Michael Turner, a Hunter College professor and member of POMPA's board, with Paulo Rogério Santos.

On December 6, a dynamic young leader from Salvador da Bahia, Paulo Rogério de Jesus Santos, gave a presentation for BrazilFoundation's Ideas that Transform Brazil series. More than 40 guests came to learn about his new organization, The Institute of Ethnic Media, and his experience in the leadership training program, POMPA.

The mission of the Ethnic Media Institute is to "promote the inclusion of afro-descendents in the media through public policy, educational programs and grassroots film production," according to Mr. Santos. He hopes to democratize the face of Brazilian media, not only through its major television networks, but also through local communities. "Brazil's media should reflect our country's racial diversity and show more positive images of Afro-Brazilian culture," he said. "There is a widespread joke that you can see more blacks on TV in Denmark than in Brazil. Things are slowly beginning to change, but many stereotypes persist."

Lorelei Williams, the founder of POMPA and a consultant for BrazilFoundation, with Paulo Rogério Santos.

Santos launched the Ethnic Media Institute only four months ago, but already, it has been making its mark in Brazil. The board of directors includes noteworthy Afro-Brazilian businessmen, filmmakers, scholars and activists who are committed to the cause. The institute has already begun building a partnership with community radio stations in Bahia, staged an Internet simulcast of Brazil's Black Consciousness Day march in five locations in Salvador, and launched a seminar series on Empowerment Through the Media. Santos says this is only the beginning; his aspires to broaden his reach from Salvador to other cities in Brazil and in the United States.

Santos shared his experiences as a student in Projeto Mentes e Portas Abertas (POMPA) and the inspiration it gave him in launching his own organization. POMPA prepares low-income Afro-Brazilian youth for public service through seminars, a mentor program, counseling and internships. As a POMPA student, Santos said he learned skills to manage a non-profit organization and gained valuable contacts - some who helped him to launch the Institute. Through POMPA's internship program in 2004, Santos was selected to work in the production department at TVE Bahia, Salvador's educational public television station.

New and old friends of BrazilFoundation during the talk.

Of his opportunities so far, Santos remarked: "As a young Afro-Brazilian, even for those who make it to college, it is difficult to find employment. Job offers are usually based on personal and family relationships in Bahia, rather than skills or work experience. Through POMPA and now through the Ethnic Media Institute, young people are finding a way to follow their dreams and find new opportunities for career growth."

Santos was selected by his fellow POMPA students as "class icon" and received a POMPA fellowship sponsored by Columbia University's Institute for Research in African American Studies (IRAAS). A communications student at The Catholic University of Salvador, Santos' articles on Afro-Brazilians and ethnic media have been published in various national and international publications.

During his New York visit, Santos also spoke at Columbia University and was hosted at a reception at the home of Brazilian Vice Consul, Ewerton Oliveira.

For more information on the Institute of Ethnic Media or POMPA visit: www.midiaetnica.zip.net or www.projectpeoplefoundation.org/pompa.
Paulo Rogério Santos can be reached at: midiaetnica@yahoo.com.br.

- By Lorelei Williams



Two activists discuss the of defense human rights

Maria Helena Alves, international public relations for Viva Rio, a Brazilian NGO.

Friends and partners of BrazilFoundation had the opportunity in October to learn more about the difficult battle of Brazilian organizations that work for human rights. Maria Helena Alves, a sociologist working as an international public relations for the Brazilian NGO Viva Rio, and Fernando Delgado, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, presented a talk in the lecture series Ideas that Transform Brazil, organized by BrazilFoundation in partnership with Human Rights Watch Young Advocates, and held on the campus of New York University.

Fernando Delgado presented the results of his two reports about facilities for juvenile offenders in Rio de Janeiro. Maria Helena provided a general survey of the relationship between NGOs and government in Brazil.

Delgado gave his account of visits he made to juvenile detention centers in Rio. He observed that the conditions in which the young people live lack even the minimum standards of hygiene and safety. The cells are overcrowded and are without hot water, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Many of the young people exhibit serious health problems and do not have access to medical care. Delgado stressed that there does not even exist an education program that aims to aid the youths' reentry into society - a violation of the country's Statute of Children and Adolescents. None of the facilities offers formal education or recreational activities for the youths.

Fernando Delgado, researcher for Human Rights Watch.

Maria Helena discussed the historical and political context in Brazilian society that has yielded inefficient and negligent government action. She explained the role of racism and class differences and how these affect the situation of juvenile delinquents in Brazil. According to the sociologist, these problems begin with the extreme poverty in which many Brazilian children grow up. She pointed out, for example, that in Brazil many children gain official recognition in society and, in a sense, begin to "exist," only when they appear before the police and judicial authorities, rather than through being issued a birth certificate when they are born - as one might expect to be the case for all citizens.

The representative of Viva Rio also focused on the question of disarmament in Brazil. According to her, fear and the lack of confidence in the government can be seen as reasons why the Brazilian people voted no on the disarmament question at the polls. In her experience working with non-governmental entities, Maria Helena underscored the difficulty that NGOs face in getting access to the government and the importance of the work of civil society organizations in the fight for human rights.

Maria Helena Alves presented diagrams and astonishing data about violence in Brazil, pointing out that, proportionally, "more people in Rio are killed by the authorities than [are killed by the authorities] in the Gaza Strip."

The public honors the speakers in the auditorium of New York University.

Asked about what could be done to solve the problems in the prison system, Fernando Delgado suggested that one solution would be to create partnerships with and assistance for the mothers of the detained who, more than anyone, have the right to fight for the young people of the country.

And various examples confirm this approach works. BrazilFoundation supports a series of projects that not only provide assistance to incarcerated minors, but also provide support to their families, yielding extremely positive results. Among these projects are Família de Preso: Cidania Castigada (Families of Prisoners Project) and Teatração (Theater-Action), both located in Recife, Pernambuco; Apoio à Família do Adolescente em Liberdade Assistida (Support for Families of Teenagers in Assisted Freedom), located in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará; Cri-Ação Gepeto (The Cri-Action Gepeto Project), located in Injuí, Rio Grande do Sul, and Atendimento a Crianças e Jovens em Situação de Risco (Service for Children and Teenagers in High-Risk Situations), located in São Paulo.

It should be noted that, like virtually all human rights-related efforts, these projects face obstacles in obtaining support. To access the reports produced by Fernando Delgado, visit http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=americas&c=brazil

- By Danyela Moron



President of Grupo Gerdau talks about social responsibility

Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, president of Gerdau Group.

Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, president of Grupo Gerdau, a Brazilian company that is the largest producer of steel tubes in the Americas, lectured on the topic of "Sustainable Development, Ethics, and Formation of Values in Society" before an audience of 55 persons in October during a breakfast in the JP Morgan Chase Bank Auditorium in Manhattan. The talk, organized by BrazilFoundation and JP Morgan, was held the day after Gerdau had been honored as Person of the Year by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce in a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Gerdau's talk focused on the importance of social responsibility in a world in which corporations are increasingly global. "I learned the notion of social responsibility from my mother," said Gerdau, adding that business leaders are responsible for the communities in which they do business. He went on to discuss the manner in which society is organized and how the business world fits into the political system to stimulate the general welfare.

For Gerdau, the response lies in the conviction that solidarity doesn't depend on the State, and that companies need to make efforts to improve the condition of every individual and, consequently, of all of society, reinforcing the concept of citizenship. He characterized sustainable development, a crucial element to the longevity of his 104-year-old company, as something that "seeks to reconcile the social, economic, and environmental needs of a community without compromising the future of any of these." In the business leader's opinion, this aim helps improve "the quality of life of the whole population," which "ensures mutual trust and respect for overall standards of social conduct."

- Por Jason Blynn