"Although the criminalization of torture is provided for by law, torture continues as a practice in Brazilian police institutions." - Paulo Lugon, assessor internacional da Comissão Arns
Photo:Douglas Mansur

Protection of children and adolescents

Photo:Fábio Pinheiro

Defending democracy

Photo:Hevelin Costa

Welcoming diversity

Photo:Estela Loth

Full rights for Indigenous peoples

Photo:Daniel Galber

Universal access to Justice

Photo:Eberlein

Right to memory and truth

Photo:José Luis Conceição

Public security with dignity

Photo:Teresa Maia

Legitimacy for social movements

Photo:Ian Maenfeld

End of structural racism

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Who we are

We are a civil society organization formed by jurists, intellectuals,journalists, activists, and volunteers in the defense of human rights.The group works on a voluntary,non-partisan basis, through a networkof thousands of human rights defenders from all over the country.

Members

Honorary President

Margarida Genevois

Sociologist, she was president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo for three terms, working directly with Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns. She founded and coordinated the Veritas Center for Cultural and Social Expansion (1968-1978). She stands out as a member of organizations in defense of human rights, such as the National Justice and Peace Commission, the National Human Rights Council, the Brazilian Network for Human Rights Education, the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights, and the National Education Council in Human Rights. She received the Ordre National du Mérite (1998) and was awarded as Chevalier de la Légion d ́Honneur (2017) by the government of France; in Brazil, she received the Independence Medal (1999), the National Human Rights Award (2000), the Order of Rio Branco Medal (2001), the University of São Paulo (USP) Human Rights Award (2002), the Bahaiú Llah Citizenship (2001), and the title of Citizen of São Paulo (2008).

President

José Carlos Dias

Criminal lawyer, during the military dictatorship he became known as a defender of political prisoners, acting directly in the Military Justice. He was a counselor of the Brazilian Bar Association of the State of São Paulo (OAB-SP), president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo (1969-1970), and member of the International Commission of Jurists. He held the positions of Minister of Justice during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration and Secretary of Justice of the State of São Paulo during the government of Franco Montoro. He was a member of the National Truth Commission, established by the federal government in 2011. He graduated in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP) and is currently an associate in the Dias e Carvalho Filho - Advogados law firm. He is a member of the Deliberative Council of the Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense (Instituto de Defesa do Direito de Defesa - IDDD), the Lawyers Institute of São Paulo, and of the Council Board of the Institute of Cancer of São Paulo.

Vice-president

Maria Victoria de Mesquita Benevides

Sociologist and political scientist, she is a professor emeritus at the Faculty of Education of the University of São Paulo. She was a senior researcher and director of the Center for Studies in Contemporary Culture (Cedec) in the 1980s, researching topics relevant to democratic citizenship. She has published several books on contemporary Brazilian political history and theoretical studies on democracy, the Constitution, and political parties. She was the co-founder and director of the School of Government (from 1991 to 2011). She took on civic duties at the National Development Council and the Public Ethics Commission (2003-2006). As a Human Rights activist, she was a member of the São Paulo Justice and Peace Commission, the Council of the Municipal Secretariat for Human Rights and Citizenship (2013-2016), and collaborates to this day on projects for Human Rights Education. She is a member of the Deliberative Council of the Vladimir Herzog Institute and of the Sérgio Buarque de Holanda Center at the Perseu Abramo Foundation.

Ailton Krenak

Founder of the organizations “Nucleus of Indigenous People” (Núcleo de Cultura Indígena) and “Union of Indigenous Peoples” (União dos Povos Indígenas), he is a graphic producer and journalist by his educational background. As an activist for the Indigenous cause since his youth, he participated in the National Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Brazilian Constitution of 1988. In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) by the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), the institution where he teaches the specialization courses “Culture and History of Indigenous Peoples” and “Arts and Crafts of Traditional Knowledge”. He was the special advisor to the government of Minas Gerais for Indigenous affairs from 2003 to 2010. In 2014, he was one of the speakers at the international seminar The Thousand Names of Gaia (“Os Mil Nomes de Gaia”), in Rio de Janeiro. He currently works on the projects of the Nucleus of Indigenous Culture, in Serra do Cipó (MG), including the Festival of Indigenous Dance and Culture.

André Singer

Singer graduated in social sciences and in journalism, both from the University of São Paulo (USP). He worked at Folha de S. Paulo newspaper as a policy editor and editorial secretary. He was spokesperson and press secretary of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration (2003-2006). He holds Master's and Doctoral degrees and is an associate professor (livre-docente) in political science at the Department of Political Science of the University of São Paulo (USP). He is the author of Os Sentidos do Lulismo (Companhia das Letras, 2012) and O Lulismo em Crise (Companhia das Letras, 2018), among other books. He has experience in electoral behavior, modern political theory, and social classes in contemporary Brazilian politics, working in the areas of political behavior, problems of democracy, and class analysis of the present Brazilian situation. He is a columnist for Folha de S. Paulo and coordinator of the Center for the Study of Citizenship Rights (Centro de Estudos dos Direitos da Cidadania - Cenedic) at USP's Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences.

Antônio Cláudio Mariz de Oliveira

Lawyer by the Paulista School of Law of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, he was president of the Brazilian Bar Association of the State of Sâo Paulo – (OAB-SP) (in 1987/1988 and 1989/1990) and of the São Paulo Lawyers Association (1983/1984). In the state of São Paulo, he was Secretary of Justice (1990) and Secretary of Public Security (1990-1991). He chaired the National Council of Criminal and Penitentiary Policy (2003-2007). He was a member of Amnesty International. He is currently a member of the São Paulo Law Academy (Academia Paulista de Direito) and the São Paulo Academy of Juridical Letters (Academia Paulista de Letras Jurídicas). He authored the books “Embargos do Devedor” and “Crônicas Absolvidas”, and is co-responsible for updating the book “Tratado de Direito Penal” by José Frederico Marques. He was the founder of the Council of Portuguese Language Jurists, he is a member of the Criminal Law Commission of the Brazilian Lawyers Institute, and of the Legal Council of the Federation of Commerce of the State of São Paulo. He is on the council boards of the São Paulo Lawyers Institute, the Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense, and the Movement for the Defense of Lawyering. He is a permanent advisor to São Paulo Football Club.

Belisário dos Santos Jr.

Lawyer by the University of São Paulo Law School, he worked in the defense of prisoners and those politically persecuted during the civil-military dictatorship. He is a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo and the International Commission of Jurists. He presided over the Association of Latin American Lawyers for the Defense of Human Rights. He was Secretary of the Penitentiary Administration (1995) and Secretary of Justice and Defense of Citizenship (1995-2000). He coordinated the Human Rights Program in the State of São Paulo (1997). He created and chaired the State Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Torture (Comissão Estadual de Indenizações por Tortura). He was also a member of the Brazilian State Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances (2002/2014). He was also part of the Human Rights Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association in São Paulo (1985-1990). He was President of the Board of Trustees of the Padre Anchieta Foundation and the Mário Covas Foundation. He was vice president and president of the Truth Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association of the State of São Paulo (OAB-SP).

Claudia Costin

She is the director of the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education Policies (Ceipe) at Fundação Getúlio Vargas - RJ. Until 2018, she served as a visiting professor at the Harvard School of Education. She was, among other functions, Senior Director for Global Education at the World Bank (2014), Federal Minister for Public Administration in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government, State Secretary of Culture of the State of São Paulo (2003-2005), and Municipal Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro (2009-2014). She was executive vice president of Fundação Victor Civita. She is a columnist for the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. She is a member of the Technical Committee of the civil society movement she helped to found, Todos pela Educação. She is a university professor at FGV-RJ, having also taught at FGV-SP, the Insper Institute of Education and Research (Insper), the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), the University of Brasília (UnB), and the Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation (FAAP). She is also a member of the Global Commission on the Future of Work of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Daniela Mercuri

Artista de renome internacional, atua como ativista de direitos humanos no Brasil. Embaixadora do Unicef desde 1995 e Campeã da Igualdade da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), teve forte engajamento político e social nas últimas décadas. Durante a pandemia, se tornou membro da Comissão de Direitos Humanos do Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ), participando da criação do formulário Rogeria, mecanismo para proteção de pessoas LGBTQIAPN+. Atua em diversas frentes pela diversidade e pela proteção aos povos indígenas.

Fábio Konder Comparato

He graduated in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP) and holds a doctors degree in Law from the University of Paris (1963) and an honorary doctorate from the University of Coimbra (1999). In 2009, he received the title of Professor Emeritus of the Law School of the University of Sâo Paulo. He was the founder of the School of Government, an organization created to train governing authorities. He received the Louis Milliot Award, from the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris (1963), the Sobral Pinto Medal for human rights, the Franz de Castro Horzwarth Human Rights Award (1990), the Teixeira de Freitas Medal (1994), the Citizenship Award (1994), and the Legislative Merit Medal (2001). He is the author of several books and some of his main works are “Muda Brasil. Uma Constituição para o desenvolvimento democrático” (1986), “Para viver a democracia” (1989), “A afirmação histórica dos direitos humanos” (1999), “Ética” (2006), and “Rumo à Justiça” (2010).

José Luiz del Roio

Italian-Brazilian radio broadcaster, politician, and social activist, he was one of the founders of National Liberation Action (Ação Libertadora Nacional – ALN). He went into exile in 1969 in Peru, then in Chile and Europe. In 1975, in Moscow (USSR), he was recognized as a refugee by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Del Roio was also one of those responsible for the recovery of an important part of the Brazilian Communist Party's documental collection, which was threatened by searches and seizures by military repression agencies. He transferred the collection – which included the library of Astrojildo Pereira – to Milan (Italy), where he founded the Archivio Storico del Movimento Operaio Brasilliano. Affiliated with the Communist Refoundation Party, he was elected senator in the 2006 Italian legislative elections for the Lombardy region.

José Vicente

Lawyer, he holds a Ph.D. in Education from the Methodist University of Piracicaba (Unimep), a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the same university, and a Master’s degree in Law (Paulista School of Law). He is the founder and dean of Zumbi dos Palmares University, president and founder of the Afro-Brazilian Society of Socio-Cultural Development (Afrobras), founder and head of the Movimento Todos pela Educação (All For Education Movement). He is also a member of the National Commission for the Monitoring and Social Control of the University For All Program (Conap), the Advisory Council of the Department of Judicial Research of the National Council of Justice, the Commission for Monitoring the Differentiated Scoring System, USP's Inclusion Policy Monitoring Committee, the Curator Council of the Memorial Fundação da América Latina (Memorial Foundation of Latin America), the Superior Council for Advanced Studies of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), the Advisory Board of the Center for the Integration between School and Business (Centro de Integração Empresa Escola – CIEE), and LIDE (Business Leaders). Author of “Discursos Afirmativos” (Affirmative Speeches), published by Editora Unipalmares in 2018).

Laura Greenhalgh

Journalist, she graduated from the School of Communications and Arts of the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP), with a specialization course by Stanford University (USA). She works in different vehicles of the Brazilian press, such as the newspapers Jornal da Tarde, Jornal do Brasil, O Estado de S. Paulo, and Valor Econômico, in addition to magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire, Crescer, Veja, and Época. At the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, as executive editor, she launched the supplement magazines “Aliás” and “Sabático”, under her direction until 2013. While working in the social field, she was part of the Brazilian staff of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in programs regarding health and reproductive rights, and the health of the Black population. In addition, she has an educational background in the field of research and activism in the areas of ​​AIDS & STDs. She was a founding member of CARE in Brazil when she turned on to sustainability and poverty-fighting projects. She also created and directs the Palavra Escrita Editorial.

Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira

He is professor emeritus at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, where he has taught since 1959, and editor of the Brazilian Journal of Political Economy since 1981. He was chief of staff during the Franco Montoro (governor of São Paulo) administration (1985-1986) and Brazil’s Finance Minister in the José Sarney administration (1987). He was unable to control inflation with the (Bresser Plan) and proposed a general solution to the debt crisis of the 1980s, which the secretary of the US Department of the Treasury rejected, but 18 months later became the Brady Plan that solved the crisis. During the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration, he was Minister of Federal Administration and Reform of the State (1995-1998), formulated and implemented the Managerial State Reform, and was Minister of Science and Technology (1999). Since July 1999, he has dedicated himself exclusively to academic life. He received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Buenos Aires (2010); the James Street Scholar Award from the Association for Evolutionary Economics (2012); and the Juca Pato Award from the Brazilian Union of Writers (2015).

Luiz Felipe de Alencastro

He graduated in Political Science from Aix-Marseille University and received a doctorate in Modern and Contemporary History from the University of Paris Nanterre (France). He has taught at the French universities of Rouen and Paris-Vincennes (1975-1986). He was a full professor (“Livre Docente”) and adjunct professor at the Institute of Economics of the State University of Campinas and a researcher at the Brazilian Center of Analysis and Planning (1986-2000). He is currently a professor at the São Paulo School of Economics at Fundação Getúlio Vargas and professor emeritus at the Sorbonne Université (France), where he was a full professor of Brazilian History (2000-2014). He is a member of the Section of Archeology and History of the Academy of Europe. He teaches and researches South Atlantic history, Brazilian history, slavery, political history, and economic history.

Manuela Ligeti Carneiro da Cunha

She is a retired full professor of Anthropology at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the University of Chicago. She was a visiting professor at the Collège de France (2011-2012). She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. She chaired the São Paulo Pro-Indigenous Commission (1978-1982), and the Brazilian Association of Anthropology (1986-1988) when she contributed to the chapter on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Federal Constitution. She founded the Center for Indigenous History and Indigenism at the University of São Paulo and was a member of the Deliberative Council of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). She received the National Order of Scientific Merit, in the Grand Cross grade, the National Association of Graduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences (Anpocs) Award for Academic Excellence in Anthropology, the Légion d'Honneur, and the French Academy award. She was a member of the task force on traditional knowledge (2014-2019) and overall review editor of the Global Report (2019) of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity.

Maria Aparecida da Silva Bento

Mestre e doutora na área de psicologia, dedicou-se a estudar a “branquitude”, projetando-se internacionalmente no debate sobre questões raciais. Foi professora visitante na Universidade do Texas. Em 1990, fundou, ao lado de Ivair Augusto dos Santos e Hédio Silva Júnior, o Centro de Estudos das Relações de Trabalho e Desigualdades (Ceert), onde hoje ocupa o cargo de conselheira. Como pesquisadora, já escreveu dezenas de artigos acadêmicos e organizou diversos livros. Em 2015, foi eleita pela revista inglesa The Economist como uma das cinquenta personalidades mais influentes do mundo no campo da diversidade.

Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida

She is a retired professor of Political Science at the University of São Paulo (USP). She was president of the Brazilian Political Science Association (2004-2008) and the Latin American Studies Association (2010-2012), and a member of the Council of Eminent Persons, which advises the chief economist of the World Bank (2013-2016). She was a member of the University of São Paulo Truth Commission (2013-2018) and is a member of the University of São Paulo Human Rights Commission. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Brazil Institute, the Latin American Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars (Washington), and the Academic Committee of the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation (EU-LAC Foundation). She was awarded the National Order of Scientific Merit by the Presidency of the Republic, in the Commander (Comendador) grade (2006), and received the Academic Excellence Award in Political Science, conferred by the National Association of Graduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences (Anpocs-2013).

Oscar Vilhena Vieira

Dean of the Fundação Getúlio Vargas Sâo Paulo Law School (FGV-SP), he teaches in the fields of Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Law and Development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (1988), a Master's degree in Law from the University of Columbia, New York (1995), a Master's and Doctorate degrees in Political Science from the University of São Paulo (1991-1998), and a postdoctoral degree from the Centre for Brazilian Studies – St. Antony's College, University of Oxford (2007). He served as executive secretary of the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights, state attorney for São Paulo, and executive director of the United Nations Latin American Institute for Crime Prevention (Ilanud). He founded and is the director of Conectas Human Rights. He is a columnist for the newspaper (Folha de São Paulo) and a member of several advisory boards of civil society organizations, including the Pro Bono Institute and Open Society Foundations (OSF). In law, he has focused on public interest cases before the Federal Supreme Court.

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro

He holds a bachelors degree in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ), and since 2011 he is the Chairman of the United Nations (UN) Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, in Geneva. At the UN, he was the Secretary-General's Independent Expert for the World Report on Violence against Children and UN Human Rights Rapporteur for Burundi and Myanmar. He is the author of the UN Principles on Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons [the Pinheiro Principles]. He was a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (OAS). He is a professor of Political Science (retired) at the University of São Paulo (USP), doctor honoris causa at Unicamp and a researcher at the Center for the Study of Violence at USP, which he founded with Sérgio Adorno in 1987. He was a member of the National Truth Commission (from 2012 to 2014). He was a minister at the State Secretariat for Human Rights in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration. He was a founder, alongside Severo Gomes, and a member of the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights (from 1983 to 2016).

Paulo Vannuchi

Journalist, he holds a Masters degree in Political Science and was the Minister of the Special Secretariat for Human Rights for five years during Lulas administration and was a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (OAS), between 2014 and 2017. In 1975, he was one of those responsible for the dossier delivered to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) on the torture practiced during the military dictatorship. He was co-founder of the Cajamar Institute. From 1977 to 1985, he worked with the Pastoral Land Commission, the Pastoral Operária, and the Base Ecclesial Communities of the Catholic Church. As an advisor and trade union consultant, he is president of the Foundation responsible for the Workers TV television broadcaster (TVT – TV dos Trabalhadores) – and for Rádio Brasil Atual. He was politically imprisoned for five years (1971-1976) for student activities at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP) and for engaging in clandestine resistance to the dictatorial regime. In the same period, he participated in the team that he formed in secrecy, under the coordination of Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, the project Brazil: Never Again.

Sueli Carneiro

A feminist and anti-racist activist, she is the executive coordinator of Geledés Black Womens Institute and editor of Portal Geledés. She graduated in Philosophy and earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of São Paulo, and is a fellow of Ashoka Social Entrepreneurs. She was a columnist for the newspaper “Correio Braziliense” for seven years. She was a member of the National Council for the Status of Women. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of Amnesty International Brazil and the Advisory Board of the Baobá Fund for Racial Equity. She is the author of several articles on gender, race, and human rights issues in national and international journals. She received the Benedito Galvão Award (2014), the French Republic Human Rights Award, the Bertha Lutz Award (2003), and the Franz de Castro Holzwarth Human Rights Award (Honorable Mention).

Vladimir Safatle

Philosopher, professor at the Department of Philosophy of the University of São Paulo (USP), visiting professor at the universities of Paris VII, Paris VIII, Toulouse, Louvain, visiting student at the University of California – Berkeley, and fellow at the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Studies (South Africa). He is the author of several books on critical theory, psychoanalysis, and political philosophy in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. He is a weekly columnist for the newspaper Folha de São Paulo and often works on television programs, having been a political commentator for Jornal da Cultura for four years. With active political participation, he taught several public classes during strikes and occupation events such as Ocupa Sampa and Ocupa Salvador. In 2013, he joined the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL).

in memoriam

Dalmo de Abreu Dallari

He graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP) Law School in 1957 and was the director of USP Law School between 1986 and 1990. Professor emeritus at the USP Law School. He was Secretary of Legal Affairs at the Municipality of São Paulo (from 1990 to 1992). He has published books, journal articles, newspaper articles, book chapters, and event papers. He has given lectures and conferences in Brazil and abroad. In his Lattes Curriculum, the most frequent terms in the context of his scientific production are human rights, constitution, theory of the State, citizenship, judiciary, Rule of Law, self-determination, democracy, and constitutional law.

in memoriam

José Gregori

Lawyer by the University of São Paulo, he was the only Brazilian to receive an award from the United Nations when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary. He was Minister of Justice during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration (2000-2001) and Brazil's ambassador to Portugal (2002-2003). He was president of the Justice and Peace Commission, having worked alongside Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns. After 1964, he devoted himself to his law firm, where he defended political prisoners. He coordinated the First National Human Rights Plan, having acted to make it possible for there to be a Ministry of Human Rights in Brazil during democratic times. He was Secretary for Human Rights in the city of São Paulo and a member of the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights. He was president of the Human Rights Commission at the University of São Paulo (USP).

Honorary President

Margarida Genevois

Sociologist, she was president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo for three terms, working directly with Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns. She founded and coordinated the Veritas Center for Cultural and Social Expansion (1968-1978). She stands out as a member of organizations in defense of human rights, such as the National Justice and Peace Commission, the National Human Rights Council, the Brazilian Network for Human Rights Education, the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights, and the National Education Council in Human Rights. She received the Ordre National du Mérite (1998) and was awarded as Chevalier de la Légion d ́Honneur (2017) by the government of France; in Brazil, she received the Independence Medal (1999), the National Human Rights Award (2000), the Order of Rio Branco Medal (2001), the University of São Paulo (USP) Human Rights Award (2002), the Bahaiú Llah Citizenship (2001), and the title of Citizen of São Paulo (2008).

President

José Carlos Dias

Criminal lawyer, during the military dictatorship he became known as a defender of political prisoners, acting directly in the Military Justice. He was a counselor of the Brazilian Bar Association of the State of São Paulo (OAB-SP), president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo (1969-1970), and member of the International Commission of Jurists. He held the positions of Minister of Justice during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration and Secretary of Justice of the State of São Paulo during the government of Franco Montoro. He was a member of the National Truth Commission, established by the federal government in 2011. He graduated in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP) and is currently an associate in the Dias e Carvalho Filho - Advogados law firm. He is a member of the Deliberative Council of the Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense (Instituto de Defesa do Direito de Defesa - IDDD), the Lawyers Institute of São Paulo, and of the Council Board of the Institute of Cancer of São Paulo.

Vice-president

Maria Victoria de Mesquita Benevides

Sociologist and political scientist, she is a professor emeritus at the Faculty of Education of the University of São Paulo. She was a senior researcher and director of the Center for Studies in Contemporary Culture (Cedec) in the 1980s, researching topics relevant to democratic citizenship. She has published several books on contemporary Brazilian political history and theoretical studies on democracy, the Constitution, and political parties. She was the co-founder and director of the School of Government (from 1991 to 2011). She took on civic duties at the National Development Council and the Public Ethics Commission (2003-2006). As a Human Rights activist, she was a member of the São Paulo Justice and Peace Commission, the Council of the Municipal Secretariat for Human Rights and Citizenship (2013-2016), and collaborates to this day on projects for Human Rights Education. She is a member of the Deliberative Council of the Vladimir Herzog Institute and of the Sérgio Buarque de Holanda Center at the Perseu Abramo Foundation.

Ailton Krenak

Founder of the organizations “Nucleus of Indigenous People” (Núcleo de Cultura Indígena) and “Union of Indigenous Peoples” (União dos Povos Indígenas), he is a graphic producer and journalist by his educational background. As an activist for the Indigenous cause since his youth, he participated in the National Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Brazilian Constitution of 1988. In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) by the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), the institution where he teaches the specialization courses “Culture and History of Indigenous Peoples” and “Arts and Crafts of Traditional Knowledge”. He was the special advisor to the government of Minas Gerais for Indigenous affairs from 2003 to 2010. In 2014, he was one of the speakers at the international seminar The Thousand Names of Gaia (“Os Mil Nomes de Gaia”), in Rio de Janeiro. He currently works on the projects of the Nucleus of Indigenous Culture, in Serra do Cipó (MG), including the Festival of Indigenous Dance and Culture.

André Singer

Singer graduated in social sciences and in journalism, both from the University of São Paulo (USP). He worked at Folha de S. Paulo newspaper as a policy editor and editorial secretary. He was spokesperson and press secretary of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration (2003-2006). He holds Master's and Doctoral degrees and is an associate professor (livre-docente) in political science at the Department of Political Science of the University of São Paulo (USP). He is the author of Os Sentidos do Lulismo (Companhia das Letras, 2012) and O Lulismo em Crise (Companhia das Letras, 2018), among other books. He has experience in electoral behavior, modern political theory, and social classes in contemporary Brazilian politics, working in the areas of political behavior, problems of democracy, and class analysis of the present Brazilian situation. He is a columnist for Folha de S. Paulo and coordinator of the Center for the Study of Citizenship Rights (Centro de Estudos dos Direitos da Cidadania - Cenedic) at USP's Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences.

Antônio Cláudio Mariz de Oliveira

Lawyer by the Paulista School of Law of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, he was president of the Brazilian Bar Association of the State of Sâo Paulo – (OAB-SP) (in 1987/1988 and 1989/1990) and of the São Paulo Lawyers Association (1983/1984). In the state of São Paulo, he was Secretary of Justice (1990) and Secretary of Public Security (1990-1991). He chaired the National Council of Criminal and Penitentiary Policy (2003-2007). He was a member of Amnesty International. He is currently a member of the São Paulo Law Academy (Academia Paulista de Direito) and the São Paulo Academy of Juridical Letters (Academia Paulista de Letras Jurídicas). He authored the books “Embargos do Devedor” and “Crônicas Absolvidas”, and is co-responsible for updating the book “Tratado de Direito Penal” by José Frederico Marques. He was the founder of the Council of Portuguese Language Jurists, he is a member of the Criminal Law Commission of the Brazilian Lawyers Institute, and of the Legal Council of the Federation of Commerce of the State of São Paulo. He is on the council boards of the São Paulo Lawyers Institute, the Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense, and the Movement for the Defense of Lawyering. He is a permanent advisor to São Paulo Football Club.

Belisário dos Santos Jr.

Lawyer by the University of São Paulo Law School, he worked in the defense of prisoners and those politically persecuted during the civil-military dictatorship. He is a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of São Paulo and the International Commission of Jurists. He presided over the Association of Latin American Lawyers for the Defense of Human Rights. He was Secretary of the Penitentiary Administration (1995) and Secretary of Justice and Defense of Citizenship (1995-2000). He coordinated the Human Rights Program in the State of São Paulo (1997). He created and chaired the State Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Torture (Comissão Estadual de Indenizações por Tortura). He was also a member of the Brazilian State Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances (2002/2014). He was also part of the Human Rights Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association in São Paulo (1985-1990). He was President of the Board of Trustees of the Padre Anchieta Foundation and the Mário Covas Foundation. He was vice president and president of the Truth Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association of the State of São Paulo (OAB-SP).

Claudia Costin

She is the director of the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education Policies (Ceipe) at Fundação Getúlio Vargas - RJ. Until 2018, she served as a visiting professor at the Harvard School of Education. She was, among other functions, Senior Director for Global Education at the World Bank (2014), Federal Minister for Public Administration in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government, State Secretary of Culture of the State of São Paulo (2003-2005), and Municipal Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro (2009-2014). She was executive vice president of Fundação Victor Civita. She is a columnist for the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. She is a member of the Technical Committee of the civil society movement she helped to found, Todos pela Educação. She is a university professor at FGV-RJ, having also taught at FGV-SP, the Insper Institute of Education and Research (Insper), the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), the University of Brasília (UnB), and the Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation (FAAP). She is also a member of the Global Commission on the Future of Work of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Daniela Mercuri

Artista de renome internacional, atua como ativista de direitos humanos no Brasil. Embaixadora do Unicef desde 1995 e Campeã da Igualdade da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), teve forte engajamento político e social nas últimas décadas. Durante a pandemia, se tornou membro da Comissão de Direitos Humanos do Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ), participando da criação do formulário Rogeria, mecanismo para proteção de pessoas LGBTQIAPN+. Atua em diversas frentes pela diversidade e pela proteção aos povos indígenas.

Fábio Konder Comparato

He graduated in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP) and holds a doctors degree in Law from the University of Paris (1963) and an honorary doctorate from the University of Coimbra (1999). In 2009, he received the title of Professor Emeritus of the Law School of the University of Sâo Paulo. He was the founder of the School of Government, an organization created to train governing authorities. He received the Louis Milliot Award, from the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris (1963), the Sobral Pinto Medal for human rights, the Franz de Castro Horzwarth Human Rights Award (1990), the Teixeira de Freitas Medal (1994), the Citizenship Award (1994), and the Legislative Merit Medal (2001). He is the author of several books and some of his main works are “Muda Brasil. Uma Constituição para o desenvolvimento democrático” (1986), “Para viver a democracia” (1989), “A afirmação histórica dos direitos humanos” (1999), “Ética” (2006), and “Rumo à Justiça” (2010).

José Luiz del Roio

Italian-Brazilian radio broadcaster, politician, and social activist, he was one of the founders of National Liberation Action (Ação Libertadora Nacional – ALN). He went into exile in 1969 in Peru, then in Chile and Europe. In 1975, in Moscow (USSR), he was recognized as a refugee by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Del Roio was also one of those responsible for the recovery of an important part of the Brazilian Communist Party's documental collection, which was threatened by searches and seizures by military repression agencies. He transferred the collection – which included the library of Astrojildo Pereira – to Milan (Italy), where he founded the Archivio Storico del Movimento Operaio Brasilliano. Affiliated with the Communist Refoundation Party, he was elected senator in the 2006 Italian legislative elections for the Lombardy region.

José Vicente

Lawyer, he holds a Ph.D. in Education from the Methodist University of Piracicaba (Unimep), a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the same university, and a Master’s degree in Law (Paulista School of Law). He is the founder and dean of Zumbi dos Palmares University, president and founder of the Afro-Brazilian Society of Socio-Cultural Development (Afrobras), founder and head of the Movimento Todos pela Educação (All For Education Movement). He is also a member of the National Commission for the Monitoring and Social Control of the University For All Program (Conap), the Advisory Council of the Department of Judicial Research of the National Council of Justice, the Commission for Monitoring the Differentiated Scoring System, USP's Inclusion Policy Monitoring Committee, the Curator Council of the Memorial Fundação da América Latina (Memorial Foundation of Latin America), the Superior Council for Advanced Studies of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), the Advisory Board of the Center for the Integration between School and Business (Centro de Integração Empresa Escola – CIEE), and LIDE (Business Leaders). Author of “Discursos Afirmativos” (Affirmative Speeches), published by Editora Unipalmares in 2018).

Laura Greenhalgh

Journalist, she graduated from the School of Communications and Arts of the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP), with a specialization course by Stanford University (USA). She works in different vehicles of the Brazilian press, such as the newspapers Jornal da Tarde, Jornal do Brasil, O Estado de S. Paulo, and Valor Econômico, in addition to magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire, Crescer, Veja, and Época. At the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, as executive editor, she launched the supplement magazines “Aliás” and “Sabático”, under her direction until 2013. While working in the social field, she was part of the Brazilian staff of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in programs regarding health and reproductive rights, and the health of the Black population. In addition, she has an educational background in the field of research and activism in the areas of ​​AIDS & STDs. She was a founding member of CARE in Brazil when she turned on to sustainability and poverty-fighting projects. She also created and directs the Palavra Escrita Editorial.

Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira

He is professor emeritus at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, where he has taught since 1959, and editor of the Brazilian Journal of Political Economy since 1981. He was chief of staff during the Franco Montoro (governor of São Paulo) administration (1985-1986) and Brazil’s Finance Minister in the José Sarney administration (1987). He was unable to control inflation with the (Bresser Plan) and proposed a general solution to the debt crisis of the 1980s, which the secretary of the US Department of the Treasury rejected, but 18 months later became the Brady Plan that solved the crisis. During the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration, he was Minister of Federal Administration and Reform of the State (1995-1998), formulated and implemented the Managerial State Reform, and was Minister of Science and Technology (1999). Since July 1999, he has dedicated himself exclusively to academic life. He received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Buenos Aires (2010); the James Street Scholar Award from the Association for Evolutionary Economics (2012); and the Juca Pato Award from the Brazilian Union of Writers (2015).

Luiz Felipe de Alencastro

He graduated in Political Science from Aix-Marseille University and received a doctorate in Modern and Contemporary History from the University of Paris Nanterre (France). He has taught at the French universities of Rouen and Paris-Vincennes (1975-1986). He was a full professor (“Livre Docente”) and adjunct professor at the Institute of Economics of the State University of Campinas and a researcher at the Brazilian Center of Analysis and Planning (1986-2000). He is currently a professor at the São Paulo School of Economics at Fundação Getúlio Vargas and professor emeritus at the Sorbonne Université (France), where he was a full professor of Brazilian History (2000-2014). He is a member of the Section of Archeology and History of the Academy of Europe. He teaches and researches South Atlantic history, Brazilian history, slavery, political history, and economic history.

Manuela Ligeti Carneiro da Cunha

She is a retired full professor of Anthropology at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the University of Chicago. She was a visiting professor at the Collège de France (2011-2012). She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. She chaired the São Paulo Pro-Indigenous Commission (1978-1982), and the Brazilian Association of Anthropology (1986-1988) when she contributed to the chapter on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Federal Constitution. She founded the Center for Indigenous History and Indigenism at the University of São Paulo and was a member of the Deliberative Council of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). She received the National Order of Scientific Merit, in the Grand Cross grade, the National Association of Graduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences (Anpocs) Award for Academic Excellence in Anthropology, the Légion d'Honneur, and the French Academy award. She was a member of the task force on traditional knowledge (2014-2019) and overall review editor of the Global Report (2019) of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity.

Maria Aparecida da Silva Bento

Mestre e doutora na área de psicologia, dedicou-se a estudar a “branquitude”, projetando-se internacionalmente no debate sobre questões raciais. Foi professora visitante na Universidade do Texas. Em 1990, fundou, ao lado de Ivair Augusto dos Santos e Hédio Silva Júnior, o Centro de Estudos das Relações de Trabalho e Desigualdades (Ceert), onde hoje ocupa o cargo de conselheira. Como pesquisadora, já escreveu dezenas de artigos acadêmicos e organizou diversos livros. Em 2015, foi eleita pela revista inglesa The Economist como uma das cinquenta personalidades mais influentes do mundo no campo da diversidade.

Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida

She is a retired professor of Political Science at the University of São Paulo (USP). She was president of the Brazilian Political Science Association (2004-2008) and the Latin American Studies Association (2010-2012), and a member of the Council of Eminent Persons, which advises the chief economist of the World Bank (2013-2016). She was a member of the University of São Paulo Truth Commission (2013-2018) and is a member of the University of São Paulo Human Rights Commission. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Brazil Institute, the Latin American Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars (Washington), and the Academic Committee of the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation (EU-LAC Foundation). She was awarded the National Order of Scientific Merit by the Presidency of the Republic, in the Commander (Comendador) grade (2006), and received the Academic Excellence Award in Political Science, conferred by the National Association of Graduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences (Anpocs-2013).

Oscar Vilhena Vieira

Dean of the Fundação Getúlio Vargas Sâo Paulo Law School (FGV-SP), he teaches in the fields of Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Law and Development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (1988), a Master's degree in Law from the University of Columbia, New York (1995), a Master's and Doctorate degrees in Political Science from the University of São Paulo (1991-1998), and a postdoctoral degree from the Centre for Brazilian Studies – St. Antony's College, University of Oxford (2007). He served as executive secretary of the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights, state attorney for São Paulo, and executive director of the United Nations Latin American Institute for Crime Prevention (Ilanud). He founded and is the director of Conectas Human Rights. He is a columnist for the newspaper (Folha de São Paulo) and a member of several advisory boards of civil society organizations, including the Pro Bono Institute and Open Society Foundations (OSF). In law, he has focused on public interest cases before the Federal Supreme Court.

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro

He holds a bachelors degree in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ), and since 2011 he is the Chairman of the United Nations (UN) Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, in Geneva. At the UN, he was the Secretary-General's Independent Expert for the World Report on Violence against Children and UN Human Rights Rapporteur for Burundi and Myanmar. He is the author of the UN Principles on Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons [the Pinheiro Principles]. He was a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (OAS). He is a professor of Political Science (retired) at the University of São Paulo (USP), doctor honoris causa at Unicamp and a researcher at the Center for the Study of Violence at USP, which he founded with Sérgio Adorno in 1987. He was a member of the National Truth Commission (from 2012 to 2014). He was a minister at the State Secretariat for Human Rights in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration. He was a founder, alongside Severo Gomes, and a member of the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights (from 1983 to 2016).

Paulo Vannuchi

Journalist, he holds a Masters degree in Political Science and was the Minister of the Special Secretariat for Human Rights for five years during Lulas administration and was a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (OAS), between 2014 and 2017. In 1975, he was one of those responsible for the dossier delivered to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) on the torture practiced during the military dictatorship. He was co-founder of the Cajamar Institute. From 1977 to 1985, he worked with the Pastoral Land Commission, the Pastoral Operária, and the Base Ecclesial Communities of the Catholic Church. As an advisor and trade union consultant, he is president of the Foundation responsible for the Workers TV television broadcaster (TVT – TV dos Trabalhadores) – and for Rádio Brasil Atual. He was politically imprisoned for five years (1971-1976) for student activities at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP) and for engaging in clandestine resistance to the dictatorial regime. In the same period, he participated in the team that he formed in secrecy, under the coordination of Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, the project Brazil: Never Again.

Sueli Carneiro

A feminist and anti-racist activist, she is the executive coordinator of Geledés Black Womens Institute and editor of Portal Geledés. She graduated in Philosophy and earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of São Paulo, and is a fellow of Ashoka Social Entrepreneurs. She was a columnist for the newspaper “Correio Braziliense” for seven years. She was a member of the National Council for the Status of Women. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of Amnesty International Brazil and the Advisory Board of the Baobá Fund for Racial Equity. She is the author of several articles on gender, race, and human rights issues in national and international journals. She received the Benedito Galvão Award (2014), the French Republic Human Rights Award, the Bertha Lutz Award (2003), and the Franz de Castro Holzwarth Human Rights Award (Honorable Mention).

Vladimir Safatle

Philosopher, professor at the Department of Philosophy of the University of São Paulo (USP), visiting professor at the universities of Paris VII, Paris VIII, Toulouse, Louvain, visiting student at the University of California – Berkeley, and fellow at the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Studies (South Africa). He is the author of several books on critical theory, psychoanalysis, and political philosophy in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. He is a weekly columnist for the newspaper Folha de São Paulo and often works on television programs, having been a political commentator for Jornal da Cultura for four years. With active political participation, he taught several public classes during strikes and occupation events such as Ocupa Sampa and Ocupa Salvador. In 2013, he joined the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL).

in memoriam

Dalmo de Abreu Dallari

He graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP) Law School in 1957 and was the director of USP Law School between 1986 and 1990. Professor emeritus at the USP Law School. He was Secretary of Legal Affairs at the Municipality of São Paulo (from 1990 to 1992). He has published books, journal articles, newspaper articles, book chapters, and event papers. He has given lectures and conferences in Brazil and abroad. In his Lattes Curriculum, the most frequent terms in the context of his scientific production are human rights, constitution, theory of the State, citizenship, judiciary, Rule of Law, self-determination, democracy, and constitutional law.

in memoriam

José Gregori

Lawyer by the University of São Paulo, he was the only Brazilian to receive an award from the United Nations when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary. He was Minister of Justice during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration (2000-2001) and Brazil's ambassador to Portugal (2002-2003). He was president of the Justice and Peace Commission, having worked alongside Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns. After 1964, he devoted himself to his law firm, where he defended political prisoners. He coordinated the First National Human Rights Plan, having acted to make it possible for there to be a Ministry of Human Rights in Brazil during democratic times. He was Secretary for Human Rights in the city of São Paulo and a member of the Teotônio Vilela Commission for Human Rights. He was president of the Human Rights Commission at the University of São Paulo (USP).

Associates

Supervisory Board

Team

History

The Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for Human Rights Defense (Arns Commission) was founded in January 2019, with the goal of providing visibility to and gathering of serious violationsto the physical integrity, freedom, and human dignity, especially those committed by State agentsagainst discriminated persons or populations, such as blacks, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, women, youth,and urban or rural communities in extreme poverty conditions.

Statute → Annual Reports →
Production: Bharati Filmes

Manifesto

A história brasileira é marcada por graves violações dos direitos humanos mais fundamentais. Apesar dessa violência nunca ter sido objeto da devida atenção por parte do país, houve inegáveis avanços sob a égide da Constituição de 1988. Não podemos permitir, agora, que ocorram retrocessos.

O desrespeito aos direitos humanos, cuja incidência pode crescer graças às características do processo político recente, atinge de maneira cruel os setores mais discriminados da população, com suas características de vulnerabilidade econômica, social, de raça, religiosa, de orientação sexual e de gênero.

Em outros momentos difíceis, o Brasil percebeu a importância dos organismos de defesa de direitos humanos compostos de forma plural por membros da sociedade civil. Tais entidades demonstraram, mesmo em conjunturas dramáticas, a vigilância necessária para dar visibilidade e processamento jurídico a crimes cometidos por agentes do Estado.

A instauração da Comissão de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos D. Paulo Evaristo Arns - Comissão Arns quer ajudar na proteção da integridade física, da liberdade e da dignidade humana dos que possam estar ameaçados neste novo período duro da história brasileira.

Com a presença de participantes de entidades anteriores, pretendemos recolher a experiência do passado com vistas a preservar o futuro. Este o motivo, também, de homenagear o Cardeal Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns (1921 - 2016) que, acima de diferenças religiosas, políticas, sociais e ideológicas, foi capaz de juntar forças variadas em favor dos direitos humanos na hora mais difícil do regime ditatorial instaurado em 1964.

A partir da reunião de velhos e novos defensores da dignidade humana, o objetivo da Comissão Arns será o de contribuir para dar visibilidade e seguimento jurídico, em instâncias nacionais e internacionais, a casos de graves violações dos direitos humanos. A comissão vem para trabalhar de forma articulada com os inúmeros organismos de defesa e pesquisa em direitos humanos já existentes no Brasil.

A unidade plural de todos os que sustentam a inviolabilidade dos direitos humanos, no quadro dos tratados e convenções internacionais que o Estado brasileiro se obrigou a respeitar, é o nosso norte e fundamento comum.

São Paulo, 20 de fevereiro de 2019.

70 ANOS DA DECLARAÇÃO UNIVERSAL DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS
30 ANOS DA CONSTITUIÇÃO DE 1988

Brazilian history is characterized by serious violations of the most fundamental human rights. Although this violence has never been given proper attention by part of the country, there has been undeniable progress under the aegis of the 1988 Constitution. We can not allow setbacks.

The disrespect of human rights, which incidence may increase because of threats unleashed during the recent electoral process, unrelentingly affects the most discriminated sectors of society, made vulnerable by their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social and economic status.

In other difficult moments, Brazil realized the importance of human rights organizations pluralistically composed by members of civil society. These entities have demonstrated, even in dramatic scenarios, the indispensable surveillance to provide visibility and legal processing to crimes committed by agents of the State.

The establishment of the Arns Commission for Human Rights Defense strives to help protect the physical integrity, freedom and human dignity of those who may be threatened in this new difficult period of Brazilian history.

With the presence of members of previous entities in this new commission, we intend to gather past experiences with the intent of preserving the future. This is also the reason we pay homage to Cardinal Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns (1921-2016) who, above religious, political, social and ideological differences, was able to join forces in favor of human rights in the most difficult time of the dictatorial regime established in 1964.

From the meeting of old and new human rights advocates, the aim of the commission is to contribute to the visibility and legal follow-up in national and international instances to cases of serious human rights violations motivated by hatred and intolerance, as well as restrictions on the exercise of civil liberties and participation in political life.

Arns Commission intends to work in an articulated way with the numerous human rights defense and research organizations already existing in Brazil. The plural unity of those who uphold the inviolability of human rights, within the framework of international treaties and conventions that the Brazilian State has agreed upon, is our common ground.

São Paulo, February 20, 2019.

70 YEARS OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
30 YEARS OF THE BRAZILIAN CONSTITUTION OF 1988

La historia brasileña está marcada por graves violaciones de los derechos humanos más fundamentales. A pesar de que esta violencia nunca fue objeto de la debida atención por parte del país, hubo innegables avances bajo el amparo de la Constitución de 1988. No podemos permitir ahora que se produzcan retrocesos.

La falta de respeto a los derechos humanos, cuya incidencia quizá crezca gracias a las amenazas lanzadas durante el reciente proceso electoral, golpea de manera cruel a los sectores más discriminados de la población, con sus características de vulnerabilidad económica, social, de raza, religiosa, de orientación sexual y de género.

En otros momentos difíciles, Brasil percibió la importancia de los organismos de defensa de derechos humanos compuestos de forma plural por miembros de la sociedad civil. Tales entidades demostraron, incluso en coyunturas dramáticas, la vigilancia necesaria para dar visibilidad y procesamiento jurídico a crímenes cometidos por agentes del Estado.

La instauración de la Comisión Arns de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos quiere ayudar en la protección de la integridad física, de la libertad y de la dignidad humana de los que puedan estar amenazados en este nuevo período duro de la historia brasileña.

Con la presencia de participantes de entidades anteriores en esta nueva comisión, pretendemos recoger la experiencia del pasado con miras a preservar el futuro. Este es el motivo, también, de homenajear al Cardenal Don Paulo Evaristo Arns (1921-2016) que, por encima de las diferencias religiosas, políticas, sociales e ideológicas, fue capaz de unir fuerzas en favor de los derechos humanos en el momento más difícil del régimen dictatorial instaurado en 1964.

A partir de la reunión de viejos y nuevos combatientes de los derechos humanos, el objetivo de la comisión será el de contribuir a dar visibilidad y seguimiento jurídico, en instancias nacionales e internacionales, a casos de graves violaciones de los derechos humanos, motivados por el odio y la intolerancia, así como a las restricciones al ejercicio de las libertades públicas y participación en la vida política. La Comisión Arns viene a trabajar de forma articulada con los innumerables organismos de defensa e investigación en derechos humanos ya existentes en Brasil.

La unidad plural de todos los que sostienen la inviolabilidad de los derechos humanos, en el marco de los tratados y convenciones internacionales que el Estado brasileño se obligó a respetar, es nuestro norte y fundamento común.

San Pablo, febrero de 2019.

70 AÑOS DE LA DECLARACIÓN UNIVERSAL DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS.
30 AÑOS DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN DE 1988.

Curadoria FOTÓGRAFAS E FOTÓGRAFOS PELA DEMOCRACIA

Olhares para os Direitos Humanos

Isabelle Araújo

O Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública apontou que o Brasil registrou 722 feminicídios no 1º semestre de 2023, o maior número desde 2019. Houve um aumento de 14,9% nos casos de estupro e 2,6% nos feminicídios, em 2022, em comparação com o ano anterior. Na foto, ato em Brasília (DF) pelo combate ao feminicídio. (isabelle.araujo90@gmail.com)

Contact

Av. Santos Dumont, 843 - Bom Retiro,
São Paulo - SP, 01101-000

🖂 comissaoarns@comissaoarns.org 📞 00 55 11 97212-0117

Press Office
analitica@analitica.inf.br

The Commission thanks you!