Paulo Freire — Brazil’s Educational Firebrand

by Paul Penkal

Underlining his belief in the potential of all learners, Paulo Freire wrote,  “Intelligence is created, is constructed, it is not received.”  Certainly one of the most influential figures in educational reform to emerge from Brazil, Freire was born in Recife on September 19^th, 1921.  He attended the University of Recife, studying Law.  After school he became a Portuguese teacher in secondary schools instead of pursuing a career in Law.  Eventually he was appointed the Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Social Service in Pernambuco. Joe L. Kincheloe once wrote,“I suppose Paulo Freire is the closest thing education has to a celebrity.”  During the Military Coup D’Etat of 1964 Freire was arrested and jailed for 70 days as a consequence of his methods for developing literacy and his instigating the people to demand change.  Following this jail sentence, Freire was exiled for 15 years.  He went to Bolivia and worked for five years for the Christian Democratic Agrarian Reform movement and the Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations.  This allowed him to research and focus on writing.  His most famous work is the 1968 Pedogogy of the Oppressed.  The book underlines how issues of power play out in educational  contexts, and the relationship between “the colonizer and the colonized.”   His exile from Brazil ended in 1979, and he returned in 1980 after 16 years.  He joined the Workers’ Party in Sao Paulo where he acted as a supervisor for its adult literacy project.  Freire was appointed Secretary of Education for Sao Paulo in 1988.  He died on May 2^nd, 1997  and is remembered as one of the most transformative figures in education.  

“The greatest humanistic and historical task of the oppressed: to liberate themselves…” — Paulo Freire.

Ministry of Education: Brazil encouraging greater teacher autonomy

by Marcy Herr

(Pictured in front of the Ministry of Education:  Jason Whitney, Eric Tarosky, Jennifer Lee, Hanna Mincemoyer, Catherine Johnson, Marcy Herr, Conor Searles, Paul Penkal)

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to have a discussion with Joselita Júnia Viegas Vidotti, International Adviser, and Paulo Alves da Silva, high-level Administer in the Departamento de Políticas de Educação Infantil e Ensino Fundamental (Pre-school and Elementary Education). As Mr. da Silva spoke, I couldn’t help but think that the U.S.’s strong educational system is being sidetracked by misguided policies that place too much much emphasis on the standardization of curriculum and teaching to the test, and that Brazil is making some very good moves.

           (Pictured from left: Conor Searles, Marcy Herr, Cristina Dale, Hanna Mincemoyer, Catherine Johnson, Jennifer Lee, Edson Machado background)

In Brazil, progress in education is evident.  A good first step was the in the 1996 Right to Learn policy. This allows students the right to determine what they would like to learn to a certain extent. The Right to Learn policy requires that teachers follow the national curriculum guidelines, while at the same time providing them the freedom to teach what their students are most interested in. This allows for flexibility in curriculum that can include teaching about specific values that vary due to the extraordinary diversity of regional culture in Brazil.

            An issue that has been seen in the implementation of this policy is a hesitation of Brazilian teachers and schools to take ownership over their curriculum and instruction. Due to the history of a military regime in Brazil, for many teachers it has become habit to rely heavily on the federal government and to be told what to teach. Historically, this reliance on the government stemmed from a fear of going against the regime, but a cultural shift must occur today in order to help the Brazilian schools move away from this attitude. There is great potential for Brazilian teachers to be flexible once they become comfortable with this high level of ownership and freedom over their classroom.

At the same time that Brazil is encouraging teacher creativity in their curriculum, the U.S. is unfortunately moving towards the opposite: Teaching to the test, or implementing a common core curriculum is encouraging national uniformity and standardization, reducing teacher autonomy and de-skilling teachers.  Such homogenization of curricular materials is bound to make it more difficult for students to connect to and recognize the value of their learning.

(Pictured from left: Joselita Júnia Viegas Vidotti, Paulo Alves da Silva, Edson Machado, Jason Whitney)

The Early Republic Of Brazil

by Conor Searles

The Early Republic of Brazil

The early republic, or as it is referred to according to Brazilian history “the old republic” was the first of 5 phases of rule in Brazil. The Republic era however stretches from 1889-1985 or so and has seen a variation of loose democracies to military dictatorships over this roughly 100 year span in Brazilian history.  The five eras of the republic are as follows:

• Old Republic (1889-1930)
• Vargas Era (1930-1945)

  

• Populist Republic (1945-1964)
• Military Dictatorship (1964-1985) (Courtesy ictj.org and ecocitification)
• New Republic  (1985-Present)

Brazil was under a monarchy rule for the majority of the 19^th century.  During this monarchy rule slave labor was still a major part of the Brazilian economy, especially on coffee plantations in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The slave population was estimated to be only about 5% of the total population, about 723,000 or so. While the monarchy seemed to have relative stability of rule at the time, much of the southern part of the country, as well as slaves in the northeast region began to openly revolt. To make things more difficult, many laws at the time tended to benefit the coffee producers, many of whom had their own private militaries of sorts to run their vast plantations. However as the monarchy began to limit slavery the plantation owners, who were dependent on slave labor, grew discontent with the rule of the monarchy towards the end of the 19^th century. Along with the growing discontent from the landowners, many members of the military began to question the ruling authority of the monarchy as well.

A man by the name of Benjamin Constant began to preach the ideals of republicanism and positivism, and quickly his preachings made their way around the hierarchy of officers in the military, and quickly the notion of Brazil becoming a republic spread. After much talk of creating a republic, Manoel Deodoro da Fonseca along with a group of military officers launched a coup d’état on November 15,1889 against the monarchy. Upon the departure of the royal family, a provisional government was formed and leaders of the republic were named:

• Constant as minister of war
• Ruy Barbosa as minister of finance
• Maneol Ferraz de Campos Sales as minister of justice

Several acts were taken by the new republic as well to establish themselves as a legitimate form of government:

• Destroyed many records pertaining to slavery
  • Denied landowners compensation for loss of slave labor
  • Separated church and state
  • Created civil marriage
  • Abolished titles of nobility

In creating these rules the republic quickly saw many conservatives turn against them, and they also did little to create opportunity and prosperity for the common citizens. As a result the new regime that was the republic of Brazil was under heavy scrutiny very early on. Manoel Deodoro da Fonseca was elected president but only remained so for roughly 2 years until a financial crisis struck Brazil, and he was replaced by Field Marshal Floriano Vieira Peixoto (then minister of war) to take over rule. This transition was made to ensure military compliance during the transition.

This constitutional democracy was hardly considered legitimate and saw a shift of power occur between the oligarchies of the dominant states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, or the “coffee with milk” being that these were the primary exports of these given states.  During the early republic much of the time was spent developing a government that would effectively replace the monarchy, while also facing a constant struggle with several powerful state oligarchies. It was as the power of the oligarchies grew that Brazil saw yet another transition of power from then President Washington Luis to Getulio Vargas during the revolution of 1930.

After losing the presidential election of 1930, Vargas led a revolution that saw him gain power in Brazil. Before President however Vargas was formally the governor of the state of Rio Grande Do Sul, and encountered a great depression during his first years as president and saw the state of Sao Paulo attempt a violent and bloody but ultimately unsuccessful revolution. In 1934 Vargas created a new constitution that provided for universal suffrage, as well as give the central government greater authority. However despite this reform yet another revolt occurred, and this in turn caused Vargas to create an entirely new constitution and seized absolute power, virtually turning him into a dictator rather than president. The new administration, known as the Estado Nôvo (“New State”), so heightened Vargas’s control that he was able to suppress all manifestations of popular will and strip Brazil of most of the trappings through which it might eventually hope to become a democracy. Vargas increasingly shifted the states’ political, economic, and social functions to the aegis of the national government. (Burns et. Al., Britannica.com /EBchecked/topic/78101/Brazil/25048/The-Vargas-era).

While Vargas years as a leader seemed to be filled with one revolution after another, and much like the early republic instability in the government, he made several key changes to Brazil that greatly benefitted the country in the form of :

• Diversifying the agricultural sector
• Creating social legislation that benefitted the middle class
• Created industrial reform via import-substitution.

During WWII Vargas and Brazil agreed to ally themselves with the United States, and though not very involved in the war played a significant role I patrolling the Atlantic for German submarines and providing the U.S. navy with bases on the coast. It was towards the end of WWII that Vargas saw his reign as dictator of Brazil come to an end, in a very similar fashion to that of the early republic as well. Afraid that Vargas would seek to retain power, military officers launched a coup that forced Vargas to resign from office on October 29, 1945 and the country began to experiment with democracy shortly after his resignation.

The Early republic years of Brazil were very chaotic and saw leadership and the direction of the government change numerous times. Filled with unstable governments, revolutions and military coups, and surprisingly the development of Brazil the early republic was responsible for ending the monarchy rule in Brazil, and effectively beginning it transition into a democracy (despite how tumultuous the transition was). It is interesting to consider the fact that this all took place within the last century and to look at the current state that Brazil and its government is in today.

Brazilian Empire

By Catherine Johnson

The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political events that occurred between 1821-1824.  Most of these events involved disputes between Brazil and Portugal regarding the call for independence presented by the Brazilian Empire.  In 1820, the Constitutional Revolution erupted in Brazil.  It resulted in the meeting of the Cortes, Constituent Assembly, which would have created the kingdom’s first constitution.  At the same time, the Cortes demanded the return of King Dom Joao VI, who had been living in Brazil since 1808.  In 1821, King Dom Joao VI nominated his son, Dom Pedro, as regent upon his return to Europe.

*King Dom Joao VI

The Portuguese military officers headquartered in Brazil were sympathetic to the Constitutional movement in Portugal.  The main leader, General Jorge Avilez, forced the prince, Dom Pedro, to dismiss and banish the ministers of Kingdom and Finance.  Both of these men were loyal allies to Pedro.

*Dom Pedro I

Meanwhile, the Cortes approved a decree that placed provincial governments directly under control of Portugal.  However, dissatisfaction over this measure rose among the residents of Brazil.  Two groups of opponents formed from this.  These groups included the liberals led by Joaquim Ledo and the Bonifacians led by Jose Bonifacio de Andrada.

*Joaquim Goncalves Ledo

*Bonifacio de Andrada

Pedro’s support gradually shifted to the Brazilian cause after Pedro’s decision on January 9th, 1822 to defy the Cortes, men led by Jorge Avilez rioted before concentrating on Mount Castelo.  Dom Pedro then dismissed the Portuguese commanding general and ordered him to remove his soldiers.  Jose Bonifacio was nominated minister of Kingdom and Foreign Affairs on January 18, 1822 and soon established a close relationship with Pedro.  Gonclaves Ledo and the liberals tried to minimize the close relationship between Bonifacio and Pedro by offering the title of Perpetual Defender of Brazil.  For the liberals, the meeting of a Constituent Assemble for Brazil was necessary, while the Bonifacians preferred that Pedro grant the constitution himself.  Pedro agreed to the liberal’s request and called for an election of the deputies that would gather in the Constituent & Legislative General Assembly in Brazil.  Pedro departed to Sao Paulo Province to assure that province’s loyalty to the Brazilian cause.  Upon his return, September 7, 1822 he learned that the Cortes had removed the remaining power Pedro still had.  Pedro turned to his companions and said:

“Friends, the Portuguese Cortes want to enslave and pursue us. From today on our relations are broken. No ties unite us anymore… Hail to the independence, to freedom, and to the separation of Brazil…For my blood, my honor, my God, I swear to give Brazil Freedom Independence or Death!”

The news of independence quickly spread throughout the country and Pedro, received with great popular celebration, was called “King of Brazil.”  It was quickly decided that Pedro should be named Constitutional Emperor, a new flag and arms were created, and on September 22, 1822, Brazil officially claimed its independence.

*Flag of the Empire of Brazil

*Coat of Arms of the Empire of Brazil

The war between the Brazilians and Portuguese lasted from February 1822 to November 1823.  There are still no reliable statistics related to the number of casualties.  However, based on historical registration and contemporary reports total number of deaths is estimated to be around 5,700 to 6,200.  Unlike most of its Hispanic republic neighbors, Brazil has political stability, freedom of speech, respect for civil rights and vibrant economic growth.  Its bicameral parliament, Assembleia Geral, was elected under comparatively democratic methods for the era, as were the provincial and local legislatures.  Pedro’s successor, in 1831, was his 5 year old son, Pedro II, and a weak regency was created.  The absence of a ruling monarch led to regional civil wars between local factions.  However, once of age, Pedro II managed to bring peace and stability to the country, which eventually became an emerging international power.

*Emperor Pedro II

*Emperor Pedro II

With prosperity and economic development came an influx of European immigrants, including Protestants and Jews, although Brazil remained mostly Catholic.  Slavery, which had initially been widespread, was restricted by successive legislation until its final abolition in 1888.  Brazilian visual arts, literature and theater developed during this time of progress. Much of this had European Influence but had a Brazilian twist.  Despite the fact the last 4 decades of Pedro II’s reign were marked by continuous internal peace and economic prosperity, he personally had no desire to see the monarchy survive beyond his lifetime.  On November 15, 1889, after a 58 year reign, the Emperor was overthrown in a sudden coup d’état that had almost no support outside a clique of military leaders whose goal was the formation of a republic headed by a dictator.

GENTE (Experimental School of New Educational Technologies) in Rio de Janeiro

By Jennifer Lee

Project GENTE is a recent initiative taken by the Municipal Board of Education in Rio de Janeiro in partnership with UNESCO to revitalize some of the poorest performing schools in the favelas. The project aims to transform educational facilities and pedagogy using today’s most up-to-date technology. The curriculum is designed to stimulate student autonomy and discourage impersonal standardization. The classrooms are far from the typical student to teacher lectures; each student has his or her own individual laptop with online lessons built for each week. The online lessons are individualized to match the level of the student and weekly evaluations are conducted at the end of each week’s lesson to measure the appropriateness of student knowledge. Students who perform poorly on these evaluations are given additional feedback and tutored by their classroom teachers. Teachers are assigned to the role of a facilitator who monitors each student’s work and creates a positive learning environment that encourages student autonomy.
Through the courtesy of Cristina Dale, who established the connection, our team was fortunate to visit a model GENTE school during our stay in Rio de Janeiro. The school, Andre Urani, is located in Rocinha,the largest favela in Rio. The van drive up through the favela was the most nerve-racking drive of my life as we had to swirl through the heavy traffic in a twisty narrow road. We navigated through a swarm of motorcycle taxis, full-size buses coming from both directions, and men, women and children walking on each side of the roads. As intense as the ride was with multiple near-heart-attack moments, it was a great opportunity for us to actually see the life in a favela.

The hour long drive took us to the school located at the top of the favela where you could enjoy an awesome view of the city from up top. Alice Riberio, one of the administrators, speaking perfect English, greeted us and spoke with us in detail about the school. After learning about the design and aims of GENTE, we were kindly given a tour of the school. The Municipal School Andre Urani currently serves 180 students from 7th to 9th grade, and it began the GENTE project three months ago in the beginning of the school year in 2013. The 3rd floor of the newly renovated building is divided into two large halls where all classes and kids mingle together in one space with no walls separating between classrooms. Alice explained to us that merging all classes together created a lot of problems in the beginning, but doing so for the last three months has significantly reduced the noise level and behavioral issues among the student body.  The project is heavily supported by the inspirational Brazilian educator Rafael Parente.

As Alice explained to us, the investment in the school has definitely increased various aspects of students’ lives besides just academics. For example, the school performs regular weekly health check-ups for kids every Monday, and also provides breakfast, lunch, and snack to take home at the end of the day. Andre Urani remains as a public school, and some of the kids who come from the nearby areas do not often receive regular meals, and many find life outside of school traumatizing.  The reformed school now attempts to provide as much health and dental care to students as seen in need. The renovation of the school building also creates a very creative environment to encourage student attendance and progress. The school we visited was clean and fresh with creative wall papers, bright colors, and high quality sports facilities such as a new swimming pool to encourage participation in other sports besides soccer.
When asked how she thought about the new program at the school, Alice commented that so far things seem to be working well, and that the school hopes to see continuous improvement among students. She shared with us that getting the new initiative started was difficult at first as some parents preferred the traditional style of teaching, but the students at school seem to enjoy using and learning through technology especially since their home lives are so far from the contemporary global technology. The visit to Andre Urani school was very interesting and thought provoking to me as a student of Education Public Policy. Educational reform requires much creativity and practicality to effectively serve for the betterment of students and the surrounding community, and the ambitious reinvention brought by project GENTE so far seems to fulfill the necessary needs and yield positive results. It was great to see educational reform done in practice and not only in theory. There are still much work left to be done to improve the opportunities for children living in favelas, but this reform effort marks a positive beginning.  As Nelson Mandela stated, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Reflections on two weeks in Brazil

by Eric Tarosky

 

To say the least, the two weeks we spent in Brazil were really the trip of a lifetime. From the food we got to eat, the sights we got to see, and the friends we made along the way, I cannot quite express how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to travel to and explore such a remarkable country.

What struck me throughout the entire trip was the fact that, even though Brazil and the United State are different in so many ways, there are overarching similarities that are universal. These included things like talking to some Brazilian students about our shared favorite TV show, How I Met Your Mother, to many commonalities in the educational system as well as trends in the field.

During my freshman year at Penn State, I had the chance to visit and teach in a public high school in inner city Philadelphia. This school, in almost every way, was startlingly different from the middle-class, suburban high school I attended as a student. The disparity between the educational opportunities afforded to me, and those given to the students in Philadelphia, is something that has stayed with me to this day. For this reason, I found the similar disparity present in the Brazilian educational system to be interesting.

On one day of our visit, we toured a public school in Ceilandia, a satellite city of Brasilia. The school was without many educational luxuries, or even necessities. While the classrooms were taken care of extremely well, it was obvious that many of the materials were inadequate or outdated. Even the playground that was considered “new” was rather rough around the edges.

The next day we toured a private school district in the capital and the differences were startling. Everything from the classrooms to the playground to the athletic facilities at the school was immaculate. It was hard to believe that the two schools could be so close together physically, and yet so many leagues apart in terms of resources. This shocked me at first until I thought back to my experiences in Philadelphia and the juxtaposition of that world to the one in which I grew up. In the end, it became clear that educational inequalities are not simply a Brazilian problem or and American problem, but a universal problem.

The one thing that was consistent between the two schools, however, were the people working there. In both locations we were greeted by a staff of kind and enthusiastic professionals who were eager to show us around the places they clearly cared so much about. At the end of the day I suppose this is what makes the greatest difference in a child’s education after all.

Public – Private Education

Hanna Mincemoyer

After an amazing trip to Brazil it is nearly impossible to reflect on what we learned as a whole and put it into words. We got a detailed snapshot of the Brazilian education system by visiting schools ranging from preschool to university level. We were also able to compare and contrast public and private institutions in disadvantaged and wealthy parts of the country. I’m sure all of our reflections will tie into the stark contrast between the schools attended by the richest students and the ones attended by the poorest. What I find most interesting when comparing this Brazilian education system to the one we know in the United States is the complete role reversal of the elementary/secondary and the university culture and prestige. In the United States we have a free public education system that is highly regarded and in most situations, adequately prepares students for college. The private school route is less traveled and is usually chosen for reasons outside of academic achievement. This free public education gives parents and students about 18 years to prepare to pay for college. Then in many cases the students are independent and can take out loans or get scholarships for their tuition, which is often very expensive, even at public universities.

In Brazil, this whole schema is essentially the opposite. For students to receive a good preschool, elementary and secondary education it is common to attend a private school. Everyone that we talked to reiterated, if the parents can afford private school, they would never put their child in public school. This means that starting around age 3, for a child to get the best quality education, they have to start paying tuition. If they are able to pay when they are young, there is a good chance they can get accepted to a public university after graduation, which is completely free. The public universities are able to continuously get the best students because of the competition for a free quality higher education. The private universities and colleges are also getting good students but historically have less academic prestige. Because this dynamic seems almost set in stone it doesn’t matter that the private colleges often have better facilities and more hands-on learning. Much like the United States, the school you get your degree from doesn’t necessarily reflect your learning, but it is still one of the most important things when entering the job market. I just find it extremely interesting that the path for well off students in Brazil is pay now, then it’s free later where in the United States the path for a well off student mirrors that of an underprivileged student in Brazil, it’s free now, then you pay later. It will be interesting to see if this pattern changes in the future if public universities start charging, if private universities (which are fairly new) gain more traction, or if the public K-12 education improves. It is hard to predict where Brazil will go from here in terms of education, but as they remain a steady global power, we are sure to see continuous improvements. 

The Searles’ Brazilian Legacy Continues

Conor Searles with Eda Machado, May 5, 2013
Among the seven Penn State students who arrived in Brasilia on May 12th, one has a special connection to our host, Eda Machado; Conor Searles, a senior studying Education and Public Policy, is the grandson of Jack Searles, a former PSU professor of education with a longstanding connection to Brazilian education. For a number of years, Jack Searles led groups of PSU students on trips to Brazil and taught in the Brazilian states of Belo Horizonte, as well as here in Brasilia. The Brazilian connection was cemented during Eda’s time as a PHD student at Penn State’s college of education, where Jack served as her faculty advisor. The remarks below are Conor’s:

“Words cannot describe how excited I am to be here in Brazil to experience first hand some of the places, and to meet some of the people that my grandfather loved so well. The foundation for this trip began in 1959 when my grandparents moved to Brazil for a two year stretch, bringing my father, my uncles and both my aunts with them.   Now 52 years later, and a year after his death, here I am in Brazil.  I see this trip not only as not just a wonderful educational opportunity, but as a tribute to my grandfather who dedicated much of his life to forging connections between Penn State and Brazil.”

Jack Searles, Penn State Professor (and a pioneer in creating Penn State/ Brazil partnerships).

Culture

by Eric Tarosky

Music

 

Choro

Literally translated, the word “choro” is Portuguese meaning “to cry.” Originally, this style of music was performed by a trio of flute, guitar, and an instrument called a “cavaquinho,” a small guitar-like instrument with four strings. It had its beginnings in Rio de Janeiro in the 19^th century. Today, the genre has expanded to include other instruments, such as mandolin, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet and trombone.  It is generally characterized by having a fast, happy rhythm often times featuring improvisation.

 Samba dancer

Samba

Samba is categorized as a dance genre, and was made popular by the opening of the first Brazilian radio station in 1929.  Its roots run to the Bahia region, with some influence from the regions surrounding Rio de Janeiro. It is the musical styling most frequently associated with the Carnival celebration. It is considered by many to be the most popular musical genre in the country. Modern samba emerged after the Second World War and was largely influenced by the post-war culture of the United States, specifically big band elements like the inclusion of trombones, trumpets, flutes, and clarinets.

 Antonio Carlos Jobim

Bossa Nova

Bossa Nova is a music genre distinguished by its fusion of smooth jazz with the slower beat of the samba. Its name comes from an old slang term that was used to reference anything done in a particularly smooth or charming manner. The genre evolved from the basic tenants of the samba but is generally less reliant on percussive elements. Instruments usually include guitar and piano and occasionally light percussion and orchestral strings. The infusion of electronic elements into mainstream music brought about some change to Bossa Nova in the mid-nineties, leading to the emergence of many songs featuring a more “nightclub” feel.

 

Literature            

  Goncalves de Magalhaes

Romanticism

Romanticism was one of the largest literary movements in Brazilian history. The movement began in the 1830’s largely from the efforts of a poet named Goncalves de Magalhaes, a prominent writer and a significant figure in the rise of the Brazilian theater. Other poets such as Casimiro de Abreu rose to prominence during this time and produced some of the most widely recognized pieces of authentically Brazilian literature. In addition to this, this time period helped to define elements of Brazilian nationalism, as it celebrated the nation’s natural elements, as well as other defining features like colloquial speech. Other significant authors included Jaoquim Manuel de Macedo and Jose de Alencar.

Machado de Assis

Realism

In the mid-19^th century, spurred largely by social change in the nation, Romanticism began to decline in favor or Realism. This movement was defined largely by prose writing dealing with analysis of indigenous citizens and cultures. The movement also made an effort to include depiction of all social classes present in the society. Two of the most significant authors of the time were Machado de Assis and Euclides de Cunha.

Cuisine

Southern

picadinho

Pine nut trees are plentiful in the southeastern regions of Brazil, and the nuts from these trees are a popular food item. Rice, beans, fish, beef and pork are also staples of many diets in this part of the country. In cities like Rio, a dish called a feijoada is very popular, particularly as a lunch dish. It is a stew made up of black beans and roasted meat.  It is frequently served alongside another dish called picadinho, a type of minced meat accompanied by rice and beans. Another popular dish in this region of the country is made up of rice, kale and pork and is called virado a paulista.

Because of the southern region’s healthy involvement in the livestock industry, plates featuring different types of meat, particular beef, are very common. Southern Brazil also gave birth to the “churasco,” a type of barbeque where meat is cooked on a specialty grill, often on spits.

North

The cuisines common in the northern part of the nation are influenced greatly by traditions and customs of the native populations of Brazil. One prominent dish is called Pato no Tucupi, made of duck in a yellow broth. It is commonly associated with a Roman Catholic celebration traditional in the area called Cirio de Nazare. The process for fermenting a treating the broth is so complex it often takes several days to complete. The dish is traditionally served over white rice.

Some of the cuisine of the northern regions of Brazil is also influenced by traditions of African culture. For example, the dish called the vatapa contains a coconut base, as well as peanuts and palm oil, and often contains shrimp. It is eaten with bread.

 

Sports

Pele

It goes without saying that the most popular sport in Brazil is soccer (locally called football). The national team has won the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup five times (a world record), in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002. Brazil hosted the international tournament in 1950, and is preparing to do so again in 2014, becoming the only South American country to host the competition two times. The Brazilian team is already being projected by many to win the 2014 cup.

No discussion of Brazilian soccer would be complete without mention of Edison Arantes do Nascimento, better known in the sports world as Pele. Pele is a Brazilian soccer player who lead the national team to three of their five FIFA championships. He is considered by many fans all across the world to be the greatest soccer player of all time. In addition to his prowess on the soccer pitch, he is also known for his vocal support of many social equality projects. In fact, after scoring his 1,000^th goal, he dedicated his performance to all Brazilian children living in poverty.

In addition to soccer, various forms of the martial arts are also very popular in the country. Jiu Jitsu, for example, originated in Brazil.

Brazil is also a regular competitor in the Olympic games after their first participation in 1920, and is scheduled to host the event in 2016. In the 2012 games, Brazilian athletes brought home a total of 17 medals, winning gold in women’s judo, men’s gymnastic on rings, an women’s volleyball.

The Amazon Rainforest — Brazil’s Greatest Opportunity and Responsibility

by Paul Penkal

Picture courtesy of NASA

The rainforest in Brazil is arguably its strongest asset, and how Brazil manages this resource has far-reaching consequences worldwide.   The Amazon Rainforest stretches over 60% of the northern part of the country.  With rain reaching more than two meters annually, it’s ecosystem provides an abundance of natural resources.  The Amazon is very important to Brazil’s economy and infrastructure, but it’s disappearing rapidly.  The deforestation rate is so great that some experts believe that half of the Amazon will be gone by the year 2050.  The main causes for its disappearance include shift cultivators, farmers clearing land and misguided government policies (born of economic constraints).

The forest affects weather patterns worldwide .

The Amazon rainforest provides a significant portion of all Earth’s oxygen while absorbing more carbon dioxide than any other region in the world.

Its 1.8 million square miles which are home to one third of all the animals in the world.  This includes 1,700 bird species, 695 amphibians, 578 mammals, 651 reptile species, and 56,000 species of plants, 1,700 of which are trees. What one might not expect is almost none of these animals reside on the forest floor.  The 1,700 species of trees make up the four distinct and very important layers to the rainforest. The first layer, starting from the top, is the emergent canopy.  This layer is very sparse as it consists of only a few species of trees standing at up to 80 meters tall.  These trees stick out above the rest of the rainforest, and are home to eagles, butterflies, bats, and monkeys.  Bats were the first flying mammal in the rainforest.  The next layer is the canopy, where all the action of the rainforest lies.  These trees are roughly 30 meters tall.  The canopy is the densest area of the rainforest, where 50% of all the species call home.  Plants live and root in the tree branches.  It is believed that a quarter of all insects in the world live here.  Scientists are still baffled by the richness of this layer and have difficulties exploring it because of the height.  The next layer that is found below the canopy is the understory.  By this point only 5% of the sun’s rays make it through the other layers.  This layer is home to many birds, snakes and larger predators such as leopards and jaguars.  It is also dubbed the shrub layer due to the large amount of the world’s shrubs that reside in the understory.  The final layer at the bottom is the forest floor.  This area lays waste to all debris.  It consists of decomposing plant material along with river banks, swamps and any plant adapted to low light conditions.  By this point only 2% of the sun’s rays make it to this level.

The rainforest is home to many goods the average American takes for granted.  These goods include coconuts, avocados, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, figs, oranges, pineapples, mangoes, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, rice, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, turmeric, coffee, vanilla nuts and cashew nuts. Incredibly, about 25% of the modern prescription drugs that come from plants actually hail from rainforest vegetation. These include drugs that tackle cancer, AIDS symptoms, viruses and infections (answers.yahoo.com).  There is no questioning the importance of the rainforest.  However, if deforestation continues at this rate, roughly 10,000 square miles a year, Brazil could be left rainforest free in the relatively near future.

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One third of deforestation comes from shifting cultivation.  This is when small sections of the forest are seeded with crops and then harvested and then left for regrowth.  This is the largest reason for deforestation in the world.   In Brazil, however, rainforest lands are primarily cleared to create pasturelands for raising beef cattle.  Since the value of the real (the Brazilian currency) has dropped, the demand for exports has risen. Fundamental analysis takes into account everything that’s happening in the economy.  For example in the United States interest rates, home construction and sales, and auto sales are factors in the fundamental analysis.  When a currency devalues demand for exports increase.  A consumer can now buy exported goods from a country in which the currency just dropped at a much lower price because the conversion rate is in their favor.  When any demand goes up, the production goes up as well.  Now farmers of Brazil have more freedom for what to harvest and sell because there is a market for it outside of Brazil.   The world has an appetite for inexpensive Brazilian beef.  Unfortunately, cattle need land for grazing and as a result more of the rainforest is harvested each year.  To prepare the land for cattle grazing, poor farmers will take a section of rainforest and set fire to it.  Over the next two years, the farmers plant crops that are in high demand for export.  Once the soil is no longer fit for farming, the land is turned into a grazing area for cattle and the farmer moves to a new section.  A squatter acquires rights to public land after only one year of using the land, and after five years that squatter then gains ownership and the right to sell.  These are a few examples of some of the misguided policies that invite deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.  Other major reasons for deforestation include commercial agriculture, logging, forest fires, and flooding.

The whole world wonders whether this is a disappearing resource.  Optimistically thinking, advancements in future agriculture means there might not be need to cut down any more forest.  However, at the rate that deforestation is going now, half of the world’s rainforest will be depleted by the year 2050. Brazil is doing things to protect sections of the forest, and the country has a 10 year plan that is a movement to protect a 190,000 square mile section of the rainforest.  To gain some perspective this section is 12.5% of all Brazil and is 25% of the Amazon Rainforest and is home to 450,000 Indians.  If Brazil continues to take steps in the direction of rainforest depletion protection, there is still hope yet for the Amazon Rainforest.

                  How Brazil manages its rainforest has consequences for the entire world.  Brazilian environmental policy is thus at the frontlines in addressing the crisis faced by the entire planet.  This provides Brazil with a unique opportunity to take leadership and to demonstrate stewardship.  Brazil is also burdened with an enormous responsibility, since the mismanagement of this resource has tremendously dire and far-reaching consequences.