Day of Fighting Injustice - 2022

                       Six days ago, precisely on 23rd of August was celebrated in Brazil, the day of fighting injustice. We all must defend justice, because when there is some injustice happening for so long, a dangerous precedent can happen, destroying democracy, undermining rule of law and fundamental human rights. So, the public trust in our institutions is severely harmed. Besides, when there is not justice, the abuses tend to grow, spreading and affecting many more people. So if you have witnessed any violation of human rights, record it and help fight injustice.  I have been fighting for justice, democracy and human rights for so many years and I intend to keep this work for more years ahead. I'll give never up to make Brazil a better country, more democratic, fairer, and where human rights are truly respected. The systematic violations, the impunity, the daily bullying in the mainstream media, the threats online and offline exist to do the victims give up to fight for their rights and reparations. Besides the violations, the systematic abuses, the daily humiliation and the impunity can have a dehumanizing effect in the population, trying us accept what can not be accepted, do not let this happen to you, the solidarity and the emphaty are the essence of the human beings. We all should recognize who have courage to defend our human rights including our political rights. Because always there are costs to do this, so help who is losing to defend our rights.  This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at   https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Fighting-Injustice-P3KF8XZVJ. The second was published at https://cms5.revize.com/revize/haddonfield/HRC/HMHS%20-%20Honorable%20Mention%20-%20CC%20-%20edited.pdf

                        I believe that the idea in this quote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Martin Luther King) relates to how if one country is allowed to abuse, mistreat and terrorize their citizens that countries all over the world will fall like a domino and will eventually allow themselves to give similar treatment to their countries. I understand this quote as being a statement given by Martin Luther King against communism, fascism, civil rights abuses and unjust treatment in general because of the brutal and horrible lives that some people during that time had to experience and suffer under. One example of injustice is the Cambodian genocide. The hardships and the pains that the Cambodian people went through during the mass genocide of the people of Cambodia were horrible and was largely overlooked by the rest of the world. The heart wrenching story of how over 20% of the entire nation's population was wipe out in a blink of the eye by Pol Pot. His rule over the country influenced a regime of terrible tragedies and it was only noticed and talked about more than ten years after the fact. Literature functions as a unique venue to communicate social injustices to society by letting the readers experience the bias treatment through words and how the characters felt. This makes the readers connect and think more deeply about the injustices that are happening in the world today. "In the Bluest Eye", by Toni Morrison, "Night", by Elie Wiesel, and "Flowers for Algernon", by Daniel Keyes, each author uses literary devices such as tone, symbolism, and character to inform injustices. However, each writer approaches the theme of injustices differently with their unique descriptions and styles. In "Night", Elie Wiesel uses a frustrated tone to show how the injustice of the holocaust impacted Eliezer. Eliezer expresses his frustration towards God: "Why, but why should I bless him? I rebelled. Because he had had thousands of children burned in his pits? Because he kept crematories working night and day? Because he had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many factories of death? How could I say to him: Blessed be thou, almighty, master of the universe. Injustice involves oppression, prejudice, and discrimination. Oppression occurs when forces tend to hold people down and block their pursuit of a good life. Which makes it possible for individuals to vary in their personal experience of being oppressed. Another aspect of injustice is prejudice. It occurs when we judge a person based only on stereotypes about them, rather than a rational evaluation of the facts available to us. Prejudice is an attitude and can it involves both ideas and feelings. Discrimination is another part of injustice, where the unfair treatment of people is based on some characteristic where prejudice is put into action. Discrimination can be either blatant, where it involves hate crimes or physical aggression, or subtle where avoidance and exclusion is used as a tactic.                                                                                                                              People have all the necessary components to challenge and combat injustice. With the evolution of the internet, information is widely available. Unlike years ago, injustice can not be hidden and they must be attacked head on. The smallest act of injustice can be shown to millions of people almost instantaneously. People must take advantage of resources and educate themselves of others perspectives. Currently, many people lack empathy and say, "that is not my problem". Ignoring injustices is like leaving the elephant in the room then watching it trample others. Being a bystander only exacerbates the issue and prevents anything from ever being solved. To confront injustice, it requires people to get out of their comfort zone. MLK never said someone else will do it. He went straight to the frontline and eventually sacrificed his own life in the name of civil rights. I am not telling people to fight injustice with violence and hate, but rather with knowledge, love and compassion. Being able to know the true causes and issues of the injustice are crucial. You can find helpful information scattered from books, websites, or social media. Make sure, however, that all information you find is accurate and not misleading. Once you understand the topic, you must educate others on the topic. We still have injustice today because there is a lack of general public awareness. The more popular the topic becomes, the more political influence it will carry. Politicians must be pressured and held accountable. One of the most important rights to ensure adequate people hold the power in our country is the right to vote. People can spread the message and promote appropriate candidates. They must learn about the candidates and be able to make an educated decision. To not use your vote to combat injustice is like not using a fork to eat spaghetti. Many people do not realize how simple and easy it is to help. The resources available today are unmatched to anything before. There is no better time to help others than today.

Becoming a Better Politician

                I hope this book I offer here a little summary, can help the candidates understand better the many issues necessary in order to improve their outcome in their campaign and after if elected their work as a politician. Our country need better prepared candidates and also more candidates, we need a wider public debate, the internet makes possible everyone to participate in the public debate, so let's speak what we need, what country we want, what we wish the candidates makes when in office. Now is the great moment of any democracy. We all should participate. This post is a summary of the book with the title above, published in 2009 at https://nimd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-to-become-a-better-politician-English.pdf

               The politician's trade is something best learnt in practice: that is the prevailing consensus in many political parties. Of course it is true that there is no school like the school of hard knocks, but that is no reason to throw aspiring politicians to the wolves without any preparation whatsoever. Political skills can definitely be learned. The Alfred Mozer Stichting, the international foundation for the support of social democracy, has twenty years experience in the training of political parties and individuals politicians. This book gives parties and politicians one excuse less for performing poorly. We attempt to give as full treatment as possible of the skills every politician should have. Unfortunately it is impossible to be complete. In addition to which, exactly which of the skills mentioned are required depends largely on the political context and traditions in different countries. There is no single blueprint, every situation is unique. Whether you are launching a multimillion dollar campaign or working with the lowest of budgets, the tips in this book will ensure that everyone stands a chance. Lofty aims and ideals are commendable and necessary, but in the end what matters are the results you achieve. Politics is all about preparing and implementing strategies to achieve certain goals. A strategy is the way you try to achieve a given goal. In the end, voters will judge parties and politicians by the concrete results they have achieved, not by the promises they made. Your goal should meet these four criteria: 1) Concreteness - the more concrete the goal, the more enthusiasm it will engender amongst potential supporters.  2) Measurability - if a goal is not measurable, (e.g. reducing the number of poor people by 50% in four years), it will never be possible to determine whether it has been achieved, or whether it ought to be amended.  3) Feasibility - goals can and sometimes should be visionary, but if there is no realistic chance of achieving them within a reasonable term, people will turn their backs on you.  4) Inspirational value - people won't get behind a political programme they are not enthusiastic about. The road to success is often long and strewn with frustrations and disappointments. The only way to keep faith in yourself is if you are inspired and motivated by higher goal. A sound political goal strikes a middle course between inspirational value and feasibility.   The personality of the leader is hugely important in a campaign. Every leader has to display qualities like decisiveness, reliability and consistency. Leaders have to be prepared to go to extremes to achieve their goals, without, however, compromising their personal views or integrity. Skills are trainable, but talent, character and personality are innate qualities, and they make you what you are. Politics is all about getting your message across. A good speech is one of the best ways to do this. First determine which message you want to communicate. Every good speech should convey a clear message. Literary devices can help make parts of your speech quotable, enhancing its chances of finding its way into. Devices like these have resulted in some of the most memorable political quotes, such as Roosevelt's "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". A thorough preparation is key. Practice a debate in advance, try to act out the opposition's point of view as faithfully as possible. Do not exceed your time limit. Always build on the strength of your own message. Always keep your own ideas at the centre of the debate when you engage in battle. You can dispute the opponent's arguments and ideas, but never do so without simultaneously communicating your own. Do not profile yourself merely as the exact opposite of your opponent, but demonstrate instead that you have a more plausible alternative to offer on their own favorite issues. In a campaign, try to set the agenda. Keep re-emphasizing your central message. The speed of modern communication can cause a local issue to blossom into a national row overnight. Local papers have access to the world media via internet. And every public appearance of a politician is being recorded nowadays with mobile phones. 

310th Birthday of Jean Jacques Rousseau

                      Almost two months ago, precisely on 28th June, the Swiss writer Jean Jacques Rousseau would complete 310 years old. So this post is a tribute to him. He propelled political and ethical thinking into new dimensions. He strongly believed in the power of education for the whole development of the young. He knew that for a good development for a city, state or nation, it is a sharing development, and to achieve this, an good education, and an ethical, inclusive and democratic politics are essential. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau. The second was published at   https://bigthink.com/thinking/rousseau-philosophy-explained/. The third was published at   https://www.educationalguruji.com/2022/01/rousseau-educational-philosophy.html

                      Jean Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic and educational thought. His 'Discourse on Inequality' andf 'The Social Contract' are cornerstones in modern political and social thought. During the period of the French Revolution, Rousseau was the most popular of the philosopher among members of the Jacobin Club. Rousseau was born in Geneva, which was at the time a city-state. The city was ruled by the"Council of Two Hundred", these delegated their power to a 25-member executive group from among them called the "Little Council". There was much political debate within Geneva, extending down to the tradespeople. In 1707, a democratic reformer named Pierre Fatio protested saying, "a sovereign that never performs an act of sovereignty is an imaginary being". He was shot by order of the Little Council. Rousseau's grandfather supported Fatio and was penalized for it. Rousseau had been an indifferent student, but during his 20s, he applied himself in earnest to the study of philosophy, mathematics and music. At 25, he came into a small inheritance from his mother and used a portion of it to repay De Warens for her financial support. At 27, he took a job as a tutor in Lyon. The Social Contract outlines the basis for a legitimate political order within a framework of classical republicanism. Published in 1762, it became on of the most influential works of political philosophy in the Western tradition. Rousseau offers a wealth of economic thought in his writings, especially the 'Discourse on Inequality', 'The Social Contract', as well as his constitutional projects for Corsica and Poland. Rousseau's economic theory has been criticised as sporadic and unrigorous by later economists such as Joseph Schumpeter, but has been praised by historians of economic thought for its nuanced view of finance and mature thought on development. Scholars generally accept that Rousseau offers a critique of modern wealth and luxury. Rousseau's philosophy of education concerns itself not with particular techniques of imparting information and concepts, but rather with developing the pupil's character and moral sense, so that he may learn to parctice self-mastery and remain virtuous even in the imperfect society in which he will have to live.                                                                                                                                                                                                          Modern political debates often ask how much democracy we should have and what should, and should not, be subject to a vote. Whenever we discuss these issues, we stumble on the famously tricky philosophy of Jean Jacques Rousseau, who argued for democracy, equality, and the greater good nearly 300 years ago. Rousseau wrote his first major essay while living in Paris in 1750. His ideas on education, toleration, state sovereignty, democracy, liberty, and equality have provenj extremely influential. Rousseau suggest that a "legislator, " a person who knows what good laws and morals are, can help people understand what the general will is by either guiding discussion and putting the vague ideas of the people into politically actionable termsd, or by assisting individuals to identify with the common cause that is the general will if they are incapable of doing it themselves. In that case, the magistrates would still follow the general will, but it would not be quite as democratically determined. The hybrid is a model, where citizen-legislators discuss issues and realize why the common good is also their own good when making law.                                                                                                                     Rousseau is the first man in the world who brought about a remarkable change in the social and political structures of many countries through his sound educational ideas. In fact, his thought-provoking ideas such as liberty, equality and fraternity caused the modification of political systems and the development of sociological tendency in education. As he has revolutionised our thinking in so many ways, he is considered as the father of civilization. He has introduced a new theory and practice of education. He has highlighted the evils of society and wanted to reform it by modifying the process of education according to the needs of individual and society. He is the chief exponent of naturalism which has a great impact on modern education. Rousseau was the first man in the history of mankind to preach the gospel about common man, a great educator of the eighteenth century. Hes lost his mother soon after his birth and was brought up bu his father. His mind was occupied with problems concerning education and government. He settled in Paris in 1741 and became a writer. Rousseau was influenced by the poverty and sufferings of the people. In his publications, he condemned the existing institutions and portrayed the oppression and corruption in the society. He was very much disgusted and disappointed with  the political authorities of France and Switzerland. Rousseau, the most influential political as well as educational philosopher, died in 1778. But his profound thoughts such as liberty, equality and fraternity inspired the French Revolution in 1789. The educational views of Rousseau are considered to be new and modern. They are meant to relieve the child from strict discipline, artificial school, social environment, undue control, and rigid methods of teaching. According to Rousseau, education should aim at the fullest development of the child's innate possibilities. Education as such is a life-long process. He states, "to live is not merely to breathe, it is to act, to make use of our organs, senses, our faculties, which give us the feeling of an existence". 

Global Justice Movements

                   Human rights, including political rights is a key component of all justice system in the world. If there are some systems in Brazil where we need more inclusiveness, transparency and activism are the political and electoral systems. I know that through this blog I can reach millions, and I hope carry on writing here every weekend, because in the face what we see happening in the world nowadays, we can't take for granted our basic rights. We should keep fighting for democracy, human rights and justice. This week we all know if my political rights will be respected or it will be disrespected once more. Since 2012 when I wanted to participate of the municipal elections here in the city where I was born and live. I have had my political rights disrespected without reason. And everyone here know that I have real possibilities to win. I have been harmed in so many ways. Once more I'd like to thank all manifestation for my political rights felt for us here in Brazil, you all give us reason to believe that a better world is possible and there are good people in the world, that cares for democracy,  rights, justice, and our human values, in short everything that are worth fight for. I think this has been between other, a big example of solidarity seen in the world, a truly global movement for inclusion, justice, human rights, transparency in politics and sustainability. We all should be proud of this global movement. And you all can be sure that I am measure up to your expectations. ✊✊✊✊✊. This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the incomplete title above was published at   https://journals.openedition.org/rsa/521#tocto1n1. The second was published at   https://www.ndi.org/e-voting-guide/inclusiveness. The third was published at   https://www.ifes.org/issues/participation-and-inclusion

                   This article explores an emerging mode of political engagement among global justice activists. Inspired by previous struggles against free trade, structural adjustment, and ecological destruction, activists have made innovative use of new technologies, creative direct action, and network-based organizational forms. Grassroots activists in Barcelona and elsewhere refer to as a 'new way of doing politics' specifically involves a growing confluence among network-based tech, network-based organizational forms, and network-based political norms, mediated by activist practice. Beyond morphology, networks are increasingly associated with values related to horizontal relations, participatory democracy, self-management, and decentralized coordination based on autonomy and diversity. The network has thus become a powerful political and cultural ideal. This debate reflected a deep tension between two different ways of practicing politics and conceiving democracy. Traditional emphasized continuity and structure and the need for an union with clear membership and high visibility, while activits from decentralized networks countered that rigid structures discourage participation. They argued that future campaigns should be organized along network lines, combining horizontal coordination around common objectives with maximum autonomy. Global justice activists have challenged global inequalities, while making new struggles visible. Global justice movements thus not only growing influence over our lives, communities, but they also constitute laboratories for generating altenatives codes, values and practices. Influenced by the networking logic of the internet and broader dynamics associated with late capitalism, social movements are increasingly organized around flexible, distributed networks forms. Networking logics entail an embedded and embodied set of social and cultural dispositions that orient actors toward: 1) building horizontal ties among diverse, autonomous elements.  2) free and open circulation of information.  3) collaboration through decentralized and consensus decision making.  4) self-directed networking.     Global justice activists have used digital networks to organize actions and mobilizations, share information, and coordinate campaigns by communicating at-a-distance. On the one hand, given their speed, low cost, and reach, digital tech have facilitated the organization of globally protests. On the other hand, the circulation of discourses, strategies signals the rise of a global web of transnational counterpublics. The internet complements and reinforces, rather than replace face-to-face interaction.                                                                                                                                                                       Elections should be as inclusive as possible, for voters and contestants alike. Inclusiveness is closely linked to the right to vote and the right to run for office, as well as the obligation of governments to facilitate these rights.  There should be no discrimination toward any group in regard to voting rights or their implementation.                                                                                                                                                Democratic institutions flourish when all groups of society are represented. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) seek to increase the participation, influence and representation of citizens in political processes and governance structures. An informed and empowered citizenry is a crucial component of a healthy and resilient democracy. A key focus of IFES' work is inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups. IFES works to strengthen political participation and inclusion by conducting civil and voter education activities via media.