320th Birthday of Voltaire

              Last month, precisely on 21st, the French writer known by Voltaire would complete 320 years-old, so this post is a tribute to this very important writer for the human rights and education. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire. The second was published at https://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap4d.html .The third was published http://francois-marie-voltaire.wikispaces.com/Main+Ideas+and+Contributions+to+Enlightenment. The fourth http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/dickeymf/Philosophical_Foundations_of_the_En.

       François Marie Arouet (Voltaire) was born in Paris and died in the same city with 83 years-old. He was an enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state. The youngest of the five children, his father was a lawyer. By the time he left school, Voltaire had decided become a writer. From early on, Voltaire had trouble for critiques of the government and religious intolerance. He mainly argued for freedom of thought. He believed in the concept of an enlightenment. In 1726, Voltaire responded to an insult from the young nobleman, whose servants beat him. Since Voltaire was seeking compensation, so he was imprisoned without a trial. This incident marked him. Voltaire's exile in Great Britain lasted nearly three years, and his experiences there greatly influenced his thinking. Voltaire perceived the bourgeoisie to be small and ineffective, the aristocracy to be parasitic and corrupt, the commoners as ignorant, and the church as a static force. Voltaire distrusted democracy with idiocy, given the extremely high rates of illiteracy of the time, and that it was in the rational interest to improve the education. He is remembered is a courageous polemicist who indefatigably fought for civil rights and who denounced the hypocrisies and injustices of his time.

          If the guillotine is the most negative image of the French Revolution, then the most positive is surely the Declaration of the Rights of Man. When the revolutionaries drew up the Declaration in 1789, they aimed to topple the institutions surrounding monarchy and establish new ones based on the principles of the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement. The goal of the Enlightenment's proponents was to apply the methods learned from the scientific revolution to the problems of society. Further, its advocates commited themselves to "reason" and "liberty." Knowledge, its followers believed, could only come from the careful study of actual conditions and the application of an individual's reason. Enlightenment writers, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau, influenced ordinary readers, politicians, and even heads of state. In the British North American colonies, American revolutionaries put some of their ideas into practice and in the new Constitution of the United States. The Declaration of the Rights of Man, brought together two streams of thought: one from the Anglo-American tradition of legal and constitutional guarantees of individual liberties, the other from the belief that reason should guide all human affairs. The vision of these most idealistic, perhaps truest believers in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, might best be understood not as a utopian dream or resentful opposition, but as a nascent and imperfectly formed, but broad and vibrant theory of an open and democratic society. 

       Voltaire's main contribution to the Enlightenment was freedom of speech, freedom of press and religion and opposition to monarchy, militarism and slavery. He was a crusader against tyranny and bigotry. He did not want to create a perfect world. He just wanted everyone to know that it could be a better place if we substituted ignorance for knowledge and rational thought. He was a vigorous defender of science. Voltaire had a passion for clarity and reason and he had a horror for the violence. 

         The "Age of Enlightenment" embodied tremendous intellectual and social advancement. It was a movement in philosophy. The result was much of the cherished progress of the modern world, from human rights to modern liberal democracies. The enlightenment, called the "Age of Reason" can be most appropriately understood as the extension of the same principles of reason Renaissance thinkers applied to three major branches of philosophy but now extended into the remaining, previously divinely governed, areas, ethics, and politics. Where the Renaissance was the rebirth of reason, The Enlightenment was its maturity. Voltaire posed an introspective hypothetical in "The Story of the Good Brahman," You see a good learned man anguishing over so many things he studies and he is unhappy about the world but this stupid person down the river, who never cares or thinks, lives with happiness. He asks everyone, if you can sacrifice your intellect and thought and be as happy as the idiot at the river, would you sacrifice? And none say yes, even though they all claim happiness is  the  ultimate motivation. Voltaire was probing into a much deeper question, what is the purpose or goal of happiness? Is it mere hedonistic pleasure, or cultivating a particular kind of life according to a standard of decent human potential and morality? Voltaire's conclusions would shape Enlightenment, "the only antidote to suffering and despair is to work to cultivate the human garden." Voltaire's universe was based on reason, and reading translated works on Confucianism, brought into Europe by the Jesuits of the late 1600's, Voltaire no doubt at least found parallels, if not inspiration, in the writing of the scholarly elite of China, who for centuries traveled from province to province serving as spiritual, moral, and political advisors to the ruling class. With the application of reason to every philosophical realm: truth, existence, art, morality, and politics, all the great progress of the modern world: freedom, democracy, science, would be forged, because in cultures that adopted the ideals of the Enlightenment a flourishing to an extent never before seen in the history of humanity would take root, ushering a period of unequaled material affluence, unprecedented scientific growth and unequivocal individual freedom.

Human Rights Day 2014

                Last 10th December all the world celebrated the Human Rights Day. So this post is a tribute to all person that fight for these fundamental and essential rights.This day we can not forget the victims of human rights's violation, their suffering, their humiliation, and  their search for justice. When a serious human right violation happens, we all should fight against impunity, because this precedent could mean a danger to democracy, to the rule of law, and open path to more abuses. Sometimes it is difficult to gather evidence of the violations, but once there are so many with so many witnesses, we all only have to have the courage. This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above was published at  http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/HRDay2014/Pages/HRD2014.asp. The second was published at www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/commemorate-human-rights-day-rightsed. The third was published at http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/secretary-generals-statement-human-rights-day-2014

              On 10 December every year, Human Rights Day, commemorates the date on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR). This year's slogan, Human Rights 365, encompasses the idea that every day is Human Right Day. It celebrates the fundamental proposition in the UDHR that each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values. In 2014 the message from Human Rights 365 is unequivocal: the UN Human Rights Office stands by its mandate and stands with the millions of men and women globally who take risks for human rights.

             December 10 is the anniversary of the adoption by the UN of the UDHR. The UDHR sets out a certain set of rights that are the basic and minimum set of human rights for all citizens. Setting aside a day to commemorate, educate and reflect on the principles that form the UDHR means celebrating the rights we exercise everyday as citizens, and acknowledging that enjoying those rights carries with it the responsibility of promoting these rights for all people. Things that many of us take for granted, such as the right to education, the right to receive medical care, and the right to privacy, are not equally available to all citizens. Many individuals and communities will be commemorating and celebrating December 10, and pledging a commitment to maintain and improve people's human rights wherever possible.

           Human rights are universal, enduring, and inalienable. They belong to all people at all times in all places, irrespective of nationality, of class, of race, of gender, of sexual orientation, or any other distinction. These universal rights are all interrelated, interdependent, and indivisible. Human rights bear upon all aspects of our lives. They accord protection by emphasising the freedom of the individual from undue interference by the state, by proscribing behaviour that is injurious to personal dignity and liberty, and by according to all the freedom to participate in civic and political life. They relate to fundamental elements of human well-being concerning work, social security, family life, access to housing, food, water, health care, education. They define clearly the expectation each and every individual should have for a meaningful, dignified and secure life. They are a measure and a demarcation designed to prevent abuse of power, to reduce avoidable suffering, and to empower the disadvantage. Human rights must be more than mere aspirations and declarations. Nor are they discretionary, they are fundamental. The central importance of human rights to all that we do is increasingly being recognised. We see evidence of this in many encouraging achievements. Human rights must be at the core of all we do, and advancing them is our collective responsibility. This commitment can unite us, as we demand responses that are equitable and empowering for all. We welcome the encouragement and support that solidarity brings, and remain resolute in our determination to secure the decent, safe and dignified lives that are the right of every citizen.

International Anti-Corruption Day

              Last Tuesday, 9th December, all the world celebrated the fight against corruption. This post is a tribute for everyone who help in this fight: journalists, judges, lawyers, whistleblowers, activists, public servants that work directly with this crime and anyone else that could have done something to help this fight. This post is a summary of four articles. The first with the title above was published at http://www.anticorruptionday.org/actagainstcorruption/en/about-the-campaign/ed-message-on-anti-corruption-day-2014.html. The second with the title of, "Time to act together to end corruption." It was published at  http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/act_together_to_end_corruption. The third http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/articles/2013/09/25/the-role-for-anti-corruption-and-governance-looking-to-2015-and-beyond-http. The fourth was published at http://www.un.org/en/events/anticorruptionday/

               Corruption reaches into boardrooms, governments, law enforcement, education, healthcare and sport, among many other areas. No country, region or field of endeavour escapes the pull of this crime. Corruption drives up prices, erodes business credibility, diverts public funds and undermines equity and fairness across societies. It may be seen in missing tracts of forest, lost classrooms, absent hospitals and building effective institutions. In the face of these challenges, our global resistance to corruption hinges on every country ratifying and implementing the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), as well as entering into its peer review mechanism. This tool funded on the mutual trust of nations working side by side has proven to be a transformational experience for participating countries and is delivering tangible results. These range from meaningful reform to the strengthening of anti-corruption institutions all over the world. But other also have a nurturing role. Business, and business groups need to speak out, and in doing so, acknowledge that a company's brand is driven by good practices, ethical behaviour and sound procurement rules. Civil society is also working to ensure that corruption is confronted. This work is crucial and UNODC will continue to work closely with civil society in the future. On the International Day against Corruption, I welcome the efforts against corruption undertaken by governments, UN agencies, the private and public sector, civil society and the media.

            Corruption is one of the most serious challenges of our time. Nearly all of us are victims of corruption: whether we are poor and can not afford to pay a bribe for basic services or taxpayers whose hard-earned money gets misappropriated. Victims of conflict, voters whose democratic rights are stolen or factory workers who lose their lives working in unsafe building all suffer from the same scourge. Nothing feeds corruption more than apathy, or the belief nothing can be done and it is "just the way life is". This portrayal of corruption allows impunity to flourish, it allows the corrupt to get away with it. But not for long. There is compelling and overwhelming evidence that people throughout the world have had enough and are willing to take action to stop corruption. Two in three people believe that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption and more than 90% of people would be willing to be engaged in the fight against corruption. When people act, then change will happen. The Declaration Against Corruption seeks to inspire, nothing more or less than a global wave of people standing up to corruption and demanding dignity for themselves and others.

              Making anti-corruption policies part of daily life and create more accountability at national and international levels were at the core of a global panel discussion held in the 68th U.N. General Assembly. The panel gathered to debate the role of anti-corruption and governance in the post-2015 Development Agenda and launch the anti-corruption web-portal WWW.ANTI-CORRUPTION.ORG, a UN agency tool led by UNDP to contribute to the discussion on the role of transparency and accountability in effective service delivery. "UNDP has learned from experience that works best are specific anti-corruption measures integrated into basic service delivery systems coupled with an increase in the engagement of civil society," said Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP Administrator. She adds, "development goals to be achieved, not only economies need to grow, but revenues must be invested back in better services and improvements for all people." The panel also discuss the correlation between corrupt practices and key development indicators such as gender equality, youth empowerment, universal access to water, health and education. There is a growing consensus among member states representatives on the importance of integrating transparency and accountability measures in development policies as a way to prevent waste of crucial resources that are aimed at financing development. "Opening data is key to combating corruption. We are opening our data and showing where corruption is, and sharing lessons learned on what we can do to improve," said Heiki Holmas, Minister of Norway. "It is important to focus more on building strong institutions rather than new frameworks for anti-corruption," said Ngozi Okonjo, Minister of Nigeria.

               Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon. Corruption undermines democratic institutions and slow economic development. Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes.

                     

How to Improve Governance

                 This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published with the title above at        http://www.brookings.edu/research/books/2009/howtoimprovegovernance. The second was published at  www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/jun/12/fiscal-transparency-better-accountability-development. The third was published in December 2013 at  http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/16/fiscal-transparency-policy-outcomes

                In recent years, the developing world has seen a burst of efforts to reduce corruption, increase transparency and accountability and improve governance. Needless to say,this is an important and encouraging development. However, the lack of a reliable compass to describe where a country is a given moment, and where it could be heading in the absence or acceptance of proposed reforms, can result in disastrous missteps. The unfortunate absence of such a guide has helped lead to innumerable failed governments or ineffective regimes. This important book aims to fill that void. The book, "How to Improve Governance," emphasizes the need for an overall analytical framework that can be applied to different countries to help analyze their current situation, identify potential areas for improvement, and assess their relative feasibility and the steps needed to promote them. A country-specific analysis needs to be comprehensive, in the sense that it includes the four concepts of transparency, accountability, governance, and anticorruption throughout the cauculus. Without such analytic framework, any reform attempt is likely to flounder for lack of a shared understanding of the underlying problems and of the feasible reforms. The book gives special emphasis to the potential for civil society groups to play a stronger role in holding governments accountable for their use of public resources, and to the importance of developing politically, prioritized country strategies for reform. "Whether one looks at how to increase domestic demand for good governance, how to make government more accountable to the public, or how to build democratic processes that deliver results, the underlying issues are essentially the same....As development actors of various types....seek to help, more and more of them are calling for clearer conceptual framework to guide their efforts." From the introduction.

                The last few years have seen a flurry of international initiatives aimed at promoting transparency in a variety of areas of government action. The Open Government Partnership, launched in 2011, already has more than 50 member governments who have undertaken to promote transparency and openness and to allow for independent reviews of their efforts.Transparency initiatives have existed for longer in the extractive industries and foreign aid sectors, two areas that are both sensitive and very important for international development. In the more specific area of fiscal transparency, the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency has brought together key actors - governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental - to design and promote improved global norms for transparency and citizen participation in the management of public resources. All of these efforts stem from two inter-related convictions. First, that having access to government information, including budget information is a right of every citizen. Second, that transparency and access to information will allow citizens to engage with policy processes and monitor government action, leading to improved accountability and better development outcomes. Research surrounding these questions shows that four main factors stand out as contributing to improvements in fiscal transparency and participation. These are: 1) Processes of political transition towards more democratic forms of contestation and alternation. 2) Fiscal and economic crises that forces governments to put in place enhanced mechanisms for fiscal discipline and independent scrutiny. 3) Widely publicised cases of corruption that give reformers political space to introduce reforms that improve public access to fiscal information. 4) External influences that promote global norms and empower domestic reformers and civil society actors. This body of research shows that while fiscal transparency can contribute to positive development results, such results and transparency itself can not be taken for granted. Many governments continue to resist calls for more transparency and responsiveness to their citizens. And transparency`s  impact on accountability relations and development outcomes depends on a host of additional factors, from active oversight institutions to a free and engaged media.

               The World Bank is launching a new Open Budgets Portal as part of its efforts to advance fiscal transparency and open data arround the world. High-quality budget data that can be easily accessed, visually compelling and used by a wide variety of stakeholders is essential to inform the decision making processes around public expenditures, and help citizens know how and where governments are spending their money. The Portal showcases a subset of countries that have released their entire public spending datasets and are dissemination them in accessible formats. This information will help evidence-based monitoring, analysis, and advocacy so citizens can hold their governments accountable for more efficient spending and improved services. Access to quality data supports the work of governments, civil society, media and development partners.

Culture Matters

             This post is a summary of an article with the title above, written by Former President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias and published in February 2011 at  http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67202/oscar-arias/culture-matters  

            Nearly two centuries after the countries of Latin America gained their independence from Spain and Portugal, not one of them is developed. Where have they gone wrong? Why have countries in other regions, once far behind, managed to achieve relatively quickly results that Latin America countries have aspired to for so long? Many in the region respond to such questions with conspiracy theories or self-pitying excuse. They blame the Spanish empire, or the American empire. They say that financial institutions have schemed to hold the region back, that globalization was designed to keep it in the shadows. In short, they place the blame for underdevelopment anywhere but on Latin America itself. The truth is that so much time has passed since independence that Latin Americans have lost the right to use others as the excuse for their own failures. Various outside powers have indeed affected the region`s fate. But that is true for every region of the world. Latin America nations began with conditions equal to, or even better than, those prevailing elsewhere. We are ones who fell behind. When Harvard University opened its doors in 1636, there were already well-established universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru. In 1820, the GDP of Latin America as a whole was 12.5% greater than that of the U.S. Today, with a population of about 560 million, some 250 million more than U.S. the region has a GDP that is only 29% of its northern neighbor. Tired of empty words and meaningless promises, people in the region are disillusioned with politics in general. Recognizing their own share of responsibility for the situation, however, could be the start of rewriting history. The key is accepting that four regional cultural traits are obstacles that need to be overcome for development to succeed: resistance to change, absence of confidence, fragile democratic norms, and a soft spot for militarism. Latin Americans glorify their past and instead of a culture of improvement, they have promoted a culture of preservation of the status quo. Constant, patient reform, compatible with democratic stability is unsatisfying. Latin Americans preferring a certain present to an uncertain future. Some of this is only natural, entirely human. But the fear is paralyzing, it generates not only anxiety but also paralysis. To make matters worse, the region`s political leaders rarely have the patience or the skill to walk their people through the processes of reform. In a democracy, a leader must be the teacher, someone eager to respond to doubts and questions and explain the need for and the benefits of a new course. But too often in Latin America, leaders justify themselves with a simple "because I say so." Latin America has more controllers than entrepreneurs. The region lacks effective mechanisms to support innovative projects. Someone seeking to start a new business must begin by wading through waves of bureaucracy and arbitrary requirements. Entrepreneurs get minimal praise or cultural reinforcement, little legal protection, and scarce academic support. The region`s universities, meanwhile, are turning out the kinds of professionals that development demands. Latin America graduates six professionals in the social sciences for every two in engineering and every one in the exact sciences. Visiting a Latin American university is like traveling to the past, to an era in which Russia and China had yet to embrace capitalism. Instead of giving students practical tools, such as technological and language skills, to help them succeed in a globalized world, many schools devote themselves to teaching authors no one reads and repeating doctrines in which no one believes. For development to occur, this has to change. Latin America countries must begin to reward innovators and creators. Their universities must reform their academic offerings and invest in science and technology. They must attract investment and promote the tranfer of knowledge. The second obstacle is the absence of confidence. No development project can prosper in a place where suspicion reigns, the success of others is viewed with misgiving, and creativity and drive are met with wariness. Latin americans doubt the true intentions of all those cross their paths. We believe that everyone has a secret agenda and that it is better not to get too involved in collective efforts.  We are captives to a prisoner`s dilemma in which each person contributes as little as possible to the common interest. It has been said that legal security is the protection of trust. They must be able to antecipate the legal consequences of their actions. The third obstacle blocking development is the fragility of the commitment to democracy. To be sure, with the exception of Cuba, the region is entirely democratic today. But the truth is that the victory is incomplete. Despite carefully crafted constitutions, Latin America still has a soft spot for authoritarianism. If Latin American democracies do not live up to their political and economic promise, if their citizens` hopes remain deferred, then authoritarianism will rise again. The way to prevent that is show the public that democracy works, that it truly can build more prosperous societies. Moving beyond political sclerosis, becoming more responsive to citizens`demands and generating fiscal resources. Increasing public income is no sufficient, those funds must also be spent wisely, to promote human development. Each year, the region spends $60 billion on arms and soldiers, double what it spent just five years ago. Why? Who is going to attack whom? The enemies of the people in the region are hunger, ignorance, disease and crime. They are internal, and they can be defeated only through smart public policy. Latin Americans must look in the mirror and confront the reality that many of our problems lie in ourselves. We must lose our fear of change. We must embrace entrepreneuship. We must learn to trust. we must strengthen our commitment to democracy. Only then will the region attain the development it has so long sought.

120th Birthday of Aldous Huxley

             A little more than four months ago, precisely on July 26th, the British writer Aldous Huxley would complete 120 years-old, so this post is a tribute to him. His writing contributed to reinforce the importance of education, an effective and inclusive democracy and human rights. This post is a summary of three articles. The first published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley. The second was published at http://answerparty.com/question/answer/what-is-a-brave-new-world-by-aldous-huxley-about. The third was published at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/themes.html. The quotes were published at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/aldous_huxley.html

      Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He is best known for his dystopian novel "Brave New World" and the book, "The doors of Perception", which recalls experiences when taking a psychedelic drug. He also published a lot of essays, short stories, poetry, travel books and scripts. He spent the later part of his life in Los Angeles, from 1937 until his death. Huxley married Maria Nys, a Belgian in 1919. They had one child, Matthew, who had a career as an author and prominent epidemiologist. In 1956, he married Laura Archera, an author who wrote his biography. In 1960, Huxley was diagnosed with cancer and, in the years that followed, with his health deteriorating, he wrote the utopian novel "Island"  and gave lectures on Human Potentialities, which were fundamental to the forming of the human potential movement. Despite his interest in spirituality and mysticism, he called himself an agnostic. Huxley was a humanist and pacifist. He became deeply concerned that human rights become subjugated through the sophisticsted use of the mass media or mood-altering drugs or misapplication of sophisticated technology. In 1937 he pubished "Ends and Means" where he examines the fact that although most people in modern civilisation agree that they want a world of "liberty, peace, justice, and brotherly love", they have not been able to agree on how to achieve it. During 1939, Huxley started to earn a substantial income as a Hollywood screenwriter, and he used much of it to bring over Jewish, left-wing writer and artist refugees from Hitler`s Germany to the U.S. In 1949, Huxley wrote to George Orwell, author of "1984" congratulating him on "how fine and how profoundly important the book is." Huxley had deeply felt apprehensions about the future the world might make for itself. From these, he made some warnings in his writings and talks. Huxley outlined several major concerns: the dangers of world overpopulation; the tendency toward distinctly hierarchical social organisation; the importance of evaluating the use of technology in mass societies susceptible to wily persuasion.                                                                                            The book "Brave New World" is about the use of technology to control society and the dangers of an all-powerful state. It is published at 1932 and set in London in the year of 2540. The novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and operant conditioning that combine to profoundly change society. In literature, especially in science fiction, genetic engineering has been used as a theme or a plot device in many stories. In 1999, the Modern Library, an American publishing company that polled its editorial board to find the best 100 novels of the 20th century. They ranked "Brave New World",  fifth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the last century. "Ulysses" by James Joyce topped the list.

       The main themes of this dystopian novels are: the use of technology to control society. The book warns of the dangers of giving the state absolute control over new and powerful technologies. Including medical, biological and psychological tech. At the same time, however censor and limits some technologies that could be used as threatening to the state`s control. The consumer society, in which individual happiness is defined as the ability to satisfy needs. The incompatibility of happiness and truth. The novel is full of characters who do everything they can to avoid facing the truth about their own situation. The state prioritizes happiness at the expense of truth by design: people think that they are better with happiness than with truth. What are these two abstract entities that the state in this novel juxtaposes? It seems clear enough that happiness refers to the immediate gratification of citizens desire for food, sex, drugs, and other consumer items. It is less clear what the state means by truth. Truth and individuality thus become entwined in the novel`s thematic structure.The main theme is All-powerful State. Like George Orwell`s 1984, this novel depicts a dystopia in which an all-powerful state controls the behaviors and actions of its people in order to preserve its own stability and power. But a major difference between the two is that , whereas in 1984 control is maintained by constant surveillance, secret police and torture, power in Brave New World is maintained through technological interventions that start before birth and last until death.  Below there are some quotes from Huxley.

  "Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself,

to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting."

            

                   "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."

        "It is with bad sentiments that one makes good novels."

Teaching Human Rights

               This post is a summary of a teaching material published at http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/visitors/shared/documents/pdfs/Pub_United%20Nations_ABC_human%20rights.pdf

         Teaching Human Rights talks about us as human beings. It talks about the process of teaching and learning the significance of the inherent "dignity and worth of the human person" which is the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, preamble). And it talks about the rights that belongs to us all. These are lessons for life. In this sense, human rights education means not only teaching and learning about human rights, but also for human rights: its fundamental role is to empower individuals to defend their own rights and those of others. The realization of human rights is our common responsibility, and its achievement is entirely dependent on the contribution that each and everyone will be willing to make. Human rights may be generally defined as those rights which are inherent in our nature. They are based on humankind`s increasing demand for a life in which the inherent dignity and worth of each human being are accorded respect and protected. Their denial is not only an individual tragedy but also creates conditions of social and political unrest, sowing the seeds of violence and conflict within and between societies and nations. Since the adoption of the UDHR, human rights have become central to the work of the United Nations. Within the United Nations system, human rights are furthered by a myriad of different mechanisms and procedures. Not least of these activities to promote human rights is human rights education. The U.N. assembly affirmed that "human rights education should involve more than the provision of information and should constitute a comprehensive life-long process by which people in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies. Central to this text is the idea that teaching about human rights is not enough. For this reason the largest part of this text consists of activities. These create opportunities for students and teachers to examine the basic elements that make up human rights - life, justice, freedom, equality and the destructive character of deprivation, suffering and pain - and then to use them to work out what they truly think and feel about a wide range of real-world issues. Teachers carries a great responsibility for communication of the human rights message. Opportunities to do this may vary: human rights themes may be infused into existing school subjects, such as history, literature, arts, geography, or may have a specific course allocated to them. Human rights education may also be pursued through less formal education arenas such as after-school activities and youth forums. Ideally, a human rights culture should be built into the whole curriculum, as part of the established curriculum in the social and economic sciences and humanities. The history of human rights tells a detailed story of efforts made to define the basic dignity and worth of the human being and his or her most fundamental entitlements. These efforts continue to this day. Research has shown that some upper primary and secondary school students suffer from lack of confidence that limits their ability to socialize with others. It is difficult to care about someone else`s rights when you do not expect to have any yourself. Where this is the case, teaching for human rights could require going back to the beginning and teaching confidence and tolerance first.The focus of human rights education is not outward but also inward on personal values, attitudes and behaviour. For the basic principles of a human rights culture to survive, people must continue to see a point in defending them: "I have a right to this. It is not just what I need. It is my right."  Unless people have the chance to work out such reasons for themselves, they will not claim their rights when they are with-held or taken away, or feel responsibility to defend the rights of others. At its most complex, hypocrisy raises profound questions about how to protect and promote the human dignity. The fact that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have global validity and applicability is very important for teachers. By promoting human rights standards, the teacher can honestly say that he or she is not preaching. Teachers have a second challenge, however: to teach in such a way as to respect human rights in the school itself. For learning to have practical benefit, students need not only to learn about human rights but to learn in an environment that models them. This means avoiding any hipocrisy. At its simplest, hypocrisy refers to situations where what a teacher is teaching is clearly at odds with how he or she is teaching it. A human rights culture attempts to define principles for the positive conduct of all human behaviour. What follows are issues involved in realizing these principles. As some of these issues may prove to be controversial, the teacher`s sensitivity and discretion are required. Teachers who want to concentrate on specific issues ( e.g. world development, prisoners of conscience, privacy, anti-racism or anti-sexism ) should present them in a human rights context. This general understanding will provide depth. Teachers who specialize in different aspects of human rights should work side by side to provide understanding in depth.     

Day of Teachers 2014

               Last Wednesday, October 15th all the Brazil celebrated the day of teachers. So this post is a tribute to these very important professionals. Many times do not so recognized as they should be. This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title of, "World Teachers` Day 2014." Published in October at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-teachersday-2014 .    The second with the title of, "Value teachers as much as education." This article was published in March of 2014  at http://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/commentary/20140315-value-teachers-as-much-as-educat

                Teachers are an investment for the future of countries. What today`s children will face in adult life can not be predicted and so the teachers of today and tomorrow need the skills, knowledge and support that will enable them to meet the diverse learning needs of every girl and boy. This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of World Teachers`Day. The day commemorates the adoption of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers in 1966. This recommendation is morally binding for all countries. In many countries, the quality of education is undermined by a deficit of teachers. 1.4 million teachers are missing in classrooms by 2015, according to the UNESCO. Added to the challenge of numbers is one of quality: all too often, teachers work without resources or proper training. It is essential that teachers remain a priority. The Global Thematic Consultation on Education in the Post-2015 Development Agenda states the essential for supporting teachers` effectiveness: 1) good conditions of employment, including appropriate contracts and salaries, and prospects for career progression and promotion;  2) good conditions in the work environment, based on creating schools contexts that are conducive to teaching;  3) high-quality training for teachers, based on respect for human rights and the principles of inclusive education. 4)  effective management, including teacher recruitment and deployment. The international community and governments need to stand united to support teachers and quality learning worldwide, but especially in those countries where the highest number of out-of-school children exists. This Teachers` day UNESCO and its partners invite all to help spread the message that invest in teachers is key. After all, an education system is only as good as its teachers.

              I am a high school student, and my university search has begun, and this include questions about our anticipated university majors and career plans. The way people react to our answers provides important insights into societal values: When young people say they aspire to be physicians, lawyers, or scientists, are they assumed to be intelligent and ambitious? What about those who want to be teachers? When I have revealed that this is my plan, I have been met with a less than enthusiastic response. Sometimes it seems like my years of hard work and diligence in school have been reduced to this one question, and my answer leaves some unimpressed. I have been taught to value my teachers and that education is sacred. Yet my interest in education as a career does not seem to be celebrated by society, nor necessarily seen as a positive reflection of my intellect or academic achievements. Could it be possible that the lack of respect for the profession is a driving force behind the underperformance of our nation`s education system? One country with different values and better results than ours is Finland. In PISA tests Finland has achieved strong results. Finland is often studied because of its focus on reforming its education system, a process that began in the 1980s and culminated in its current status as one of the top-performing education system in the world. One obvious cultural difference between Finland and the U.S. is the respect shown for individuals in the teaching profession. It is said that Finnish teachers are looked upon as favorably as doctors, engineers and economists. This is reflected in their compensation. In Finland, there is more non-teaching classroom time, and this time is spent on lessons plans, discussions with other teachers, curriculum development, and so on. This foster the culture of a learning community in which continual improvement and professional development are encouraged. Research shows that countries with the best scholastic performance typically pay teachers a higher wage than countries with lower performance. Countries that have succeeded in raising the status of teaching as a profession have done so not only by increasing compensation but also by giving teachers a voice in educational reform. The education of our children should be one of our top priorities, especially given our academic outcomes relative to those of other countries. Perhaps the answer to the concerns about our education system is a simple one: Our society should value teachers as much as we ask our students to value education. A shift in the collective attitude toward teaching may be surprisingly beneficial. 

Privacy From State Snooping Defines a True Democracy

              This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title above was published in April of 2012, at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/03/privacy-state-snooping-true-democracy. The second was published in August 2012 at  http://www.salon.com/2012/08/05/privacy_why_it_matters_much_more_than_you_think/

           As we welcome the glimmers of democracy in Burma and applaud the heroic struggle for freedom and rights in countries such as Russia, China and Syria, it beggars belief that Britain now contemplates a law that will allow police and security services to access data from every phone call, email, internet connection and text message, without a warrant. The millions who suffer under dictatorships will be astonished that we are about to let slip, with so little protest, the freedoms for which they continue to sacrifice so much. Privacy from state snooping is the defining quality of any true democracy. If the bill next month is made law, Britain will overnight become a substantially less free country, our status as one of the beacons of freedom seriously diminished. This is among the most serious threats to freedom proposed anywhere in the democratic world. It compete with the very worst authoritarian laws and the last government`s morbid obsession with personal information. Those promoting the law, which will allow real-time surveillance of a person`s communications and their web usage, insist that the state only wants to know who is calling who, and the content of message, emails will remain private. It is an assurance that should be treated with the greatest scepticism for two reasons. The law of function creep means that opressive measures passed to address terrorism and crime are invariably deployed in much less threatening contexts. For example, the spread of surveillance under the last government`s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act resulted in local councils using counter-terror methods to mount undercover operations against fly-tippers and those suspected of lying in school applications. Once the police have these powers to insist that internet and phone companies hand over our data without our knowledge, it will be a short step for the same people to argue that they need to start reading our communications. These things ought to be a deal-breaker for the coalition because they go against everything Liberals Democrats they believed before the last election, and indeed against the coalition agreement itself, which placed an emphasis on privacy and civil liberties. Perhaps one thing in the politicians defence is that both the surveillance bill and the proposal to greatly increase secret hearings were inspired by civil servants and agency heads, rather than politicians: this is the agenda of the unelected officials who never have to go before the electorate and can run their affairs without being inconvenienced by too much public scrutiny. The bill, if becomes law, will vastly increase state power, which is why officials have been lobbying for measures like these. Politicians are there to defend us against such people. When the head of MI5 (Military Intelligence section 5), United Kingdom Security Agency, Jonathan Evans, make these suggestions, they should be told in no uncertain terms that they are unacceptable in a democracy. It is worth fighting in an age when google and the phone companies know so much about us already? The answer comes from the german philosopher Wolfgang Sofsky, who wrote: "Privacy is the citadel of personal freedom, it provides defence against expropriation, importunity and imposition, against power and coercion." The more practical objection is that police and security services are capable of getting things wrong as well as abusing a system that allow such power over ordinary citizens. Given the countless cases of police misconduct and present worries about the standards of Britain`s police, it is probably wise not to hand them such an intrusive tool. This surveillance system is the instrument of a Kafkaesque state that grants itself the right to universal suspicion, while enjoying the protection of a new law, that allows evidence of official misconduct to be heard in secret.

             The greatest threat to privacy in contemporary America is a pervasive indifference. Many citizens are willing to give up a certain amount of their personal information to obtain credit cards, post photos on Facebook. After all, if you you are not doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide? At least that is the logic flitting through many minds. Read it to jolt your imagination into new territory, and to understand why privacy that many of us sacrifice so readily ought to be held more dear. Garret Keizer, a writer who lives in Vermont, points out, "the chief purpose of privacy is to reconcile his profound desire to be let alone with his faith in community and collective enterprise. Yankee reticence combined with town-hall meeting citizenship , reminiscent of Robert Frost`s belief that good fences make good neighbors. Keizer aims to show that privacy, and respect for privacy, are core humanist values that should be enshrined in the heart of any society aspiring to social justice. He argues this against two distinct points of view that treat privacy as uninportant. The first, and by far the most common, regard privacy as a relatively minor right that can and often should cede precedence in favor of commerce and security. But there is another type of skepticism toward privacy rights. To the tech moguls who seems to think we ought to blithely hand over our personal information, he retorts. "If privacy were not a good thing, the wealthier would not enjoy more of it than less wealthy do." Keizer`s observations on the embattled privacy of the poor, the distinctions between privacy and loneliness and the essential link between the degradation of public life and disrespect for the sanctuary of private life will serve readers of all political flavors.  I am not totally sure if Keizer successfully demonstrate the compatibility of privacy and to each according to its need. Yet I am entirely convinced by Keizer`s argument that a society that does not value personal privacy can not plausibly claim to value humanity. This may be a far bigger conundrum than one slender book can solve, but the book "Privacy" by Keizer is a step in the right direction.

Governance Assessments

      This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above was published at http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/democraticgovernance/oslo_governance_centre/governance_assessments/ . The second was published at http://cityindicators.org/Deliverables/Measuring%20Governance_1-2-2007-836890.pdf.The third was published http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTWBIGOVANTCOR/Resources/wpf36governan

            Through the Global Programme on Democratic Governance Assessments, UNDP seeks to assist developing countries in producing desaggregated and non-ranking governance indicators to enable national stakeholders to better monitor performance toward democratic governance reforms. The aim of the programme is to develop the capacities of governments, national statistical offices and civil society in the collection, maintenance and analysis of governance-related data and to assist development of an inclusive, consultative framework for systematic assessment and monitoring of democratic governance goals and targets expressed in national devlopment plans.

                  Since the 1990s, development researches have focused on "good governance" as both a means of achieving development and a development in itself. The World Bank has defined "good governance" as "epitomized by predictable, open and enlightened policy making; a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos; an executive arm of government accountable for its actions; and a strong civil society participating in public affairs. In response to the growing demand for maeasures of the quality of governance, a number of aggregate governance indicators have been produced, such as the World Bank`s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI). The WGI rank countries with respect to six aspects of good governance: Voice and Accountability,  Political Stability and Absence of Violence,  Government Effectiveness,  Regulatory Quality,   Rule of Law,  and Control of Corruption. Since the 1950s, public evidence of construct validity has been required for proposed measurements of abstract constructs. Developing a meaningful measurement of a construct is an iterative process that involves a theoretical specification of the construct and its relationship to observable variables, model testing as against predictions, and refinement. The process of accumulating evidence to support a hypothetical measure is one that involves the scientific community, and as such, an investigator must provide evidence of construct validity and make available the raw data, models and results that would allow the community to make independent judgments.

                  Good governance results when nation-states provide a decentralized method of delivering public goods to persons. When nation-states perform effectively and well on behalf of their inhabitants. The social contract between ruler and ruled embodies effectively delivery of these public goods. The hierarchy of political (public) goods begins with the supply of security, rule of law, political and civil freedoms, health care, educational instructions, roads, railways, communications networks, money system, fiscal and institutional context within which citizens can prosper, support for civil society, and regulating the sharing of the environmental commons. Together these goods constitutes governance, and the extent to which nation-states do not or do  so perform can, at least in theory, be measured. The most comprehensive set of global governance indicators has been compiled by the World Bank and combines subjective and objective attributes. Qualitative global governance assessments have neen compiled through the World Economic Forum`s Global Governance Initiative, and the United Nations`s World Governance Survey. Various regional governance assessment are listed as well as the subjective and qualitative democracy measures. Tackling the issue of measuring governance was the premise of a meeting of scholars, data experts, clients, donors, and policy makers at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in May 2003. The conferees at the meeting stated that objectively measuring governance could lead prescriptively both to improving the welfare of the peoples of the developing world, and to increase in the rigor with which governance in Africa, Asia and Latin America is discussed by the policy making and research communities in the G8, and by civil society in the countries concerned with improving their governance. In this era, nation-states are responsible for the task of governing and providing public goods to those who reside within their borders. Many of these nation-states have corrupt leaders who drain the country`s treasures and provide little or no security, education, infrastructure, or any other public good to their constituents. Measurements of governance could set standards for improvements and achievements as well as indicate where funds could best be of use and where policy might prove most effective. Some policy makers propose that comparative aggregate rating index would act as a "shaming" nechanism or as an incentive for developing nations to improve the lot of their inhabitants, to reduce corruption, and to improve their economies. For instance, Transparency International`s Corruption Index has influenced elections outcomes in Nigeria and has "galvanized" other countries such as Pakistan to address corruption. Although Nigeria`s low rating on the Corruption Index has not necessarily altered corrupt practices, it has encouraged open debate about the harmful practices of corruption. And strengthens the best instincts of civil society.

International Day of Democracy

                Last monday, September 15th all the world celebrated the day of democracy. Since the beginning of civilization, the good leaders and the people are trying to improve this system. The huge manifestation in Brazil last year proved that the Brazilians are disappointed with politics as usual and have a wish for more participation. Including a poll of the Senado showing that the more wished idea from the political reform, would be referendums and plebiscites used frequently. As you can see in this link THE PEOPLE'S TEACHER: LXVI - Political Reform:   An effective democracy is so important that through history so many have fought and died for it, so many have been suffering to reinforce its values and principles, and so many have dedicated their little spare time trying to educate the people about the importance of a functional democracy. The first step to a real democracy is respect for human rights and the constitution. All political system needs improvement, inclusion and renewal because if not it makes too many citizens apathetic or alienates them, losing legitimacy as a result. The internet offers a chance for new forms of participation, transparency, civic awareness and activism. The politics can be better than actually it is, and this is precisely what the almost of two millions of Brazilians that went to streets to protest last year want. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was  published  at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Democracy. The second was  published  at http://www.un.org/en/events/democracyday/.      The third  was published at http://www.idea.int/about/international-day-of-democracy-15-september-2013-strengthening-voices-

      

                 In 2007 the U.N. resolved to observe 15 September as the International Day of Democracy, with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy, and invited all member states and organizations to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that contributes to raising public awareness. In September 1997 the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopted a Universal Declaration on Democracy. that Declaration affirms the principles of democracy, the elements and exercise of democratic government, and the international scope of democracy. At the suggestion of the IPU, 15 September date of the Universal Declaration on Democracy, was chosen as the day when the international community would celebrate the Day of Democracy. The IPU has urged parliaments to celebrate through some form of special activity. the day will be an opportunity for: Emphasize the importance of democracy, what it involves, the challenges it faces as well as the opportunities it offers, and the central responsibility that all parliaments have as the key institutions of democracy. Examine and discuss how well parliament performs its democratic functions, possibly on the basis of a self-assessment, and identify what steps it may take to strengthen its effectiveness. The 2013 year`s theme was "Strengthening voices for democracy." IPU launched an online contest to hear and gather stories from local democracy champions that managed to make their voices heard. These stories were to inspire people to take action in their own community. For the celebrations in 2014, IPU says youth participation has a special meaning for it and that a programme to promote young men and women`s involvement in the democratic process is getting underway. The IPU announced it will organize the first Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians on 10 and 11 October 2014.

                 Democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives. While democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy. The U.N. General Assembly in 2007 encourage goverments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15th September of each year should be observed as the International day of Democracy. This year`s theme, Engaging Young People on Democracy, highlights the challenges and opportunities of young people engaging in democratic processes. Study after study shows declining faith among young people in politics as we know it, with decreasing levels of participation in elections, political parties and traditional social organizations across the world. This applies to both established and emerging democracies. at the same time, informal, youth-led movements for democratic change are on the rise in a number of countries. Using new communication channels in social networks, young people are making their mark on democracy-building in untraditional ways. 

                  One of the strongest global trends today is the empowerment of citizens and their desire for dignity and freedom. It is quite appropriate then for the Democracy Day to celebrate the strengthening of citizens` voices for democracy. the role of the citizens in improving the quality of democracy and in political and institutional reform is fundamental. During the past year alone the world has witnessed many examples of citizen-led movements across all continents demanding more responsive government. When huge citizen movements spring up as a response to socio-economic crises, this is clear call that 'politics as usual' needs to be re-examined. Citizens are the driving force for democratic change and international actors should respect their leadership in building their democracies. It is through citizen-led and owned democracy assessments that citizens can periodically assess the quality of their own democracies and build consensus around an agenda for broadening and deepening their democracies.

215th Birthday of Honoré de Balzac

                        Almost four months ago, precisely on May twentieth, the French writer Balzac, one of the founders of the literary movement called realism would complete 215 years old, so this post is a tribute to him. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_de_Balzac.  The second was published at http://books.google.com.br/booksid=JcFC4oiDmpgC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=impact+of+balzac%60s+realism+on+poli.Thirdmuse.jhu.edu/loginauth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/french_f. The fourth was published at http://www.artcasaverde.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BAaronsonBalzacLecture.pdf

             Honoré de Balzac ( 1799-1850 ) was a French writer, which novels collectively entitled, "La Comédie Humaine."  Which presents a panorama of French life in the XIX Century. Due to his keen observation of detail and unfiltered representation of society, Balzac is regard as one of the founders of realism in literature. Balzac was born into a family which had struggled nobly to achieve respectability. His father Bernard François was one of eleven children from a poor family in the south of France. At age ten Balzac was sent to a school in Vendôme, where he studied for seven years. His father, sought to instill the same hardscrabble work ethic which him had been raised. He studied at Sorbonne and worked in a law office for three years. He always was an enthusiastic reader and independent thinker. "Eugenie Grandet," was his first best-selling novel. The writing was simple, yet the individuals are dynamic and complex. "Old Father Goriot,"  was his next success, in which Balzac transposes the story of King Lear to 1820s in Paris in order to rage at a society bereft of all love save the love of money. Balzac`s work habits are legendary, he toiled with an incredible focus and dedication. He would often work for fifteen hours at a stretch, fueled by innumerable cups of coffee. Some critics consider Balzac`s writing exemplary of naturalism, a more pessimistic and analytical form of realism. Balzac said, "the streets of Paris possess human qualities and we can not shake off the impressions they make upon our minds." This is key to Balzac`s legacy as a realist. His keen insight regarding working-class conditions earned him the esteem of many socialists. Engels said that him was his favorite writer. Marx`s work, "The Capital," also makes constant reference to the works of Balzac. Balzac influenced many writers of his time and beyond. Critic Richard Lehan says that, "Balzac was the bridge between the realism of Dickens and the naturalism of Zola." Gustave Flaubert was also influenced by Balzac, and Marcel Proust studied his works carefully. Perhaps the author most affected by Balzac was Henry James. Both authors used the realist novel to probe the machinations of society and the myriad motives of human behavior. Balzac`s vision of a society in which class, money and personal ambition are the major players has been endorsed by critics of all political tendencies. Marxist Engels wrote, " I have learned more from Balzac than from all historians and economists together."

                       Le Dernier Chouan (1829) was the first work Balzac signed with his own name. The novel follows Walter Scott in its treatment of history, and earned the praise of Georg Lukacs in, The Historical Novel, as did Balzac work as a whole, which for Lukacs epitomized the best realistic fiction in its ability to present society as an interconnected totality and individual characters as the products of larger historical forces. Balzac discovered his vocation as social historian, and created a method of description and analysis that later used in his works devoted to contemporary history. While honing his novelistic skills, Balzac was also active as a contributor to journals. In 1830 alone, he published more than a hundred articles. 

                    The question of Balzac`s scientific vision is not new. It is an issue which has been studied in its own right, and also in relation to more purely literary concerns. In a sense, it is no in fact possible to separate Balzac`s scientific vision from his literary style. He seems to combine a "romantic" vision with a "realist" style. Balzac conceived the outline of his novel-cycle at a time of fundamental epistemological re-organization. "Science" was undergoing a divorce from "Philosophy" the better to establish itself as an independent type of knowledge. The mark of the scientific approach was its objective empirical method; and conversely, the distinguishing mark of the philosophical approach was its association with the subjective consciousness. Of course, these two approaches did not absolutely have to be antagonist, or even separate: it was possible to study a phenomenon initially in a empirical way, before passing on to a more intuitive way. This is precisely what Balzac aimed to do with his chosen phenomenon: the social being.

                 In France the history of novel begins with medieval epics. But it is in the 19th century that the novel is going to blossom to meet its fullest expression during the 20th sentury. The French revolution in 1789 broke with the past in many ways. After the revolution there are two Frances. The novel is the new locus where conflicts and resolution between the old world and the new world take place. The novel becomes the instrument of modernity. As Balzac said in the prevace of his Lost Illusions. " The writer is the voice of his century." Another important facet of the French novel is its political dimension. Balzac wrote what he saw and heard. He wrote about the forgotten history, the one that historians prefer to avoid. He wanted to show society as it is and the reasons of societal changes, because society carries within itself the reasons of its movements.  Around six months after got married, Balzac died in Paris in 1850. He had three goals: First, to reproduce all the political and social events between 1789 and 1848. He wanted to write the history of his time, to be the witness of an era. Second, to give life to all professional "milieux" and social classes. His intellectual curiosity propelled him into studying all social classes. His books are a microcosm of French society. Third, to study all social and psychological phenomena. Balzac started what we call now as Human Sciences. However he does not establish theories because theories incarcerate people. Yet, Balzac is inspired by the scientific theories of Geoffroy Hilaire. Balzac once wrote, "man is neither good, nor bad. He is born with instincts and aptitudes. Society does not deprave him, society perfects him better at what he does. It is greed that develops his bad tendencies."

                   

Brazil Finds Its Voice in Protests

        This post is a summary of five articles.  The first with the incomplete title above. And published http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324021104578553491848777544. The second was published at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/18/brazil-protests-erupt-huge-. The third was published at http://revolution-news.com/in-depth-analysis-of-protests-in-brazil/. The fourth was published at http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/28/us-brazil-protests-analysis-idUSBRE95R0Y120130628. The fifth was written by Arthur Ituassu professor at PUC-RJ and published  http://www.theglobaldispatches.com/articles/brazil-a-crisis-of-representation

              A day after the biggest demonstrations in decades gripped Brazil, protest leaders seeking to turn Monday`s venting of national frustation into a long-term movement, and a wary political class searching for footing in a country that has voice a powerful call for change. Brazilian President Dilma Roussef, said in Brasilia. "Those who went to the streets gave a message that they want more citizenship, better schools, better hospitals, more participation. It was a repudiation of corruption, and careless use of government money." The protests began last week among students in S.P. over a fare increase for buses that many here consider inadequate. Many mayors have already canceled the increased. But indignation has already expanded to a litany of long-standing Brazilian gripes. For some Brazil observers, the massive but diffuse protests represented a kind of  "awakening" of a new Brazilian middle class, that now is demanding greater accountability from its political class. "The fare bus increase was a small drop in a full bucket," said Rodrigo Vidaurre, 24, a student who was protesting in Rio. For some observers, the protest represents frustration with rising costs of living even as the economy slows at the end of a commodities boom. There is no single voice for the protest movement. But there are plenty of glaring examples of what is bothering middle class sensibilities. Brazilians live in congested cities where prices have soared so much that meals, movies and coffee often costs more here than in New York. 

             Brazil experienced one of its biggest nights of protest in decades on Monday as more than 100,000 people took to the streets to express their frustration at poor public services. The unrest escalated during the night as a large crowd set several fires outside the legislative assembly in Rio, at least one car was overturn. The causes pursued by the protesters varied widely. "I am an architect but I have been unemployed for six months. There must be something wrong with this country," said Nadia al Husin, holding up a banner calling on the government to do more for education. "My generation has never experienced this," said Thiago Firbida, a student. "Since the dictatorship Brazilians never bothered to take over the streets. But now Brazil is once again in crisis, with a constant rise in prices, so people are finally reacting." "Comparisons have been drawn with rallies in Turkey and elsewhere by a more networked society with a long catalogue of grievances. Another global link was the evident in the handful of demonstrators who wore Guy Fawkes masks associated with Anonymous group. "Our politicians need to see the strength we have as one people. Brazilians tend to be too nice sometimes, they enjoy partying rather than protesting, but something is changing," said Deli Borsari, 53.

               2013 will be remembered for the incredible size and scope of the social mobilization that gripped Brazil. There have been thousands of arrests and the practices of preventative detention are rife. To compound the crackdown on freedom of expression, several bills have been proposed in congress to criminalize demonstrations, including the criminalization of the use of masks in protests and the closure of public roads. The right to protest and freedom of expression is protected under international law, and yet Brazil shows that these rights are being stripped away in the country. 

                The massive protests that paralyzed Brazil last week appear to have peaked after sending the country`s shaken political establishment a loud message that it needs to change its ways. It´s now up to the politicians to deliver improvements to the country`s deficient public services and more transparent and accountable government demanded by frustrated Brazilians. The protests were fueled by widespread frustration with Brazil`s deplorable education, health and transportation services, rising crime and cost of living, as well as over-spending on soccer`s stadiums. Six people died in the protests, including a young man who fell from an overpass in Belo Horizonte. The protesters used the Confederations Cup to tell the world that Brazil is not just a land of soccer and that their priorities are improved education, healthcare and public transportation. "The political class fears the consequences of this popular revolt. Politicians are keenly aware that if we do not change the way we do things we are going to be trampled on in the next year`s elections," Alvaro Dias leader of opposition in the senate, told. Socialist lawmaker Chico Alencar says the survival instinct of Brazil`s politicians has made them react quickly to the loud criticism from the streets, but changes modernizing Brazil`s democratic system will come only if popular pressure continues.

                 A good starting-point is the ideas and arguments that have been expressed on the streets and in social media. These represent a fresh voice in Brazil, one unrepresented in the country`s media or its political parties, and counterposed to its old, centralised social-political structures. This voice is attempting to constitute new concepts of political community in a context where at present there is no institutional path available. It is a clash of the new Brazil with the old. Many protesters have focused their criticism on parties and the media, two importants agents of political representation in connecting society to the political sphere. This is reflected in slogans like "no party represents me" and "the people united do not need parties", which were sung together with "we do not need the World Cup, we need health and education." It is early to assess the consequences of June 2013, But three things are already clear. First, the fantasy that Brazil has transformed itself into a paradise is over. It is not possible to hide anymore that cities are now urban catastrophes, marked by traffic-jams, a lack of infrastructure and public services. Second, the top-down modernisation framework based on consumption is now contested. Brazilian people have shown the limits of their tolerance towards political institutions that have failed to solve problems in public healthcare, education and safety. Third, the protest put in question the ability of Brazil`s political institutions to accomodate the new conceptions of life articulated by the protests within Brazil`s political community.

                   

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.