> Escoceses opinam: independência ou segurança do Reino Unido?
Matéria publicada no Terra, em 17 de setembro de 2014, com a opinião de três escoceses sobre o referendo que decidiria a independência de seu país do Reino Unido.
[ Feature published on the Brazilian news website Terra, on 17th September, 2014, with the opinion of three Scottish about the referendum which would decide their independence from the United Kingdom. ]
Matéria para o jornal Brasil Observer, de Londres, publicada na edição de 11 de setembro de 2014, sobre o novo estúdio de capoeira em Birmingham que pretende ser um centro cultural brasileiro.
Feature for the Brasil Observer, newspaper based in London, published on 11th September, 2014, about a new capoeira studio in Birmingham, which aims to be a new Brazilian cultural centre.
Entrevista e foto publicadas na edição 190, de agosto de 2014, da revista Ensino Superior com Abhinay Muthoo, diretor da faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Warwick, sobre como as instituições podem garantir sua saúde financeira.
[ Interview and photo for the magazine Ensino Superior, published on the issue 190, August, 2014, with Abhinay Muthoo, head of Economics at th University of Warwick, about what institutions can do in order to keep their financial health. ]
Claims that a Birmingham suburb was turning into a “favela” hit the headlines of two local newspapers in the West Midlands.
Rio On Watch’s website published a response to the article, criticising politicians who made the comparison and journalists for publicising “comments that perpetuate the deeply damaging favela stigma”.
So the Birmingham Post wanted to know what I think about the matter. Some of my quotes were published on this Thursday edition (print, as picture on the left, and online), and that’s the core of I had written to the editor.
Here’s the full article by me – as I explain on it, I’m not from a favela, but journo friends who cover and/or had covered those communities in Rio helped me in trying to pass an accurate view of the reality:
“To the eyes of a Brazilian, the differences between Selly Oak and favelas are as big as the Atlantic Ocean.
The difficulties in those areas of Rio go beyond peeling paint and mildewed curtains (including limited water supply to some parts and the persistent stigma of having their place likened to litter, crammed spaces and violence).
However, some of these communities have evolved over the years to the extent that they might have “the potential to contribute to a sustainable model of future urban development”, as Rio On Watch’s website says. That’s controversial.
I am a journalist from Brazil, who has lived in south Birmingham for most of my time in the UK. I’m not from a favela, but I do keep in touch with colleagues who work actively in these communities in Rio. According to them, several of these places are models of organization and life in society.
In this point of view, the affirmation that Birmingham would be “lucky” in having the first favela in Britain could make sense. Historically with limited financial resources and the governments’ help, the spirit of cooperation developed among their residents is natural and inspiring.
People are not ashamed to say they live in one of the 1,000 favelas in Rio. Moreover, in the last five years, they became proud in saying so, due to the international interest over these communities.
The negative connotation of the term was applied in the comparison between Selly Oak and favelas as a way of gaining attention, more than actually reflecting on the reality faced in that part of Birmingham. That did not go well either among some fellow expats who live here (including a Brazilian student based in Selly Oak). They support the comments made on Rio On Watch’s website.
It was not by chance that the claim was made after Brazil being extensively broadcasted for Britain during the World Cup. It’s a shame that that was the impression left of my country by the coverage of the British media. We are much more than this, Brummies.
Plus, litter strewn is not an exclusive problem of Selly Oak, unfortunately – some favelas in Rio might be cleaner, thanks to the pride their residents take in the place.
Different parts of Birmingham suffer with the same plague. I wish the city council could do a more efficient job in cleaning the suburbs, raising awareness among the community about the issue or whatever the reason of such negligence might be. I pay taxes, by the way.
In my opinion, no part of Birmingham has the potential to be a favela. If it does, I hope it could be with the strong sense of community and support typical among its residents.”
>A capacidade de se reinventar
Matéria publicada na edição 189, de julho de 2014, da revista Ensino Superior sobre como a missão técnica de gestores de universidades brasileiras promovida pelo Semesp para a Inglaterra e para a Irlanda.
[ Feature for the magazine Ensino Superior, published on the issue 189, July 2014, covering a technical mission to England and Ireland of private universities’ managers from Brazil. ]
Photo above: Semesp delegates at The Innovation Academy @ Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Front row: Dr Barry McMahon (The Innovation Academy director); Afonso José Sena Cardoso (Brazilian ambassador in Dublin); and Prof. Mauro Ferreira (coordinator of the Dublin Graduate Physics Programme at the Trinity College).
> Berimbau marca o ritmo em Birmingham
Matéria para o jornal Brasil Observer, de Londres, publicada na edição de 8 de maio de 2014, sobre 4º Festival Internacional de Capoeira em Birmingham – parte da programação social do Festival Internacional de Dança da cidade neste ano.
> Birmingham embraces Brazilian rhythm
Feature for the Brasil Observer, newspaper based in London, published on 8th May, 2014, about the 4th Capoeira International Festival, to be held in Birmingham – part of the International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014’s social events programme.
> Matéria publicada na edição 186, de abril de 2014, da revista Ensino Superior sobre como a crise europeia impactou as universidades no continente.
[ Feature for the magazine Ensino Superior, published on the issue 186, April 2014, about how the crisis affected the higher education institutions in Europe. ]
Twitter e a integração em novos ambientes – entrevista com Melissa Becker
> Entrevista disponível no Farol Jornalismo, concedida no dia 7 de fevereiro de 2014, como material de apoio para o curso de extensão Twitter Para Jornalistas*, ministrado por Moreno Osório e oferecido pela Unisinos, de São Leopoldo (RS). Mais sobre o curso neste link.
[ Interview available on Farol Jornalismo, recorded on 7th February, 2014, as an extra for the short course Twitter for Journalists, which has Moreno Osório as an instructor and was offered by Unisinos, university in southern Brazil. Available in Portuguese only. More about the course here. ]
Matéria para o jornal Brasil Observer, de Londres, publicada na edição de 27 de fevereiro de 2014, sobre o grupo Ex Cathedra e seu trabalho com a música barroca brasileira.
Feature for the Brasil Observer, newspaper based in London, published on 27th February, 2014, about the Ex Cathedra choir and its research work into the Brazilian Baroque music.
Entrevista com o Dr. Jonathan Grix, da Universidade de Birmingham, para a revista Ensino Superior, publicada no número 183 de dezembro de 2013, sobre as oportunidades de negócio com investimento em esporte em universidades.
[ Interview with Dr Jonathan Grix, from the University of Birmingham, for the magazine Ensino Superior, published on the issue 183, December 2013, about business oportunities with investments in sports at universities. ]
Fotos: Melissa Becker
Melissa Becker 