost out with limiting access to party fun-ding and the use of radio and televi-sion free electoral time. Only parties that have representation in Congress would be entitled to the party fund public resources and the free radio and television time.

The points of the political reform approved by the Chamber of Deputies have yet to pass through the Senate, which must also vote in two shifts. If there are changes by senators, it returns to the Chamber, and so on until both houses approve identical text.

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies votes on the

political reform project. Led by the House’s

president, Eduardo Cunha, the trend is the

institutionalization of the current system, especially regarding the financing of

election campaigns

By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão


THE PRICE OF DEMOCRACYBUSINESS FINANCING LEAVES POLITICIANS HOSTAGES OF ECONOMIC POWER

The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court began judging in April 2014 a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality filed by the Order of Attorneys of Bra-zil against corporate donations to can-didates and political parties. Of the 11 judges, six had already voted in favour of the action when the Gilmar Mendes asked to review the subject. Over a year later, the process remains in Mendes’s hands with no conclusions.

Regardless of his vote, the other six fa-vourable ensure that the unconstitutiona-lity requested is confirmed by the Supre-me Court. But why prohibit companies to donate funds to political campaigns? The reason is simple: business financing turns the holder of an elected public offi-ce hostage to economic power. A parlia-mentary or chief executive, who have to make a decision that put the interests of the donor company in conflict with the interests of the society, will hardly be able to go against the one that bankrolled his political campaign.

“Infiltration of economic power in elections creates serious distortions” says the Order of Attorneys of Brazil. “This dynamic of the electoral process [based on business financing] makes politicians extremely dependent on economic power, which seems harmful to the functioning of democracy. That is why one of the central themes in the institutional design of contemporary democracies is the

financing of election campaigns. This in-filtration creates pernicious linkages be-tween campaign donors and politicians, who end up being a source of corruption after the election,” argues the entity.

The organization is not contrary, however, of donations from individuals. First because it sounds unreasonable that election campaigns are paid by money from the public budget, especially in a country that still suffers with the quality of services such as health, education and security. In addition, the individual dona-tion (since limited) encourages the invol-vement of citizens into electoral process.

The current situation authorizes dona-tions from individuals and companies to political parties and election campaigns, and also provides public subsidies through the Party Fund. According to the political reform being voted on by the Chamber of Deputies, companies’ donations would be expressed in the Federal Constitution.

So even with the Supreme Court con-sidering the unconstitutional provisions of the electoral legislation currently in force, in practice this decision will lose ef-fect when the constitutional amendment of political reform is enacted. There is the possibility, however, of the business finan-cing approved by the Chamber of De-puties be brought down by the Supreme Court. At least 64 federal deputies signed a lawsuit challenging the duplicate vote of the same rule in the House.

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SOURCE: BRAZIL’S SUPERIOR ELECTORAL COURT

Eduardo Cunha, at the centre, negotiates with federal deputies the political reform being debated in the Congress

5 BILLION REAIS

360 FEDERAL DEPUTIES

1,4 MILLION REAIS

4,9 MILLION REAIS

60%

10 COMPANIES

was the total expenses of the electoral campaign in Brazil in 2014. This was the most ex-pensive campaign in the history of Brazilian democracy

from a total of 513 were elected in 2014 with donations from at least one of the ten largest donor companies, 70% of the Chamber of Deputies

was spent, on average, for a federal deputy to be elected in 2014

was spent, on average, for a senator to be elected in 2014

of the value above, or 2.9 billion reais, was spent by candidates of only three parties – PT (Workers Party), PSDB (Social Democracy Party) and PMDB (Democratic

Movement Party) - mainly with advertising services and production of printed materials and the electoral time programs

were accounted donating 1 billion reais to candidates and political parties, one-fifth of total expenditures made in elections. The champion was JBS Friboi,

with an investment of 391 million reais, followed by Odebrecht, with 111 million reais, and Bradesco, with 100 million reais


FIFA INVESTIGATION FAVOURS CHANGES IN BRAZILIAN FOOTBALLAn investigation in Switzerland could improve the global football governance.

TThe arrest of eight top FIFA’s officials – including the former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Jose Maria Marin – investiga-ted for participating in a scheme of extortion, financial fraud and money laundering involving the payment and receipt of bribes and kickbacks in ne-gotiating broadcasting and marketing rights of sports competitions, caused euphoria in Brazil. Sectors that for ye-ars criticized the management of foo-tball in the country treated the arrests as a “historic day”.

As pointed out in Renata Mendon-ça’s report on the BBC Brasil website, the actions of the FBI led to the creation of a new football Brazilian parliamen-tarian investigation in the Senate, the opening of an investigation by the Fe-

deral Police by order of the Ministry of Justice and gave strength to the appro-val of Provisional Measure (MP) 671 – on debate in Congress and that wants to improve the management of football clubs by making it more rigorous.

Although in the past other inquiries and parliamentarian investigations have come to nothing, journalists, players and parliamentarians have proven op-timistic about the possibility of chan-ges in the model of management and fighting corruption in the entities that govern the sport, mainly because inves-tigations involve US police.

The Justice Minister José Eduardo Cardozo called for opening investi-gations into wrongdoing by directors and former directors of Brazilian foo-tball. In the past, other investigations

involving names that ran football in Brazil – such as the former president of the CBF, Ricardo Teixeira – ended without punishment.

Before the new management of the CBF, which started in April, came the Provisional Measure 671, sanctioned by President Dilma Rousseff in March. Seen as a possible start on the road to modernization of football, the measure concerns the renegotiation of the debt of 4 billion reais that Brazilian clubs have with the government. It proposes counterparts to the value of the refinan-cing in 240 months - as the limitation of club presidents mandates and federa-tions and relegation of teams that do not keep their balances blue.

While those from Bom Senso – a player group founded in 2013 to fight

for improvements in Brazilian football – ask tough and strict measures for a “more democratic and transparent management”, the CBF claims that the text of the MP – in progress in Con-gress – is “state intervention” in a pri-vate sports organization.

There is hope, however, that FIFA investigations may have an impact even on the final text of the MP, making it more rigorous, along the lines desired by the players of Bom Senso.

Already in Congress the involve-ment of some of the top names in Bra-zilian football command in recent years (in addition to Marin, entrepreneurs J. Hawilla and José Lázaro Margulies) ins-pired the creation of a parliamentarian investigation, proposed by Senator and former player Romario.

FE

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FR

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GÊ

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Jose Maria Marin, the former president of the Brazilian

Football Confederation, imprisoned in Switzerland, was

removed from it’s building in Rio de Janeiro


INTERNET STEERING COMMITTEE QUESTIONS FACEBOOK’S PLANS

FISCAL ADJUSTMENT AND STRIKES POSE A RISK TO ‘LAND OF EDUCATION’Mark Zuckerberg wants to offer free web access for low-income Brazilians, but the plan may affect

fundamental rights set out in Brazil’s Internet Civil Mark, a world reference

Mark Zuckerberg announced in April a partnership with the Brazilian government to offer free connection to the low-income po-pulation in the country through the Internet.org project. The for-mal announcement of the agree-ment was scheduled for June but Brazil’s Internet Steering Com-mittee is questioning how and why Facebook intends to do this.

According to a report of Ro-dolfo Borges in the Brazilian version of El País website, the committee sent to Facebook a questionnaire with questions about the partnership. The cou-nsellors, the report said, “want to know details about the possible limitation of content access and what will be associated with this offering of internet, issues that can affect fundamental rights set out in the national Internet Ci-vil Mark, such as the right to the free flow of information”.

Besides these, there are other issues the committee wants to clarify, such as the user’s privacy

and the infrastructure that will be used to facilitate the partner-ship. For the committee, it is un-clear whether there will be public money in the process, nor what company would benefit.

The most damning criticism came from the Proteste asso-ciation, which sent a letter to President Dilma Rousseff con-demning the agreement with Fa-cebook. According to Proteste, “the project implemented by the social network in Latin America, Africa and Asia violates rights guaranteed by the Internet Civil Mark, such as privacy, freedom of expression and net neutrality”.

According to the association, “promising ‘free and exclusive access’ to applications and servi-ces, Facebook is actually limiting access to other existing services in the network and providing low-income users access to only part of the Internet”. Legal Ad-viser of Proteste, Flavia Lefèvre told El País that, upon receiving the letter, the Presidential Pala-

ce merely replied that Internet.org is being discussed within the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology and that there is no set time to launch the partnership.

The Internet.org project aims to provide internet to 2.7 billion people in poor areas who have not access yet. For its part, Fa-cebook says it wants to provide Brazilians connection with the modern economy and access to educational information, job information and health infor-mation. When announcing the agreement in April, Dilma said that “the ultimate goal is digital inclusion, but it is not digital in-clusion by digital inclusion is the digital inclusion that can ensure access to education, health, cul-ture and technology”.

Especially after the approval of the Internet Civil Mark last year, the governance standards advocated by Brazil’s Internet Steering Committee have served as a global benchmark.

A week after President Dilma Rousseff annou-nced over 9 billion reais of cuts to education, fede-ral universities stop indefinitely, joining state public schools also on strike

Teachers and technical-administrative employees of Brazil’s public higher education institutions went on strike in late May. Professionals want to pressu-re the federal government to expand investment in public education. At the time of writing, the strike af-fected 48 of the 63 federal universities in the country, according to unions.

A week before the strike, the government annou-nced contingency on 2015 federal budget amounting almost 70 billion reais. In education, the most affec-ted area, more than 9 billion reais is set to be cut.

The strike was approved at a meeting of the Na-tional Union of Institutions of Higher Education Teachers (Andes-SN, in Portuguese) in Brasilia. Among the claims are career restructuring and the replacement of 27% of lost wages – the last adjust-ment was in 2012.

“There was a significant expansion of federal universities, but the conditions are poor. We had, and still have, a resource contingency in the first three months of the year. Universities are failing to pay their bills,” said the president of the Andes-SN, Paulo Rizzo.

In an article in the Carta Capital magazine’s web-site, the dean of the Federal University of São Paulo, Soraya Smaili said “there is a huge concern with the accumulation of commitments, contracts and work, which depend the functioning of universities and the expansion of recent years”. The institution’s workers also joined the strike.

“The country should keep the growth of its universities to meet young people, train more tea-chers and prepare itself to achieve the goals of the National Education Plan, which depends heavily on public institutions of higher education. The development of these institutions will ensure gre-ater production of technology, since they hold the ability to produce advances in engineering, me-dicine and health and human knowledge”, argued Soraya Smaili.

The São Paulo state’s schools are also on strike since March 13 because teachers ask for a 75% in-crease for the salary to equate to the other catego-ries with higher education, as required by Target 17 of the National Education Plan, which matures in six years. The lack of wage increase is also rea-son to strike in other states, such as Paraná, where teachers were beaten by military police during a demonstration in late April.

Just months after Dilma Rousseff was chosen for her second term, the slogan “Land of Education”, the education in the country is experiencing difficul-ties. Even flags of the president, as the Pronatec and Science Without Borders programs, will be cut.

On the strike in the federal universities, the Ministry of Education published a note in which it criticizes the decision “without it being prece-ded by a broad dialogue”. The folder says the ou-tbreak of the movement only makes sense “when negotiations are exhausted”.

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President Dilma Rousseff during a meeting with the CEO of

Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, at the Summit of the Americas


FFor three years, since 2013, young re-sidents and students from public and private schools in Campo Limpo, on the outskirts of the southern area of São Paulo, received the invitation to embark on a journey of learning. Ini-tially it seems that this walk will invol-ve only technical communication. But it’s more than that.

The School of Community Communication is the main project of the School of News (Escola de No-tícias, in Portuguese), an organization created and run by young people in the region, which aims to generate so-cial change with the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The ECOMCOM, as it is called, is the first cycle of the School of News Con-tinuing Education Program for You-ng People, which lasts three years. A journey of learning in communicative production, community development and self-knowledge that makes use of communication to investigate appre-ciatively what gives life and enhances transformation to communities in whi-ch we operate. The Communication, in this case, is an excuse.

Matheus Cardoso, 19, was part of the first season of the ECOMCOM and thought that would only deepen in au-diovisual techniques. “A happy and to this day the most pleasant deception,” he says. “I learned to see the world, mostly people with a less simplistic way, less black and white. Use the tools that I like to tell stories, not only with the right equipment or the perfect fra-mework, but with the characters that before, for me, were invisible.”

For two days a week, in nine mon-ths, a group of 30 young people is di-vided into three different languages - Photography and Video, Graphic Creation and Journalism and Creative Writing - and together participate in the Transversal Workshop where they study, relate and produce the content about the four communities where they live in adolescence and youth.

Throughout the journey of learning, communication is a tool to see what is most positive in the world. From Community Sessions, meetings in whi-ch the boys and girls present their pro-ductions to their families and friends, to Inspiration, when the class receives a communication professional, the idea is to generate movements from outside to inside and from inside to outside.

Since 2013, when it was possible to form the first group, with the support of São Paulo’s Secretary of Culture, clas-ses have already received the journalist Caco Barcelos, from Rede Globo, the Band News FM presenter Tatiana Vas-concellos, the screenwriter Di Moretti, and the filmmaker Mara Mourao. But there have also been lessons with the deputy mayor of Campo Limpo and with young people who manage the Community Bank Union Sampaio.

Fernanda Alves, 17, who was part of the first class in 2013, says that in ECOMCOM she discovered that part of who she is was built in the neighbou-

rhood he lives. “The ECOMCOM changed the way I see things, becau-se I thought I hadn’t have to help my neighbourhood to improve, it was not important to me. I started looking for more about me, who I am and why I am so”, she says.

Lilian Rosa, 21, also from the class of 2013, tells she now like the neighbou-rhood she live in. “It was in ECOM-COM I started to give more value to the place where I live. I matured a lot, had a high knowledge, I saw that love is important; things are only beautiful if they are made with love.”

How to find out that your neighbour is an electrician who has already relea-sed books of poetry? How to know that there is an original currency of your nei-ghbourhood and that your neighbour is a community bank? How is the produc-tion of a program like Profissao Repor-ter? And how to create the script for a movie that has won awards? The School of News exists to facilitate processes in which young people, with so much po-tential for transformation of their lives and their community as anyone else in the world, can do this type of questio-ning and go for the answers. “This cou-rse was very important because, in a way, it showed me how to see the world through different eyes on everything and everyone, with a critical and cultu-ral form,” says Gabriel Felipe, 18, who was part of the season 2014.

PROVOCATIONS

To create this technical experience and human development, the methodo-logy was based on Appreciative Inquiry and drawn on the four pillars of UNES-CO for Education and the seven pillars for Sustainability. Camila Andrade Vaz, technical coordinator and teacher of Photography and Video from ECOM-COM, believes that the main purpose of the school is to generate provocations, generate movement. “I come not to say transformation; for me, we are one step before. The step of generating an inter-nal movement of unrest, questioning whether personal, be they structural or of any other nature,” she explains. “We are all the time making us as a bridge. In all projects led directly or indirectly from the School of News, provocation always has a considerable weight.”

The third group to embark on this journey, in 2015, has not yet reached even half of what they can in this pro-cess. This year will contain more than 470 hours of content, with weekly me-etings that take place in the Cultural Centre CITA, project partner since the first season. The first module just ended up and it had a Community Session attended by over 60 people, including family and friends who have had their stories told by the group so far. But the-re is still more to discover about your-self, about your community, your scho-ol on the communication and of course, about people. “There are setbacks along the way, but even mishaps are part of our process as an institution that is

CONECTANDO

COMMUNICATION AS A TOOL

TO GENERATE MOVEMENTS

Meet the School of News, an organization run by young people in Campo Limpo’s region in São Paulo

By Karol Coelho – from São Paulo g

SÃO PAULO

g Karol Coelho is a journalist and is part of the Corporate Communications Team of the School of News


built with an education that considers people important,” says the educator of Graphic Creation Mariana Watanabe.

After two years spent with ECOM-COM, that’s exactly what Matheus lea-ds and believes. “What I learned on this journey is that people are the most im-portant part of the whole process.”

After graduating in the workshops, young people are part of the cycles 2, which are driven to expand repertoire and have contact with professionals, and 3, with opportunities to gene-rate employment and income using the communication. In 2015, about 250 people will be directly impacted,

among young people, media professio-nals, teachers, families and volunteers from the School of News.

Tony Marlon, the manager respon-sible for Projects and Partnerships, thinks the organization has grown fas-ter than had been imagined. “I am sur-prised that we have managed to organi-ze the way we are organized in the last two years especially, the 2013 maturity level to date of how the people were and the space has been achieved,” he said.

School of News is a social initiative led by young residents of Campo Limpo, south of the city of São Paulo, which aims to boost transformations in different

types of Communities using Informa-tion and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Legally established since April 2014, the organization is currently deve-loping six educational projects especially focused in the areas of Youth, Education and Community Development.

The initiative does not have any ins-titutional financial backer. I.e. has no di-rect sponsors of activities, which means that all projects are subsidized for pro-viding service in several areas in Edu-cation, Social Mobilization, Entrepre-neurship, Youth, among others aligned to work or Sketchpad specific project. In practice, the School of News can exist in

the world from a simple logic, suppor-ting the gratuity of part of the customer, the students from the commercialization of products and services.

In 2013, Tony Marlon, representing the School of News, was recognized as one of the three most creative social entrepreneurs and processors in Bra-zil by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo and the Schwab Foundation, through the Social Entrepreneur Award, whi-ch maps and value stocks and people across the country.

To learn more about the School of News, visit: www.escoladenoticias.org.

Camila Andrade Vaz, technical coordinator and teacher of Photography and Video at ECOMCOM, believes that the main purpose of the school is to generate provocations, movement

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TWO FRIENDSONE CENTURY OF MUSIC

CAETANO VELOSO AND GILBERTO GIL RETURN TO LONDON TO

COMMEMORATE 50 YEARS OF CAREER AND FRIENDSHIP. AND

SPEAK EXCLUSIVELY TO BRASIL OBSERVER.

>> PAGES 24 & 25


GUIDE

CAETANO VELOSO AND GILBERTO GIL

IN THE MIST OF TIMEA reference for different generations,

masters of the Popular Brazilian

Music speak on important

moments of their careers and

remember time of exile in London,

as well as polemics around concerts in Israel

By Gabriela Lobianco

In the wave of Brazilian artists who have been landing on British soil in re-cent months, on 1 July the tour “Two friends – One century of music” will arrive in London, with Brazilian mas-ters Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil in an intimate concert of voice and guitar that will remember the great successes of their careers.

The two friends, who met each other for the first time in 1963 in Chi-le Street in Salvador, Bahia accepted the invitation for a series of concerts in Europe to celebrate 50 years of ca-reer and friendship. The two singers gave an exclusive interview to Brasil Observer about this new tour and the artistic partnership that endures in the form of camaraderie even in pa-rallel projects.

This gift to the public, first of all, is not an unprecedented event. Gil re-calls that in 1994 the musicians did a similar collaboration. “We had many invitations to play together again and saw that we had this date to celebrate.” The date, however, is not exact. Veloso says that, despite his first hit song, “De manhã”, had been recorded in 1965 by his sister and singer Maria Bethânia, his history as a musician comes from many years before. He said it would take back not only to the concerts of Teatro Vila Velha in Salvador, as well as the presentations in the high school auditorium in Santo Amaro, his home-town: “It would go back to my puberty and get lost in the mist of time.”

The career of both took off in the early days of Tropicália, after the par-ticipation in popular music festivals of Rede Record in the second half of the 1960s. This movement, which both were precursors with Gal Costa, Tor-quato Neto, Os Mutantes and Tom Zé, among others, came under the in-fluence of national and international pop culture, bringing many innova-tions to the field of Brazilian Popular Music of the time that still, endure in current days. For this new internatio-nal tour, the artists are compiling an overview of songs that symbolize the whole journey travelled from this pha-se to the present. Veloso believes that “some songs are little known, like the first ones of Tropicalismo”. “We have tested a relevant music repertoire for our careers and we have the idea of a new song made especially for this tour,” added Gil.

Musicians met each other for the first time in 1963


CONCERT IN ISRAEL

On the agenda of this internatio-nal tour is a presentation in Tel Aviv, scheduled for 28 July, which gene-rated protests on social networks. A Facebook page named “Tropicália does not match Apartheid” was cre-ated and an online petition gathered until the time of writing more than 10,000 signatures against the show of them in Israel.

Even the English musician Roger Waters, former bassist and singer of the group Pink Floyd, asked Velo-so and Gil to cancel the show in Tel Aviv. “Dear Gilberto and Caetano,” said Waters in a letter to the musi-cians, “the imprisoned and the dead reach out their hands. Please join with us cancelling this concert in Is-rael.” In recent years, Waters has de-monstrated several times in favour of the Palestinians.

The concert in Tel Aviv, even so, is maintained. “Every time I go there appears someone protesting,” recalls Gil. “I do not consider this a political fact. It is a matter of market. Do or not do does not mean to be or not to be in accordance with the policy of that country. We do shows in the US and no one says anything,” he adds.

Veloso said that “this is a complex issue”. “I agree with most of the cri-ticism of official Israeli policy. But I always liked Israel and for many ye-ars I haven’t been there. The pressure to cancel reflected on us. But I prefer to take very definite attitudes. I feel almost like an Israeli who disagrees with the reactionary politicians who have dominated the scene in the cou-ntry. I cannot think of oppressive on the Palestinian people without revolt. I cannot either admit suggestions to erase Israel from the map. But nei-ther Gil nor I are pawns for political groups.” Veloso settles it saying “I have to answer him [Waters], inclu-ding to say thanks for the attention.”

ROAD TO LONDON

In 1967, when the first LP of Ca-etano Veloso was launched, Gilberto Gil was already famous. Caê, as his friends call him, recalls he was a Gil fan before meeting him in person. “I met Gil on TV. He was already performing in Bahia television, as semi-professional. My mother used to call me: ‘Caetano, come see that black guy you like’.”

But it was in 1968 perhaps the most significant year in their careers - Veloso then composed the hymn “É Proibido Proibir”, or “It is forbi-dden to forbid”. In addition, the two were arrested amid the Tropicália ef-fervescence due to the Institutional Act No. 5 of the civil-military dic-tatorship that ruled the country and increasingly cut freedoms. In 1970, the two left Brazil into exile. Before coming to London, they performed

a show at the Teatro Castro Alves in Salvador, to raise funds for the trip. “It was a strong reminder [the dis-missal],” confides Gil. Asked about a time of career consider more enri-ching, Veloso also recalls this spec-tacle: “Gil singing ‘Aquele Abraço’ on the eve of the exile... Many emo-tions.”

A completely unknown duo clim-bed a beautiful international career then. During that season, they hit the headlines of The Guardian as two anonymous Brazilians which debu-ted headlining the second day of the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970.

“I finished liking London a lot. A thing that struck me hard in the first year of exile,” says Veloso, revealing he learned a lot during that time. Both Gil and Caetano produced im-portant albums that stage. Caetano focused on the eponymous work with melancholy theme and composed songs in English addressed to those who were in Brazil. Then he laun-ched Transa in 1972, an ode to re-turn to their country of origin. Still, he confesses he would not live again in London. “I suppose New York and Madrid would be possible options. I like (and always will) go to London from time to time and sit in one of those wise banks of Hyde Park and look at the grass, thinking on the li-beral tradition and see people going,” Veloso wanders.

Gil did not lag behind. Copaca-bana Mon Amour and Gilberto Gil (Nêga) were some of his produc-tions in the period. The city was the barn of his third son, Pedro, in 1970. “I love London and since the years of exile, I learned much from the civilization and musical point of view. I feel good every time I go the-re,” he concludes.

Back in Brazil, they never stopped to produce. In 1972 they made an incredible partnership in Bar 69: Caetano and Gil Ao Vivo na Bahia. And both know very well that they are among the greatest re-ferences of Brazilian Popular Music. “I see, throughout Brazil houses full of young people to see my concerts,” says Caetano. Gil also follows the same thinking: “It is interesting to see in my shows in Brazil and arou-nd the world, sometimes up to three generations enjoying together. This is cause for joy.” In London it will certainly be the same.

DIOGO NOGUEIRA AND HAMILTON DE HOLANDA OPEN THE CONCERT

Before Caetano Veloso and Gilber-to Gil take the stage, Diogo Nogueira and Hamilton de Holanda, two of the most prominent musicians of the new generation of Brazilian Popular Music play the concert for Bossa Negra al-bum, released last year.

Diogo Nogueira, son of legen-dary samba singer and songwriter João Nogueira, has been enchanting Brazil with his charisma, voice and DNA. He is one of their best-selling music artists, and even has his own TV show related to the roots of the Brazilian music.

Hamilton de Holanda is a compo-ser and multi-award winning instru-mentalist with several Latin Grammy nominations. His musical origins are in the tradition of choro. As the cre-ator of the 10-string mandolin techni-que (usual mandolins have 8 strings), Hamilton carries Brazil in his fingers with the erudition of Villa-Lobos, the genius of Pixinguinha and the sophis-tication of Tom Jobim.

Bossa Negra, inspired by the clas-sic album Afro-sambas – Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes, presents a mix of old hits and original songs, por-traying the synthesis of the improvisa-tion of choro, the swing of samba and the relaxing mood of bossa nova.

CAETANO VELOSO & GILBERTO GIL HAMILTON DE HOLANDA & DIOGO NOGUEIRA

WhereEventim Apollo HammersmithWhen1 JulyTicketsFrom £10Infowww.serious.org.uk

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Bossa Negra album was launched last year


CULTURAL TIPS

ART CINEMACOLOURS OF BAHIA THE SECOND MOTHER

The Embassy of Brazil presents a collection of 44 silk-screen works by Hector Julio Páride de Bernabó, better known as Carybé. Though born in Argentina, the artist lived for almost fifty years in the north-e-astern Brazilian state of Bahia, por-traying the daily life and religious syncretism of the region’s people. Inspired by many different aspects of Bahian culture, especially those linked to the Afro-Brazilian reli-gion of Candomblé, Carybé’s work took Bahia to the outside world.

The Brazilian writer Jorge Amado once remarked that the artist’s life was as rich and colou-rful as any fictional tale. A life in which Carybé acquired intimate knowledge of Bahia and develo-ped a special talent for conveying his adopted home through his work. The exhibition combines Carybé’s illustrations with passa-ges from Amado’s novel O Com-padre de Ogum, creating a com-pelling visual narrative.

This year’s Film4 Sum-mer Screen, outdoor film festival which is held at Somerset House, features the Brazilian film The Se-cond Mother (Que Horas Ela Volta?, in Portuguese), directed by Anna Muylaert and starring Regina Case. It will be the film’s premie-re in the UK, after it has received important awards in Berlin and Sundance film festivals.

Regina Case plays Val, a live-in housekeeper for a rich Sao Paulo family who-se carefully ordered situ-ation is jeopardised when her daughter comes to stay. There are high stakes at the dramatic heart of director Anna Muylaert’s film, even as the story develops into a gentle comic charmer. (In Portuguese, with English subtitles).

WhenUntil 17 July (Monday to Friday, from 11am to 6pm)WhereSala Brasil (14-16 Cockspur Street, SW1Y 5BL)EntranceFreeInfowww.culturalbrazil.org

When12 August(Film starts 9pm)WhereSomerset House(Strand, WC2R 1LA)Entrance£16 + booking feesInfowww.somersethouse.org.uk

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MUSIC PERFORMANCE BAILA BRAZIL

Join the acclaimed dancers and percussionists of Balé de Rua on a musical journey. Af-ter departing from the streets of their favelas, they conquered the most prestigious theatres around the world.

Now the performers of Balé de Rua have decided to invite their talented friends – sambis-tas, capoeiristas, musicians and singers – on a thrilling journey into the heart of their African and urban roots.

Since it was discovered at the Biennale de la Danse of Lyon in 2002, Balé de Rua has brought the exuberance and energy of Brazil to more than 500,000 peo-ple in 13 different countries. No one can resist!

O RAPPA When: 11 JulyWhere: Electric Brixton (Town Hall Parade) Tickets: £25 Info: www.electricbrixton.uk.com

RODRIGO AMARANTEWhen: 22 JulyWhere: Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen (2-4 Hoxton Square) Tickets: £12 Info: www.hoxtonsquarebar.com

DONA ONETEWhen: 24-26 JulyWhere: Womad Festival (Charlton Park, Malmesbury) Tickets: £165 for the weekend Info: www.womad.co.uk

MARCELO D2When: 22 August Where: Electric Brixton (Town Hall Parade) Tickets: £25Info: www.electricbrixton.uk.com

When: From 5 to 15 AugustWhere: Royal Festival Hall(Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX)Entrance: From £15 + booking fees Info: www.southbankcentre.co.uk

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COLUMNISTS

Penguin Modern Classics has recently pu-blished a collection of Jorge Amado’s novels in English. It includes Captains of the Sands, The Discovery of America by the Turks, Violent Land and The Double Death of Quincas Water-Bray. This led me to rediscover Amado’s cheerful and optimistic view of a country with deep social and economic differences.

The more I revisited Amado’s work the stron-ger his novel Tieta do Agreste spoke to me. So I set out to produce a stage version of the novel here in the UK in July 2015, and have only just been given the ‘green light’ by the Arts Council of England to start working on it.

Jorge Amado started writing Tieta in Buraqui-nho, a beach in the outskirts of Salvador in the state of Bahia in Brazil in 1976. Amado concluded writing Tieta do Agreste in London and the novel was published during the period of Brazil’s mi-litary regime in 1977. The plot anticipates issues that are still very central in the life of the country, such as the concern for the environment, social prejudices and criticism of power relations gui-ded by favouritism and corruption.

Tieta tells the story of a woman who returns to her remote village of Santana do Agreste, 26 years after being cast out by her family and lo-cal community. Her return raises the questions of the corruptibility of the law, the church and the state from the perspective of the individual and its wealth.

Tieta’s impetuous and questioning spi-rit shines brightly. It asks questions such as: is prejudice induced by religion? Are human beings inherently born to yield to acts of cor-ruption? What causes this? Necessity? Greed? How aware are we of the damage caused by our small actions? And if we are aware, are we just compassion fatigued?

Tieta is banished at the age of 17 for promis-cuity and returns 26 years later from São Paulo to her native village of Agreste in Bahia. Thinking she is now a rich, respectable widow, her family and the village welcome her with open arms. But in order to save Agreste’s beaches from an awful and polluting factory development, she is forced to reveal her true identity as the Madam of São Paulo’s best brothel and calls on assistance from her wealthy and well-connected clients.

Such action could be described as our ‘jeiti-nho brasileiro’, which has become known worl-dwide as a way to accomplish something by cir-cumventing rules or social conventions as well as a typically Brazilian method of social navigation where an individual can use emotional resour-ces, blackmail, family ties, promises, rewards to obtain favours or to gain an advantage. This behaviour often leads to disrespect, resentment and frustration of many but the receiving party. This is a very interesting aspect of the Brazilian

culture, although, not a Brazilian monopoly as it’s something that exists in all cultures to different degrees. The blade that separates misdemeanours from corruption is thinner than a strand of hair, so it is very hard to see and accept it.

We would all agree that prejudice and cor-rupt behaviour is wrong. We are the first ones to go out onto the streets and protest for equa-lity and the removal of corrupt politicians in power. But do we condemn the prejudice and corruption within ourselves? Are we really all that saintly and immaculate citizens free from prejudice and corruption?

The challenge here is to be able to challen-ge and change our old habits and those around us. The Financial Times published a recent arti-cle that said, “the concept of ‘jeitinho’ is deeply rooted in Brazil and has positive connotations of resourcefulness and informality. But it can also extend to illegal practices. The Petrobras scandal shows that it is dangerous for foreign companies to get sucked into this culture of everyday corrup-tion”. We can only minimalize or eradicate preju-dice and corruption when we all decide to make the effort to eliminate prejudiced and corrupt acts from our own behaviour.

With Tieta, we see an unknown Brazilian classic story on the British stage. A dark come-dy that asks big questions, but it also encoura-ges tolerance, social inclusion and challenges the way we look at the contribution of immi-grants to one’s country.

Tieta will be on at the Great Manchester Frin-ge Festival in July 2015.

FRANKO FIGUEIREDO

A CLASSIC BRAZILIAN STORY ON THE BRITISH STAGE

The more I revisited Jorge Amado’s work, the stronger his novel Tieta do Agreste spoke to me. A

dark comedy that asks big questions

g Franko Figueiredo is artistic director and associate producer of StoneCrabs Theatre Company


João Donato has re-launched Live Jazz In Rio, Vol. 2 - O Bicho Tá Pegando! (Discober-tas). On this album, Donato is accompanied by Luiz Alves (contrabass), Ricardo Pontes (sax and flute) and Robertinho Silva (drums).

When composing, it’s like he first created me-lodic cells, humming them on seemingly simple harmonies and swings, resulting not in a mere composition, but in Donato’s music – a style.

His piano is unmistakable. Even his voi-ce, which is hardly that of a virtuoso, faith-fully translates what goes on in the head of this creator of high-level refinement, crea-tive composer, and talented pianist. A guy who expresses himself in so many musical forms, as well as being a sui generis crea-tor, is among the greatest Brazilian compo-sers. João Donato is the exact and perfect translation of our music’s qualities – he is immense, even with his personality that ca-mouflages such.

Always accompanied by musicians that understand his greatness, the stage works as a springboard for João Donato. And it is jumping this magical platform that Master João Donato takes flight to provide his mu-sical genius.

The CD starts with one of his well-k-nown compositions, “Minha Saudade”, by João Donato and João Gilberto – what a duet, huh?! Donato holds the solo on the piano. Soon the sax of Ricardo Pontes joins him to repeat the melody. The piano takes up the ground. The Robertinho Silva’s drums and Luiz Alves’ bass plays samba.

The sax improvises. Soon after that the pia-no elaborates a sequence of compasses. Un-like when only hitting the melody notes, the piano starts to be heard sounding chords on notepads. The drums make a short improvi-sation, soon taken over by the bass. Cowbell sounds, and the four shout: “Alô, seu João!” Then the piano returns to play the melody: the first time in unison with the sax, then alone. All come back to join. My God!

Recorded live, we can listen to warm applause. This is a reaction that lights up the stage, turning it into an intimate party where the guests have fun playing.

Then we have two good instrumental the-mes (there are four). “Rio Branco” (Donato), when the piano begins and then the bass and the drums grow closer, preceding the flute and the piano “commenting” the melody.

And “Na Barão de Mesquita” (JD and Paulo Moura), a samba that has the piano and sax playing harmonics cells that are re-peated and infect the bass and drums swing.

The album follows the rolling sound in eight songs of João Donato. At the end of them, sure solidifies that we are facing a prodigious musician. A guy who has a gene-rous capacity, even producing sophisticated works, make it sound simple. Thus allowing fans love more his music and can further enjoy his master’s talent.

AQUILES RIQUE REIS

ALICIA BASTOS

THE STYLE OF JOÃO DONATO

THE WALDORF PROJECT’S

REVIEW

Here we deal with one of the greatest Brazilian composers, the exact and perfect translation of our

music’s qualities

Art installation by Sean Rogg is experimental and part of a larger piece coming up. London hasn’t seen

something like this before

When mystery slides down escalators with black lips, contrasting the shinny white porce-lains reflecting lights, the mood is apprehen-sive. All in black, we sip our Hendrick’s and wait facing darkness, ready and open to an interactive experiment.

The sound is hypnotic and the lights roll continuously to reveal the new and unused underground station tunnel, revealing the depth of our set in black and white, stripes and strobo. We enter in a queue, waiting for an arm to drag us to a blocky high bar with round glasses containing a yellow liquid in-side. We wait, powerful Asian eyes looking through us approach, gives us a plastic wrap with a pink powder and with no words invite us to mix the powder into the drink turning into a deep-sea blue colour and to eat the plastic wrap that dissolves in the mouth.

We are reshuffled, the space gets new forms and in our hands we are given latex silver breasts, to be filled from a precious black jar, with a warm cardamom creamy liquid. The choreography by Aoi Nakamu-ra and Estéban Fourmi mix audience cre-ating a new level of interactivity. Families, friends and couples were sometimes split by movements of precision and authority, cre-ating new togetherness of stared eyes and constant giggles. In seconds, my head is put against the wall and I watch the floor flashing with lights, taken away by the deep ambient sounds by Alessio Natalizia.

My senses are provoked, still with the cre-amy taste in my mouth, when a hot breath

lays the weight of a body on my back, sliding fingers down my arms to reach my hands and move again. Next we are all in the floor, applauding balloon-biting colour changing li-quid towers and playing Shiva like dances in flashes of childlike freedom.

The palate flows around a palette from salty to fizzy, hot and cold, bittersweet sym-phony of flavours. And we were directed into contrasts of euphoria and order, watching and been watched, fingers down the throat on the literal sense of it, the experience led us to a full visual enjoyment, tactual and audible journeys never imagined, letting conception transform soft wipes into mouth stoppers, to suck together a dancing lilac liquid from a speaker, cymatics were eaten alive.

The sound stops, we roll up to the lights, back into the real world. The Waldorf Project is an art installation by Sean Rogg in collabo-ration to talented designers and artists. Chap-ter Three/Futuro was inspired by a futuristic house by artist Matt Suuronenn created in the late 60’s and it explored the conception of future from those times. Immersive art had not yet got so influential on tasting, surpri-sing and scary at times, but extraordinary exciting. The collaboration is experimental and part of R&D for a larger piece coming up. London hasn’t yet seen something like this. Don’t forget to dress all in black.

g Alicia Bastos is founder and artistic director of Braziliarty (www.braziliarty.org)

g Aquiles Rique Reis is a musician, vocalist of MPB4


TRAVEL

In just three days, I learned much more than I thought was possible. The Golden Pass Line, or Swiss Travel Pass, allows you to enjoy

what the country has best to offer. For those who want a getaway for a weekend, Switzerland is surprising

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GOLDEN PASSPORT TO

By Ana Beatriz Freccia Rosa g

gAna Beatriz Freccia Rosa is a travel writer who features her journeys on the blog ‘O mundo que eu vi’ (www.omundoqueeuvi.com)


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INTERLAKEN LUCERNE

CHATEAU D’EOX

GENEVA

BERN

Interlaken is one of the most visited destinations in Switzer-land, located between three big mountains: Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The view is incredib-le and it seems that no time is enough to enjoy the scenery, really impressive. Being loca-ted in the centre of the coun-try, that’s where much of the activity starts, both for those travelling by train, trekking and for those who want to climb to the top of the mountain by ca-ble car or chair lift. For those who like to discover new pa-ths and be surrounded by na-ture, the region of Interlaken is known for the huge amount of tracks, which are crowded during the summer. If you are adept in water activities, there is the option of boating, inclu-ding steamboats that have pa-ddle wheels that ply the waters of the lakes Thun and Brienz.

Very close to the station in the city’s buzz, you spot watch stores everywhere. A few steps further and there is the bridge that crosses the main river of Lucerne, where you can see the best-known city postcard: the Chapel Bridge. One of the oldest co-vered bridges in Europe, it was completely rebuilt - keeping the original paint on the ceiling - after being destroyed by fire. Around the river you will find bars and restaurants that are crowded during the sunny days. From Lucerne’s centre you can get a boat to Mount Rigi where cable cars allow you to enjoy the city from above. Another attraction is the Museggmauer Wall. Walk through the streets to reach the main square of the city, Weinmarkt. There, pay attention to the first baroque chur-ch built in Switzerland and the Hofkirche towers.

It was not in the plans, but going through the Swiss Alps and spotting the landscape, those houses at the foot of the mountain, I included it in the script. The town has 5,000 inhabitants and what was my surprise when I discovered that it was there that began the first rou-nd the world balloon tour? On March 1, 1999 the first circumnavigation of the world began non-stop. Pilots Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones took flight in a Brei-tling Orbiter 3 in Chateau d’Oex in the Swiss Alps, and flew Italy, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the Arabian Sea, India, Ban-gladesh, Burma, China, Thailand, Pacific Ocean, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Atlantic Ocean, the Sahara desert, Mauritania and Ni-ger to finish the path in Egypt after 19 days travelling 45,755 kilometres. The city has a ballooning museum.

Known as the capital of peace thanks to it humanita-rian tradition and cosmopolitan atmosphere, Geneva is home to the UN European headquarters and the headquarters of the Red Cross. On the right bank of the main lake, you find hotels and restaurants. On the left are the Cathedral of St. Peter and the Pla-ce du Bourg-de-Four, the oldest town square, as well as parks, bars, restaurants, shops and the commer-cial and financial areas. The highlight is the Horlo-ge Fleuri, large clock flower-shaped located in the Jardin Anglais (English Garden) and is a world-re-nowned symbol of the Geneva watch industry. And of course, pay attention to Jet d’Eau, another symbol of the city - a fountain whose jet of water reaches 140 meters high. You can also tour the Grand Rue, one of the most preserved city streets and known for being the birthplace of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

No wonder that the historic city centre joined the Huma-nity Heritage List by Unesco: the city retains historic featu-res well preserved. Take a map and walk to the Rose Garden to have an incredible view of one of the most beautiful ci-ties in Europe. Another place that can be explored is the cathedral tower around whi-ch flows the river Aare. Much of the city can be covered on foot and, along the way it is worth taking a break in one of the many cafes or restaurants in the old town. In Berne, the bear - the heraldic animal of the city - is always present. Therefore, the visit to the Bear Park is mandatory. The city was Albert Einstein’s hou-se in the early 20th century, and the museum Zentrum Paul Klee, on the outskirts, houses the most comprehensive col-lection of the artist ’s works.


B R A S I LO B S E R V E RBRUNO DIAS / ESTÚDIO RUFUS (WWW.RUFUS.ART.BR) WWW.BRASILOBSERVER.CO.UK

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Brasil Observer #28 - English Version

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