Social Awakening in Brazil

             This post is a summary of four articles. The first with the title above published in a editorial at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/opinion/social-awakening-in-brazil.html. The second was published http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/world/americas/brazil-protests.html?pagewante. The third was published at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/18/brazil-protesters. The fourth  was published http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2013/06/protests-brazil.  But before this summary, let`s remember a little what happened in June of 2013. Almost two million people went to the streets in many cities all over Brazil, most of them to protest for better use of public money, such as more investment in education and health, but there were also many others demands. And the protesters had the support of 75% of Brazilian population, according to a poll from Ibope. Now lacking just 35 days to elections is time to remember the sacrifice of the protesters, so many were beaten and imprisoned. It is time of their voices to be heard, it is time of their placard to be read, it is time of their wishes and effort to be recognized, their anger to be analysed and understood. In order to have a better country, we need to do this reflection. The biggest public manifestation in Brazil history need to be more debated and can not have been in vain. 

                   The huge street protests sweeping across Brazil this week caught almost everyone by surprise. But maybe they should not have. For all of Brazil`s achievements over the past few decades, a stronger economy, democratic elections, more money and attention directed towards the needs of the poor, there is still a huge gap between the promises of Brazil`s ruling politicians and the harsh realities of day-to-day life outside the political and business elite. Its 15 years old teenagers rank near the bottom in global rankings of reading and math skills. A succession of its top politicians have been implicated in flagrant payoff schemes and other misuse of public funds. No wonder that public-transit fare increases provoked outrage from the poor and middle class. No wonder that spending on World Cup soccer stadiums while public education remains grievously underfinanced became a rallying cry. This week`s marches and demonstrations have revealed public anger at skewed spending priorities and failures in education and other social services as well as a broad constituency for change. Brazil`s long silent majority seems to be finding its political voice.

                   Just a few weeks ago, Mayara Vivian felt good when a few hundred people showed up for a protest she helped organize over a proposed bus fare increase. But when tens of thousands of protesters thronged the streets this week, rattling cities across the country in a reckoning this nation had not experienced in decades, she dumbfounded, at a loss to explain how it could have happened. The mass protests across Brazil have swept up an impassioned array of grievances and spread to more than 100 cities on Thursday night. Much like the Occupy movement in U.S., the anticorruption protests that shook India, or the fury in European nations like Greece, the demonstrators in Brazil are fed up with traditional political structures. Banners in the crowd carried slogans like, "While you watch your soap opera, we fight for you." In Ribeirão Preto, an 18-years old protester was killed after being struck by a car. "They do not invest in education, they do not invest in infrastructure, and they keep putting makeup on the city to show to the world that we can host the World Cup and the Olympics," said Jairo Domingos, 26. "We work four months of the year just to pay taxes and we get nothing in return." He said. "This is a remarkably diffuse movement, they do not even use loudspeakers to get their massage with thousands of people on the street," said Lincoln Secco, a history professor at USP. Asked why the protests were emerging now, he said, "Why not now? This is not something happening just in Brazil, but a new form of protesting, which is not channeled through traditional institutions." Todd Gitlin, a professor of sociology at Columbia University said it was hard to know exactly what sparks would set off a broader movement. Vivian, 23, now a waitress and geography student, and her fellow activists could not explain the change that had suddenly brought huge crowds into the streets all around the country. "People finally woke up," she said. Asked why it happened now, she shrugged and said, "we really do not know."

                 There were close to 80,000 of us on the streets of S.P. I was there to report but also to protest. I am about to marry a Brazilian. This place is in my future. Four nights before they would tried to do the same thing but the police attacked them with teargas and rubber bullets. One minute the crowd were chanting "no violence", the next they were firing right at us. People were crying, from teargas and from terror. It was the kind of citizen heroics you see in a blockbuster, but hope you will never have to witness in real life. They went for the journalists. Firing into the press and shooting at photographers. They made hundreds of arrests. In spite of the economic surge in Brazil, the country is still unfair and corrupt. The minimum wage is not only for low-skilled Brazilians: teachers too do not earn much more than that either. The health service, the education system and the police service are all in need of a big fix. "Keep your World Cup, we want education and health." "It is not about 20 cents, it is about dignity." "The people have woken up."

             With stunning speed, protests that started on June 6th in S.P. over a 20 cents hike in bus fare have morphed into the biggest street demonstrations Brazil has seen since more than 20 years ago. By June 17th the  movement had spread. The aims had also grown more difusse, with marchers demanding less corruption, better public services and control of inflation. "First-world stadiums, third-world schools and hospitals," ran one placard. In Rio protesters and police clashed outside the Maracana stadium, refurbished at a cost of over 1 billion reais, just six years after its last pricey rebuild. Brazilians pay the highest taxes of any country outside the developed world (36% of GDP) and get appalling public services in return. Violent crime is endemic. A minimum-wage worker in S.P. whose employer does not cover transport cost will spend a fifth of gross pay to spend hours a day on hot, overcrowded buses. More broadly, the middle class that Brazil has created in the past decade, have escaped from poverty, but are still only one paycheck from falling back into it, and it is developing an entirely new relationship with the government. They see further improvements in their livings standards as their right and will fight not to fall back into poverty. They are waking up to the fact that they pay taxes and deserve something in return. 

Why is it Important to Vote?

             This post is a  summary  of  three  articles.  The first  with the incomplete title above was published  http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/speakout/the-path-to-the-presidency-why-is-it-important-to-vote. The second published http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/civics/Documents/Why%20is%20Voting%20im. The third with the title of, "How to judge a candidate." It was published at http://www.smartvoter.org/voter/judgecan.html

                

            Every year, many student turn 18 and cast their first ballot on election day, fulfilling the most basic action in a democratic society. Voting is a fundamental process that keeps our system of government working. Through elections, citizens have the ability to decide on who represent them in government. On election day, voters will not only be able to select their representatives for the next term, but also often have the ability to decide on measures like bond issues that grant the government permission to borrow money for construction projects and other developments. Reading up on the issues, the candidates, and researching the ballot is also the responsibility of the citizen voter because it is your voice, with many others, that can change the direction of a state, nation, and even the world. Given the importance of elections, why would do so many people choose not to vote? Why do some refuse to participate in elections when the officials and issues voted on have such strong influence on nearly every aspect of their lives? Many argue that their vote really does not count. Some say that they do not know enough about the issues and think they should not vote. Others still say that they do not know where or how to vote. By voting, you are making your voice heard and registering your opinion on how you think the government should operate. Most candidates have websites that detail their ideas and goals for the office. To find out where to vote, you can contact your local board of elections. 

                 Let is take a look at some reasons why you personally should be interested in voting. So you can decide. Why let other people decide what is best for you when you have a voice: the vote. It is your right. Young people, women and underrepresented groups all fought hard for the right to vote. Even today there are countries where people are still fighting for the right to vote. Vote in honor of those who can not. Do you want politicians in office who represent your needs and concerns? Then vote. Candidates give money to cause you care about, such as: the environment, HIV/AIDS or cancer research, to name a few. Find out where the candidates stand on these issues and vote for ones that agree with you. To bust the stereotype! Some adults think, "young people are lazy, they do not care about their communities, they do not vote." Prove them wrong. If you do not vote, someone else will. The government was designed for citizens participation, so if you do not vote, other people are going to make the decisions for you. It is your money. President, governor, legislators and members of Congress you vote for, will decide how to spend your money. Vote for those that agree with your point of view. You will need a good job, when you are done with school, you need somewhere to work and you will want job training, pay equity, fairness in hiring, and workplace safety. Do not let other people making choices for you. We have a voice in the things that affect us. 

              Elections present voters with important choices. Whether it is a local race that will affect your community or a national race that could change the direction of the country it is a time to consider the issues which you care about and decide which candidate you support. How to voters go about comparing and then judging candidates? The seven steps outlined below are designed to help you judge a candidate. 1- Decide what you are looking for in a candidate. Candidates can be judge in two ways: the positions they take on issues and the leadership qualities and experience they would bring. Both are important. Your first step in picking a candidate is to decide the issues you care about and the qualities you want in a leader. When consider issues, think about community or national problems that you want people in government to address. For example, you may be interested in the threat of nuclear war, government funding for students loans or unemployment. 2 - Find out about the candidates. Research about the candidates online. Newspapers are another source of information.  3 - Gather materials about the candidates. Put together information aqbout the candidates. Collect any information you can. Call campaign headquarters and watch the press. Sources of information include: Web sites, nonpartisan web sites, radio and TV ads, candidates speeches, candidate debate, candidate interviews. 4 - Evaluate candidates` stands on issues. Do the materials give you an overall impression of the candidates? What specific conclusions can you draw about the candidates` stand on issues?  5 -  Learn about the candidates` leadership abilities. Decide if a candidate will be a good leader is difficult. How can you know if someone will be honest, open or able to act under pressure if elected? Here are some ways to evaluate the candidates` leadership qualities. Look at the candidates` background and their experience. How well prepared are they for the job? Observe the candidates` campaigns. Do they accept speaking before different groups, even those that might not be sympathetic? Do they accept invitations to debate? Do the campaigns emphasize media events where the candidates can be seen but not heard?  6 - Learn how other people view the candidate. Now that you have information from campaigns and other sources, you will want to learn what other people think about the candidates. Their opinions can help to clarify your own views, but do not discount you own informed judgments. Learn about endorsements. This provide clues to the issues a candidate supports. Look into campaign contributions.  7 - Sorting it all out. Review the information and compare all candidates. Which candidates` view on the issues do you agree with the most? Which candidate demonstrated the most knowledge on the issues?  More and more, people tune in to TV for their main source of information. As you watch news coverage of campaigns, be aware of staged events and try to find out what the candidate is saying about the issues. Seeing through distortion techniques. Sometimes their language is so skillfully crafted that they distort the truth in way that are difficult for even a careful observer to detect.

              

Education for All Development Index 2013

         This post is a summary of two reports. The first with the title above was  published at  http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/statistics/efa-development-index/. The second was publishe http://www.unesco.org/new/en/brasilia/education/educational-

           The Education for All Global Monitoring Report, first published 11 years ago, has played a vital role in supporting the decade`s remarkable progress in education. The report has been published annually since 2002. One indicator is used as a proxy measure for each of the four EFA (Education For All) goals, and each those EDI components is assigned equal weight in the overall index. The EDI (Education Development Index) value for a given country is thus the arithmetic mean of the four proxy indicators. Since they are all expressed as percentages, the EDI value can vary from 0 to 100% or, when expressed as a ratio, from 0 to 1. The higher the EDI value, the closer the country is to achieving Education for All as a whole. The following proxies have been used in compiling the index: Universal primary education - which measures the percentage of primary-school-age children who are enrolled in either primary or secondary school.  Adult literacy - goal proposes achieving a 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015. Although existing data on literacy are not entirely satisfactory, the adult literacy rate for those aged 15 and above is used here as a proxy to measure progress. Quality of education - The survival rate to grade 5 was selected for as being the best available for a large number of countries. There is considerable debate about the concept of quality anf how it should be measured. Several indicators are used among them measures of students learning outcomes, however, measures of learning achievements are incomplete, as they are often limited to basics skills and do not include values, capacities and other non-cognitives skills that are also important aims of education. Gender - the fourth EDI component is the gender-specific EFA index, it encompasses the two sub-goals: gender parity (equal participation of girl and boys in basic school)  and gender equality, ensuring girls full and egual access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. The Education for All goals represent more than the sum of their parts. The EFA index, is a measure of progress across the whole EFA agenda. All data used to calculate the EDI for 2011 are from the statistical tables in annex of Global Monitoring Report and the UNESCO Institute for Statistical Database. For low levels of test scores, a decrese in the number of pupils per teacher has a positive impact on learning outcomes, but for higher levels of test scores, additional teachers, which lead to lower ratios, have only limited impact. For these reason, the survival rate is used as a safer proxy for learning outcomes and hence for the education quality component of the EDI. New EFA report data proves education transforms development. The analysis provides fresh proof that investing in education, alleviates poverty through securing substantial benefits for health and productivity, as well as democratic participation and women`s empowerment. To unlock education`s transformative power, however, new development goals must go further to ensure that all children benefit equally not from primary education but also from good quality secundary.

          Quality and equity remain a crucial challenge in Brazil, as both are essential to respond to the needs of the country and for the construction of a knowledge society. Research shows that a large proportion of students at different schooling levels have deficient learning performance in critical subject matters. The low absorption of scientific concepts hampers the inclusion of individuals into modern society. UNESCO provides technical support and expertise to address both the issues of quality and equity in education.

Education for All Development Index      Latin America countries

1º - Kazakhstan   0.995                         22º - Cuba     0.981

2º - Japan                                            47º - Uruguay  

3º - Germany                                        51º - Argentina   0.956

4º - Norway   0.994                               53º - Mexico

5º - U. K.                                             64º - Trinidad

6º - Italy    0.992                                  65º - Panama     0.941

7º - Denmark                                       68º - Paraguay

8º - France   0.991                               69º - Venezuela

11º - New Zealand                               70º - Peru    0.931

17º - Netherlands                                 74º - Ecuador

18º - Spain   0.985                               75º - Bolivia     0.915

20º - South Korea                                79º - Colombia  

33º - Ireland                                         80º - Brazil    0.901

42º - Portugal   0.969                           88º - Honduras

78º - Turkey                                         99º - Guatemala   0.819

The Role of Citizens in a Democratic Society

       This post is a summary of a book with the incomplete title above and  published in  2012    at  http://www.cqpress.com/docs/college/clawson2e.1.7.pdf
             

                                                                                                                                                                 In a democracy, we expect the public to have a role in government decision making. Yet the precise role that citizens should play in a democracy has been arqued about for centuries. Whether the public actually can and really does live up to democratic expectations is also a debatable topic. A simple definition of democracy is "rule by the people." What exactly, however, does rule by the people mean? Answering this and related questions about democracy is neither easy nor straightforward. In fact, many people across amny centuries have devoted their lives to examining democracy and delineating the proper characteristics of a democracy. Democracy theory is "the branch of scholarship that specializes in elucidating, developing, and defining the meaning of democracy. Democratic theorists focus on citizens ruling capabilities and the role of the public in a democracy, as indicated by the following overview of major democratic theories. Classical Democratic Theory. The earliest Western democratic societies emerged in the city-states of ancient Greece. In Athens`s direct democracy, for example, governing decisions were made by the citizens, defined as all nonslave men of Athenian descent. All citizens were eligible to participate in the Assembly, which met at least forty times per year. Assembly members debated all public issues. Writing centuries later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau advocated popular sovereignty. He envisaged vigorous legislative debate with a preference for unanimous decisions. He favored a direct democracy in which all citizens were to meet, discuss, and decide on the content of the laws. Contemporary democratic elitism and pluralism can trace their intellectual roots to earlier theorists of Representative Democracy, its effect is to enlarge and refine the public views by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country. As its name suggest, Participatory Democracy emphasizes the importance of participation by the public. This theory originated during the protest movements of the 1960s and also represented dissatisfaction with the democratic pluralists models that were dominant at that time. Participatory democrats agreed with these theorists that levels of disinterest and apathy ran high among the public, but they disagreed over the reason for these attitudes. Participatory democrats argue that the political system, with its relatively few opportunities for meaningful citizens influence, breeds apathy. There is no evidence to suggest that once empowered, people will refuse to participate. Citizen apathy is thus a problem to be examined and solved rather than an accepted fact of political life in modern democracies. Two terms that we use frequently in this book are attitude and opinion. Similar to an attitud, an opinion refers to a specific object and express a preference, such as support or opposition, toward that object. As with attitudes, opinion vary in that not everyone holds the same opinion. Specific political opinion do not stand alone in people`s minds. Instead, they are often related to, even guilded by, other mental constructs, most especially beliefs, values, and emotions. Beliefs are thoughts or information a person has regarding an attitude object. A person might, for example, believe that the possibility of a very severe punishment, such as the death penalty, will not deter most people from committing a very serious crime. Someone possessing this belief would be more likely to oppose capital punishment than would someone who believes in the deterrent power of death penalty laws. Values are specific types of beliefs. According to a prominent values researcher, "a value is an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct (instrumental value) or end-state of existence (terminal value) is personally or social preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence" Examples of instrumental values include independence, responsibility, and self-control, whereas examples of terminal values includes a peaceful world, family security, and freedom. Unlike other types of beliefs, values refer to ideals. Whereas beliefs are considered to be the cognitive components of attitudes, emotions make up the affective component. Emotions are especially common when it comes to evaluate political individuals and groups. This book is organized in sections. Each section poses a question that is important for democratic theory, and we present evidence and tools to help you think through the material critically. In the next section we explore topics of political socialization, how the mass media shape public opinion. Do citizens organize their political thinking? We begin by examining whether individuals opinions are organized along a liberal-conservative dimension, and then we focus on other factors that might organize opinions, including personality, self-interest, values, historical events, and reference groups. We focus on how knowledgeable, interested and attentive citizens are, and we investigate public support for civil liberties and civil rights. Many citizens do not structure their issue attitudes along ideological lines. Yet that does not mean they are hapless in their political thinking. 

210th Birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne

           One month ago, the writer Hawthorne would complete 210 years old. So this post is a tribute to him, his writing helped to decrease hypocrisy and ignorance. I analysed one of his short story when I was an universitary student. This post is a summary of five articles. The first published  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_ The second was published at  http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/young-goodman-brown/ . The third was published at http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=15091. The fourth was published at http://www.e-scoala.ro/referate/engleza_hypocrisy_in_the_scarlet.html. The fifth was published at http://www.gradesaver.com/young-goodman-brown-and-other-hawthorne-short-stories/study-guide/major-themes/

              Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts. His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials. Much of Hawthorne`s writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. In 1836, Hawthorne worked as the editor of a Magazine and during this time, he published many short stories, including "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Minister`s Black Veil."  He married the illustrator Sophia Peabody in 1842 in Boston. The couple had three children. In 1846, he was appointed as Inspector of the Revenue for the Port of Salem. He had difficulty writing during this period. After his dismissal in 1848, he returned to writing and published, "The Scarlet Letter," in 1850. The book became an immediate best-seller in the U.S. The writer D.H.Lawrence said that there could be no more perfect work of imagination than The Scarlet Letter. After, he published "The House of the Seven Gables" (1851), which critic James Russell said that was the better of all and called "the most valuable contribution to New England history that has been made." Many of his works are inspired by puritans, combining historical romance with symbolism and deep psychological themes, bordering on surrealism. His depictions are a version of historical fiction used as a vehicle to express common themes of sin, guilt and retribution.

                   The main theme in "Young Goodman Brown" is the weakness of public morality. Hawthorne reveals what he sees as the corruptibility that results from puritan society`s emphasis on public morality, which often weakens private faith. The character Goodman Brown religious convictions are rooted in his belief that those around him are also religious. Hawthorne seems to suggest that the danger of basing a society on moral principles and religious faith lies in the fact that members of the society do not arrive at their own moral decisions. So they copy the beliefs of the people around them, their faith becomes weak and rootless. Another theme is the inevitable loss of innocence. The inherent corruptibility of the protagonist suggest that this was inevitable.

                   Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne repeatedly portrays the puritanical view of sin and evil. Puritan hypocrisy is exposed in this novel. The one who is the embodiment of evil creates hypocrisy of puritanical view towards the evil.Through use of light and dark imagery and the contrast of his beliefs versus the beliefs of the puritans, hawthorne exposes the hypocritical beliefs of the puritans.

                     In The Scarlet Letter, hypocrisy is evident everywhere. Hawthorne was not subtle in his portrayal of the terrible sin of hypocrisy. Just because this book is set in colonial times, does not mean its lessons are not applicable to the world we live in. The character Dimmesdale is the ultimate incarnation of hypocrisy. He represent how the puritan ideals had been twisted into something that reeked of hypocrisy. Dimmesdale recognize the danger of hypocrisy, but his character is too weak to avoid the pitfall of hypocrisy. The puritan society itself was a lesson in hypocrisy. Religion is often the source of much hypocrisy. Fanaticism to a deity is not a good thing. Pervesion of god by those who hold power is a serious sin. Its impossible to truly believe in a religion, and feel justified in killing or persecuting others. The infamous Bill Clinton adultery fiasco was made into big issue because of fundamentalists. Many of them were guilty of a sin they themselves were condemning. Hawthorne work was meant to highlight the hypocrisy in puritan society, and in the people that society. The Scarlet Letter was meant to expose just how much of a sin hypocrisy is, and just how it causes so much pain and suffering.

                Related to the theme of puritanism is the idea of man`s inherent good and evil nature. Though people may outwardly appear moral, they may bear inward sin. Likewise, those who appear sinful on the outside and exposed may have the most clear consciences. In Young Goodman Brown, the main character, is shocked to find the most outwardly pure and respected members of the community in an evil gathering. The next day, he can not bear to look at them the same way, he has seen their hypocrisy and hidden sin. By failing to recognize that humanity is not just black and white, he can not take part in humanity. Moral conflict is again see in "Roger Malvin´s Burial". The guilt from the knowledge of his own sins, torture the protagonist. Hawthorne employs mystical occurrences as symbols. He uses doomed or cursed individuals to exaggerate moral conflicts, in "Ethan Brand," the protagonist`s stone heart is a warning against alienation. Ethan Brand`s search for the unpardonable sin may be more philosophical in nature, but the result of his intellectual pursuits are similar to other short stories. In the end, he gives the mind prominence over his own heart. Through each tragedy, Hawthorne cautions his readers to strive for balance between thought, love and respect.