LXXI - We Want a Different Brazil

          This post is a tribute for the main event of this year, in my opinion, and for those that take part in it. All the world understood the reasons of millions have gone to protest, the brazilian people deserve a better country. This post is a summary of four articles. The first with the title above, published at http://mondediplo.com/, on July 2013. The second with the title of, "The end of Brazil`s boom: inflation and corruption fuel revolt." Published at  http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/a-boom-ends-in-brazil-inflation-and-corruption-fuel-revolt-a-907481.html. The third with the title of, "Brazil, once revered, now rocked by protest." Published at http://www.washingtonpost.com/. The fourth with the title of, "Brazil: protesters angry with poor services and high taxes keep up pressure at Sao Paulo march." Published at http://www.foxnews.com/.

           For the first time in 20 years, massive countrywide demonstrations have rocked Brazil. A year ahead of elections, the president knows she needs to listen: the young, the poor and the middle class all want a country that works and that is cleaned of corruption. The president said during the protests, " peaceful demonstrations are legitimate and part of the democratic process." However, she ignored the fact that the country had not seen such massive mobilisation since the end of the dictatorship in 1985. The day before Roussef`s statement, 200,000 had marched. A few days later, their numbers reached a million. It all began on 11 june in SP when residents started to protest against an increase in bus fare. There were soon other protests around the country, with demonstrators denouncing the billions spent on preparations for the world cup and olympic games. They were joined by people weary of widespread corruption and struggling to provide their families with decent healthcare and education. For years after he took office, Lula could count on strong growth to gradually improve living standards, but when Roussef was elected, she faced a difficult international economic situation. Today Brazil is experiencing weaker growth and deindustrialisation, exports of raw materials have risen but those of manufactured goods have fallen sharply. Roussef estimates the middle class at 105 millions. The economist Paulo Kliass refutes her figures and denounces, "the trickery consists of persuading the poor that they are part of the middle class." That illusion is also at variance with the thousand of young people and poor workers at demonstrations who been shouting, "we want a different Brazil," demanding more health and education.

           Brazil has always been a permissive society. According to a cynical brazilian saying, everything ends in samba. For decades, the powerful of Brazil have relied on this culture of impunity. And it is also the fury over this mentality that is fueling the wave of protests rolling across the country. And they are rocking the country at a critical moment. The Brazilian economy is starting to falter. Last year, it only grew 0.9% and rating agencies are predicting economic growth of only 2.5% for this year. Roussef is trying to fuel consumption in a bid to kickstart the economy, but this approach has not been successful. Many Brazilians are deeply in debt. Furthermore, lowering interest rates has led to a rise in inflation, with significant prices increases for food and services. Roussef has expanded  state capitalism and founded a number of new state-owned companies. Meanwhile, the roads is dilapidated, the ports are run by corrupt trade unions and efforts to expand airports have bogged down. Even the exploitation of deep-sea oil reserves has stagnated. Now, gasoline and ethanol have to be imported. Not much happens without the government in Brazil and, not surprisingly, corruption continues to flourish. The construction of sports facilities for the world cup and olympic games was negotiated with only a handful of contracting companies, and now the projects are billions over budget. Along with the poor and students, a large number of business people are taking the streets. "There is plenty of money, we pay enormous amounts of taxes," said Raoni Nery, 27 years, who joined the protests in Rio, "but we do not receive anything in return."

           In 2007, just as this country was being revered for its strong economy, officials announced that Brazil had at last arrived on the world stage with its selection as host of soccer biggest event, the 2014 World Cup. But now hundreds of thousands of Brazilians who have been protesting in dozens of cities are telling the world a different story, that their country, despite improvements, has fallen far short. The spark was a strike against a bus fare hike. Leaderless and assembling through social media, they have become a loud voice against widespread graft. They are tired of paying first-world tax rates for third-world services, from pitiful roads to decrepit airports. Even the cellphone and internet services has drawn the ire of users complaining of high costs and terrible connections. Unlike Egypt or Tunisia, Brazil is an established democracy. Demonstrators here are venting over a range of complaints and calling for changes such as a more accountable government.

            Thousand of demonstrators flooded into a square in SP, on tuesday in a historic wave of protests against the shoddy state of public transit, schools and others services. The nationwide protests are giving voice to growing discontent over the gap between the high tax burden in Brazil and the low quality of public infrastructure, after an estimated turnout of 240,000 people in 10 cities, the protests are turning into the most significant in Brazil since the end of the military dictatorship, when crowds rallied to demand the return of democracy. The Brazilian tax planning institute found the tax burden in the country in 2011 stood at 36% of GDP, ranking it 12th among the highest tax burdens of the world. Yet, public services such as schools are in sorry shape. The OECD found in a 2009 educational survey that literacy and math skills of Brazilian 15 years-old ranked 53th out of 65 countries. They say they have lost patience with endemic problems such as government corruption and inefficiency. They are also slamming the government of Brazil for spending billions of dollars on sports stadiums, while leaving other needs unmet.

          

LXX - 110th Birthday of George Orwell - Part II

        This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title of, "Orwell and me." Written by Canadian author of the dystopian novel, "The Handmaid`s Tale," Margaret Atwood. Published at  http://www.theguardian.com/uk, on June, 16 2003. The second with the title of, "NSA spy scandal boost sales of Orwell`s 1984." Published at, http://www.orwellsociety.com/, on June, 24 2013. The third with the title of, "1984 study guide-major themes." Published at http://www.gradesaver.com/1984/study-guide/major.

         The book of Orwell, "Animal Farm", was published in 1945. Thus I was able to read it at the age of nine. I knew nothing about the kind of politics in the book. So, I gobbled up the adventures of the smart, greedy, upwardly mobile pigs and the easily led, slogan-chanting sheep, without making any connection with historical events. Children have a keen sense of injustice. The whole experience was deeply disturbing to me, but I am forever grateful to Orwell for alerting me early to the danger flags I have tried to watch out for since. I could see, too, how easily those who have toppled an oppressive power take on its trappings and habits. Jean Jacques Rousseau was right to warn us that democracy is the hardest form of government. Animal Farm is one of the most spetacular books of the 20th century, and it got Orwell into trouble. Then came "1984", which was published in 1949, thus I read it when I was  in high school. Then I read it again, and again. It was among my favorite books. "1984" struck me more, probably because Winston Smith, the protagonist, was like me, a skinny person who got tired a lot and who was silently at odds with the ideas. I sympathised particularly with the desire of Winston to write his forbidden thoughts in a secret book. Along with illicit sex, another item with considerable allure for a teenager of the 1950s decade. "Animal Farm" charts the progress of a movement of liberation towards a totalitarian dictatorship. "1984" describe what it is like to live within such a system. There is no love interest in Animal Farm, but there is in 1984. Winston finds a soulmate in Julia, but the lovers are discovered. Orwell became a model for me much later in my life, in the real year 1984, the year in which I began writing a dystopian novel, " The handmaid tale," by the time I was 44, and I had learned enough about real despotism, through the reading of history, travel, and in my membership of Amnesty International. Democracies have defined themselves by, among other things, openness and the rule of law. But now it seems that we are tacitly legitimising the methods of the darker human past, upgraded technologically. For the sake of freedom, freedom must be renounced. To move us towards the utopia we are promised.

         The NSA spying scandal has had an unusual side effect, sales of Orwell`s dystopian novel 1984 are going through the roof. The book, which depicts a nightmarish world where citizens are subjected to constant surveillance, have rocketed onto Amazon pages thanks to a whopping 6.000% increase in sales. Its website says, "people are buying it up either to learn about what could be, or simply because recent events remind them to read the classic." Whatever the reason, there are certainly some similarities between the book of Orwell and the recent revelations about the NSA`s mass surveillance operations. In the book, 1984, a world of perpetual war, government surveillance and public mind control. In the U.S. perpetual war on terror has been used to justify government surveillance of phones and internet.

         The main goal of Orwell was to warn of the serious danger dictatorship poses to society. He goes to great lenghts to demonstrate the terrifying degree of power and control a totalitarian regime can acquire and maintain. In such regimes, notions of personal rights, freedoms and individual thought are pulverized under the all-powerful hand of the government. Orwell believed in the  advancement of society. He witnessed during his time in Spain and Russia, the rise of  destruction of civil liberties, honest government, and economic strenght. Besides totalitarianism, propaganda is another major theme in his book. There is a extremely well organized and effective propaganda machine that allows the ruling party to completely dominate the range of information disseminated to the public. The citizens are filled with hatred for the stated enemies, but this hatred is easily re-directed if the supposed enemy happens to change. This efficiency is disturbing. The world is as the ruling party defines it. Others major themes in 1984 are: Love and Sexuality, the ruling party works to quell all sensations of love, solidarity, affect and depersonalizes sex to the point where it is referred to as a "duty to the party". The party has also removed interfamilial loyalty, demanding all loyalty to itself, in this way, the bonds between family are broken. Independence and Identity, it is a effective psychological manipulation tactics, to destroy all sense of individuality, for this reason writing has been outlawed, independent thought could be dangerous. Music appears to inspire Winston and allow him to see simplicity in a otherwise violent world. Orwell also demonstrate how totalitarian societies promote the wealth of the ruling elite regime while decreasing the quality of life for all other members of society. The technology is an important tool to the ruling party to maintain control over its citizens, when technology development serves the power, as more effectively put citizens always under observation, they are encouraged, when they do not, they are stopped.

LXIX - 25th Birthday of Brazilian Constitution

        In October our constitution completed 25 yeras, so this post is a tribute to our greater laws, all citizens should recognize its importance, and  its democratic values. This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title of, " The role of the constitution and the law in a free society."  Published at http://www.ourcivilisation.com.   The second with the title in the link and published at http://fgvnoticias.fgv.br/en/news/fgv-discusses-digital-democracy-and-25-years-constitution-conference-rio.The third with the title of,"The role of the constitutional court in democratic society." Published  at    http://www.juridicainternational.eu/index/2007/vol-xiii/the-role-of-the-constitutional-court-in-democratic.

              James Madison, the most influential of the draftsmen of the American Constitution, identified the main problem confronting the draftsmen of a constitution thus: The great difficulty lies in this, you must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government, but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. The role of a constitution is to provide scope for a good government, while at the same time placing limitations on the powers of the governors. The doctrine of the separation of powers, involving a system of checks and balances, is basic to liberal constitutionalism. This system begins with the separation through a constitution of judicial, executive and legislative powers. However, it goes much further. It operates also within each branch of the state, in the division of powers between state and federal governments and others institutions and individuals in the community. The system of checks and balances also operates outside the constitution and the law.  Democracy, the electoral system, free expression and criticism, the investigative media and the existence of countless strong and not so strong independent institution cumulatively operates as a system of checks and balances on those exercising private and public power. Justice is based on the rights and duties of the individual. The concept of Justice is the emphasis on procedure. The possibility of achieving equality, democracy, justice, the public good through legislative and prescriptive action. An emphasis on procedure is one of the foundations of the rule of law. Procedures limit power by providing for consultation among interested parties. 

             In October, the federal constitution, also known as "Citizen Constitution" completed 25 years. Since then, Brazil has already witnessed the impeachment of a president and parliamentaries and experienced the mobilization power of social networks. The FGV Law School and the Institute Palavra Aberta will hold the conference, "25 years of the Brazilian constitution: freedom of expression and digital democracy." The FGV law school professor Pablo Cerdeira explain that the changes generated by digital means have already been discussed in the academic world for some time, but now they are taking concrete forms. He said, "the demonstrations that have been happening since June in Brazil are living proof that the organization and social relationship models are really affected by new technologies." The professor also emphasizes that the society`s new forms of organization offered by new technologies also encourage emergence of new ways of State control.

            The constitutional court is central but not the only instrument of democracy and constitutionalism. Therefore, the role of the constitutional court should be viewed in a wider perspective embracing the general issues of democracy, constitution and constitutionalism. There is reason to believe that, relying on earlier experience of statehood and having lived according to constitution and practising democracy. We have passed the beginner course in constitutional democracy. Ralf Dahrendorf (1929-2009) was a German-British sociologist and political scientist. He was director of the London School of Economics. Also member of the European Commission for Research and Education. He wrote that constitutional democracy is built in three stages: 1- The establisment of a constitution laying down the basic values of statehood, fundamental rights, the main paradigms of the rule of law, independent administration of justice and separation of powers. 2-  The creation of a market economy with the development of a certain social protection network. 3- Establishment of civil society, the building of substantial source of power outside the state. This is a network of autonomous institutions and organisations and that a state or party authority can not eliminate. Constitutions are drafted at and after times of upheaval. They usually bear the stamp of past fears. They are generally created on the basis of recent bad experiences and in order to avoid recurrence of that experience. We all know the simple definition of democracy as the power of the majority. However, it would be a great mistake to see things in so simplified manner. Mistake majority for democracy and it is only a question of time and circumstances before one sees the evolution of authoritarianism. Reducing democracy to merely the power of the majority is Jacobinism, which as we know was abandoned a long way back in history.  Power can be limited only by another power that is at least equal to the first. It took ocidental culture hundreds of years and much suffering to understand that the best guarantee of balance and stable development is division of power and mutual control under a law approved by the nation, a constitution. A true and functioning constitutional democracy is based first of all on thinking, values, practice, faith and experience. It is perhaps appropiate to cite the oppinion of a famous American judge, "I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much on constitution. These are false hopes, believe me, liberty lies in the hearts of men and women.," We can agree with this generalisation if we know that law can still be helpful in restoring one`s liberty and independence, as our experience has shown. To keep society together and coherent, to make it follow common and stable rules, or, put other way, to keep them tied to the mast, as it were a 'reader of the holy word' is needed. The mission of the court is to consolidate democracy, to keep it together. As constitution have been created throughout history as a result of upheaval and shocks. They have been set up for putting down totalitarianism and for upholding democracy as values that could often to be grossly violated. The violations have often been committed by or with the help of power itself. Constitutional jurisdiction was thus created with the aim of ensuring democratic stability and of avoiding the erosion and suppression of democratic values via sheer stupidity or scheming or the application of Jacobinic methods. It should not be concluded from this discussion that a constitution and court are needed only by those in power in order to settle matters of their mutual relations and activities. This is certainly one of their functions, but constitutional law is esentially the law of everyone, the law of the nation for keeping power and the society within an agreed framework. This is how constitutional law acts, unless it is illusionary, or if it is a real and effective law that anyone can use and rely on.

          

LXVIII - December 5th, International Volunteer Day

         Next week is celebrated the volunteer day, so this is my tribute to these very important persons. This post is a summary of two articles published at http://www.un.org/. The first with the title of, "On international volunteer day, Ban highlights how digital-age offers more opportunities for volunteerism." On December,5th 2012. The second with the title of, "Volunteerism one of  'clearest expressions of solidarity in action,' and an effective, sustainable force for development, General Assembly told." On December,5th 2011.

         Marking International Volunteer Day, U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon saluted volunteers around the world, saying that the information age had provided them with new opportunities to offer their services. " The timeless act of volunteering in the services of others has taken on new dimensions in digital-age, anyone with an internet connection or a mobile phone can make a difference." He said. The U.N. general assembly designated 5 December as International Volunteer Day in 1985 and its aims to give volunteers everywhere a platform to promote their contribution to development at the local, national and international levels. " As we celebrate the impact of volunteers on our world, let us remember the many places they are needed : in war zones and classrooms, in hospitals and wherever struggling people seek a helping hand. Let us also remember that volunteering can embrace all people, from activists who works full-time, to the citizen who reaches out when he or she can," Mr. Ban said. In a separate message, the executive coordinator for U.N.V. (United Nations Volunteers), Flavia Pansieri, echoed Mr. Ban appreciation of volunteers and said, " volunteerism plays a significant role in achieving the millenium development goals. It plays a healing role by rebuilding trust in a post-conflict society. And its values, of solidarity and engagement, inspire us to live sustainably."

         Describing a day in the life of the average U.N. volunteer, Flavia Pansieri said, " that they were working in areas of their professional expertise and sometimes in the context of hardship and danger." Those men and women were doing so because they believed in solidarity and personal commitment. " There is much to celebrate this year in terms of achievements by the volunteer community. The priorities were clear: volunteer activities and their results needed to be documented and new ways to measure those impacts needed to be found. And we can see no better way to celebrate than to have volunteerism recognized as a real and effective force for development," she concluded. Similarly, Helen Clark, administrator of the U.N.D.P. ( an development programme ), noted that the strong links between volunteerism, peace and human development were still not widely acknowledge by governments. Clearly the pursuit of human development and overall well-being could be enhanced by the contribution of volunteerism. Another highlight of the meeting was the launch of the first-ever 'state of the world`s volunteerism report.' Robert Leigh, one of the authors of the survey, pointing to the ongoing impact of popular protests in North Africa and the Middle East, he said that never had the potential been greater for citizens to be primary actors, rather than passive bystanders, in their communities, as well as nationally and globally. " Increasingly, people are able to affect the course of events that shape their destiny. Volunteerism was one of the primary ways for people to get involved," He said. The report also offered a word of warning, he said, " It should not absolve governments and other actors of their responsibilities. They must to play their vital role in ensuring an environment that was conductive for volunteerism to flourish." Vice-president of the general assembly Nassir al-Nasser, said, " Volunteering is the people-centred approach to peace, humanitarian response and sustainable development. It strengthens trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and empowered change from the grassroots up." Nonetheless, the contribution of volunteers had not yet been sufficiently recognized. He said, " together, let us commit to promoting and supporting volunteerism as an important factor to the achievement of international peace and development," He stressed, offering his thanks to the unsung heroes that were volunteers around the world.

Reach out - move, attempt to comunicate.

Reciprocity - situation in which two parties provide the same help to each other.

Enhance - increase the quality, value, or extent of.

Grassroots - the origin or basis of something.

Bystander - person who is present at an event but not take part in it.

LXVII - Brazil Protests Mark Evolution of Digital-Age Democracy

            This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title above, published on June, 21, 2013. At http://mediarelations.cornell.edu. The second, with the title of, " A new era of digital protest." Published on October, 15, 2013.   Athttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/latin-america. Written by the researchers at Igarapé Institute, Robert Muggah and Gustavo Diniz.

           Two Cornell University experts comment on the widespread, spontaneous protests that began in Brazil over an increase in bus fares. They are: Kenneth Roberts, professor of governance and Murillo Campello, Brazilian native, professor of management. The first to analyse is Campello, he said, " differents segments of society angry about a myriad of issues, marching together, and there are no specific, large cause bringing people together on the streets. There is no leadership to speak of. The manifestations are spontaneous, organized via web, and they are noisy, albeit peaceable. Brazilians may be showing that 'voting' can take place every day on the streets. The democratic process in the digital age may be much too dynamic to wait for years until the next elections." Roberts said, " the recent outbreak of social protests in Brazil has taken many people by surprise, since the country is recognized to be a rising power. In recent years the country has taken strides to stabilize democracy and address social needs, while maintaining economic growth. However, the protests clearly indicate that progress has been too slow for some people, and many are demanding a greater efficiency of public services."

           The mass demonstrations convulsing Brazil since June 2013 are more than a raw display of people power. They confirm a new era of digitally enhanced protest. The recent clashes are just the latest iteration of a protest sweeping across the world. Its rapid spread is the ultimate expression of open empowerment, the emboldening of millions of wired young people worldwide to press for change. While protests occurring in Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt are clearly distinct, there are nevertheless some common characteristics that unite them. Chief among these is the central role of educated youth in agitating for a new kind of politics. the early 21st century has given rise to a familiar agent of social change: middle-class youth with limited horizons, with decent education and rising expectations, but bleak employment prospects. In Brazil, as elsewhere, these young people have real grievances. They do not feel represented by their government or legislatures, yet they possess distinct advantages over their contemporaries from centuries past. They are tech savvy. In countries that are increasingly wired, some 40% of Brazilians are now online, forming the 2º largest block of facebook users in the world, they are a powerful constituency, They are highly networked and underwhelmed by conventional ideologies or top-down hierarchies. And while operating in highly decentralized networks, they have a sense of their capabilities. Not surprisingly, social nets are viewed with suspicion by the political establishment. Many government are finding difficult to control the public narrative in a world where information' is available in realtime, and on an unfathomable scale. Their responses vary from seeking to improve the efficiency of e-governance to police cyber-space. In most cases, including Brazil, they have resorted to new forms of social media surveillance and monitoring. But they do so at their peril. In brazil and elsewhere, the digital revolution needs to be complemented with a similar evolution in democratic governance and the creation of new channels of participation.

LXVI - Political Reform

              This post is a summary of four articles. The first with the title of, "Datasenado ouve sobre reforma política." Published at, "http://www.senado.gov.br/, " on September, 5th, 2013. The second with the title of, "Para maioria dos brasileiros,  país precisa de reforma política urgentemente." Published on November, 11th 2013. At,  http://www.redebrasilatual.com.br/. The third paragraph is about the results obtained in  http://edemocracia.camara.gov.br/web/reforma-politica/. The fourth, with the title of, "Metade da população se declara nada informada sobre a reforma política." Published on August, 26  2013,   at  http://www.ibope.com.br/

           The Datasenado held during some weeks a opinion poll on topics that concern the called political reform, the results reveal that, 84% believe that the political reform would be benefical to the country. 58% approve the district vote. 78% want to vote in the candidate, not in closed partisan list. 64% want the majoritarian system of elections for parlamentaries members and councilors. 49% said that the political campaign should receive only private money. The maintenance of partisan coalitions and the unification of elections has the support of half, 50% of the surveyed. 69% want the optional vote, they think that to vote should not be compulsory, but a right freely exercised.

            For 54% of the brazilians surveyed, the main reform to be held is the political reform, in second place with 15% is the legal reform. 87% said that the public health is the sector which need more improvements. In second place is the public education with 50% and in the third place is the public security with 34%. The opinion poll was made by CNT ( National Confederation of Trasportation ) and Institute MDA. And the survey taker wanted to know also about the level of concern of Brazilians, what most worries the people. in the first place, violence with 91%, in second place corruption with 83%, in third cost of living with 73%, in fourth personal debts with 63%, in fifth unemployment with 60%.

            In the web community called political reform were presented several ideas to be debated and voted, among those ideas, the three with most points, this mean most voted, were: in the first place with 71 points was the direct democracy, projects of law of popular initiative for referendums and plebiscites. In the second place with 69 points was the end of parlamentaries privilleges such as office material-aid, housing-aid, airplanes tickets, etc. In the third place with 68 points was the end of secret vote for parlamentaries.

         The political reform is an issue that has been in the news midia in Brazil. Opinion poll of Ibope show that 52% of Brazilians said to be nothing informed about this issue, knowing nothing about it and 34% said to be little informed about this issue. However 72% of them said that agree with its implementation, while 18% does not agree. When spontaneously asked about some measures in debates, 23% mentioned about the end of secret vote in the parlament and 22% mentioned about the end of obrigatory vote. The proposed district vote is preferred by 40%. While 23% said that they would like to keep the system like is today. Others 17% said that should be a mix of the two systems. The poll also show that 51% considers the open list the most appropiate way, this is, the same way like today.

LXV - Taking the Pulse of Brazil`s ICT Sector

               This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above, published at  http://www.zdnet.com/taking-the-pulse-of-brazils-ict-sector. The second, with the title of, "Malaysia turns to technology in bid to reach high-income status by 2020." Published at http://www.theguardian.com/uk on June,27, 2013. And the third with the title of, "Global Information Technology Report 2013." Published at  http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-information-technology-report-2013.

              A huge driver behind the country`s global economy growth is ICT (information and communications technologies). Brazil`s ICT sector is the fifth largest of the world, enough to make it 8.5% of the Brazil GDP. The industry folks of the country sees IT as an engine of economic growth and a competitive advantage on the global stage. Sergio Pessoa, marketing director at Brasscom, industry association of ICT companies in Brazil said, " Brazil is the fifth largest market in ICT, but if you look at IT, without communications, we are the seventh largest, behind also France and Germany. We have lots of cases of success of utilization of tech. We are one of the largest manufacturers of airplanes. We have the third largest market for PCs and the fifth for mobile phones. Because markets are growing rapidly, we have a lot of pressure in human capital. You have to develop that, so we are working with universities and tech colleges to better align curricula with what the market demands. Language is also a challenge. It is an issue we are working on to continue to promote English education. From a domestic market perspective, there is a huge potential still untapped. Two examples: education and health, so there are significant opportunities to grow in those areas. There are two pillars you have to have: human capital and infrastructure. The risks for us are is ensure that we are delivering quality human capital, technical and language skills to be globally competitive. Education is a key component of that. It has been a big barrier for success here. But also growing quickly has put a lot of stress on existing infrastructure. It can become a barrier also. We have to compete with China, India, Korea, and those countries are putting a great emphasis on education. We have to keep pace with that."         

            Malaysia is pinning its hopes on high-end engineering research and development in a bid to cement its economic transformation. Having established itself as an Asian tiger, Malaysia is now banking on technology to achieve its ambitious goal of attaining high-income status by 2020. The struggle lies in overcoming the "middle-income trap," as countries move up the economic ladder, they lose their comparative advantage of cheap labor, labor-intensive manufacture. At the same time, they lack the skill levels and infrastructure to compete with higher-level countries. "High tech is a priority in Malaysia`s economic transformation," explain Datuk Ghazali , chief of the government`s multimedia development corporation. Set up in 1996, the corporation oversees Malaysia`s ICT development initiative. He said, " we can not compete with China and we do not want to compete with India on call centers. We are more interested in high-end engineering research and development." (R&D). Information and communication technology ( ICT ) constitutes 10.5% of GDP in Malaysia, and the goal is to boost it to 17% by 2020. The focus on technology starts on schools. Primary and secondary schools are being equipped with wireless connection and netbooks devices, the government wants one devices for every five students by next year. In higher education, the government is strengthening ties with international universities.

            The WEF Global IT Report shows that digitization has a measurable effect on economic growth and job creation. In emerging markets, a digital boost could help lift over half a billion people out of poverty over the next decade. New tech have already transformed sectors from healthcare to farming, studies in the report show.  The assessment is based on a broad range of indicators from internet access and adult literacy to mobile phone subscriptions and the availability of venture capital, In addition, indicators such as patent applications and e-government services gauge the social and economic impact of digitization. The BRICS economies, led by Russia (55th) continue to lag behind in the rankings. The report suggests that their rapid economic growth may be in jeopardy unless the right investments are made in ICT, skills and innovation. China ranks in 58th, followed by Brazil in 60th, India in 68th and South Africa 70th. Broadband could revitalize economic growth. Government play a crucial role in supporting this digital development, from funding broadband to addressing issues such as privacy and security. ICT could improve healthcare, reduce medical errors, cut administrative costs and keep patients better informed. ICT could also improve coordination of care for patients with chronic diseases and increase the uptake of preventive services. Colombia, Uruguay and Panama(46th) have become champions of e-government and connectivity. In Colombia(66th), internet connections have tripled in the last two and half years. In Uruguay(52th), small and medium-sized enterprises helped lift tech exports to US$ 225 million in 2010. But several challenges remain, funds to build infrastructure are limited and many people can not afford internet access.

LXIV - Internet Activist, Aaron Swartz Dead at 26

            This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the complete title of, "Internet activist, programmer Aaron Swartz dead at 26." Published at http://www.reuters.com/, on January 12, 2013. The second with the title of, "Aaron Swartz." Published at http://en.wikipedia.org/.

          Police found the body of Aaron Swartz in his apartment in the New York city, according to the medical examiner, which ruled the death as a suicide by hanging. Swartz is credited with being a co-author of the specifications for the web feed format RSS 1.0. It is a format for delivering to users content from sites that changed constantly, such as new pages and blogs. Over the years, he became an online icon for helping to make a virtual mountain of information freely available to the public. "Information is power. But like all power, there are those who want to keep it only for themselves," Swartz wrote in 2008. "The entire scientific and cultural heritage of the world is increasingly being digitized and locked up by a handful of private corporations. Sharing it is not immoral. Only those blinded by greed would refuse to let a friend make a copy." He wrote. That belief, that information should be shared for the good of society, prompted Swartz to found the nonprofit group, Demand Progress. But Swartz faced trouble in July 2011, when he was indicted to allegedly stealing millions of academic articles from digital archive at the Massachusets institute of Technology ( MIT ). Swartz who pleaded not guilty to all counts, would face 35 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted. He was released on bond. His trial scheduled to this year. In a statement released now, the family praised his profound commitment to social justice, and struck out at what they said were decisions made at MIT and by prosecutors that contributed to his death. "The death of Aaron is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach." The statement said.

            Aaron Swartz ( 1986-2013 ) was an American programmer, writer, political organizer and internet activist. Swartz became a partner in reddit after its merger with his company Infogami. His later work focused on civic awareness and activism. In 2009, wanting to learn about effective activism, he helped launch the progressive change campaign committee. In 2010, he became a researcher at Harvard University on institutional corruption. After he found a political group that organizes people online to take action by contacting congress and other leaders and spreading the word about civil liberties, government reform and other issues. At the age 13, Swartz won the Arsdigita Prize and $10,000 award, a competition for young webdesigners who create useful and educational non-commercial websites. Swartz attended Stanford University, where he started the software company Infogami. Infogami wiki platform was used to support the internet archives of the Open Library Project. It was difficult to make money from the project, but the website gained popularity, with millions of users visiting it each month. In 2008, Swartz founded the website Watchdog.net, to aggregate and visualize data about politicians. In 2011-2012, Swartz and Kevin Poulsen designed and implemented Strongbox, a system that allows anonymous informants to send electronics documents to reporters without the fear of disclosure. In 2013, Swartz was posthumously awarded the James Madison Award from American Library Association, for being an "outspoken advocate for public participation in government and unrestricted access to peer-reviewed scholarly articles." Several members of the U.S. Congress, have raised questions regarding the handling of government of the case. When was said the Aaron was a martyr, a advocacy for internet freedom and social justice. A member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the congress, announced that he would investigate the Justice Department`s actions in prosecuting Swartz, in a statement, he praised Swartz for have worked toward a open government and free access to the people.

LXIII - The Importance of Human Rights to Democracy, Governance and Development

            This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above, published http://www.parliamentarystrengthening.org/. The second, with the title of, "Democratic rights and freedoms." Published at http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/. The third with the title of," Promoting human rights and democratic citizenship." Published at https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp.

         The greatest protection of human rights emanates from a democratic framework grounded in the rule of law. A functional democracy that accomodates diversity is increasingly becoming the best bet against the concentration of power in the hands of a few and the abuse that inevitably results from it. Yet the challenge today is to deepen this democracy from just its basic electoral form into a common enterprise between people and government. While the level of democracy in differents parts of the world may vary, the human rights framework offers the key means to move from basic electoral democracy to the fully-fledged version. Democracy is premised on the recognition and protection of people`s right to have a say in all decision making processes. The exercise of this political right requires a guarantee of crucial freedoms, to express one`s thoughts and opinion without fear, to seek and receive information. The purpose of democracy like that of human rights protection is to uphold the dignity of every individual and to ensure that the voices of the weakest are also heard. Its core values - freedom, equality, fraternity, accomodation of diversity and the assurance of justice, underpin the norms of human rights as well. Parliamentaries have the responsibility to voice the aspirations of the people and to always act in their interests. The human rights lens equips them to set, examine and evaluate the policies and actions of the executive to see they meet the criteria of good governance and the outcomes stand the test of equity and justice. Not only should human rights be realized for their own sake, these rights offer them a framework to entrench democracy in its fullest form.

            The government should encourages people to learn about and participate in democratic institutions. Key democratic principles and practices include responsible government; the separation of powers; the observance of constitutional safequards; the rule of law; transparent criminal justice system; equitably resourced and respected opposition parties; and a free media. Strong democratic institutions are complemented by a number of specific legal protections for human rights. Human rights are inherent, inalienable, indivisible and universal. They are the birthright of all people and can not be lost or taken away. They are all of equal importance and apply to all people whatever their race, gender, language, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, age, property or other status. Observance of human rights benefits the security and prosperity of all nations and individuals. Government policies should be implemented by a professional and apolitical public service. Citizens have the right to be given reasons for administrative decisions made about them by government officials, and to have those decisions independently reviewed through tribunal system and/or the courts. There are also ombudsmen and commissions that can inquire decisions and allegations of misconduct.

              Some professionals are pillars in a human rights` society: teachers, journalists, lawyers, social workers, doctors and other health personnel, military and police officers, to mention but a few. Their attitudes, knowledge and competence influence many others. It is of crucial that they are educated about human rights and understand their true meaning. The law and the justice system are crucial tools for the protection of human rights, but not the only aspect. Human rights have an ethical dimension which is broader than the law. We are aiming at a universal human rights culture in which mutual understanding, tolerance, peace, justice reach all sectors of society in a process of life-long learning. The school system is not the only instrument for spreading awareness about human rights. Messages from leaders are also highly influential. Music and films artists who have spoken out against repression and injustices should be applauded. Journalists as individuals usually do value human rights, and in particular, of course, freedom of expression, which in turns is a protection of their freedom. This poses a problem. How do we ensure that the media do indeed spread awareness of human rights, in a situation where media are independent? With this approach we have to accept that negative coverage does occur and we have to criticize such tendencies. One important counter weight is the civil society. NGOs play an important role in promoting human rights values today, but again the best support for positive activities and attitudes is to secure that the NGOs can operate freely.

               

LXII - Online Activism Enables You to Take a Stand on Every Issue

               This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the complete title of, " Online political activism enables you to take a stand on every issue."  Written by Chris Robertson and  published  at http://www.majon.com/. The second with the title of, "Slacktivism: why snopes got wrong about internet petitions." Published at   http://www.frogloop.com/, and written by Randy Paynter on April,28, 2010.

             To many people, politics seems remote and getting involved has posed insurmountable barries. Being involved in politics has never been easy, at least until recently. Now that online political activism is available to everyone that has internet access, every citizen can easily get involved and take a stand on the important issues of today. One good thing that internet and politics have in common is their ability to unite people and with these two together, they create a powerful force of citizens, ready and willing to fight for their rights in a peaceful manner. Internet activism is a type of political social networking in which online users work together to reach a certain political goal. For example, a website called, "DoYouHearUs.org" has recently been developed to enable the citizens to voice his or her opinion. Members are united in their message on every issue and directed to the appropriate state or federal figure. Citizens can now have their voices heard by someone that can make a difference, their own political leaders! Through cyberactivism, citizens can voice their wishes concerning education, taxes, non-profit funds, the environment, war or any other issue they feel strongly about. An online political activism website provides the information related to every issue for members to review. The members will consider the upcoming issues and decide or not to take action. Taking action on every issue is recommended, but not required. Implementing politics on the internet sounds simple, but can be a very affordable, effective way to reach out in these unsettled political times. Many folks simply do not have the time or resources to form local or national protest groups. They do not have time for traditional activism, but cyberactivism opens the doors wide for the busy individual. It unite people from all walks of life who normally would not be able to group meetings. Start making a difference in your nation by joining online political activism. It is one step toward a better future.

             Snopes.com is a site that characterizes internet petitions as "slacktivism", a pejorative nickname suggesting that activism is worthless if it does not require considerable effort. Ignore such commentary, is a favorite among cynics, and no doubt has turned off many who might otherwise have take action. At a time when civic engagement is more important than ever, it is a tragedy that this ill-conceived commentary has done. The reason we have such apathy in society today is because people believe it is too dificult to have an impact and/or they do not believe they personally can make a difference. Because online activism makes it easy to get involved, millions more people than ever before are speaking up and taking action. Usually, activists start with simple steps, if we want a more engaged democracy we need to make it easy for as many people as possible to feel the joy of those first steps. Those first steps can be a powerful motivator. It is not the effort of the act that further motives people, it is the emotional payoff that drives future engagement. If you make activism effective and enjoyable, people will do more of it. Not everyone is going to become a super activist, but if simple steps are all you are up for, then it is great to have you on board, far better than apathy. New legislation, new schools, elections, may grab all the headlines, but these are just the results of millions of small decisions and actions along the way. That is the way change happens: always the result of many steps and many influences. These days it is hard to imagine significant change happening that is no greatly influenced by so-called armchair "slacktivistas." Web 2.0 activism has transformed the power structure, putting power in the hands of the people and forcing authorities to be accountable like never before.

LXI - Day Of Teachers 2013

            Next Tuesday is celebrated the day of teachers, so this is my little tribute for these very important professionals. This is a summary of three articles. The first with the title of, "Teacher appreciation gifts ideas." Published at http://www.zimbio.com/Teacher+Appreciation+Day/articles?Sort=date&Page=8. The second with the title of, "Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recognizing teacher appreciation week. May 6-10,2013." Published at  https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/statement-us-secretary-education-arne-duncan-recognizing-teacher-appreciation-we. The third with the title of, "Importance of teachers." Published at http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-teachers.html. 

           Our teachers spend all of their time to help students succeed and rarely think about themselves. Some teachers affects eternity, he can never tell where his/her influence stops. Do not our teachers need some recognition, feedback and appreciation for a job well done? Do not they mean a lot to the success of our children`s  present and future? Then let show our appreciation for our teachers and tell them just how important they are to society. Why wait until an important holiday to give them a thank you, let is do it now! Many people agree that being a teacher is one of the hardest jobs in the world. So do not stingy in your recognition to confirm that the work of  teachers is great and valued. 

           "Teachers are central to every community. Each day, they come to school ready to tackle a job that is critically important, complex, and at times heartbreaking. In essence, teachers help others to become their best selves and I can not think of more important work. Teacher Appreciation Week is a time to recognize the work of teachers and to listen to their perspective on ways we can continue improving our schools. It is our responsability to make sure that all teachers have the tools, time and professional development to be the very best they can be. And every member of our society has a part to play in supporting our teachers and students. This is a moment to say thank you to teachers for everything that they give in the name of helping students achieve. Teaching is an art, a science, and a public service, and I thank all teachers for their relentless efforts."

           The influence a teacher has on students may not be direct or obvious, but traces of his/her ideals, principles and values trickle into the psyche of students. These, then, find the way they conduct themselves in various walks of their lives. This phenomenon is what we call inspiration. All teachers impart valuables life lessons to their students. In essence the best teachers is one who can awaken in students a thirst for knowledge. Here lies the greatest importance of a teacher, show students the way to accumulate knowledge. A good teacher is one who enforces a sense of management in students, be it management of time, space, resources, or conflict. Young students are individuals who are dealing with changes in their lives, physical and psychological. They are who that also need motivation. The mere knowledge that someone believes in them, that someone knows that they will get up if they fall, is a huge confidence booster. This knowledge itself can inject encouragement in the students. This kind of moral support strengthens the trust of a student in his/her teacher and we all know how far we can go when urged by the people we trust. A teacher can be an inspiration to millions without even knowing it. With the way they teach, connect and bring out the best, teachers play a very important role in the self-improvement efforts of students. Teachers are not restricted to educational institutions alone. If you ever met anyone who touched your life in any of the aforementioned ways, thank life for introducing you to a wonderful teacher when you were not even looking for one!

      

LX - After a Golden Decade, Can Latin America Keep its Luster

                  This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title above, published at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/latin-america, on May,8th 2013. And was written by Alejandro werner, director of the IMF. The second with the title of, "Grounded." was published at  http://www.economist.com/, on September,28th 2013.

          Latin America continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the world, even though growth slowed down in 2012. Many economies in the region are operating at or near potential, inflation remains low and unemployment is at low levels. In the near term, the region will continue to benefit from easy external financing and high commodity prices. We project that the region will expand by about 3.5% in 2013, on average. In Brazil, economic activity is strengthening, driven by improving external demand, measures to boost investment and the impact of earlier policy easing. Since 2003, Lain America has experienced a period of resurgence, with strong growth, low inflation and improved social outcomes. Prudent macroeconomic policies and important structural reforms habe been the cornerstone of this performance. Foreign financing has been cheap and abundant and there has been a large and persistent increase in the prices of the region`s commodity exports. However, even gold can lose its luster. These blissful external conditions will not last forever. Commodity price are projected to decline and interest rates will eventually rise as growth in the advanced economies returns. The key challenge is to adjust policies to preserve macroeconomic and financial stability, and build strong foundations for sustained growth, under possibly less favorable external conditions. With labor participation at historically high level, future growth would have to rely increasingly on productivity gains. Boosting productivity is not an easy task. Policies that would be conducive to this outcome include higher investment in infrastructure and human capital, more modern legal frameworks, and more efficient and competitive product and labor markets.

       In June this year Brazil was struck by an outbreak of mass protests that brought more than a million to the streets. It gave vent to public fury over rising inflation, high taxes, poor public services and political corruption. The change in political weather came after almost two decades of brightening skies. Since 1994, when hyperinflation was tamed with a new currency. The economy grew and inequality declined. The global commodity boom helped by sucking in Brazilian iron ore and agricultural produce, and in 2007 Brazil struck vast deposit of deep-sea oil. Seemed due recognition that its days as a chronic underachiever were behind it. But Brazil`s economy did not play ball. It has slowed to 2.7% in 2011 and a mere 0.9% in 2012. This year will see a tepid recovery at best. Inflation is sticking at around 6%. Many now wonder whether it has managed nothing more than a chicken flight, a brief, unsustainable growth spurt followed by a rapid return to earth. More than half of population of Brazil now belong to a lower-middle class, living in houses equipped with cookers, fridges. Many own cars. But when they step outside their doors, most roads are still unpaved. Public transport consists mainly of packed buses. When life was a struggle for survival, the jobs were the main concern. Now that people are a little better off, the parlous state of infrastructure and public services is at the front of their minds. The politicians should have realised that the new middle classes would want decent public services and elected representatives who were visibly working towards these ends. Several parties have proposed electoral reforms to make politicians more responsive to voters, but they all want different things, so reaching consensus will be difficult. A less favourable economic climate is now making it even harder to meet the voters increasingly vocal demands. The slowdown in growth has caused a downturn in investment, which last year was just 18.4% of GDP, not enough to lead a recovery or to build the infrastructure Brazil needs. And commodity prices seem unlikely to bail out Brazil with another spurt.

LIX - 110th Birthday of George Orwell

    This post is a summary of five articles. The first published at http://bradleydavies.blogspot.com.br/,with the title of, "Orwell`s 110th birthday." Published on 25 June,2013. The second with the title of "Happy birthday George Orwell." Published at http://www.mrhare.com/, on 26 June, 2013. The third, with the title of "George Orwell day begins annual commemoration." Published at http://www.theguardian.com, on 21 January,2013. Fourth, "1984:theme analysis." Published at http://www.novelguide.com. Fifth, "What would Orwell do?" Published at http://www.paperdroids.com/2013/06/25/what-would-orwell-do/, on June 25,2013.

          An inspiration to authors and journalists of the world. Eric Blair was born this day, 110 years ago. Dying at the age of 46 to tuberculosis, Orwell spent his last years isolated racing his deteriorating health to finish what would become one of the most iconic and celebrated novels of the 20th century, "1984". Orwell wrote and lived in troubled times: He saw first-hand the bending of truths and the promulgation of untruths, he witnessed persecution and purges in Spain during Franco`s dictartorship, but perhaps most importantly, he witnessed the declining state of freedom in much of Europe. It is an indisputable certainty that the legacy of Orwell will persist for as long as there is tyranny and opression.

           George Orwell (1903) was a prolific writer and journalist whose famous works include Animal Farm, 1984, and Down and Out in London and Paris. He took several jobs from teacher to fighting in the Spanish Civil War. During World War II he was the BBC`s Eastern correspondent, where his role was to stop propaganda from Nazi German. In 1949, "1984" was published using his homegrown concepts such as "Big Brother is watching you", and "Doublethink." Ideas which have continued to carry weight in the society of today.

           A major celebration of George Orwell kicks off today with the inaugural "Orwell Day". Orwell`s 1946 essay Politics and the English Language is being given away for free, as well as published in a edition by Penguin. "Political language and with variations is true of all political parties, is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind," wrote Orwell in the essay, and Jean Seaton, professor of history at the University of Westminster said, " we are now in a battle for the kind of nation we will live in as much as he was. Orwell is in the air and I think he is very relevant today. He puts truth before self. Very few of us can bear to do that. But nonetheless, we need people to do that, and he remind us of that. It is that bleak realism, expressed, it is what will keep us decent. Both his writing and in an odd kind of way his personal life stand for integrity. If there is one value that politicians, bankers and journalists, and our society as a whole, needs, it is no jargon, is more integrity."

          Could the world in 1984 ever really exist? This question haunts readers from the first to the last pages of the novel. Sadly, the answer is yes. Orwell intends to portray Oceania just realistically enough to convince readers that such a society has, in fact, existed and could exist if people forget the lessons taught by history, or fail to guard against tyrannical, totalitarian governments. While it is difficult to pinpoint the specific sparks that set off World War II, the people fighting in the Allied armies must clearly believed that their mission was to crush totalitarism and restore democracy around the world. Given this context, 1984 political messages emerge clear.

           This month marks what would be the 110th birthday of the man acclaimed as the father of dystopian fiction, the man with a whole science fiction subgenre named after him, the only George Orwell. He was not the first author to come up with the idea of a world in which a government has total control, but his novel, is a defining example of the genre. Orwell coined the term "Big Brother" and demonstrated how frightening propaganda can be. Orwell was a political writer and a keen observer of the shifting ideologies surrounding World War II. His books serve as dire warnings of what could happen if the proletarian classes remain indifferent to what their government can become. He believed ambiguity was the breeding ground for misinformation and propaganda, key aspects of his imagined government`s hold on power.

Prolific - producing many works.
Bleak - bare, exposed and unwelcoming.
Odd - unusual or unexpected strange.
Jargon - expressions or words used by a group that are difficult for other people to understand.

Inside the Mind of Eric Schmidt

          This post is a summary of a interview with the President of Google Eric Schmidt, published on April,20, 2013, at http://www.theguardian.com/uk. And was written by Alan Rusbridger as Eric told him. It is like if the Eric himself had written.The title is above.

          I would argue that Google and the internet enable people to do more creative work. Creativity will drive innovation, innovation will drive new businesses, new jobs, and so forth. That is how economics work. That is the story of the industrial revolution. The human creativity, this passion for making the world a better place, takes over. I am concerned that we need to fight for our privacy or we will lose it and the reason this is a concern of mine is that it is natural for these technology to aggregate information about citizens. If the Chinese hacked into the NYTimes, how would you feel if you were a Chinese dissident? Google always allow for anonymous search. Anonimity is very important, especially for people who have reasons to believe that the state, or others, are going to hurt them. The internet, in general, has been good about allowing for anonymity. As a matter of historical interest, I wanted to understand what role Wikileaks would play. His core idea is that systematic evil has to be written down, and that , if you have a leaking culture in government, the stuff gets leaked before they can do it. The problem is, who gets to decide who does the leaking?

         Five years from now, what will your reader look like? He or she will have an ultra-powerful tablet, the knowledge that is in that tablet about the readers will be so much greater than today. And it will be possible, reading a story, to go instantly deep about the origins, the positioning, the debate. The contribution that the internet made to Arab Springs was the enabling subset of communication that allowed courageous people to unify. That was the step that they had been missing previously and then it was their courage and combat that led to everything else. The optimists would say that the power of the internet and the power of individual empowerment is so strong that it will be impossible for government to resist that connectivity. The pessimists would say that intelligence of government can figure out ways of breaking the openess of internet. North Korea, has its own internet. They have people copying the content that the their leaders thinks is ok and they put it on internal servers. That is the crudest strategy.  The chinese government for example, every time a *VPN shows up, they shut it down and people move.

        What is the number one education problem in the developing world? Literacy and childhood education. Can we solve that? Absolutely, at 100%. We simply preload smartphones with all that teaching material. They use them to learn how to read. We can also preload their tablets. We have also the textbooks for maths and science, in their languages. In universities you have got new online courses. You have got an smart person who does not have textbooks and is hungry for the latest university education, they are going to get it online. So what do you need for that? You need broadband, if governments are smarts enough to get the 3G and 4G networks. Another way to get information is with SD cards, you know, the tiny little SD cards, because everybody has a phone. Even if you do not have an internet connection, you could have a SD card which would have the information that I am describing. And these SD cards are getting more and more powerful.

*VPN - Virtual Private Network is a method used to add security privacy, privacy is increased with a VPN because the user`s initial IP address is replaced with one from the VPN provider.

The Relationship between education and development

         This post is a summary of a report published at http://anale.feaa.uaic.ro/anale/, in 2009. The complete title is, "The relationship between the level of education and the development state of a country." And was written by Cristian Popescu and Laura Diaconu.

          The new theory of the economic growth underlines the fact that the education has a strong impact on the economic development from two points of view. First of all, human capital is an input in the production function, thus explaining the options for the investment in education and, secondly, the factors that involve the endogenous growth, especially the technological progress, are correlated to the human capital stock because determines technology or new knowledge. More educated countries are developing faster due to the fact that the schools enables the labor force to innovate and to adapt to the existing ones to the local production. The level of education is influencing not only the growth and the economic productivity of a country, but also an educated citizen is more able to take part in the local or regional decisions.

           A World Bank study, made in 2003, shows an essential factor that has led to the growth and development of the Asian Tigers: the good allocation and the high quality of education. A good example for this is given by South Korea, where the schooling rate for the tertiary education was 16% in 1980, 39% in 1990, and 68% in 1996. Resources allocated are related to the income level but also to the budgetary priorities. While the states are developing, the necessities related to the infrastructure and to the social spending becomes less pressing, so that additional sums may be allocated to some fields, in other circumstances considered to have secondary importance, such as education, environment, etc.

         We want to underline that the relationship between education and development does not have to be regarded only from the economic point of view. The development process is more complex one that, apart from the economic growth, also involves social and cultural evolution, environment protection, healthcare, etc. It is noticed that the educated persons are interacting efficiently not only inside the groups but also in front of the law, norms, etc. Such a behavior creates a harmonious environment. Understanding the democratic value, for example, recognizing the liberties and the limits of the interference between the politic and the public sector, the acceptance of the arbitrage of the democratic institutions, all these are attitudes that develop in time. They are influenced by the educational factors, formal and non-formal ones. Moreover, while national boundaries are just lines without capacity of restricting the free movement of production, the higher skilled persons will be able to take advantages easier and more efficient from the new opportunities of the global economy. Between the education and the development, there is a strong correlation, in both direction. Yet, the determinant factor of the process seems to be the educational one.

         The impact of education being essential for the progress of a nation, it is necessary that the state interfere in initiating and supporting the institutions responsible for the education process, under all its facets, formal, non-formal and even informal.

LXIII - Brazil`s No-Blame Game: How Impunity Imperils The Country`s Image

        This post is a summary of two articles. The first published at  http://world.time.com/2013/04/11/brazils-no-blame, on April 11th, 2013. With the title above. And written by Andrew Downie.   The second published at http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/anti-corruption-round-table-in-brazil-9-december.html, on December 9th, 2012.

       Two shocking episodes of violence, yet another case of mismanagement by its sporting bodies, and several episodes of deadly traffic madness, all made worse by a sense of continuing impunity enjoyed by the alleged perpetrators of crime and mismanagement, have come as a reminder that all is not rosy in South America`s biggest nation. In São Paulo, eight police officers are being held in a city hall in connection with the investigation into the cold-blooded killing of two youths. In Rio de Janeiro, a american woman was brutally raped. Meanwhile, the city`s mayor was forced to close the new stadium that will host the track and field events for the 2016 Olympics Games, because the roof is in danger of collapse. And a bus that was allowed to continue running in spite of having 47 fines of traffic violations careened off a viaduct killing seven people onboard. The events are more than just graphic illustrations of how life is cheap in Brazil. The other common thread is impunity and a lack of accountability. The front page headlines have been a huge embarrassment for Rio. The root of the problem is two-fold, says Fabricia Ramos, a researcher, most glaringly, public services are insufficient or inefficient. They can function for the elite when they need them. But the poor, and the areas they live in, are treated with disdain, she said. There are few ways to complain and those responsible are rarely held accountable. Ramos cited as one example a new city hall line set up to help citizens to resolve everyday problems. The city hall says that 1 in 5 of the calls leads to direct action. But Ramos says a more common outcome is frustation. " You are at the mercy of the city hall. If they want to ignore you, they can and there is nothing you can do. Accountability is the big challenge." She said. The lack of accountability is even more evident in the sports world. Carlos Nuzman, the man who organized the 2007 Pan American Games and now in charge of organizing the 2016 Olympics, has not commented on the debacle of the stadium closure, much less called to account for it. He has always maintained the Pan American Games venue were built to olympics specifications and that quality was the reason the games went six times over budget. Now, however, two of those venues, for cycling and swimming, have been found to be substandard, they can not be used for olympics events and the athletics stadium was closed. The world will come to Brazil and no doubt be delighted by the climate and friendly hosts. But they are unlikely to be impressed by the infrastructure around them. Just do not expect anyone to be held accountable.

           Ricardo Young, president of the Ethos Institute for Private Social Responsibility, stressed that " a number of corrupt officials have suffered no penal actions until today. Impunity of one of the worst problems in Brazil, no one could possibly talk about efficiency or effectiveness when there is so much impunity. Corruption is an assault to democracy." Miriam Leitao, one of Brazil most important journalists, believes that this is one of the most serious signs a state can give to the market. She stressed, " Corruption calls out for collusive players, corrupt enterprises. This is a lethal message. It undermines institutions and the market and deforms regular production techniques. What frightens me the most is to see the youth losing its confidence in democracy." MP Paulo Rubem Santiago, coordinator of the Parliamentary Front Against Corruption stated that, " corruption staggers the state, because it allows a parallel one to govern." He proposes structural changes. " The President should not nominate Judges of the Supreme Federal Court and Superior Justice Courts." He said. Professor of UnB, Ricardo Caldas, mentioned a survey that shows that only 10% of Brazilian citizens trust the National Congress. Furthermore, more than 50% had no idea of what the National Auditing Agencies did. In addition, only 7% had participated in local communal organizations at least once in thier lives. On the other side, most individuals, according to its research, believe that corruption can be fought, mainly with the support of the media and civil society.

Accountability - responsability for your actions and expected to explain them.
Debacle - collapse, breakdown.
Collusive - conspirational, combined.
Stagger - vacillate, stun, confuse.

LXII - The Next Supermodel

           This post is a summary of three articles published at  http://www.economist.com/, on the same date, February, 2nd 2013. The first one with the title above, The second with the title of, " Northern lights." And the third, with the title of, " The secret of their success."

           Small countries are often in the vanguard when it comes to reforming government. In the 1980s Britain was out in the lead, thanks to privatisation. Now the Nordic countries are likely to assume a similar role. That is partly because the four main Nordics- Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland - are doing rather well. The Nordics are at the top of everything from economic competitiveness to social health to happiness. To politicians around the world, they offer a blueprint of how to reform the public sector, making the state far more efficient and responsive. In the 1970s and 1980s the Sweden`s public spending reached 67% of GDP in 1993. But it did not work: Sweden fell from being the fourth richest country in the world in 1970 to the 14th in 1993. Since then the Nordics have changed course. Government`s share of GDP in Sweden, which has dropped by around 18%. Sweden has reformed its pension system. Its budget deficit is 0.3% of GDP. On public services have been similarly pragmatic. So long as public services work, they do not mind who provides them. Denmark and Norway allow private firms to run public hospitals. All western politicians claim to promote transparency. The Nordics can do so with more justification than most. The performance of all schools and hospitals is measured. Government are forced to operate in the light of day. The home of Skype is also a leader in e-government. The new Nordic model is not perfect. Public spending as a proportion of GDP in these countries is still higher. Their level of taxation still encourage entrepreneurs to move abroad. The pressures that have forced their government to cut spending, such as growing global competition, will force more change. When Angela Merkel worries that the European Union has 7% of the world`s population but half of its social spending, the Nordics are part of the answer. They also show that EU countries can be genuine economic successes. The main lesson to learn is not ideological but practical. The state is popular not because is big but because it works. But you need to be willing to root out corruption and vested interests. And you must be ready to forage for good ideas across the political spectrum.

            Sweden has reduced public spending as a proportion of GDP from 67% in 1993 to 49% today. Its public debt fell from 70% of GDP in 1993 to 37% in 2010, and its budget moved from an 11% deficit to a surplus of 0.3% over the same period. Sweden has introduced a universal system of schools vouchers and invited private schools to compete with public ones. Private companies also vie with each other to provide state-funded health services and care for the elderly. The two decades from 1990 were a period of recovery: GDP growth between 1993 and 2010 averaged 2.7% a year and productivity 2.1%. The other Nordics have been moving in the same direction, Denmark has one of the most liberal labour markets in Europe. It also allows parents to send children to private schools at public expense and make up the difference in cost with their own money. The new Nordic model begin with the individual rather than the state. It begins with fiscal responsibility: all four Nordic countries have AAA ratings and debt loads significantly below the euro-zone average. There are compelling reasons for paying attention to these countries on the edge of Europe. The first is that they have reached the future first. They are grappling with problems that other countries too will have to deal, such as what to do when you reach the limits of big government. And the Nordics are coming up with innovative solutions that reject the tired orthodoxies of left and right. The second reason is that the new model is proving strikingly successful. The Nordics dominate indices of competitiveness as well as of well-being. It mark a big change since 1980s when welfare took precedence over competitiveness.

         Why has this remote region, with its freezing winters and expanses of wilderness, proved so successful? In the period from 1870 to 1970 the Nordics countries were among the world`s fastest growing countries, thanks to a series of pro-business reforms. But in the 1970s and 1980s the undisciplined growth of government caused the reforms to run into the sands. The Nordics countries had got into the habit of spending more on welfare than they could afford and relying more on a handful of giant companies than was wise. They pride themselves on the honesty and transparency. Nordics governments are subject to rigorous scrutiny: for example, in Sweden everyone has access to all official records. They also have added two other important qualities to transparency: pragmatism and tough-mindedness. On discovering that the old social democratic consensus was no longer working, they let it go with remarkably little fuss and introduced new ideas from across the political spectrum. Pragmatism also explain why they are continuing to upgrade their model. And they are doing all this without sacrificing what makes the Nordic model so valuable: the ability to invest in human capital and protect people from the disruptions that are part of the capitalist system. Most of the rich world now faces the same problems that the Nordics faced in the early 1990s, out of control public spending. Yet it is hard to see the Nordic model of government spreading quickly, mainly because the Nordic talent for government is sui generis. Nordic government arose from a combination of difficult geography and benign history. Sweden guaranteed freedom of the press in 1766, and from the 1840s onwards it abolished preference for aristocrats in handing out top government jobs and created a meritocratic and corruption free civil service. A survey of social trust ( as opposed to trust in immediate family ) showed the Nordics in leading positions. Economists say that high levels of trust result in lower transaction costs. But its virtue go beyond that. Citizens pay their taxes and play by the rules. The world values survey, which has been monitoring values in over 100 countries since 1981, says that the Nordics are the world`s biggest believers in individual autonomy. They regard as the main job of state as promoting individual autonomy and social mobility. Universal free education allows students of all backgrounds to achieve their potential. Universal day care for children makes it possible for both parents to work full-time. Economists frequently express puzzlement about the Nordic recent economic success, given that their government are still so big. But it need to be adjusted to allow for the benefits of honesty and efficiency. Sweden´s economy today is flying better than it has done for decades.

Democratic Innovations for Engaging and Empowering Citizens

       This post is a summary of a article published at http://www.ucc.ie/en/, in 2010. The title is above.

       Research shows that people have become more and more disenchanted with the traditional institutions of representative government, detached from political parties, and disillusioned with old forms of civic engagement and participation. In response, in recent years there has been growing interest not only in increasing participation, but also in the quality and form of the engagement between citizens through the use of direct, deliberative and participatory democratic mechanisms. It is argued that if the decision-making process is inclusive and dialogue between citizens is unconstrained, it will lead to greater understanding of different perspectives, more informed debate and decisions that are widely accepted by participants.

     WHAT IS A JURY OF CITIZENS?

       A citizens` jury can be described as a tool that brings together a small group of citizens who deliberate on a particular issue and produce recommendations in the form of a written report. The ultimate aim of this jury is not to usurp the decision-making power of elected officials but rather to ensure that they have a comprehensive understanding of public opinion when they exercise that power.

WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING?

      It involves an annual cycle of three levels of citizens participation: popular assemblies; district budget forums; and a municipal budget council. In the spring of each year, popular assemblies are held in each of the city`s districts. At this meeting participants vote on the priority issues for investment in the city as a whole and elect delegates to district budget forums. The delegates work together with the city administration to translate neighbourhood priority lists into an overall list of investment priorities.

          WHAT IS A ASSEMBLY OF CITIZENS?        

       A citizens`s assembly is a deliberative innovation that brings together a ramdomly selected group of citizens to deliberate on a policy issue and develop recommendations on it. A wide variety of issues such as electoral systems, education, health, transport and telecommunications may be discussed. Assemblies can take place at a national or local level. For example: The British Columbia Assembly was set up in 2004 to investigate electoral reform and recommend an electoral system for the province. It contained 160 randomly selected citizens and divided its work into three phases. In the first phase, the assembly spent a number of weekends learning about electoral systems. The second phase involved gathering evidence from citizens at public meetings held throughout the province and from written submissions. The third phase saw the citizens deliberating with one another on the advantages and disadvantages of differents systems, before taking a final vote on the option.         

         WHAT IS AN INITIATIVE?     

         An initiative allows citizens to propose a legislative measure or a constitutional amendment, if they are able to submit a petition with the required number of citizens signatures. It is a form of direct democracy. The initiative embodies the simple idea that ordinary citizens should have the right to propose and pass laws without the consent of their elected representatives. This democratic device has been seen by many to strengthen democracy. It involves the citizens more in policies that are important to them and makes the political system more accountable, transparent and efficient. The indirect initiative can strengthen the link between the people, their parliament and the executive.  Under the direct initiative, a measure is put directly to a vote after being submitted by a petition. Under indirect initiatives, a proposal is initially referred to the legislature; where can be improved, adapted or rejected, it can then be put to a popular vote. However, this can only happen once further signatures have been collected.

       

LXI - The Eternal Value of Privacy

           This post is a summary of two articles written by the same author, Bruce Schneier. The first one, with the title above, published at http://www.wired.com/, on May 18,2006. The other, with the title of, "Web snooping is a dangerous move." published at http://www.cnn.com/, on September 29, 2010.

          The most common retort against privacy advocates, by those in favor of cameras, data mining and other wholesale surveillance measures, is this line: "If you are not doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide?"  Possible answer: " Because you might do something wrong with my information." They accept the premise that privacy is about hiding a wrong. It is not. Privacy is an inherent human right, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect. Two proverbs say it best: "Who watches the watchers?" and "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Privacy is important because without it, surveillance information will be abused: to peep, to sell to marketers and to spy on political enemies. Whoever they happen to be at the time. Privacy protect us from abuses by those in power, even if we are doing nothing wrong. Privacy is a basic human need. A future in which privacy would face constant assault was so alien to the framers of the constitution that it never occurred to them to call privacy as an explicit right. Privacy was inherent to the nobility of their being and their cause. Of course, being watched in your own home was so unreasonable. You could watched convicted criminals, not free citizens. You ruled your own home. It is intrinsic to the concept of liberty. If we are observed in all matters, we are constantly under threat of judgment, criticism, even plagiarism of own uniqueness. We lose our individuality, because everything we do is observable and recordable. How many of us have paused during conversation, maybe the topic was terrorism, or politics, or Islam. We stop suddenly, momentarily afraid that our words might be taken out of context. This is the loss of freedom we face when our privacy is taken from us. This is the life in former East Germany. And it is our future as we allow an ever-intrusive eye into our personal, private lives. Too many wrongly characterize the debate as "security versus privacy." The real choice is liberty versus control. Tyranny, whether it arises under threat of foreign attack or under domestic authoritative scrutiny, is still tyranny. Liberty requires security without intrusion, security plus privacy. Widespread police surveillance is the very definition of a police state. And that is why we should champion privacy even when we have nothing to hide.

         President Obama will seek sweeping laws enabling law enforcement to more easily eavesdrop on the internet. Technologies are changing and modern digital systems are not as easy to monitor as traditional telephones. The government wants to force companies to redesign their communications systems and information networks to facilitate surveillance. The proposal may seem extreme, but unfortunately, it is not unique. Just a few months ago, the governments of U.A.E ( United Arab Emirates ) and Saudi Arabia threatened to ban BlackBerry devices unless the company made eavesdropping easier. China has already built a massive surveillance system to better control its citizens. Formerly reserved for totalitarian countries, this wholesale surveillance of citizens has moved into the democratic world as well. Governments like Sweden, Canada and U.K. are debating laws giving their police new powers of internet surveillance. These laws are dangerous, both for citizens of China and citizens of Western democracies. Forcing companies to redesign their communications products and services to facilitate government eavesdropping reduces privacy and liberty, that is obvious. But the laws also make us less safe. An infrastructure conducive to surveillance and control invites surveillance and control, both by the people you expect and the people you do not. Any surveillance and control system must itself be secured. Why does anyone think that only authorized law enforcement will mine collected internet data or eavesdrop our conversations? These risks are not theoretical. After September 11, the NSA ( National Security Agency ) built a surveillance infractructure to eavesdrop on telephone calls and e-mails within the U.S. Although rules stated that only non-Americans and international phone calls were to be listened to, actual practice did not always match those rules. NSA analysts collected more data than they were authorized to and used the system to spy on famous people. Surveillance free systems protect the lives of people in totalitarian countries around the world. They allow people to exchange ideas even when the government wants to limit free exchange. They power citizen journalism, political movements and social change. For example, anonymity of twitter saved the lives of Irarian dissidents. No matters what the eavesdroppers say, these systems cost too much and put us all at greater risk.