Brazil’s Social Movements and Lula’s New Government: Challenges and Expectations

This webinar will bring together Brazilian social activists and Right Livelihood Award Laureates Cassia Bechara of the Movement of the Landless Rural Workers / MST, and Chico Whitaker, co-founder of the World Social Forum, to discuss the challenges and expectations for Brazil’s social movements in light of the newly implemented presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that started on January 1st, 2023. One of the world’s most important leftist leaders, Lula will be serving as president of Brazil for the third time, after defeating by a narrow margin the far-right Jair Bolsonaro who ran for reelection in October 2022. Our guest speakers will examine the prospects for the poor, the working class, and the disenfranchised sectors of Brazil after the four devastating years of Bolsonaro’s government, marked by the return of widespread hunger, the surge of political violence, the devastation of the Amazon, and the reckless response to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to almost 700,000 deaths.

This event is offered in Portuguese with simultaneous translation to English.

Moderated by professor Patricia Pinho.

Sponsored by Right Livelihood and Huerta Center at UC Santa Cruz.