Activity In Brazil Research Articles

Evangelical Black Activism in Brazil - Political Liminality and Situational Configuration ,

Evangelical black activism exists in Brazil since the 1970s. Its current public reemergence, however, is still under-explored in the social sciences. Moreover, part of the specialized literature has recently characterized this activism as incomplete – since its actors are considered to be ‘rejecting African inheritances’ – and advocates that black and evangelical identities are incompatible. Differing from this perspective, this article shows how evangelicals participate in the public problematization of racism; it proposes to address this issue with a non-essentialist approach in three arguments: 01. evangelical black activism has reemerged publicly; 02. actors configure their religious and racial identities according to the problematic situations and public arenas in which they engage, which requires scholars to adopt a situated and relational approach to this form of activism; 03. the ways in which they reemerge and configure their identities are conditioned by the politically liminal situation of evangelical black actors and, consequently, by their need to acquire the status of a legitimate social movement and legitimate evangelicals. This article presents partial results of a research effort conducted between 2019 and 2021, in which qualitative research methods and techniques were used, such as direct and participant observation (in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Pernambuco), semi-directed interviews, document analysis, and social media monitoring.

O Poder de Nomear Intelectuais Antirracistas Feministas Brasileiras em Plataformas Digitais

Abstract This article examines the practice of naming anti-racist women intellectuals as a form of feminist digital activism in Brazil, in tweets referencing Carolina Maria de Jesus and Lélia González. The analysis combines the tools of feminist decolonial digital humanities, intellectual history and what has been called “distant reading”, in order to study the act of naming as a set of techno-discursive practices. It addresses the transnational circulation of tweets, hashtag emergence and relevance, users most frequently mentioned and the topics with greater traction in social networks. The main conclusion is that digital practices of naming Brazilian anti-racist feminist intellectuals on Twitter are powerful tools for creating and mobilising social meanings that: (1) subvert global and intellectual canons and hierarchies; 2) take advantage of the technical possibilities of digital platforms, but instead of privileging advertising and self-promotion, they go against platform determinism and stress an egalitarian logic; and (3) form and maintain collective identities and solidify counterpublics.

Human rights under dispute: (de)institutionalization and conflicts between the LGBTQIA+ movement and antigender activism in Brazil

Resumo Com a chegada de Jair Bolsonaro ao Governo Federal, a pasta de direitos humanos passou a ser ocupada por redes de ativismo antigênero que, nos anos anteriores, se opuseram de forma sistemática a políticas de garantia de direitos de LGBTQIA+. Como esse processo impactou a institucionalização do movimento LGBTQIA+ e do ativismo antigênero no campo de políticas de direitos humanos do Governo Federal? Para responder essa questão, analisamos dados sobre transformações na estrutura organizacional, nos programas e ações, nas instituições participativas e no desenho do orçamento das pastas de direitos humanos em nível federal nos últimos anos. Os resultados indicam uma dupla dinâmica: a desinstitucionalização parcial e gradual do movimento LGBTQIA+ e a institucionalização do ativismo antigênero legitimada pela mobilização da categoria de “políticas públicas familiares”. Em diálogo com a literatura sobre movimentos sociais e institucionalização, argumentamos que esses resultados evidenciam a necessidade de incorporar a esse debate um olhar relacional-contencioso que identifique disputas entre redes socioestatais em torno da (des)institucionalização de políticas públicas.

“Many of us are rare”: the right to health and the moral economy of rare diseases activism in Brazil (1990-2020)

This article discusses the different meanings attributed to the right to health in the mobilizations to guarantee care for rare disease patients in Brazil. Since the early 1990s, rare disease patient family associations have been putting agendas to the public authorities, with demands ranging from the recognition of diseases to the development of research and diagnostic tests. The trajectory of the mobilizations to guarantee care for rare disease patients is part of a broader process of social articulation around the possibilities and limits of the Brazilian National Health System. The right to health is at the center of this process, being the Subject of varied debates and interpretations in the political, health, and legal arenas, involving arguments guided by scientific evidence, legal principles, and moral values. We argue that these variations in the directions of the right to health have involved concomitant processes of strengthening networks of rare disease actors and institutions, and of maturing the healthcare system, both converging towards the establishment of a “moral economy of rare disease patients”. This moral economy is centered on the idea that the public health relevance of these diseases cannot be identified by epidemiological evidence, but rather by individual and family experience. We used a wide scope of documentation: texts from newspapers and magazines widely circulated in the country, legislative material, publications in specialized journals, and website materials from rare disease patient organizations in Brazil.

Ecuador’s Amazonía sin Fuego Programme: a strategy for reducing forest fires

After 20 years of implementing actions in Brazil, Bolivia and now Ecuador, the Amazonía sin Fuego Programme has had important impacts on improving fire management. One conclusion is that although forest fires cannot be prevented entirely, their frequency and impacts can be significantly reduced through integrated fire management. In Ecuador, there is now an increased understanding of the need to learn to live with fire, and to protect and manage landscapes at risk while improving livelihoods and the resilience of communities. This article reports on work undertaken in Ecuador since 2017 using integrated fire management, and promoting alternatives to the use of fire in the country’s highland and coastal regions.

Pela urgente e definitiva inclusão dos campos de identidade de gênero e orientação sexual nos sistemas de informação em saúde do SUS: o que podemos aprender com o surto de monkeypox?

Abstract In this document, we present to the scientific community a proposal on how to deal with the challenge imposed on surveillance and health actions in Brazil regarding monkeypox, including points and directions that have the potential to support learning and enable advances in the current scenario.

A call for the urgent and definitive inclusion of gender identity and sexual orientation data in the Brazilian health information systems: what can we learn from the monkeypox outbreak?

In this document, we present to the scientific community a proposal on how to deal with the challenge imposed on surveillance and health actions in Brazil regarding monkeypox, including points and directions that have the potential to support learning and enable advances in the current scenario.

The development of pioneer national policy on adventure recreation in Brazil and Aotearoa/New Zealand’s first review

ABSTRACT Adventure as a form of contemporary recreation is growing in popularity, and seen as a way to stimulate economic growth via tourism, and to promote personal and community development. However, the risk-taking appeal it provides has led to high-profile serious injuries and deaths. In Brazil and Aotearoa/New Zealand, the families of victims involved in fatal accidents demanded that their governments provide greater regulation. National public policy proposals followed. Our interpretive research used observation, interviews, and document analysis to investigate the development of pioneer policies (2002–2016) on adventure recreation regulation in these two countries. Bourdieu’s concept of field was used to understand adventure as a form of leisure, which crosses the boundaries between sport and tourism, and, as we show, is a site of contestation. This study shows that many of the challenges experienced in developing national public policies for adventure activities in Brazil, were also found in Aotearoa. The discussion highlights that adventure as recreation and leisure is a hybrid field, requiring inter-sector understanding in addressing risk management. The market-centred model evident in tourism in both countries reinforces profit, often to the detriment of access equity, environmental and intercultural sensibility.

Radiotherapy activity in the COVID 19 pandemic: Brazil's operational national-level study

PurposeDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with cancer are at increased risk of not having timely diagnosis and access to cancer treatment. The present study evaluated the COVID-19 pandemic impact on radiotherapy activity in Brazil. MethodsA national-level study was performed to evaluate the RT utilization for prostate, breast, head & neck (HN), Gynecology (GYN), Gastrointestinal (GI), lung cancers, and bone/brain metastases. The data on the RT executed was extracted from the Brazilian Ministry of Health database. The NON-COVID period was considered the control group, and the comparison groups were COVID-2020 (without vaccine) and COVID-2021 (with vaccine). ResultsWe collected the data of 238,355 procedures executed on three periods. Significant difference in the RT utilization between NON-COVID and COVID-2020 were observed for prostate cancer, bone and brain metastases (−12.3 %, p = 0.02, +24 %, p = 0.02 and +14 %, p = 0.04, respectively). Comparing 2 equivalents months from NON-COVID-2019 (ref), COVID-2020, and COVID-2021, a significant increase was identified for bone and brain metastases (2020 +21 %, and 2021 +32 %), and (2020 +20 %, and 2021 +14 %). A stable drop occurred for prostate cancer (2020 −11 % and 2021 −10 %), and a variation was observed for breast (2020 +8 %, and 2021 −1 %) and lung cancer (2020 +10 %, and 2021 −3 %). For other cancers, non-significant changes were observed when comparing 2020 and 2021. ConclusionThe RT activity was heterogeneously affected with a substantial increase for bone and brain metastases and a meaningful decline for prostate cancer. Policy summaryWith a significant increase in the use of palliative radiotherapy for bone and brain metastases and a meaningful reduction in curative radiotherapy for prostate cancer, we hope these findings can help governments, RT services, medical communities, and other stakeholders develop strategies to mitigate the impact of the present and future pandemics. Finally, despite the changes imposed by the COVID pandemic, it is imperative to enhance screening, increase cancer diagnosis at an early stage, and improve access to all cancer treatments, including radiotherapy.

Wild animals housed at the IBAMA triage center in Southern Brazil, 2005–2021: a glimpse into the endless conflicts between man and other animals.

Spurred on by the illegal billion-dollar revenue, the capture and trade of wild fauna remain the leading illegal activities in Brazil, and elsewhere. We present and discuss insights into the wild animals housed at the Wild Animal Triage Center in Southern Brazil. Recorded data from 2005 to 2021 were used. A total of 36,950 animals were sheltered in that period, and most of them were common passerines (24.182) such as the Saffron Finch, and Red-crested Cardinal, among many others confiscated after inspections or reports. Passerines have long been the top trafficked species in Brazil and abroad, where birdkeeping has strong cultural and economic values. The totals per class were 29,784 birds, 2,584 insects, 2,237 reptiles, and 2,170 mammals. Since they were mostly relinquished by the population rather than seized, most mammals, insects, and reptiles were probably unwanted guests in human spaces, tendency that illustrates the human difficulty in coexisting with wildlife. A total of 3,085 animals exhibited some threat or risk of extinction, which, as a general rule, grants them conservation priority. However, regardless of class, most animals (31,142) in this study were rated as least concern on the red lists, a trend in wildlife trafficking linked to the category criteria of being widely distributed species with abundant populations, and often, in close contact with human neighbors. Maintaining an abundance of common and nonthreatened species can be justified by the greater extent of their ecosystem services, from a local to global scale. Our results further highlight the urgent need to change our ways of interacting with wildlife.

Bottom out: A comparative analysis of decommissioning activity in Brazil and in other jurisdictions

Bottom out: A comparative analysis of decommissioning activity in Brazil and in other jurisdictions

Policy options to regulate timber and agricultural supply-chains for legality and sustainability: The case of the EU and Brazil

The need for further ambitious global action to reverse the trend of tropical deforestation and forest degradation and associated human rights concerns is evident. A range of transnational and European Union (EU) regulatory trade policy instruments and market governance mechanisms have been established to achieve these goals. However, illegal timber and forest-risk agricultural commodities continue to be traded internationally. Both the EU and Brazil are part of the problem but can also offer solutions to mitigate the risks of trading illegal timber and forest-risk agricultural commodities. In this paper, we review the main transnational issues at stake and assess under which conditions EU forest-related trade instruments coupled with domestic actions in Brazil can effectively curb illegal and unsustainable commodity production and associated international trade. Shortcomings in the mechanisms for identifying illegality in production, trade, and consumption are identified and possible solutions suggested. Heated political disputes, insufficient political will for transformative changes to tackle negative socio-environmental externalities associated with global commodity trade, and the still non-effective use of available regulatory policies and market mechanisms contribute to international trade practices still far from achieving desired and internationally recognized legality and sustainability standards. Following the assumption that international governance mechanisms of commodity trade between the EU and Brazil may play a relevant role in stimulating positive shifts, we conclude how the existing and emerging possible policy options can be combined through a mix of policy instruments to ensure legal and sustainable production and trade practices that could effectively support the protection and sustainable management of tropical rainforests.

Estimation of water demand of the three major Brazilian shale-gas basins: Implications for water availability

Shale gas exists in abundant quantities around the world and could augment conventional natural gas supplies. However, shale gas exploration through the fracking process is associated with negative connotations and is opposed in many countries because of the perceived environmental impacts including water contamination and competition with other water demands. In this context, the contribution of this work is to analyze the long-term impact of fracking water demand on water availability and possible contamination in Brazil. The objective is to estimate the long-term impacts of shale gas development in Brazil considering the water demand and propose regulations to address water withdrawal and contamination concerns based on best practices from around the world as a way forward. The study demonstrates that competition for water by prospective fracking activities in Brazil in comparison to available water resources and other water demands in associated hydrological basins is insignificant. Furthermore, an analysis of policy and regulations identify policy and regulatory recommendations that may ameliorate public concerns about fracking impact on water by enforcing compliance from exploration and production companies. Following this study, other countries can estimate their shale gas exploration realities to determine the impact of fracking impact on water resources.

Methane concentrations and fluxes in agricultural and preserved tropical headwater streams

Tropical streams have been intensively impacted by agricultural activities. Among the most important agricultural activities in Brazil, sugarcane production represents a large impact for economic development and for environmental conditions. Permeating sugarcane fields, several headwater streams can be affected by sugarcane cultivation, in special, aquatic biogeochemical cycles because of the deforestation, fertilization, crop residues and higher temperatures in the tropics. In this study, we analyzed the effects of sugarcane cultivation on methane fluxes and concentrations, assuming that carbon cycles are influenced by agricultural activities in headwater streams. Our study aimed to (1) measure methane fluxes and concentrations in tropical streams located in Southeastern Brazil, (2) Analyze whether seasonal cycles influence methane fluxes and concentrations, (3) Evaluate the influence of sugarcane cultivation on methane fluxes and (4) Analyze the association between water chemistry in the methane concentrations in tropical streams. We found mean fluxes of CH4 of 0.280 mmol m−2 d−1, with higher fluxes during the summer and in streams draining preserved catchments. The average CH4 concentrations were 0.695 μmol L−1, with higher values during the summer and in streams draining preserved catchments. Methane concentrations in the studied streams was influenced by dissolved oxygen (negatively), dissolved organic carbon (negatively), water velocity (positively) and conductivity (negatively). Methane concentrations were significantly higher than concentrations found in Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands and similar to concentrations found in other tropical biomes (excluding Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests which receives large amounts of organic inputs). We conclude that sugarcane influence methane concentrations and fluxes in tropical streams by reducing the organic matter availability provided by the native vegetation in soil and water.

The democratic transformation of public policy through community activism in Brazil

This article explores transformational change in public policy through community-based governance and the collective design of experience-oriented policy and action. Using a critical-interpretive theoretical perspective, we derived three key lessons in achieving this change from the experience of Paraisópolis, a Brazilian favela made famous for its COVID-19 successful response plan, despite historical state abandonment and overlapping vulnerabilities. The three lessons were (i) proximity coordination, (ii) collective learning, and (iii) affectionate relationality. All three underpinned the principle of ‘community activism’ and ‘deliberative empowerment’, which in turn were both crucial in effecting democratic transformations. Through our case study of Paraisópolis, we argue that transformational change crucially involved civil society engagement alongside inclusive deliberative forums. This reinforces the need to pursue a policy research agenda attentive to sociocentric experiences, ordinary actors and the emotions and values underlying public action.

Postdramatic and Multimedia Dépaysement : Myth and Migration on Stage and Screen in Christiane Jatahy’s Ithaque: Notre Odyssée 1

Christiane Jatahy’s 2018 multimedia theatrical production Ithaque: Notre Odyssée 1 captures contemporary narratives of migration through a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. To create this multilayered production, Jatahy interviewed refugees and worked closely with French and Brazilian actors to represent a variety of voices involved in the international migration crisis. Jatahy also captures the complexity of displacement through cameras that the actors use to film live video on stage. Drawing on Hans-Thies Lehmann’s concept of postdramatic theatre and Pasi Väliaho’s analysis of biopolitical screens, this article argues that the interplay between these filmed images and Jatahy’s unique staging choices reveals the contradictory nature of migration and displacement. By examining the double meaning of the term dépaysement, this article explores the opposing yet surprisingly harmonious relationship between multimedia technologies and classical drama that allows Jatahy to represent the various connections and disconnections migrants across the globe experience every day.

Domestic, inbound and outbound M&A activity interdependence in Brazil

PurposeMergers and acquisitions (M&As) are of three types: domestic, inbound and outbound cross-border. Inbound M&As provide an inflow of foreign funds into the economy, whereas outbound M&As involve the outflow of domestic funds. This paper examines the impact of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions in Brazil on each other.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze M&A activity in Brazil and examine the impact domestic, inbound and outbound M&As have on each other. The study uses a vector auto-regressive model to test the relationships for each quarter of 2000–2018. The M&A activity is operationalized using the total number of deals and the cumulative value of the deals in a particular period.FindingsThe results depict stark contrast for M&A activity measured through incidences and monetary value. Overall, the number of deals can better explain each other than value. The authors find that, in terms of incidences, domestic M&A is Granger caused by both outbound and inbound M&As together. Further, inbound and domestic M&As together Granger cause outbound M&As in terms of aggregate monetary value. The impulse response function reveals that incidence shocks created in M&A activity are longer lasting than the value shocks.Practical implicationsThe results have implications for businesses and policymakers. The study reveals the complexities of crowding effects important for businesses. The government needs to structure its future investment-promotion strategies depending on the objectives related to the number and value of M&A activity.Originality/valueThe study uses econometric tools and empirical methods to find the unexplored nature of the relationship between domestic, outbound and inbound cross-border M&As.

A soil quality physical-chemical approach 30years after land-use change from forest to banana plantation.

Bananas are a worldwide cultivated crop and one of the main agricultural activities in Brazil. The banana orchards cultivated in the region of São Paulo State are under native areas of the Atlantic Forest biome. The Atlantic Forest has suffered agricultural and urban pressure for many years. Banana crops require soil management and superficial vegetation removal in the first cycles. We conducted a study aiming to understand the impact of long-standing banana cultivation in the Atlantic forest region. Soil samples in banana plantations (EBP) and forest remnants (FR) were collected from trenches with 0- to 100-cm layers. The soil bulk density in EBP until 30-cm depth was 12.76% higher than that in FR. Quantifications of macropores and micropores in FR reached values higher than those in EBP. The results showed that carbon stocks decreased from the top to the deeper layers. Thirty years after the conversion, the FR treatment accumulated 28.23% more carbon than EBP. Considering our results, it was evident that changes in physical and chemical properties reflected the negative impacts of the banana plantations, cropped through conventional management, when converted from forest even in regard to a remnant one. These findings, showed for the first time, lead us to understand the soil management of banana plantations, following conventional agriculture systems, as a potential carbon stock reducer and a factor resulting in the loss of soil quality in the region. Additionally, our data can be used by environmentalists and government policymakers to promote environmental sustainability.

Revisiting the cave-dwelling sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from Brazil: Diversity and potential role in the transmission of Leishmania Ross, 1903 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae).

Brazilian caves, one of the many tourist attractions of the country, may act as a shelter for insects, such as sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), natural hosts of various microorganisms including parasites of the genus Leishmania Ross, 1903. In the last decades, with the increasing global need for sustainable development, ecotourism has emerged as one of the major activities in Brazil. However, the constant monitoring in environmentally protected areas is not often carried out, endangering visitors and professionals, especially due to the occurrence of zoonoses. Several sand fly species have already been recorded in Brazilian caves, drawing attention to the possibility of Leishmania transmission at this ecotope. Indeed, this current systematic review summarizes the fauna of cave-dwelling sand flies in Brazil, focusing on their biological behaviour and the occurrence of potential vectors of Leishmania parasites.

Monitoring of ammonia concentrations from coir-husk litter of Brazilian poultry house using diode laser photoacoustic spectroscopy.

Ammonia (NH_3) from manure is a concern in raising broiler due to possible damages to production and the environment. Brazil is the main exporter of chicken meat in the world and is also responsible for large waste of poultry litter. The country, likewise, figures as top 5 producers of green coconut, which results in considerable volumes of waste, since 80%-85% of the fruit is unusable. This work analyzes the ammonia concentration profile of two bedding substrates for raising broiler, to know, coir-husk fiber and a commonly used pine wood shavings in a Brazilian climate. A differential home-made photoacoustic cell combined with a diode laser was employed for sensing ammonia at trace levels. Such combination confers selectivity as well as lower limits of detection to the system. The chemical compositions pH, N, C, Ca, Mg, P_2O_5 and K_2O were also determined, in addition to the moisture, dry matter and mineral content of substrates and litters. NH_3 concentrations varied from (0.9 ± 0.3) ppmv to (19 ± 3) ppmv and from (2.1 ± 0.5) ppmv to (21 ± 3) ppmv for the coir-husk fiber and wood shavings substrates, respectively. Results showed the feasibility of using coconut fiber as poultry litter in regions where this material is a common waste. Moreover, as NH_3 concentrations were lower for coconut fiber bedding compared to shavings, this coir-husk fiber is a potential residue to guarantee the environmental sustainability by Brazilian poultry farming. Coir-husk fibers presented significantly higher amounts of P and K in comparison to pine wood. NH_3 profiles revealed that coir-husk fiber emitted lower quantities than wood shavings. Besides, a delay on the NH_3 emission pattern was clearly seen when the coconut waste was the bedding material. Such a tendency was confirmed by the logistic model. Our findings, in turn, make the coir-husk an environmentally friendly alternative low-cost product for poultry litter as well as its potential use as natural fertilizer. The later deserves attention since there is a need to accurately assess the emissions of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide during the composting process. In Brazil, the waste generated by the high production of green coconut is an environmental liability. The cost of poultry production has been high, reducing the profit of producers, who seek to make production cheaper. Measuring NH_3 from poultry activity in Brazil, a tropical country, aims to control management and reduce production losses, since NH_3 is a harmful gas to birds. The measurement of NH_3 concentrations at trace levels from raising broilers by photoacoustic diode laser spectroscopy, to the best of our knowledge, has been reported for the very first time.