60th Anniversary of the Military Coup in Brazil

                   Three weeks ago, precisely on 1st of April, the military coup that happened in Brazil in 1964 completed 60 year-old. So it is very important to remember mainly the dictatorship that followed the coup. Because after of the coup a new election was promised in the next year and this only would happen in 1989. There is no good dictator, if a dictator had great support from voters, he wouldn't fear elections. We all have to fight for more democracy always. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Brazilian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat. The second was published at https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2024/04/05/60-years-since-the-coup-journalism-against-historical-erasure. The third was published at https://global.ilmanifesto.it/brazils-military-coup-was-60-years-ago-but-lula-is-moving-on/

                  The 1964 Brazilian Coup d'etat was the overthrow of president João Goulart by a military coup in April 1th, 1964, ending the Fourth Brazilian Republic (1946-1964) and initiating the Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964-1985). The coup took the form of a military rebellion, the declaration of vacancy in the presidency by the National Congress on April 2nd, the formation of a military junta and exile of the president on April 4th. In his place, Ranieri Mazzilli, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, took over until the election by Congress of general Humberto Castelo Branco, one of the main leaders of the coup. Democratically elected vice president in 1960, Jango, as Goulart was known, assumed power after the resignation of president Jânio Quadros in 1961, and the Legality Campaign, which defeated an attempted military coup to prevent his inauguration. The next presidential election was scheduled for 1965. The strongest pre-candidates were Juscelino Kubitschek from MG and Carlos Lacerda from RJ. But this election didn't never happen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             If there was no popular resistance against the authoritarian regime, there were no crimes during the dictatorship. This is the logic of erasure, which silenced the constant cries of struggle during 21 years of Brazil's dictatorship. The same government that promoted state terrorism worked systematically to erase their stories. "Invisibility is a historical mark of dominance," summed up José Genoíno, a former political prisoner. They had no documents, history books, opportunity to speak to radio, TV or newspaper. On the 60th anniversary of the coup, we all have to fight historical erasure and silencing, besides shedding light on the struggle for memory and justice. For part of the Public Prosecutor's Office, the policy of "deliberate pardon, secrets and obliteration of history is precisely what encourages the repetition of coup attempts. Professor Paulo Ribeiro da Cunha, who studied the amnesties in Brazil explains that officers who were amnestied for previous coup attempts were the ones who took power in 1964. According to him, historically, the Armed Forces have tended to pardon high-ranking military personnel involved in political movements. The same doesn't happen with lower rank personnel. In recent days, we've seen the struggle for memory, reparation and justice. We won't forget the legacy of the dictatorship when dealing with the present so that it doesn't happen again. Never again.                                                                                                            Even 60 years after the coup, the military is still arounsing fear in Brazil. The deposed president would later die in Argentina in 1976, officially of a heart attack. And 434 opponents of the coup regime were killed or disappeared together with him, according to the report on the crimes of the military, according to the report on the crimes of the military dictatorship presented by the National Truth Commission (CNV) in 2014. Even if that figure might seem modest compared to Argentina's 30,000 disappeared, the atrocities documented in the report are no less shocking. Lula's decision to cancel all official events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the coup has caused disappointment and dismay. In the midst of the investigations into the attempted coup of 2023, Lula had no desire to start a new clash with the military, and thought that the best course was to let everything pass in silence. However, his words certainly didn't satisfy the 150 organizations that make up the Coalização Brasil por Memória, Verdade, Justiça, Reparação (Brazil Coalition for Memory, Truth, Justice, Reparation). The same bewilderment was apparent in the words of Iara Xavier of Family Members of the Killed and Disappeared for political reasons, who called Lula's statement "very offensive". Lula also has not followed through on his promise to reconstitute the Special Commission for the killed and disappeared for political reasons, dissolved by Bolsonaro on the penultimate day of his term, despite the recommendation to do so that came from the Federal Public Ministry.

International Day of Conscience - 2024 - Part II

                  It was very good that the U.N. launched this day dedicated to remember to the world the importance to cultivate a good conscience. In 2016 I wrote about the danger of the subculture of the evil called gangsterism or banditism spreading to general public. So to fight this evil, besides fight for justice, we have to cultivate clearly what is right and what is wrong. Fighting for human rights, democracy, and quality education not only for mind but also to heart is important. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at       https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscience    The second was published https://www.usccb.org/prolife/understanding-conscience. The third was published at http://www.fowpal.org/peak-view/celebrating-un%E2%80%99s-declaration-april-5th-international-day-conscience-evening-love-peace-and

                            Conscience, is a personal sense of the moral content of one's own conduct, intentions, or character with regard to a feeling of obligation to do right or be good. Conscience is usually formed by acculturation and instruction, is thus generally understood to give intuitively authoritative judments regarding the moral quality of single actions. Historically, almost every culture has recognized the existence of such a faculty. Ancient Egyptians, for exmple, were urged not to trangress against the dictates of the heart, for one must stand in fear of departing from its guidance. Philosophers, social scientists, and psychologists have sought to understand conscience in both its individual and universal aspects. The view that holds conscience to be an inmate, intuitive faculty determining the perception of right or wrong is called intuitionism. The view that holds conscience to be a cumulative inference from past experience giving direction to future conduct is called empiricism. The behavioral scientist, on the other hand, may view conscience as a set of learned responses to particular social stimuli.                                                                                                                                                                  Sister Agnes Walsh, is remember for her heroism in France during World War II. In 1943, when France was occupied by German Nazis, the search for Jews began. In the face of grave peril, Sister Agnes convinced her superior to open their convent and offer refuge to a Jewish family. The sisters did the right, but very challenging thing, when many would have told them to take the easy way out. Most of us won't face the extreme circumstances these women faced, but we all have our own challenges. What do you do if your boss gives you a task you believe is wrong? How do you make ethical decisions? Conscience helps us recognize the truth about how we ought to live. Conscience is "a judgment of reason" by which we determine whether an action is right or wrong. Have you ever made a decision that turned out badly, but if you had more information beforehand, you'd have made a better decision? For example, think of learning a new language. We can only speak with the language we have, and if we have not received good education in vocabulary and grammar, we'll communicate poorly, and others will not understand us. If our conscience is not well-formed, we are not well-equipped to determine right from wrong. All of us have the personal responsibility to align our consciences with the truth so that, when we faced with the challenges of daily life, our conscience can help guide us well. We can grow deeper the continuing work of forming our conscience well. Although is not a complete list, these suggestions can help us as we seek to inform and strengthen our conscience.  1) Learn - without a foundational, practical formation, it is difficult for our consciences to guide us well in concrete situations. For example, learning about moral principles or researching about a challenging issue will help us grow in knowledge of the truth, this help us understand a little more how to live in a way that leads to our true conscience.  2) Reflect - we are formed by the stories we hear and tell. We may be uncertain how we ought to respond to various challenges we face, but there are many who have faced similar situations throughout the ages. Immersing ourselves in the stories of them can encourage us and help us develop habits of mind that allow us to grow. Stories help us hone our instincts.  3) Nurture friendship - friendships with people who are also trying to do good is a way that we can gain partners who can lighten the load. Conversation with other about how to respond to challenges in the life we possibly can face are vital.   A couple of challenges we may face in following our consciences are worth noting: 1) Indifference - When we are bombarded with news, images and stories, it's easy to become numb to other people and the world around us. Conscience requires us to be attentive. Having a well-formed conscience doesn't mean we have all the answers to the complex problems in the world, but it does mean that we are sensitive to the needs and struggles of other people.  2) Coercion - Increasingly, we are seeing that certain groups use their power to coerce people to violate their consciences. We can see how unjust these types of actions are. Our conscience should be our primary and only guide for action.                                                                                                                                                             On April 5th, the International Day of Conscience was launched at the U.N. in Viena. This achievement was made possible through the relentless efforts of numerous heroes of conscience. This day is meant to activate sincere hearts, inspire good deeds and extend collaboration to achieve peace and common prosperity. This represents that the idea of love, peace, and conscience are supported by the entire international community, and it is all nations' responsibility to implement these ideas. When we connect each person's conscience, we'll form a "protective net" for the earth and for ourselves. When every global citizen participates, this net will become even more tightly-knit and stronger.  Just like a sailor searches for a lighthouse, the compass of conscience embedded in each of us remind us to self-reflect and become aware of our conscience in our fast-paced lives. The compass lead us to overcome adversity, to return to our true selves, and to do the right things. When we have the right frame of reference, our path becomes clear.   The International Day of Conscience paves the way to world peace and love. As we go forward, we must continue motivating one another to multiply and expand the impact of kindness so that all world citizens will exercise their own influence and the culture of conscience will become rooted in each corner of the world.  We live for only few decades. We must make the most of our time and thoughtfully cultivates our hearts. Conscience guides our way to brightness and good opportunities and connections will be created.                                                                            

International Day of Conscience - 2024

                       Last Friday, precisely on 5th of April, the world celebrated the importance to live according to our conscience, this is, ethically, with empathy, peacefully, demanding respect for human rights, justice and freedom of speech and against any kind of violence, bullying, injustice, and tyranny. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at https://www.un.org/en/observances/conscience-day#:~:text=Promoting%20a%20Culture%20of%20Peace%20with%20Love%20and%20Conscience. The second was published at https://www.iofc.ch/day-of-conscience-2024. The third was published at    https://providencemag.com/2024/04/is-april-5-still-the-uns-international-day-of-conscience/

                         The preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that "disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of humankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people." Moreover, article 1 of the UDHR states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." The task of the U.N. to save future generations from the scourge of war requires transformation towards a culture of peace, which consists of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire principles of freedom, justice and democracy, tolerance and solidarity, that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation and that guarantee the full exercise of all rights and the means to participate fully in the development process of their society. Conditions of the need for the creation of conditions of stability and well-being peaceful relations based on respect for human rights. The U.N. General Assembly declared 5th April the International Day of Conscience. The General Assembly invite all Member States to build the culture of peace with conscience, including with quality education and public awareness-raising activities. The task of constructing a culture of peace requires comprehensive educational, cultural, social and civic action, in which each person has something to learn and something to give and share. Peace is not only the absence of conflicts. It is a dynamic, participatory process linked to democracy, justice and development for all by which differences are respected and dialogue is encouraged.                                                                                                                                         History proves that leaders of conscience and love, such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela or Malala can shape a future of peace, solidarity and human rights. Love is not just a feeling, experienced individually. It is also a collective force for social justice, world peace and human evolution. According to the resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in July, 2019, the International Day of Conscience is dedicated to the "promotion of a culture of peace with conscience and love". It calls us to rethink the way we can build a lasting peace based on conscience and love. As we witness the escalation of wars and settle into the normality of deadly conflicts between peoples, we want to remember that we are part of the indivisible community of the living. Non-killing societies and non-violent economies are possible, as demonstrated by the WHO's World Violence and Health report. It depends on us to make peace a reality. On 5 April, 2024, we'll be calling for a global shift of paradigm, and address our lack of awareness of our interactive and interconnected reality, as the present world crisis is a relationship crisis. There will be no positive way out, as long as the violence born from separateness prevails over mutual understanding living together. At this point in the long evolution of life on earth, if humanity wants to survive in dignity, the new cognitive step is to move from individualism and competition to altruism and solidarity.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    In 2019, the U.N. declared April 5, the International Day of Conscience to promote a culture of peace. This day is a solemn time to reflect on what can still be done to combat the forces of tyranny and oppression that still hold so many captives across the globe. April 5 is also a good time to ask if the U.N. still cares about its original mandate of promoting international peace and cooperation on humanitarian problems. Unfortunately, not all members of the U.N. believe in the sanctity of life and the value of freedom. The conscience of over 1 billion people are violated daily by communist regimes around the globe that are members of the U.N. Perhaps the worst example is North Korea, an open-air prison that enslaves and starves its citizens while continually threatening its neighbors with nuclear war. The surveillance state of China, enforces conformity with brutal consequences for those who dare claim allegiance to anything higher than the Communist Party. In Cuba, over 1,000 political prisoners are held captive simply for dreaming of a brighter future. In Venezuela, failed socialist policies have plunged the oil-rich country into poverty while the Maduro regime operates the largest torture center in the Western Hemisphere, "El Helicoide". It is easy to feel cynical when States carrying out mass crimes against human conscience are members of the organization promoting a day of conscience. It is also true that a simple day on the calendar seems to do little to raise awareness of the issues at hand. Nevertheless, it is our responsibility on this day to bear witness to the crimes against those still held captive and to take a stand against all forms of totalitarianism. April 5 provides an educational opportunity to point out the difference between injustice and freedom.