International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

               Last Thursday, 24th March, was the day to remember the victims of human rights violations and their fight for truth, justice and dignity. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at http://www.un.org/en/events/righttotruthday/. The second was published at http://www.un.org/en/events/righttotruthday/background.shtml.  The third was published at https://humanrights.ca/blog/right-truth-concerning-gross-human-rights-violations. The fourth was published at http://acnudh.org/en/pillay-fight-impunity-by-protecting-the-right-to-the-truth-about-gross-human-rights-violations/

              In December 2010, the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly proclaimed 24th March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The purpose of the day is to: 1) Honour the memory of victims of gross and sistematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice. 2) Pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all. 3) Recognize, in particular, the important work and values of Archbishop Oscar Romero, of El Salvador, who was assassinated on 24th March 1980, after denouncing violations of the human rights and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "On this day, I urge states to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated. Let us all do more to protect human rights and human dignity."

              In a study conducted in 2006 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the right to the truth about gross human rights violations of human rights law is an inalienable and autonomous right, linked to the duty and obligations of the state to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedy and reparations. The study affirms that the right to the truth implies knowing the full and complete truth as to the events that transpired, their specific circumstances in which the violations took place, as well as the reasons for them. In a 2009 report on the Right to the Truth Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights identified best practices for the effective implementation of this right, in particular practices relating to archives and records concerning gross violations of human rights, and programmes on the protection of witnesses and other persons involved in trials connected with such violations.

               Monsignor Romero was murdered for refusing to be silent in the face of violence, abuse and injustice. He started his career as a priest during the 1960s and 1970s in El Salvador, a conservative society where few enjoyed great wealth at the expense of the impoverished majority. . After witnessing numerous human rights violations and atrocities, Monsignor Romero quickly became a vocal defender of the poor and the oppressed in his country, As a result, he saw himself involved in several conflicts with the Salvadoran government and with the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, he continued to speak out against U.S. military support for the Salvadoran government and he also attempted to stop increasing human rights violations by asking soldiers to disobey orders. Monsignor's courage and determination for speaking truth and for demanding justice and peace for his fellow citizens led to his assassination. On March 24th 1980, he was fatally shot while celebrating mass in a small chapel in San Salvador. On the 30th anniversary of his death, the Salvadoran government offered an official state apology for his assassination and it recognized that those involved acted with the collaboration and participation of state agents. UN member states recognize that victim of an atrocity have the right to know the truth about the abuses they suffered. Thus, any person victim of an atrocity has the right to know who is responsible, any family has the right to know the fate of their disappeared members and every society where atrocities have occurred has the right to know its history without lies or denial. In many countries archival records and eyewitness accounts have informed truth commissions, courts of law, memorials and searches for the disappeared, all of which can serve to uncover the truth about what happened. As a human rights museum, we will help to promote human rights by preserving and sharing stories which have been recorded.

             Victims of gross violations of human rights and their families have the inalienable right to know the truth about past events concerning the perpetration of heinous crimes against them. They have the right to know about the circunstances and reasons that led, through massive or systematic violations to the perpetrations of those crimes. They have the right to know who the perpetrators are and the fate and whereabouts of the victims. In recognition of the right of all these victims, the UN has declared the Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. A people's knowledge of the history of its oppression is part of its heritage. Knowing the truth allows victims and relatives to gain a sense of closure, some restoration of dignity and receive acknowledgement of their suffering. The truth is a tool to combat impunity. It is a tool for justice. And it is vital step in preventing a recurrence of the events that led to the violations. In marking this day, we also pay tribute to the brave women and men who have taken, and continue to take, great risk to ensure that the truth is told about human rights violations in their countries. These human rights defenders often fear reprisals but nevertheless discharge what they perceive as their duty with great courage. Many have been arrested or face worrying and alarming incitement to violence due to their cooperation with international human rights mechanisms. On this day, I call on all states to take all appropriate measures to give effect to the right to the truth, the right to justice and the right to reparations. These three indispensable rights are at the core of the fight against impunity and the restoration of the dignity of victims. Let this international day be a reminder of the existence and the importance of the right to the truth. Let it also be a reminder of the need to protect those who dedicate their lives to telling it.

Famous Quotes Part II

          This post is a collection of quotes, we can learn something with them, from many websites such as: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/ethics.html. The part I was published in June of 2012. You can see the first part in this link http://www.thepeopleteacher.blogspot.com.br/2012/06/vol-teac-xxiii-famous-quotes.html

" The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings."

                                       Albert Schweitzer

"Transparency and compliance with the law are factors of further development."

                                    Christian Von Wolff

"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people, they are the only sure reliance for the preservation of liberty."                               
Thomas Jefferson

"The highest measure of democracy is neither the 'extent of freedom' nor the 'extent of equality', but rather the measure of participation."              
A.D.Benoist

"The important task of literature is to free man, not to censor him, and that is why puritanism was a destrutive force which oppressed people and their literature: it created hypocrisy and fear.          

                                                        Anais Nin

"Generalized intelligence and mental alertness are the most powerful enemies of dictatorship and at the same time the basic conditions of effective democracy."                  
Aldous Huxley

"The illiterate of the future will not be the person who can not read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn."                    Alvin Toffler

"Arguing that you do not care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you do not care about free speech because you have nothing to say."

                                              Edward Snowden

"Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation."                  
 John F. Kennedy

"Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear."                          Mahatma Gandhi

"Transparency is for governments and big companies, privacy is for individuals."

                                       Julian Assange

"What I am thinking about more these days is the importance of transparency, and the Jefferson's saying that he would rather have a free press without a government than a government without a free press."                    
Esther Dyson

"Music, because of its specific and far-reaching metaphorical powers, can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable."
Leonard Bernstein

Educating for Critical Thinking

                This post is a summary of five articles. The first was published in October of 2015 at http://www.idahoednews.org/voices/students/reading-develops-critical-thinking-skills/. The second was published at http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/wp-content/uploads/DigitalAge-CriticalThinkScience-v2.pdf. The third was published at https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/the-importance-of-teaching-critical-thinking. The fourth was published at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885902/. The fifth was published in 2014 at http://lifehacker.com/how-to-train-your-mind-to-think-critically-and-form-you-1516998286

              When was the last time you read a book? The chances you did not read one during the last year have radically increased. For adults it is roughly one in four, 24% according to the Pew Research Center. For teens, it is about the same, 22% of 13-years-olds and 27% of 17-years-olds versus 8% and 9%, respectively, three decades ago according to the National Center for Education statistics. That is especially unfortunate considering literature can help young adults develop important critical-thinking skills. For instance, U.S. News and World Report recently listed book clubs among five useful tools for developing critical-thinking skills before college. "Students who read for understanding find it far easier to think critically than those who rush to finish," writes the story's author, Megan Moll, a professional science and math. "Analyzing a book requires you to delve deeper and ponder complex questions." My own experience with literature bears this out. In his novels "Jurassic Park" and "Lost World,"  Michael Crichton did not just take me on an entertaining roller-coaster ride. My favorite author reignited my childhood passion for prehistoric animals, sparked my intense in science, and continually fuels my own creativity. His novels underscore the importance of critical thinking. Jurassic Park gave me a perspective on how humans interact with the biological world and what we can do to alter things, especially with genetic engineering. Sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Letters About Literature encourages students in grades 4-12 to write a letter to an author, living or dead, whose book affected them personally. Meanwhile, if you or your students have not found a book that is personally affected them, I urge you to resolve that. The benefits of literature are legion. Reading improves vocabulary, organizational skills, and the ability to read, comprehend and analyze text. Plus it can provide people with historical perspective, encourage sympathy for other human beings and promote appreciation for diversity and understanding of other cultures. Moreover, literature can help students develop critical-thinking skills.

                In today's world, students need to learn critical thinking skills in the classroom so that they can use them outside of the classroom. Though many definitions of critical thinking skills exist, most have in common the active, intellectual processes of conceptualizing, evaluating, reasoning and problem solving. There is widespread agreement that critical thinking skills are becoming essential for all. Educational technology offers teachers more and more opportunities to engage, improve and assess students's critical thinking skills within a discipline-specific course. The power of technology to move students away from passively listening to lectures to actively engaging, and grappling with, material is tremendous. The crucial next step is to effectively integrate technology with instruction to improve learning outcomes.

                 There are several reasons that critical thinking is not being focused on, and the need to have better scores on assessment is just one of them. Issues such as how to define critical thinking, how to teach and whether critical thinking should be taught or learned through social interaction plague educators who think about enhancing the critical thinking of their students. This major intellectual and practical skill seems to be a skill that the majority of students and the workforce are not only lacking in function, but also in understanding what the concept is. Critical Thinking is where students are taught how to learn, as well as how to analyze information. The educator's role as facilitator also encoudages a peer review process, even in the youngest of children, and helps students to learn appropriate responses to conflicting evaluations and opinions. Activities such as writing essays and utilizing questions that adhere to Bloom's Taxonomy higher order thinking are examples of ways to engage students in critical thinking in the classroom. The development of critical thinking skills is not only applicable to core subjects such as reading, math, language, science and social studies, but also in music education by examining musical environment, comparing and contrasting different era or pieces of music, and self-evaluation of performamce. Having students track patterns in information forces them to look at the information as a process instead of simply information to be memorized and helps them develop skills of recognition and prediction. 

                 Increasingly, stakeholders express concern that college graduates can not adequately solve problems and think critically. As a set of cognitive abilities, critical thinking provide students with tangible academic, personal and professional benefits that may ultimately addresss these concerns. As a instructional method, writing has long been perceived as a way to improve critical thinking. Writing is a vehicle for improving student learning, but too often is used as a means to regurgitate content knowledge and derive prescribed outcomes. Writing improves thinking because it requires an individual to make his or her ideas explicit and to evaluate and choose among tools necessary for effective discourse. Building on existing research and on the basis, we conclude that writing positively influences critical thinking performance. Further study of writing in education will be necessary verify these results and discover the breadth and depth of how writing affects critical thinking.

               Critical thinking may sound like an obnoxious buzzword, but it is actually a useful skill. Critical thinking just means absorbing information and using that to form your own opinion. This does not always come naturally to us, but it is something you can train yourself to do better. Train youself to pay attention to the right details. We've exposed to so much information and so many different opinions that it is really easy to get lost in the details. Start by listening to your gut. If something doest not sound true, that is your first warning sign. From there, you can start looking for holes in an argument. Here are just a few ways to do that. Think about who benefits from a statement. Question the source. Look for obvious statements. Watch for qualifying phrases. Know and confront your own biases. Confront your biases to see the world from another point of view. Take other pople's perspective along with their advice to defeat your own bias. Practice any way you can. Improve your powers of observations by taking field notes like a scientist.

Educating for Human Rights

  This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published in 2010 at  https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000016803034e5. The second was published at https://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-2/HRE-intro.htm. The third was published at http://www.anthrobase.com/Txt/P/Pedersen_A-S_01/01_Bilag_01.htm

                 Education plays an essential role in the promotion of the core values of Europe: democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as well as in the prevention of human rights violations. More generally, education is increasingly seen as a defence against the rise of violence, racism, extremism, xenophobia, discrimination and intolerance. This growing awareness is reflected in the adoption of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights education (EDC/HRE) by the Organisations's 47 member states in the framework of recommendation. It will be an important reference point for all those dealing with citizenship and human rights education. A)"Education for democratic citizenship" means education, training, awareness-raising, information, practices which aim, by equipping learners with knowledge and developing their attitudes and behaviour, to empower them to exercise and defend their democratic rights and responsibilities in society and to play an active part in democratic life, with a view to the promotion and protection of democracy and the rule of law. B)"Human Rights education" means education, training, awareness raising, information, practices and activities which aim, by equipping learners with knowledge and developing their attitudes to empower them to contribute to the building and defence of a universal culture of human rights, with a view to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. C) "Informal education" means the lifelong process whereby every individual acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from the educational influences and resources in his or her own environment and from daily experience (family, peer group, library, media, work, etc.) Education for democratic citizenship and human rights are closely related and mutually supportive. All means of education, whether formal or informal, have a part to play on this learning process and are valuable in promoting its principles and achieving its objectives. One of the fundamental goals of all education for EDC/HRE is not just equipping learners with knowledge, but also empowering them with the readiness to take action in the defence of human rights and democracy. Given the international nature of human rights values and obligations and the common principles underpinning democracy, it is important for states to pursue and encourage international co-operation and exhange of good practice. States should include EDC/HRE in the curricula for formal education. States should provide teachers with the necessary training in EDC/HRE. This should ensure that they have a thorough knowledge of the disciplines's objectives and principles. States should foster the role of NGOs in EDC/HRE especially in non-formal education. They should recognise these organisations as a valued part of the educational system, provide them with the support they need and make full use of the expertise they can contribute to all forms of education. States should also promote and publicise EDC/HRE.

               Education in human rights is itself a fundamental human right and also a responsibility: the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) exhorts "every individual and every organ of society to strive by teaching to promote respect for these rights and freedoms." The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights declares that a government "may not stand in the way of people learning about their rights." Although news report refer to human rights every day, "human rights literacy" is not widespread. Students of law and international relations or political science may study human rights in a university setting, but most people receive no education about human rights. Even human rights activists usually acquire their knowledge and skills by self-teaching and direct experience. When people say, "I've got my rights," they usually think of those civil and political rights, which includes freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, and the right to a fair trial. Few, however, realize that social, economic and cultural rights such as health care, housing or a living wage, are also human rights guaranteed in the UDHR. People who do not know their rights are more vulnerable to having them abused and often lack the conceptual framework to effectively advocate for them. Growing consensus around the world recognizes education for and about human rights as essential. It can contribute to the building of free, just and peaceful societies. Human rights education is also increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to prevent human rights abuses. Human rights education also provides a basis for conflict resolution and the promotion of social order. As a value system based in respect and the equality and dignity of all people, human rights can create a framework for analyzing and resolving such differences. Human rights education also teaches the skills of negociation, mediation and consensus building. Human rights education teaches both about human rights and for human rights. Its goal is to help people understand human rights, value human rights, and take responsibility for respecting, defending, and promotion human rights. An important outcome of human rights education is empowerment, a process through which people increase their control of their own lives and the decisions that affect them. Education about human rights provides people with information. It includes learning about the inherent dignity of all people and their right to be treated with respect. About human rights principles, such as the universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of human rights. About how human rights promote participation in decision making and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. About the history and continuing development of human rights. About international law, like UDHR. About using human rights law to protect human rights and to call violators to account for their actions. Education for human rights helps people feel the importance of human rights, internalize human rights values and integrate them into the way they live. These human rights values and attitudes includes. The strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Empathizing with those whose rights are violated and feeling a sense of solidarity with them. Recognizing that the enjoyment of human rights by all citizens is a precondition to a just and humane society. Education for human rights also gives people a sense of responsibility for respecting and defending human rights and empowers them through skills to take appropriate action. These skills for actions include: recognizing that human rights may be promoted and defended on an individual, collective and institutional level. Developing critical understanding of life situations. Realizing that injust situations can be improved. Analizing factors that cause human rights violations. Knowing about and being able to use global, national and local human rights instruments and mechanisms for the promotion of human rights. Strategizing appropriate responses to injustice. 

                 Human rights education is a never-ending process which must be part of life-long learning opportunities for all citizens in all countries, regardless of age and level of education. The ultimate goal is to form attitudes and provide knowledge which lead to good practices of human rights for all. The development of communities where people are enabled and empowered to contribute to the joint efforts of creating a viable society for all, depend on an environment which allow their skills, experiences and opinions to be taken into account. This is true for so-called developed countries as well as for those ravaged by war and conflict and needing to be rebuilt. The United Nations is placing great importance on the education, advancement and monitoring of human rights. Principles of Human Rights Education: Ideally, human rights should be taught at all levels, with methods appropriate to the age levels. Human rights should inherent in all subject, but could be given a special focus as relevant in history and civic education. Special booklets for human rights education can be profuced as supplements, for example to the history textbooks. especially in establishing a new subject. The emphasis of the new subject should be on practice rather on theoretical knowledge.

Educating for Democracy

                This post is a summary of a didactic material published  in December of 2010 at  http://www.mpn.gov.rs/wpcontent/uploads/2015/09/EDC_HRE_Volume_I_Educationg_for_democrac

                Newspaper readers or TV news watchers will find that many media reports on politics fall into one of the following two categories: Politicians attack their opponents. In doing so, they may question their rivals' integrity or ability to hold office. Politicians discuss solutions to solve problems. These two categories of political events correspond to Max Weber's classic definition of politics: Politics is a quest and struggle for power. Without power, no politician can achieve anything. Politics is something eminently practical and relevant, and discussion must result in decisions. Of course, we think of political leaders who must meet standards. There are prominent examples of leaders who stand for the extremes, the populist and the professor. One tends to turn politics into a show stage, the other into a lecture hall. The first may win the election, but will do little. The second may have good ideas, but only a few will understand them. However, not only political leaders and decision makers face this dilemma, but also every citizen who wishes to take part in politics. In a public setting, speaking time is limited, and only those speakers will make an impact whose point is clear and easy to understand. Teachers will discover that there are parallels betweeen communication in public and communication in school, the scarcity of time, the need to be both clear and simple, but also able to handle complexity. Exercising human rights, such as freedom of thought and speech, taking part in elections, is therefore a demanding task for all citizens, not only political leaders. In Education for Democracy and Human Rights, people receive the training and the encouragement that they need to take part in public debates and decision making. Politics is conceived as a process of defining political problems in a controversial agenda-setting process, and both in defining a political problem and excluding other from the agenda, a considerable element of power is involved. There is a heuristic concept of political problems and the common good, no one is in a position to define beforehand what the common good is. The individuals taking part in the process have to find out and to compromise. Participation is imperfect in social reality, with certain individuals and groups systematically having less access to power and decision-making process, thus that requires attention to increasing the access of less powerful. In Abraham Lincoln's famous quotation (1863), "democracy is government of the people, by the people, for the people"; the three definitions can be understood as follows: OF: power comes from the people, and whoever is part of authority may be held responsible by the people. BY: power is exercised either through elected representatives or direct rule by the citizens. FOR: power is exercised to serve the interested of the people, that is, the common good. No matter how long the democratic tradition is in a country and how it has developed it can not be taken for granted. In every country, democracy and human rights have to be permanently developed to meet the challenges that every generation faces. Every generation has to be educated in democracy and human rights. Core elements of modern democracies include: 1) A constitution protected by an independent high court. 2) Governments that have signed human rights conventions are obliged to uphold the range of rights they have ratified, regardless of whether they are in the constitution. 3) The equal status of all citizens. 4) Universal suffrage. In addition, some systems include the right for citizens to make decisions on a certain issue by direct vote. 5) Wide ways to participate. This includes the freedom of the media, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the right of political opposition to act freely. 6) Pluralism. 7) Parliament, the body of elected representatives has the power of legislation. 8) Majority rule: the minority must accept the decision. Constitution define limits for majority rule that protect the rights of minorities. 9) Checks and balances: democracies combine two principles: the authority to exercise force rests with the state. However, to prevent power of force to turn into autocratic or dictatorial rule, all democracies systems include checks. The classical model divides state powers into legislation, executive and jurisdiction. Democracy gives more freedom to individuals than any other system of government, provided it is set in an order, that is, an institutional framework, and implemented as such. To function well, democracy relies on a state that exercise the rule of law and achieves an accepted degree of distributive justice. A dysfunctional state means that a government is not able to carry out its constitutional framework and laws. Democracies depend on their citizens to what extent the strengths of democracies are unfolded and their weakness are kept in check. Democracies are demanding systems, depending on their citizens' active involvement and support, an attitude of informed and critical loyalty. Democracy depend equally on a set of rules and on the citizens' attitudes towards democracy. There can be no democracy without democrats. Each generation receives its democratic heritage, and will hopefully understand and appreciate it, and learn how to make active use of it. The cultural traditions that are favourable for democracy develop slowly. A blueprint of a democratic institution can be imported, as it were, but the cultural roots of democracy can not, they must literally stem from the society's cultural heritage. Political culture can therefore be conceived in constructivist categories. It is acquired through processes of learning and socialisation. Therefore it makes a difference whether schools are governed democratically or autocratically, as the students may be expected to learn how to live in, or under, the form of government they experience in early life. Teachers can bring human rights alive in their classroom through examples they use, questions they raise, critical thinking and reflection, etc, One of the key challenges is not only helping to make human rights less abstract but also having students fall in love with the idea of human rights. Different definitions of politics are possible. A quite common one that is useful for teaching applies a three-dimensional model of politics: issues, decisions, and institutions. The dimension of political issues: in politics, people argue for their interests or about the question how a problem or a dilemma is to be identified and solved. Sometimes people organise themselves in groups in order to express their collective interests. Debate and controversy are something normal in politics; they reflect different interests and opinions in a pluralist society. The dimension of political decision-making: in politics, problems are urgent, they affect the interests of the community as a whole, or a big group of people. They demand action to be taken, so the discussion must lead up to a decision, with subsequent action. The institutional dimension of politics refers to the framework in which politics take place. What powers are given to whom? How are lections held? How are laws made? What rights foes the parliamentasry opposition have?  This dimension therefore includes the constitution, rules, and laws that define how political issues are dealt with peacefully in democratic decision-making process. A wider concept also includes a cultural dimension, the values and attitudes that govern the citizen's political behaviour.

150th Birthday of Euclides da Cunha

            One month ago the Brazilian writer Euclides da Cunha, would complete 150 years old. So this post is a tribute to him.  I studied from 5º grade to 8º grade in a school with his name. The first summary was published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclides_da_Cunha. The second was published at http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2014/02/22/book-review-the-scramble-for-the-amazon-and-the-lost-paradise-of-euclides-da-cunha/. The third translated by me and it was published http://radios.ebc.com.br/momento-tres/edicao/2016-01/2001-os-150-anos-de-euclides-da-cunh. The fourth was published at http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512701?seq=1#fndtn-page_scan_tab_contents. The fifth was published at http://www.wanderlino.com.br/chronicle/014.htm. The sixth was published at http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?

            Euclides da Cunha (1866-1909) was a journalist, sociologist and engineer. He was born in the town of Cantagalo in the Rio de Janeiro state. He attend the military school and become a member of the Army until 1896, when he was discharged in order to dedicate himself to studying civil engineering. In 1897, he accompanied the Army in the Campanha de Canudos, against a rebellious group of peasants under the leadership of Antonio Conselheiro. Between August and October, he was working as a war correspondent for the O estado de São Paulo Newspaper. In 1903, he was elected to the Academia Brasileira de Letras. In August of 1909 trying to kill a young lieutenant, who was the lover of his wife, but his brother shoots back and thus he was killed. His most important work is, "Os Sertões" (Rebellion in the Backlands), a non-fictional account of the military expeditions promoted by the government against the rebellious village called Canudos. The book was translated by the University of Chigaco Press in 1944. It remains in print. Euclides da Cunha was the basis for the character of the journalist in Mario Vargas Llosa's The War of the End of the World. 

           Euclides da Cunha's life met a dramatic end. Of precarious health, racked by fever, half-deranged, he confronted his unfaithful wife, Ana and her younger lover, Dilermando. A gun battle ensued with both men shot. While Dilermando survived, Euclides's life ebbed away, as he bled to death from chest wounds. Although writer Euclides da Cunha is a central focus of The Scramble for the Amazon and the Lost paradise of Euclides da Cunha, the work of the UCLA Professor Susanna Hecht as "part biography, part social history, part nature writing, it is a 600-page, detailing a forgotten time of Amazon exploration and compeling imperialisms in the 19th and 20th centuries. Euclides da Cunha was sent to the Amazon to survey and map one of the longest tributaries of the Amazon, the Purus. Appointed by Baron Rio Branco, Euclides was charged with developing the nationalist narrative that would shape Brazil-Bolivia-Peru boundary mediations by unveiling hidden histories of conquest and settlement. Luckly for us, he was also told to describe anything interesting he passed along the way. Euclides saw his survey position as the perfect basis for a new literary work. Provisionally entitled O Paraíso Perdido, he intended it to be a nationalist synthesis of "geography, philosophy, biology and journalism" that would "unveil the Amazon's explorers, spies, natives and brutal geopolitics". Intended also as a companion work to acclaimed "Os Sertões", a non-fictional account of the Brazilian government's military expeditions against the rebellious village Canudos. Canudos was destroyed, but Os Sertões, however, is celebrated not only for its brilliant writing but because of the interesting change in Euclides' authorial voice, "...initially sneeringly superior insisting on inevitable victory of Brazil's coastal civilisation over mestizos backlanders, he increasingly emphasizes  with the doomed rebels..."

            It was in 1902 that the newspaper, "O Estado de São Paulo published for the first time the sentence: "The backlander is before all a strongman". More than a sentence, a realization that Euclides da Cunha did in a series of articles about the northeast backland. Articles that in the same year become in a classic of the Brazilian literature. In January, 20th exactly 150 years ago, was born Euclides da Cunha. A man ahead of his time, a man who besides a writer, was journalist, sociologist, geographer and civil engineer. His tragic life become book. Euclides died with 43 years old after to have tried to kill the lover of his wife, Ana. Tragedy that still continued with the death of his son, many years after by the same killer.

            Euclides da Cunha remains one of the most intriguing figure in Brazilian literary and intellectual history. A man of powerful emotions, Euclides rose above his personal frustations and disappointments to produce a remarkable legacy for those who seek to understand Brazil. Euclides has become the perennial subject of studies seeking to offer a new understanding of the man and his time. Such analysis must inevitably rest upon a careful examination of Euclides' own works. Yet few of his informal writings survive. No diaries have ever been published. Such sources, however meager, are indispensable in revealing the connection between the author and his work. They also tell us much about the atmosphere of the Brazilian time in which Euclides labored and suffered.

             Euclides da Cunha, the writer of The Sertões, never surrendered. he was a man of the earth, a humane, but fighting man. He was a scholar and an able cartographer; dissecting the parched, destitute lives of the impoverished in Brazil. An implacable witness of strenght and weakness of the arid land and souls of its inhabitants.  He was a magician, hypnotizing us with his words, a explorer of the mysteries and mysticism of Canudos and the spirit of Antonio Conselheiro. Euclides da Cunha was a harsh man belonging to a harsh land. He personified both hope of rain and the despair of implacable droughts. He was the sociologist, the historian, devourer of horizons. He was at the same time, worst enemy of the hated military soldiers and the ally of the desert's rebels. In "The Sertões, the earth is an analysis, a panoramic view of the northeastern region. Canudos is an unkown land, entrance to the forbidden hinterland. a hell of dryness of the land and the men, a secular martyrdom of hunger and ignorance. In the interior of the land, the cowboy. Inside the man in his soul and in his flesh, rest his supertitions. There is slavery, and mystic madness. There exist no adjectives with one can qualify the War of Canudos. Only in Euclides, does the impossible, become reality. Canudos did not surrender. It was struck down while standing. The Sertões of Euclides will never fall, on the contrary, they will live forever!

              Rebellion in the Backlands is set in the Northeastern of Bazil. It is basically, a historical narration of a period of time (1896 and 1897) where the government of Brazil decided to wage war against a religious group of about 5000. this group of people, lead by a charismatic leader named Antonio Conselheiro, did not accept the government as their legitimate and was therefore deemed a threat to the rest of the country. The poor, native people proved impressive opposition. Altough, in the end the military did prevail over the people, and they were all killed. Still, the intersting thing about his book is that it seems to demonstrate that there is more to the story than just a battle lost. Thre is a certain hint of bias on the part of Euclides who seems to favor the militaristic actions taken by the Brazilian government, yet showing sympathy and even a bit of admiration towards the native who display great loyalty to their ideals. 

Trends Shaping Education 2016

                   Many researches and reports have shown the relation of education with other areas, Education has the potential and should improve the students, communities and the country as a whole, now more one book showing this complexity. This post is a summary of the book with the title above published in 2016 at  http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/trends-

              Trends Shaping Education  examines major trends affecting the future of education. This work does not give conclusive answers: it is not a analytical report nor it is a statistical compendium, and it is not a statement of OECD policy. It is a stimulus for thinking about major tendencies that have the potential to influence education. The material is organised in five main chapters focused on globalisation, the nation-state, cities, modern families and technologies. The future is inherently unpredictable. Yet everyone, including policy makers and leaders in education, needs to take the future into account. Looking at trends informs our ideas about what might happen as we better understand what is already changing. Using trends is not straightforward. Opinions differ on historical developments even when there is a agreement. The trends in this book start with global changes before honing in on societies and cities, and then turn to families and children. Chapter 1 Globalisation - In essence, globalisation is the widening and speeding up of connections across national borders, facilitated by technology and decreasing transport costs. Economically, this is reflected in the rise of international trade, foreign direct investment and the spread of multinational companies with a truly global reach. The magnitude of global inequality, the gap between richer and poorer world regions is increasing. All of these global trends- economic integration, migration, climate change and rises in inequality are projected to continue in the near and medium term future. As global challenges, they do not stop at national borders and can not be solved by the actions of a single government. Tackling challenges that require co-ordinated and co-operative responses requires a new commitment to global governance and multilateralism. Education has role to play in providing the skills and competencies needed to operate in this new world. Education is a powerful tool to reduce inequality. It can also help in the integration of migrants, teaching skills as well as instilling values. Some of the ways education can affect and be affected by global trends are obvious and immediate, for example through the teaching of foreign language, global competencies for business and trade, and science. Chapter 2 The Future of the Nation-State - Urgent global challenges of the 21th century, such as climate change and growing inequality, require global solutions. However the nations still play a central role in ensuring the well-being and security of its citizens as well as developing the labor market and economic productivity. The OECD countries face a series of new challenges: population is aging, a thriving economy demands constant innovation and fewer citizens report being willing to fight for their own countries. Entrepreneurship and R&D levels are good indicators of innovation in a nation. Governments are moving to streamline procedure required to start a business, lightening the administrative load and incentivising entrepreneuship. Additionaly, international scientific collaboration is rising as global networks of researchers become increasingly important. Educators need to be aware of the advanced skills their students will need to flourish in more knowledge-intensive and international labour markets without neglecting the development of other important competencies, such as citizen engagement and social skills. The nations are charged with establishing healthcare spending and priorities. Being able to identify and treat new threats to public health and well-being is an important aspect of that responsibility. Education has a role to play in preventing and treating health conditions. Due to improved tech, better awareness and shifts in lifestyles, the major causes of death in OECD countries are changing. The fastest growing new causes of death are diabetes and dementia. The obesity epidemic is real. Education can help by stimulating physical activity and healthy eating patterns. Chapter 3 Are Cities the New Countries? Some have argued that cities are now the most relevant level of governance, small enough to react swiftly and responsively to issues and large enough to hold economic and political power. Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities and this ratio is projected to increase to seven out of ten by 2050. Urban areas attract people searching for better economic prospects and easier access to piblic services such as education and healthcare, as well as a wider variety of cultural institutions. However, they can also confronted with a paradox: they concentrate wealth and employment opportunities, but they can also host high levels of poverty and labour-market exclusion. These conditions can contribute to more tenous social networks and disconnection from family and community, which can engender social alienation and violence. Citizen involvement is an important element of governance. Social media and the internet help to spur citizen engagement within communities. Cities attract talented innovators, reseachers and educators. This concentration of human capital stimulates development, making cities a regional nucleus for growth and innovation. Education can and contribute to this by ensuring that students have the skills and competences needed to succeed in an innovative world. It also underlines the role of the universities as centres of R&D. The liveability of a city often influences where people choose to settle down. Improving public transportation systems, for example, can decrease time spent commuting as well as reduce pollution and noise. Crimes and threats to safety come in many forms and trust between residents and police can help establish peace of mind. Schools can not only teach children about citizenship but also stimulates trust and engagement in their communities. A lack of green space and a greater intensity of people, traffic and industry are linked to physical and mental health challenges. Chapter 4 Family Matters The dominant family model in the 20th century has changed. Over the past 50 years the number of reconstituted families and single parent household has risen, families have become smaller and individuals are deciding to have children later in life, or not at all. Numbers of divorce are rising even as marriage rates are declining. These trends do not exist in isolation. As our concept of family transform, so too have the opportunities and challenges that families face. Public spending on family benefits has increased across most OECD countries. In the last decades personal health has improved due to better medicine, awareness and individual choices. Citizens are increasingly searching for healthier options. Education can play a role by teaching healthy lifestyles, recognising harmful tendencies and providing resources to combat unhealthy behaviour early on. Child well-being is increasing across OECD countries and indeed in much of the world, due to advances in medicine, better nutrition and healthier lifestyles. Physical and mental health is being more carefully nurtured. Still, there is a worry that the modern world has created new stresses for children. Child obesity, cyber-risks (such as online bullying) have all increased in the last decade. While there are a number of concerns, there is some good news: the time students spend on homework is declining. Schools have a responsibility to be safe places for learning, and teachers are on the front line of monitoring and ensuring their students well-being. Household poverty and debt have a large impact in families. Children living in low-income households perform more poorly in school on average due to a lack of resources including books, access to computers and sometimes even proper meals. Good quality education can be an important tool to reduce inequality and narrow the gap between low and high income students, but it can not act alone. Chapter 5 A Brave New World  In contrast to many of the trends in this book that are gradual and often linear, the pace of technological development is exponential and its impact often unpredictable. New technologies have changed the way we communicate, work and even socialise. And they have the potential to do more: innovation in biotechnology, for axample in genome sequencing, have the potential to revolutionise our lives. New tech bring new opportunities as well as new risks, the trends themselves are interralated and influence each other, sometimes in unpredictable ways. The continuing evolution of the internet has had an enormous impact on our daily lives. We can now buy our groceries, pay our bills, watch films and attend meetings without even leaving our homes. We tend to trust the information online, using virtual searches to better understand a phetora of complex information. These tech developments have opened up new markets for the education sector, including online courses and distance learning. The internet has become an integral part of our lives, especially with the development of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Internet users are more and more likely to be on line every day. The extent of these changes has given rise to concerns about decreasing attention spans, digital withdrawl and even a new syndrome: the "fear of missing out". These changes in our social and work lives challenge the education system to take advantage of the tools and strengths of new tech, while at the same time addressing concerns regarding the use of information and privacy. Once used only by the tech-savvy, social media has pervaded all aspects of modern life in just a few short years. World leaders and international organisations have increasingly taken advantage if social media as a channel of diplomacy, communication and engagement. Businesses have created their own websites and social media profiles as a form of interacting with customers. Schools and universities are stepping up their game, creating institutional pages. Education systems need to prepare their students to process the mass of information available on line and judge fact from fiction. New tech can be a double-edged sword: despite its positive impacts, it can also lead to previously unknown dangers. Cyberfraud, hacking, cyberbullying and identity theft are only some examples of new risks that have emerged. One of the most difficult challenges for governments will be staying abreast of the evolution of tech and human behaviour, for example, with an increase in the ease of uploading information and large online audience, more countries are enacting laws against revenge porn. There has been also an increase in the number of cybersecurity certificates and courses offered. Schools and teachers are increasingly faced with the challenges of education and guiding students through the advantages and disadvantages of the virtual world. Technological advances are not exclusive to the internet. Although it might still seem like science fiction, major developments in biotech have already changed our lives in dramatic ways. Biotech is used to combat disease, to produce higher yields and resistent crops, and to develop clean energy.