Brazil Webinar

 Burning Issues: The Environment, Human Rights, and Democracy in Bolsonaro's Brazil

When I signed up to attend this webinar, I didn't really know what to expect. I'm definitely not an expert on Latin America, since I spend most of my focus in college studying the Arab world. Even though the webinar was in Portuguese, I learned a lot about Brazil and the struggles the country is facing.

The main speaker was Monica Benicio, an activist dedicated to protecting the environment, human rights, and democracy under Jair Bolsonaro, the president of Brazil. She talked a lot about the assassination of her partner, Marielle Franco. Franco had been an outspoken critic of the brutality in Bolsonaro's rule. Benicio emphasized how this assassination of Franco is especially problematic because she had originated as a poor black woman from the favelas, and she stood as a voice for the underrepresented. 

Benicio spoke about how this assassination unfairly eliminated a loud voice in opposition to Jair in the democratic debate of the country. She appealed to the international community to help, because the playing ground is so uneven in Brazil. 

This call to action reminded me of an earlier trip I've taken to Guatemala, where one man told me and other volunteers to "not forget about them" in Guatemala. That call inspired my eventual pursuit of an international career.

This webinar also reminded me how important it is to be educated on international issues. I don't often think about how my choices impact people in other countries. However, as a member of the Unite States, a country with a lot of economic and political influence worldwide, I have to remember that my choices do have resounding impacts. What I choose to care about can have far-reaching consequences.

Brazil flag via Pixabay