WBO and Georgetown Hold Conference on the Far Right in Washington
WBO Press Release
September 18 2024
A panel brings together academics who research the topic in Brazil and the US
Democratic Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove confirms attendance
The Washington Brazil Office (WBO) and Georgetown University are holding the “2024 Washington Brazil Conference,” with the panel “The Rise of the Far Right: Challenges to Democracy in Brazil and Abroad,” this Tuesday, September 24, at 3 pm (local time) in the Arrupe Multipurpose Room at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Registrations to participate in the event can be made at this link. There will be a live broadcast on the WBO YouTube channel.
The panel will include Democratic Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove, co-chair of the Brazil Caucus; Flávia Pellegrino from the Pact for Democracy; Guilherme Casarões, professor of International Relations at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) in São Paulo; and Elcior Santana from Georgetown University.
The initiative is a way to contribute to an international “robust and coordinated” response to the rise of the far right, said Paulo Abrão, executive director of the WBO, and Bryan McCann, professor of history at Georgetown University, who jointly authored an opinion piece about this initiative, published on the WBO website. “By holding this meeting in Washington, we hope to make a valuable contribution to all those who follow, study, debate, and formulate strategies to deal with the far right in the world in order to preserve, promote and defend democracy,” say the authors.
“The rise of the far right is the most important symptom of the widespread despair in democracy and has contributed to its gradual weakening. Understanding the phenomenon of the far right in Brazil and in the world helps us to think about conditions and strategies for improving democratic institutions. This event will help us find ways to reinvigorate democracy and combat extremism in Brazil and around the world,” said Casarões.
“This event is very timely, especially now that Brazil is on the eve of nationwide municipal elections in which the far right is trying to renew itself and gain new momentum. It is important that we discuss ways to understand and deal with this political force that brings with it enormous challenges from the point of view of defending democracy and the institutions that sustain it; not only in Brazil, but in the US and in many other parts of the world as well,” said Flávia Pellegrino.
