September: International month in defense of democracy in Brazil

WBO press release August 25, 2022

• Bolsonaro's threats unleash a wave of international solidarity

• Universities in the USA, Europe and Latin America participate in a cycle of events

A group of dozens of American, European and Latin American academics and university institutions will promote, throughout the month of September, a number of lectures, debates and other events to discuss the state of democracy in Brazil. The events happen as President Jair Bolsonaro maintains his threats against the country's voting system and Electoral Justice, a month before the October 2 presidential election.

Actions in defense of democracy in Brazil are promoted in a decentralized manner, under the coordination of the USNDB (US Network For Democracy in Brazil), the WBO (Washington Brazil Office) and the Common Action Forum – three non-partisan civil society organizations dedicated to the promotion of democracy and discussion of the Brazilian reality abroad.

The intention is to inform the foreign public about what has been happening in Brazil a month before the election and to reinforce the importance of international solidarity to face anti-democratic threats at this time. The three organizations that created the initiative suggest holding meetings, debates, roundtables, and other activities throughout the month that focus on defending democracy and the electoral system.

Examples of activities

American universities such as Brown, Princeton and Harvard will prepare academic activities related to the theme in the month of September. One of the examples is the debate “Brazilian Democracy Under Attack: 1964 and 2022”, on October 12. Also at Harvard, on September 16, federal deputy Luiza Erundina will participate in an event on the state of democracy in Brazil

In addition to these two virtual meetings at Harvard, there will also be a symposium called “Extreme Right and Democracy: Brazil and the Americas”, which brings together six professors from Unicamp (University of Campinas), Brazil, and UCSC (University of California – Santa Cruz ), from the USA, to “reflect on the political and cultural effects of the growth of the extreme right in the Americas and its impacts on democracy”.

In July, the WBO organized the visit of a delegation of 19 representatives of Brazilian civil society organizations to Washington. Over the course of a week, the group met with representatives and senators on Capitol Hill and was received by members of the US State Department and local civil society organizations to raise awareness about the threats to democracy in Brazil and ask that the outcome of the elections is immediately recognized, regardless of who the winner is.

The WBO is an independent and non-partisan think tank that specializes in promoting cooperation and knowledge about the Brazilian reality and offering support to the international work of civil society, social movements and other sectors of Brazil in Washington, in defense of democracy, human rights, the environment and freedoms.

Calendar:

The information below is provided by the professors and universities involved in coordinating and promoting the events. Although September is the month in which actions are concentrated, there are also activities at the end of August and at the beginning of October, following the pre and post-election dynamics of 2022 in Brazil:

August 30th

"Threats to Democracy in Brazil and the USA", inaugural class of the Social History course at USP. Recording of the lecture available here.

September 1st

"Lies Rule Elections?" Live on Facebook at 9:30 pm Brasília time (8:30 pm EST) promoted by Grupo Mulher Brasileira, with Eliara Santana.

September 7th

"Democracy Besieged in Brazil’s Bicentennial - Reflections on a Momentous Presidential Election", at 4:30pm EST (5:30pm in Brazil) at Princeton University. With live broadcast on Youtube. More information here.

"What's at stake in the Brazilian presidential elections?", with six lectures and debates, starting at 3:30 pm EST at the University of Miami.

September 8th

“The Pre-election Conjuncture in Brazil,” with Argelina Cheibub Figueiredo, at 6pm EST, at the Kim Koo Library - Watson Institute, in Providence, Rhode Island.

September 12th

“Democracy and the new progressive wave in Latin America – from the Bolivian experience to the elections in Brazil”. At 5 pm (local time - 11 am EST), with the panel “Brazil at the crossroads: democratic crisis and electoral scenarios”. At 6:30 pm (local time - 12:30 pm EST), with the table “They're back and they're millions. The process of change in Bolivia and its implications”, both tables at the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid.

September 14th

"A Post-Bolsonaro Brazil? The Futures of Indigenous Peoples, Evangelicals, and Refugees in the Ballot Box", at 4:30pm EST (5:30pm in Brazil) at Princeton University. With live broadcast on Youtube. More information here.

September 15th

“What would a victory for Brazil’s Lula da Silva mean for a Green New Deal in Brazil?”, hosted by the Global Alliance for a Green New Deal, virtually at 12:00pm EST. Registration here.

"What's at stake for the Amazon, indigenous peoples and global climate policy in the 2022 Brazilian elections?" at 12pm EST. Promoted by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, with the Global Alliance for a Green New Deal and the WBO (Washington Brazil Office). Register here to participate.

September 16th

"A conversation with Brazilian Representative Luiza Erundina", from 3pm to 4:30pm EST time (4-5:30pm in Brazil), at Harvard University's David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. Virtual event with open registration here.

September 19th

“Elections and Defense of Democracy in Brazil”. Hybrid event at 6:30 pm, with the launch of the book "Autofágico Brasil - Acceleration and Containment between Bolsonaro and Lula", with the presence of the author, Fabio Luis Barbosa dos Santos. Promoted by Flacso Argentina (Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences), Coletivo Passarinho and Tinta Limón Ediciones.

"The Rise of the Far Right in Brazil: A Hemispheric Perspective", at 4pm 4pm EST, at San Diego State University.

September 20th

March with Brazilian indigenous leaders in Boston to mark the day of President Jair Bolsonaro's speech at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Protest against the presence of Jair Bolsonaro at the UN. At 8am EST, march departing 2nd Avenue and ending up at the Consulado do Brasil on 41st St.

September 21st

"Precarious Democracy: A Discussion on the 2022 Brazilian Elections", at Dartmouth University, at 3pm EST, inscriptions here.

Screening of the film “ABC da Greve” (1990, 85 min), by Leon Hirszman, followed by a debate in hybrid format. Information and pre-registration here.

September 22nd

"Democracy in Danger? Roundtable on the 2022 Brazilian Presidential Election" at Claremont McKenna College, at 12pm EST. More information.

September 23th

Screening of film "Madalena", by filmmaker Madiano Marcheti at 4:30pm EST (5:30pm in Brazil), at Princeton University. More information here.

Marcha da Fridays for Future, com concentração à 1pm EST (14h no Brasil), em Foley Square, Nova York

September 28th

"Brazilian Authoritarianism: Past and Present", at 4:30pm EST (5:30pm in Brazil), at Princeton University. With live broadcast on Youtube. More information here.

October 5th

"Coup or No Coup? A Post-Election Debate", at 4:30pm EST (5:30pm in Brazil), at Princeton University. With live broadcast on Youtube. More information here.

October 12th

"Brazilian Democracy Under Attack: 1964 and 2022", from 12pm to 1:30pm EST time (1pm-2:30pm in Brazil), at Harvard University's David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. Virtual event with open registration here.