Building on the B in BRIC – Lula’s take on Emerging Economies

The Economist features Lula’s views on “The World in 2009″
Upon first taking office in 2003, I pledged to end hunger in my country. Under the “Zero Hunger” banner, I put poverty-eradication and the alleviation of inequality at the forefront of government action. I was convinced that without dealing squarely with these two evils, it would [...]

Brazil stocks up, real cuts losses on intervention

Reuters, 11/28/2008
Brazil’s stock market rose on Friday, buoyed by mining giant Vale and banking shares, while the local currency slumped even though the central bank intervened aggressively to ease the volatility.
The Sao Paulo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Bovespa index was up 1.92 percent at 36,907.69 points, with Vale and banking shares like Bradesco, Unibanco and Itau [...]

Dorothy Stang honoured with UN prize in the field of Human Rights

UN News Center, 11/26/2008
The UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights, awarded by the General Assembly every five years, will be presented this year at a ceremony in New York on 10 December to mark the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
This year’s winners, announced today, include [...]

Troops sent to Amazon after violent protests at Brazil logging crackdown

Tom Phillips-The Guardian, 11/25/2008
Federal troops will be deployed in a remote Amazon town after hundreds of protesters, angry at the government’s crackdown on deforestation, ransacked the local offices of Brazil’s environmental protection agency.
The demonstrators invaded the headquarters of Ibama, the environmental agency, on Sunday night, setting fire to vehicles, smashing computers and destroying documents.
The action [...]

Must Read List – November

Below is the updated November “Must Read List” of recent articles published by influential government officials and representatives and experts on Brazil, the G-20 and global governance.
The first five articles are published by the G-20 Information Centre of the University of Toronto in the recently released 150-page book, “Growth, Innovation, Inclusion: The G20 at Ten.”
The [...]

Announcing: “In the Americas,” Southcom Commander’s Blog

Since October 2008, Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Admiral James Stavridis has been blogging about the “Partnership of the Americas.” Focusing on Latin America and hemispheric relations, Admiral Stavridis has written about Brazil, the Dominican Republic and the U.N., among other issues, averaging three posts a month.
Stavridis is a decorated member of the U.S. military with an [...]

Brazil Inflation Quickens to Highest Since July 2005

Andre Soliani-Bloomberg, 11/26/2008
Brazil’s annual inflation rate accelerated to the highest in more than three years this month on food costs, topping the upper limit of the central bank’s target band.
Consumer prices, as measured by the government’s benchmark IPCA-15 index, rose 6.54 percent in the 12 months through mid- November, the most since July 2005. The [...]

Russia’s Medvedev in Brazil, aims to double trade

Oleg Shchedrov-Reuters, 11/25/2008
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, on a tour to expand Russian alliances and business in Latin America, said on Tuesday he wanted to double trade with Brazil and expand cooperation in hi-tech areas.
Medvedev visited the Rio de Janeiro headquarters of Brazilian oil major Petrobras and was scheduled to dine with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio [...]

UN-backed congress in Brazil targets rising sexual exploitation of children

UN News Center, 11/25/2008
Nearly 3,000 participants from over 125 countries have gathered in Rio de Janeiro today for a three-day United Nations-backed congress to combat the increasing scourge of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in all its dimensions, ranging from of trafficking, pornography and prostitution to rape and abuse.
“No country or region is immune, [...]

Indians, blacks push for more say in Brazil’s agenda

Raymond Colitt-Reuters, 11/21/2008
Native Indians and communities of slave descendants in Brazil are pushing for a greater say in shaping laws and public works projects, creating a potential minefield for business and government in Latin America’s largest economy.
After years of being ignored, the groups’ calls for greater power through plebiscites or other means are winning support [...]