DOCSLIB.ORG

“Here in the South, We Do Not Like Carnival” Subnational Identity As a Political Strategy in Southern Brazil

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Here in the South, We Do Not Like Carnival” Subnational Identity As a Political Strategy in Southern Brazil “Here in the South, we do not like Carnival” Subnational Identity as a Political Strategy in Southern Brazil Author: Alexine van Olst Student ID: 10000552 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. C.G. Koonings Second Reader: Dr. B. Hogenboom Master’s Thesis in Latin American Studies CEDLA Master’s Programme December 2017 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I sincerely would like to thank Professor C.G. Koonings for sharing his knowledge, for his enthusiasm and his insightful comments that lifted my thought process to a higher level throughout every stage of this thesis. Thank you to all leaders, members and supporters of O Sul É O Meu País who have been willing to explain me their outlook on life. In particular I would like to thank Wanderlei Salvador, who has been so kind to show me around the beautiful state of Santa Catarina. Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to Professor R.G. Oliven for sharing his knowledge with me. To everyone I discussed my thesis with over time: I am so glad all of you took the time to share your knowledge, opinions and doubts about this research with me. Last but certainly not least, a special thanks to my family, friends, and fellow CMP-students who have always encouraged me to work hard, to stay focused and to not forget to have fun every once in a while. 1 Abstract This thesis explores the role of subnational cultural identity in separatist movements. To do so, it focuses on a case study of the movement O Sul É O Meu País. This movement aims to establish an independent nation state for the three most southern states of the Brazilian federation, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The findings in this thesis are based on a survey among members of the movement as well as interviews with leaders and supporters of the organisation. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, the differences between the official narratives on cultural subnational identity, reasons for supporting the movement and possible outcomes are compared to the interpretations of these factors by members of the movement. Moreover, the differences in interpretations in Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul are explored, as to highlight the distinct reasons for support for independence in these three states. Regarding the importance of subnational cultural identity in this separatist movement, it is argued that although the cultural otherness is not considered the most important reason to support secessionist ideas, it forms the ‘cherry on top’ that lifts O Sul É O Meu País’s narratives from rational fiscal and political reasons to a narrative of a Sulista Self seeking independence from the Brazilian Other. Esta tese explora o papel da identidade cultural subnacional nos movimentos separatistas. Para isso, concentra-se em um estudo de caso do movimento O Sul É O Meu País. Este movimento visa estabelecer um Estado-nação independente para os três estados da região Sul da federação brasileira, Paraná, Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul. As evidências nesta tese são principalmente baseadas em uma pesquisa entre os membros do movimento, bem como entrevistas com líderes e apoiadores da organização. Através de uma combinação de métodos de pesquisa qualitativa e quantitativa, são comparadas as diferenças entre as narrativas oficiais sobre a identidade subnacional cultural, as razões para apoiar o movimento e seus possíveis resultados e as interpretações desses fatores pelos membros do movimento. Além disso, são exploradas as diferenças de interpretação no Paraná, Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul, para destacar os motivos distintos de apoio à independência nestes três estados. Em relação à importância da identidade cultural subnacional neste movimento separatista, argumenta-se que, embora a alteridade cultural não seja considerada a razão mais importante para apoiar ideias separatistas, ela forma a ‘cereja no bolo’ que levanta as narrativas de O Sul É O Meu País de razões fiscais e políticas a uma narrativa do Próprio Sulista buscando independência do Outro Brasileiro. 2 Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 1. Brazil: Everyone’s Country? Subnationalism and Separatism in Southern Brazil ........... 5 Case Study: O Sul É O Meu País ................................................................................................. 6 Key Concepts and Research Question ........................................................................................ 8 Methodology.................................................................................................................................... 9 Structure of the Thesis ................................................................................................................. 13 Chapter 2. Key Concepts and Debates on (sub)National Identity and Separatism ......................... 14 National Thought in Europe and Latin America: a Comparative Overview ....................... 15 Decentralisation, Subnationalism and the Politics of Subnational Identities ....................... 18 Building Brasilidade: the Process of National Identity Construction in Brazil ................... 21 Brazilians by Choice: Subnationalism in the South of Brazil ................................................. 24 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 3. Manifestations and Direct Democracy: the Organisation O Sul É O Meu País ........... 30 National, Regional and Municipal: the Three Organisational Levels of O Sul É O Meu País .................................................................................................................................................. 30 From A-Political to Political Movement? ................................................................................. 33 Democratic Values and Unification of Região Sul: Objectives and Strategies .................... 35 Online and Offline Visibility: Building Support for the Cause .............................................. 36 Basta de Brasília: to the Streets for O Sul É O Meu País ....................................................... 37 Plebisul: Testing Secessionist Ideas on the General Public .................................................... 39 A New Political Strategy: Popular Law Initiatives (PLIP) ...................................................... 41 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 4. Subnational Cultural Identity in Região Sul ........................................................................ 44 Official Narratives on Sulista-culture in O Sul É O Meu País ............................................... 44 Interpretations of Sulista-culture among the Members of O Sul É O Meu País ................ 48 3 Cultural Differences between Região Sul and Brazil through the Eyes of Members ......... 52 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 5. Reasons to Support OSEOMP and Preferred Outcomes ................................................ 56 Eight Reasons for Supporting O Sul É O Meu País ............................................................... 56 Reasons for Support in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná .............................. 57 “To feel Sulista and not Brazilian”: General Trends in Supporting O Sul É O Meu País 60 Let’s Dream: Preferred Outcomes of the Activities of O Sul É O Meu País ...................... 61 Looking Ahead: Outlines of an Independent Sulista Nation State ....................................... 63 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 65 Chapter 6. Subnationalism and Separatism in Southern Brazil: Conclusions ................................... 66 The Construction of a Sulista Subnational Cultural Identity ................................................. 66 Small Bureaucracy and Participatory Democracy: the Politics of O Sul É O Meu País .... 68 Reflections on O Sul É O Meu País as a Movement in a broader Context ......................... 69 Appendix 1. Survey Questions in Portuguese and English .................................................................. 72 Appendix 2. Research Question, Subquestions and sub-Subquestions ............................................. 81 Appendix 3. Publicity Materials O Sul É O Meu País .......................................................................... 82 Appendix 4. Overview Place of Birth Respondents and Ancestors ................................................... 85 Appendix 5. Ranking of Importance of Factors for Support for O Sul É O Meu País .................. 89 Appendix 6. Original Quotes in Portuguese per Chapter .................................................................... 97 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................. 102 4 Chapter 1. Brazil: Everyone’s Country? Subnationalism and Separatism in Southern
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Brazil Country Handbook 1
    Brazil Country Handbook 1. This handbook provides basic reference information on Brazil, including its geography, history, government, military forces, and communications and trans- portation networks. This information is intended to familiarize military personnel with local customs and area knowledge to assist them during their assignment to Brazil. 2. This product is published under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Defense Intelligence Production Program (DoDIPP) with the Marine Corps Intel- ligence Activity designated as the community coordinator for the Country Hand- book Program. This product reflects the coordinated U.S. Defense Intelligence Community position on Brazil. 3. Dissemination and use of this publication is restricted to official military and government personnel from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, NATO member countries, and other countries as required and designated for support of coalition operations. 4. The photos and text reproduced herein have been extracted solely for research, comment, and information reporting, and are intended for fair use by designated personnel in their official duties, including local reproduction for train- ing. Further dissemination of copyrighted material contained in this document, to include excerpts and graphics, is strictly prohibited under Title 17, U.S. Code. CONTENTS KEY FACTS. 1 U.S. MISSION . 2 U.S. Embassy. 2 U.S. Consulates . 2 Travel Advisories. 7 Entry Requirements . 7 Passport/Visa Requirements . 7 Immunization Requirements. 7 Custom Restrictions . 7 GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE . 8 Geography . 8 Land Statistics. 8 Boundaries . 8 Border Disputes . 10 Bodies of Water. 10 Topography . 16 Cross-Country Movement. 18 Climate. 19 Precipitation . 24 Environment . 24 Phenomena . 24 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION .
    [Show full text]
  • Livro Ingles 2008.PMD
    Human Rights in Brazil 2008 A Report by Network for Social Justice and Human Rights Human Rights in Brazil 2008 A Report by the Network for Social Justice and Human Rights Edited by: Evanize Sydow e Maria Luisa Mendonça Photos: João Roberto Ripper Graphic Design: Carlos Vasconcelos Pitombo Administrative Assistance: Marta Soares, Magali Godói e Silvana Silva Translation Editor and Coordinator: Sheila Rutz Translators: Ariane Dalla Déa, Ayla Tiago, Bethany Bloomston, Bruce Gilbert, Chad J. Ribordy, Charlotte Casey, Jamie Wick, Sheila Rutz, Siobhan Hayes Sponsor: Heinrich Böll Foundation Network for Social Justice and Human Rights Address:Rua Castro Alves, 945 01532-001, São Paulo, SP Phone: 55-11-32711237 - Fax: 55-11-32714878 Email: [email protected] www.social.org.br Table of contents Preface .................................................................................. 009 Kenarik Boujikian Felippe Introduction ............................................................................ 011 I. Human Rights in the Countryside Agrarian Policy under Lula Administration ..................................... 019 José Juliano de Carvalho Filho Fighting for Human Rights is Not a Crime ...................................... 027 Antônio Canuto Criminalization of Social Movements in Brazil ................................. 035 Aton Fon Filho e Suzana Angélica Paim Figueredo “State of Emergency” in Rio Grande do Sul and the criminalization of the MST ...................................................................................... 039
    [Show full text]
  • Kimberly Clark's 2012 Sustainability Report
    KIMBERLY CLARK’S 2012 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT LETTER OF THE PRESIDENT (GRI 1.1; 1.2; 2.9) In the year 2012 we have already been able to accomplish half of the targets set forth in our 2015 Vision. During these three years, since 2009, the whole team of K-C has been performing consistent work, in partnership with our suppliers, clients, government, NGOs and communities. Our whole effort has provided us with several external acknowledgments, which evidences that we have been walking on the right path. In 2012, we have been highlighted in the most relevant business publications of the country, Model Company by the Exame Magazine Sustainability Guide and we have been considered the Champion Company in Social-environmental Responsibility by Época Negócios Magazine. Furthermore, we have been ranked 18th in the list of the “50 Top Sustainable Companies according to the Media”, an annual survey of the companies that have been more present in the press with subject matters like sustainability, by ‘A Imprensa’ magazine. These conquests have also had internal impact, contributing for our recognition as one of the best companies to work for, in Brazil, in Latin America and in the World. On the background of this whole story is Kimberly-Clark’s effort to apply sustainability as its business strategy, not only in management of the natural resources used in our production, but also in the offer of products increasingly less environmental impacts. Therefore, there is huge effort in the development of our chain value, in alignment with the clients’ strategies, in collaboration with the authorities to leverage Public Policies and in aligning the company’s agenda with the way we do our business.
    [Show full text]
  • Ana Laura Ogliari Movimento Sul É Meu País Análise Da Forma De Organização E Ação
    ANA LAURA OGLIARI MOVIMENTO SUL É MEU PAÍS ANÁLISE DA FORMA DE ORGANIZAÇÃO E AÇÃO Trabalho de conclusão de curso apresentado como requi- sito para obtenção do grau de Licenciatura em Ciências Sociais da Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul. Orientador:: Profa. Dr. Mônica Hass CHAPECÓ 2019 Ogliari, Ana Laura Movimento Sul é Meu País: ANÁLISE DA FORMA DE ORGA- NIZAÇÃO E AÇÃO / Ana Laura Ogliari. – 2019. 52 f.: il. Orientador:: Profa. Dr. Mônica Hass. Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação) – Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul, Curso de Ciências Sociais, Chapecó, SC, 2019. 1. Região Sul. 2. Organização. 3. Movimento Separatista. I. Hass, Profa. Dr. Mônica, orientador:. II. Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul. III. Título. © 2019 Todos os direitos autorais reservados a Ana Laura Ogliari. A reprodução de partes ou do todo deste trabalho só poderá ser feita mediante a citação da fonte. E-mail: [email protected] Dedico este trabalho à memória das minhas avós: Eli e Terezinha, por todo exemplo de vida e amor incondicional dedicado a suas famílias. AGRADECIMENTOS Agradeço a minha mãe Ivone, que sempre me recebe com o mesmo sorriso, meu braço e porto seguro, sinal do mais puro amor. E, mesmo em momentos difíceis nunca me deixou desanimar ou desistir. A meu Pai Mateus, que sempre ensinou a importância da luta pelo povo oprimido, e nunca permitiu que eu abaixasse a cabeça. Ambos agricultores, das mãos calejadas e pele queimada do sol, nos ensinaram que a educação é o melhor instrumento de mudança da sociedade. À Francieli, que sempre foi exemplo de luta pela vida, resistência e bravura para nunca desistir dos desafios que aparecem no caminho.
    [Show full text]
  • Embassy of Brazil in Canberra – DVD Collection
    Embassy of Brazil in Canberra – DVD Collection July, 2014 Portuguese Intern. English Year Title Duration Director Synopsis No. Title The story of the first football World title at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden told by the protagonists themselves, where Brazil won an 1958 - O 1958 - The impressive 5-2 against Sweden. Members of the teams from the Ano em que Year the different countries that faced Brazil participate in the movie, *1 o Mundo World 2008 85’ José Carlos Asberg providing a first-hand and explicit opinion about the performance of descobriu o discovered the 1958 Brazilian team and showing the respect they have gained Brasil Brazil internationally. The film pays homage to the legendary team, composed of Pelé, Garrincha and Didi, that led the nation to this victory. The story of Francisco, a simple, poor tenant farmer in the hinterlands of Goiás, who pursues what appears to be an impossible dream – to transform two of his nine children into a 2 Filhos de Two Sons of *2 2005 129’ Breno Silveiro Francisco Francisco famous country music duo. With the manic and almost unnerving determination of their father, the two brothers are propelled to success from a position initially very far from stardom. Though their father is not the first father figure to have pressured his 1 Portuguese Intern. English Year Title Duration Director Synopsis No. Title children into becoming entertainers, few have had to embark upon such an arduous journey and overcome such a daunting tragedy. 2 Filhos De Francisco adopts a unique cinematic approach which casts a sweet spell upon its audience, breaking away from traditional ‘made-for-television’ portrayals of similar stories.
    [Show full text]
  • Indicações Geográficas Brasileiras
    INDICAÇÕES GEOGRÁFICAS BRASILEIRAS Brazilian Geographical Indications Indicaciones Geográficas Brasileñas INDICAÇÕES GEOGRÁFICAS BRASILEIRAS Brazilian Geographical Indications | Indicaciones Geográficas Brasileñas © 2016, SEBRAE SEBRAE Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas Robson Braga de Andrade Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises Presidente do Conselho Deliberativo Nacional do Sebrae Servicio Brasileño de Apoyo a las Micro y Pequeñas Empresas President of Sebrae’s National Board of Trustees Presidente del Consejo Deliberativo Nacional del Sebrae Todos os direitos reservados. A reprodução não autorizada desta publicação, no todo ou em parte, constitui violação dos direitos autorais (Lei n° 9.610). Guilherme Afif Domingos All rights reserved. The full or partial unauthorized reproduction of this publication is a Presidente do Sebrae copyright violation (Law no. 9.610). President of Sebrae Todos los derechos reservados. La reproducción no autorizada de esta publicación, en todo o Presidente del Sebrae en parte, constituye violación de los derechos de autor (Ley n° 9.610). Heloisa Regina Guimarães de Menezes 5ª edição (2016): 2.000 exemplares Diretora Técnica do Sebrae Technical Director of Sebrae Diretora Técnica del Sebrae SEBRAE Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas Vinicius Lages Brazilian Service of Support for Micro and Small Enterprises Diretor de Administração e Finanças do Sebrae Servicio Brasileño de Apoyo a las Micro y Pequeñas Empresas Administrations and Finance
    [Show full text]
  • South America REGIONAL REPORT
    United Nations Environment Programme Chemicals Eastern and Western South America REGIONAL REPORT Regionally Based Assessment of Persistent Available from: UNEP Chemicals 11-13, chemin des Anémones CH-1219 Châtelaine, GE Switzerland Phone : +41 22 917 1234 Fax : +41 22 797 3460 Substances E-mail: [email protected] December 2002 http://www.chem.unep.ch UNEP Chemicals is a part of UNEP's Technology, Industry and Printed at United Nations, Geneva Economics Division GE.03-00163–January 2003–300 UNEP/CHEMICALS/2003/11 Global Environment Facility UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME CHEMICALS RReeggiioonnaallllyy BBaasseedd AAsssseessssmmeenntt ooff PPeerrssiisstteenntt TTooxxiicc SSuubbssttaanncceess Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay EEAASSTTEERRNN AANNDD WWEESSTTEERRNN SSOOUUTTHH AAMMEERRIICCAA RREEGGIIOONNAALL RREEPPOORRTT DECEMBER 2002 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY This report was financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through a global project with co- financing from the Governments of Australia, France, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America. This publication is produced within the framework of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC). This publication is intended to serve as a guide. While the information provided is believed to be accurate, UNEP disclaim any responsibility for the possible inaccuracies or omissions and consequences, which may flow from them. UNEP nor any individual involved in the preparation of this report shall be liable for any injury, loss, damage or prejudice of any kind that may be caused by any persons who have acted based on their understanding of the information contained in this publication. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
    [Show full text]
  • Slave Cowboys in the Cattle Lands of Southern Brazil, 1800-1850
    SLAVE COWBOYS IN THE CATTLE LANDS OF SOUTHERN BRAZIL, 1800-1850. SPENCER LEITMAN Purdue University. (Indiana. USA). Perhaps the most striking feature of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the first part of the nineteenth century was the presence of slave cow- boys. Giuseppe Garibaldi, who had fought for many years in Rio Grande do Sul alongside the black Ragamuffins in the Ragamuffin War, 1835-1845, considered these recently freed slaves among the finest busters, ropers, and horse soldiers in all the province, so famous for its gauchos (1) . Venezuela, Texas, and Cuba had slave cowboys., too, but the data on the social organization and culture in these areas is lacking (2). Slave cowboys in the Spanish lands, it appears, were used in small numbers before the develompent of large scale plantation agri- culture, as was the case in Cuba (3) . However, after a search through the secondary socio-historic literature on Latin America, one is left with the impression that slavery and ranching did not mix. Two Pla- (1). — Giuseppe Garibaldi, The Life of General Garibaldi Written by Himself. Trans, by Theodore Dwight (New York, 1859), 86; The Portuguese crown also considered slaves excellent cowbovs. In 1820 the crown ordered four slaves from the Royal Ranch in Rio Grande do Sul to Maranhão to instruct slaves there in the use of the lasso and bolas. Thomas Antônio de Villanova Portugal to Conde de Figueira, Rio de Janeiro, February 16, 1820 Arquivo Histórico de Rio Grande do Sul, (AHRGS), Avisos do Governo. (2) . — Miguel Acosta Saignes, Vida de los esclavos negros en Vene- zuela (Caracas, 1967), 179-180; Philip Durham and Everett L.
    [Show full text]
  • Latin America: the Region Without Catalonia
    International Studies. Interdisciplinary Political and Cultural Journal Vol. 25, No. 1/2020, 111–128 https://doi.org/10.18778/1641-4233.25.07 Latin America: The Region without Catalonia Tomasz Rudowski https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8723-3058 University of Warsaw / Vistula University Institute of Iberian and Ibero-American Studies / School of Foreign Languages e-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Piotr Sieniawski https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4654-7170 Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw Institute of Political Science and Administration Department of International Relations and European Studies e-mail: [email protected] Abstract The aim of this article is to analyse the issue of “weak separatism” in Latin America as well as to give an answer to the question why there are no signifi- cant separatist movements in this region. The authors provide the definitions of separatism and secessionism as well as an explanation of these phenomena. Moreover, they present an overview of historical and contemporary separatist movements in Latin America. Based on Horowitz’s theory of ethnic separa- tism, the authors attempt to analyse the separatist movement “The South is My Country” in Brazil and compare it with separatism in Catalonia in Spain, where a referendum on independence from Spain was held in 2017, serving as an impetus for a similar referendum that took place in the South of Brazil. In spite of similar goals of these two separatist movements, the authors argue that there are significant differences in their nature, which are determined by the history and culture of the respective countries.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Addressing Others in Gauchês: Forms of Address in Traditional Gaucho Songs from Southern Brazil
    1 Addressing Others in Gauchês: Forms of Address in Traditional Gaucho Songs from Southern Brazil by Cristina Acauan Dreyer A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Linguistics University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2021 by Cristina Acauan Dreyer 2 Examining Committee Supervisor: Dr. Verónica Loureiro-Rodríguez Department of Linguistics University of Manitoba Members: Dr. Nicole Rosen Department of Linguistics University of Manitoba Dr. María Irene Moyna Department of Hispanic Studies Texas A&M University 3 Abstract The second person singular (2sg) address system of the Gauchês dialect, spoken in the southernmost region of Brazil, presents a hybrid form consisting of tu followed by third person singular verb morphology (T-V), in addition to tu (T-T), você (V-V), and o senhor/a senhora (S/M- V). Previous work suggests that the formality of the situation and the social distance between interlocutors (Menon, 2000), as well as their gender (Menon & Loregian-Penkal, 2002) and socio- economic background (Amaral, 2003) determine the use of these variants. Expanding on these studies and on the analyses of lyrics to explore language variation (Moyna, 2015; Pontes & Brito, 2000), the present variationist study investigates the linguistic and extralinguistic factors that may explain variation in the use of 2sg forms of address in 115 traditional Gaucho songs spanning five decades. Results from a logistic regression analysis in R, using random forests and conditional inference trees, suggest that subject, music subgenre, song theme, rhyme, and decade of the recording predict variation in our corpus.
    [Show full text]
  • The «Little History» of an Italian Murdered in Rio Grande Do Sul
    Saggi America latina The «little history» of an Italian murdered in Rio Grande do Sul Marco Soresina Università di Milano Introduction The story told here is a «small» piece of history, in the sense that it involves ordinary men who have left few traces behind them – not enough even to identify its protagonists. It is narrated through Italian documents, since some humble Italian family put forward an official request to the Italian government asking for help in the search for a relative emigrated they had lost contact with. Some were more emphatic in making their claim, making use of a famous lawyer, others more unassuming, presenting their case in uncertain Italian, or in the bureaucratic style of some willing municipal official who aided illiterate families. Incomplete as this sources may be, however, we have enough to highlight how Liberal Italy was not prepared to protect its emigrants. More than this, at times there emerges an actual indifference to the emigrants, regarded by the Foreign Ministry, and often also by the consular network, as ex-Italians, former citizens lost to their homeland. This article traces the human experience of emigrants who had lost, or almost lost, all contact with their families in Italy. The context The location of the tragic events narrated here is the gaúcho territory, between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, and to the east in the southern part of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, this territory was an interesting destination for Italian immigrants. It was a migration stimulated by Brazil’s immigration policies, which in the mid-1880s had introduced the 57 Altreitalie luglio-dicembre 2017 winning formula of prepaid travel to Europeans in order to attract the workforce necessary for the agricultural colonisation of the country.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of the Universal Church and Its Consequences on Religion and Politics in Brazil
    1 Rev. bras. Ci. Soc. vol.1 no.se São Paulo 2005 The Politics of the Universal Church and Its Consequences on Religion and Politics in Brazil. by Ari Pedro Oro This text is about the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, IURD - Universal Church of the Kingdom of God’s (UCKG) entry into Brazilian politics and its effect on religion and politics. My arguments are the following: firstly, the electoral success that this church has achieved so far, relates basically to the Church’s institutional charisma, associated with the extensive and intensive use of the media and with a discourse that transfers important symbolic elements from religion to politics. Secondly, the political success of the Universal Church echoes in religion producing a mimicking effect in other churches and religions, which likewise try to operate in the political and institutional fields. It also influences the political scene, enticing other political parties to form alliances with it. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and politics. The UCKG entered politics in 1986 with the election of a member of the federal Congress to the Constituent National Assembly. In 1990 six federal Congress men and 6 state Congressmen were elected. In 1994, the number of Members of Congress in the Federal Congress doubled and the number of Members of Congress for the State legislative assemblies increased to eight. In Rio de Janeiro that year, a UCKG member was elected Secretary for Labor and Social Action and a candidate ran for the senate achieving a total of five hundred thousand votes (Freston, 2000).
    [Show full text]