Learn more about JAPER's Civil Society
Committee and it's work plan.
Read more   For more information contact
Lorelei Williams or Roland Roebuck

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BrazilWorks
Information and Analysis about United States-Brazil Relations
Equality
Cooperation to Eliminate
Racism and Promote
Equality
    On March 13 of 2008 Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and
    Brazilian Minister of Racial Equality, Edson Santos,signed onto a
    bilateral memorandum of understanding to establish a consultation
    mechanism to share experiences and efforts to end discrimination
    and promote equality.  The JOINT  ACTION  PLAN  
    BETWEEN  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  
    FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC  OF  BRAZIL  AND  THE  
    GOVERNMENT  OF  THE UNITED STATES OF
    AMERICA TO ELIMINATE RACIAL AND ETHNIC
    DISCRIMINATION AND PROMOTE EQUALITY or
    JAPER sets up a steering group to meet regularly and share
    experiences, information, and "best practices" in both the private
    and public sectors. The MOU sets out a number of issue areas to
    be treated by the steering group, but will emphasize education.
    The joint action plan is the result of six months of negotiations
    between the State Department and Brazil's Special Secretariat for
    Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR). Click here to access a copy
    of the MOU or the Fact Sheet. The inauguration of the Joint Action
    Plan was launched on October 31 in Brasilia.  
Members of Congress Discuss Challenges
Facing Afro-Descendants in Latin America.
Read more.

AFRO BRASIL AMERICA

The Bilingual Blog of African-Americans
and Afro-Brazilians/O blog bilíngüe dos
afro-brasileiros e afro-americanos
BrazilWorks        P.O. Box 65630        Washington, D.C. 20035        Tel. 202-744-0072        www.brazilworks.org

In support of the U.S. - Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and
Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality, the Governments of the
United States and Brazil have agreed to work with various partners to
cooperatively implement the initial education and labor projects below.

Project 1:  Strengthening Exchanges with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s)

A.  Xavier University and Universidade da Cidadania Zumbi dos Palmares (Unipalmares) Exchange

In an effort to strengthen linkages between Brazilian universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States, initial
funding was provided for a two-week exchange consisting of two students and one faculty member from the Universidade da Cidadania Zumbi
dos Palmares (Unipalmares) and Xavier University.  The goal of promoting these linkages is to increase opportunities for information exchange
on promoting racial equality and fighting discrimination in the two countries, along with promoting increased educational opportunities for
Afro-descendent youth.

B.  Race, Development, and Social Inequality in Brazil and the U.S.-Book Translation and Printing

This project provides funding to publish Portuguese and English versions of the book Race, Development and Social Inequality in Brazil and in
the U.S.  This book, written by Brazilian and American students, is the result of a five-year research study conducted between the Universidade
de São Paulo, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Howard University and Vanderbilt University.

C.  National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) Support

NAFEO, the only association of all public and private historically and predominantly black colleges and universities in the United States, has
pledged its support for the Joint Action Plan through: building exchange relationships, English and Portuguese language programs, creating study
abroad and internship opportunities, and designing capacity-building activities.

D.  Howard University - Mobility Program in Race, Development and Social Inequality: Access and Equity in Higher Education in Brazil and the
U.S.

A joint initiative between the Brazilian Ministry of Education (CAPES) and the United States Department of Education (FIPSE) includes, Mobility
Program in Race, Development and Social Inequality: Access and Equity in Higher Education in Brazil and the US.  A partnership between
Howard University, Vanderbilt University, Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Federal da Bahia, this program builds on the continuing
development of academic programs that will investigate issues in international affairs from the perspective of the African Americans and Afro-
Brazilians.  The four year program will study issues of race and inequality as they affect and are affected by the equity in education at primary
through tertiary levels.

E.  Howard University Cooperation on Afro-Descendant Initiatives

Howard University, a prominent and historically black university in Washington D.C., is collaborating with the U.S. and Brazilian Governments
to support higher education initiatives targeting socially excluded, Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities in the Americas.  

Some of the proposed projects include:

Speaking engagements and student exchanges between Brazilian universities and Howard University; increased involvement with the
Association of Afro-Brazilian Attorneys and Brazilian law school students; digital video conferences on research topics and other themes
between Brazilian participants and HBCU; assistance in finding financial support for scholarships and internships; and a fee-waiver for
enrollment in “Race, Social Inequality and Development,” an electronic course developed by Howard University, Federal University of Bahia,
University of São Paulo, and Vanderbilt University.


Project 2:  Levantamos Youth in Enterprise Program

Levantamos, The Center for Afro-Brazilian-American Cooperation, is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Afro-Brazilians by
providing technical and economic assistance to community-based organizations that focus on eliminating inequality.  The goal of the two-year,
multi-phase program is to provide Afro-Brazilian youth with the necessary entrepreneurial skills to successfully create their own businesses
and therefore help support their communities.

Beginning in 2009, Brazilian youth will participate in workshops in Rio and Salvador and then spend two weeks in the U.S. participating in
meetings and field visits.  In addition, twelve Afro-Brazilian college students will be selected to participate in a four week internship program in
the United States focusing on small business development.  


Project 3:  College Horizons Outreach Program – Brazil Expansion

The College Horizons Outreach Program provides Afro-descendant and Indigenous high school students with two years of enhanced English
language training, mentoring, and counseling as part of a holistic approach to raise awareness and support for students’ pursuit of higher
education.  Ten students are currently participating in the first Brazilian cohort (2006-08).  Funding was provided in support of the Joint Action
Plan to expand the program to include six new students beginning in the 1st quarter of 2009.


Project 4:  Promoting Minority Participation in the Political Process   

The Brazilian and U.S. Governments supported a Department of State-sponsored International Visitors Leadership (IVLP) project entitled,
Promoting Minority Participation in the Political Process, which took place September 22 through October 10, 2008.  This IVLP program
engaged six Afro-Brazilian participants, and was specifically designed to promote the exchange of information and best practices to encourage
and increase minority political participation.  The program introduced the foundations and evolution of the democratic governance, how U.S.
citizens participate in the democratic process, the history and involvement of U.S. American minority groups in the political system, how U.S.
Americans promote improvement in race relations, the history of the civil rights movement, in the United States and an examination on the
current status of gender, racial and socio-economic equality among U.S. Americans.


Project 5:  No Child Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor, the International Labour Organization’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
(ILO/IPEC) and the Government of Brazil will cooperate together on a four year program to help eliminate child labor in Salvador da Bahia,
Brazil.

The program entitled “The Support for National Efforts Towards a Child Labor-Free State, Bahia, Brazil” will be implemented by the
Government of the State of Bahia, ILO/IPEC and the U.S. Department of Labor.  This effort will assist the Government of the State of Bahia’s
Decent Work Agenda, which includes the development of programs on interlinking themes of child labor, non-discrimination practices, youth
employment, gender and race equality, and domestic work.  The project will support Bahia's goal of moving towards a child labor-free state,
with the idea of creating a model to be replicated elsewhere in the country.  

The program aims to assist 14,000 children targeted for withdrawal and prevention from exploitative and/or hazardous work in child domestic
labor, informal urban labor and agriculture through the provision of educational services following direct action from the project.  Other
worst forms of child labor such as commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents and drug trafficking will be the object of rapid
assessments, qualitative studies, communication and awareness raising campaigns


Project 6:  Improving Statistical Research on Labor Markets

The United States and Brazil will cooperate to strengthen and improve labor data collection for measuring employment and employment
statistics.  

Labor market information data is essential to any program or policy designed to promote equality and eliminate racial and ethnic
discrimination.  Accurate gathering and analysis of employment statistics can provide a clearer understanding of which groups in society are
socially and economically disadvantaged.  This data will provide policy-makers with valuable and detailed tools needed to implement programs
that would help promote equality and counter racial and ethnic discrimination.

Since 2001, the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has provided technical assistance to staff from the Brazilian Institute of
Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in the areas of prices and labor market information.  Most recently, two programs have been conducted for
IBGE staff on labor market information and household surveys.