Reflections From My Go to to Brazil

The Ford Foundation’s relationship with Brazil spans greater than six a long time, tracing again to the opening of our Rio de Janeiro workplace in 1962. Over the years, our partnership has advanced alongside the nation itself. Since Brazil’s return to democracy within the late Nineteen Eighties, our focus has been squarely on defending elementary human rights, confronting systemic racism, and addressing deep financial disparities.

Thank you to our regional director, Átila Roque, our fantastic Brazil workforce, and the visionary companions we assist for such a memorable go to.

Honoring Afro-Brazilian Heritage

I started my journey in Rio de Janeiro. Learning about Afro-Brazilian historical past on the Museu da História e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira and the Instituto dos Pretos Novos was deeply transferring.

Brazil is house to the biggest Black inhabitants outdoors of Africa, and I used to be impressed to attach with our companions in Rio who’re working day by day to safeguard democracy, advance racial and gender justice, and reshape public security.

Grassroots Leadership within the Favelas

I then spent a day connecting with our companions at Redes da Maré to know each the structural obstacles and the immense promise inside Rio’s favelas. Maré is a posh of 17 distinct favelas house to greater than 140,000 residents.

We spoke with grassroots organizers, youth leaders, and unbiased journalists centered on dismantling structural racism and creating community-led security fashions inside these huge neighborhoods. Their work is proof that the best options come straight from the group. 

Indigenous Stewardship and Climate Justice

The second half of my go to carried us to São Paulo, the place we traveled to the Tenondé Porã village to satisfy with Guarani Indigenous leaders.  

Home to over 1,100 Guaraní people who find themselves struggling to defend their cultural existence, this territory encompasses almost 16,000 hectares of valuable forest that sits on the fringe of São Paulo’s huge city footprint.

I used to be impressed to find out about their methods for defending their lands, preserving their heritage, and utilizing conventional information to guard our international ecosystems.

Collaborative Philanthropy

I used to be additionally privileged to have interaction with fellow funders by means of the Group of Institutes, Foundations and Enterprises (GIFE) in São Paulo. We explored revolutionary approaches to unlocking social investments and maximizing the influence of philanthropic capital inside native communities throughout Brazil.

Formulating an Inclusive Vision for Democracy

While in São Paulo, I additionally had the dignity of attending a roundtable dialogue hosted by Conectas. The room introduced collectively among the nation’s most distinguished authorized minds, anti-racist advocates, and Indigenous rights leaders, together with Sueli Carneiro, Ailton Krenak, Cida Bento, Oscar Vilhena, and Adriana Abdenur. Our dialog centered on the collective work required to construct a sturdy, consultant democracy that protects the rights of each citizen.

Preserving Collective Memory

Experiencing the unbelievable Zumví Afro Photographic Archive alongside curator Helio Menezes was a strong capstone to the journey. By defending over 30,000 negatives that doc the visible historical past of Afro-Brazilian tradition and empowerment, the archive stands as an essential reminder that preserving cultural reminiscence and defending human rights are rooted in the identical soil.

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