I am blogging from Brazil, where I attended my first annual meeting as a Synergos Senior Fellow and had the privilege of spending time in discussion with about 40 social advocates from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Inida, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, U.S., and Zimbabwe.
Synergos is the brainchild of Peggy Dulany, a person who chose to turn her inherited wealth, influence, and networks outward to shape new alliances and tools to reduce world poverty and inequality. Steady work.
A high point of the week, of which there were several, was a keynote address (transcribed below) by Brazilian industrialist, philanthropist, compulsive social entrepreneur, Oded Grajew.
Oded’s resume presents a counterpoint between power and social justice. A former toy manufacturer, and a succcessful one, he started the Abrinq Foundation for Children and Adolescents Rights while he was President of the Toy Manufacturers Association of Brazil. He is Chairman of the Board of the Ethos Institute of Business and Social Responsibility, and was instrumental in creating several other initiatives that promote education, accountable development, and responsible entrepreneurship.
Most recently, he helped forge Movimento Nossa Sao Paulo (Our Sao Paulo Movement), which he describes in more depth below, providing food for thought for our own Right to the City movement.
Oded is the founder of the World Social Forum and still sits on its Board.
He is a special advisor to the popular Brazilian President Lula (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — today Brazilian newspapers report a 77.7% approval rating — across all Brazilian classes). Oded is also a member of the Advisory Board of the United Nations Global Compact.
…Thank you for having me come here to speak to so many women and so few men. But this is something that we can think about because as we are talking about public policies, we are talking sexually about men’s issues. Men make politics. This is not simply my point of view. It is very good to have so many women in politics.
…If we want to talk about social change, sustainable development, we must talk about public policies. Because without public policies, I personally don’t believe that we can achieve anything. Anything. Because the public policies will decide the rules of the game. They decide our life. They decide the rules of economics, social issues. Public policies appear at a big scale. And if we talk about education, health, violence without an inference to public policies — I personally don’t believe that we will succeed. Its like trying to dry up water when its open and raining.
I would like to give you an idea of how politics and how public policies are being inferenced — because a lot of people inference public policies and not, most times, in the public interest, but in specific interests. And in Brazil, and not only in Brazil, as you know, who decides public policy are the politicians. The majority decides. And how does the majority act today? If you want to be elected — and I don’t talk about all of them, I talk abut the majority, and the majority decides — you must have money to be elected. And every day more money. And the first obligation of the majority, of the politicians, is to give big back investments that contributors gave to them.
In Brazil, 99% of the money in elections comes from companies. Then you spend half of your term giving back to your investors. Because I don’t know any companies that don’t invest in their interests. Its an investment. You have to give back to them. And the other (half of the) term…you try to give back also for the future investors, because they want to have money for the next election.
Then, the pubic policies, the majority, is for the interests of who pays for campaigns. I can give you many examples about how public policies are made for specific interests. For example, private health companies in Brazil put a lot of money in campaigns. Private education put a lot of money in campaigns. I don’t believe that they really have interests to have good public education or good public health. Because that would finish their business. Only to give some examples.
Second. The companies don’t like to have their name on the list of who supports campaigns. They don’t want to be where public opinion would raise the question, “why are you doing this?” and so on. 70 or 80% of the money in campaigns in Brazil in campaigns is illegal money. Illegal money. 70 — seven zero, eight zero, not one seven — 70, 80. Its illegal money, from illegal activities. Illegal money comes from illegal activities. A lot of politicians are making service to illegal activities. Imagine what kind of public policies you will have from this. And every day more. Because the campaign needs every day more money.
As money is very important in the campaigns, the system of public services is — you have a system where — every time you change government in Brazil, every four years, everybody changes. Change thousands of people. Because this is a way to conserve power. Because you are bringing your friends, your parties — the parties of the political coalition — and you distribute the functions. Its not like you contract a head hunter to get the best person. They are friends, family, party, coalition. Imagine what kind of public services you have in this system. Because these people are part of the power system. They bring your money in the party. For example, you have a big demand for functions that have big budgets. Because when you have big budgets who can handle this by giving money, corruption, and so on. And one part is for you, one part is for the party, for the next election. You know all this — you who are Brazilian know exactly what I am talking, but its not only for Brazil. Continue Reading »
Tags: Brazil, Oded Grajew, Sao Paulo, Synergos
19-year-old Rogers Youngblood flew out from New Orleans to share his experience with Katrina, ironically and unfortunately at the exact moment that his family and neighbors were preparing to evacuate in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav.
