HOW YOUNG AMBASSADORS SPREAD DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN BRAZIL
“The unpreparedness for democracy is the most democratic quality among Brazilians. We’re dedicated to developing a generation of citizens engaged and committed to democracy.”
OVERVIEW
Brazil is the fourth-largest democracy in the world (by population) and its citizens have experienced more than three uninterrupted decades of democratic rule. However, the institutions in place to nurture and educate young people about politics are lacking. In the national school system, political education is not offered. Further, Brazilians’ faith in their democratic government is shifting. 25 percent of Brazilians no longer believe that democracy is the best system of government. 41 percent believe it doesn’t matter whether they live in a democracy or not.
These are only a few of the troubling statistics that energized the organizers of Politize! to spring to action and fill the gap in the public education system. They believe that the spirit of democracy in Brazil must be strengthened, and it all comes down to spreading democratic principles, values, beliefs, and capabilities. Considering the turbulent years that Brazil and the entire world have been facing, Politize! believes that now is the time for citizens to grow more committed to democracy. That’s where Politize! and its vast network of ambassadors, educators, and civics education resources come in. One of the programs they employ is their ambassador program, which we’ll learn from in this article.
WHAT IS POLITIZE!?
Politize! is a Brazilian non-profit organization whose mission is to develop a generation of citizens engaged and committed to democracy, bringing political education to anyone, anywhere. They have reached more than 50 million unique users with engaging, accessible, unbiased political-education content. Their teaching materials have reached over 300,000 students in São Paulo State, and even more across Brazil.
One of their guiding principles is plurality. They believe in respecting different realities, people, beliefs, and points of view within the school community and in their networks of young leaders and writers. For them, having a plural environment is essential to dialogue and learning.
HOW POLITIZE! HAS TRAINED THE NEXT GENERATION OF POLITICAL LEADERS THROUGH THEIR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Through the network of ambassadors, Politize! is nurturing the development of new public leaders, giving the first "push" to young people with potential and interest. Their training is based on a model that values the exchange of experiences and learning based on political knowledge, plural dialogues, empathy, citizenship, and community leadership. The goal of their work is for citizens to participate in proposing solutions, staying present in spaces of decision-making, and assuming leadership roles in governments, institutions, and organizations that impact public policies.
Since 2018, 873 young leaders in 231 municipalities and 26 states have been trained in this program. These leaders have impacted over 56,000 people in face-to-face workshops and lectures across the country, in subjects such as fake news, dialogue, depolarization, and civic engagement.
Over the course of the 6-month program, young people gain a new perspective. They can be active citizens. They can be committed to Brazil’s democracy and their communities. They can participate or even lead the decisions that affect their lives.
Here’s what a few of them have to say.
“2020 was an intense but very active year for the Ambassadors Program, which reinforced my belief in the power of Politize! transforming and strengthening democracy. During the pandemic, when the population felt increasingly dependent on the government, we were able to engage more people to think about solutions to their realities and highlight the idea that citizens have an active role in the formulation of public policies.
- Kassiano Fraga, North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul
“Politics should not be synonymous with problems, but with transformation.”
- Guilherme Marçal, Brasília.
What fascinates me about Politize! it is the faith in people and democracy. It is the belief that everyone is important and able to participate in building a better society, starting with our cities.
- PATRÍCIA ALENCAR, POLITIZE! AMBASSADOR
CONCLUSION
If your organization is committed to expanding political education in your community or country, Politize! has the following advice.
Continue to dream. If we can’t dream of another future, we can’t carry on. We work with a complex reality and big challenges, so we need to stay hopeful to believe that we can change the future.
Build a mission for the volunteers of your cause. Volunteers should be taught what they have to know very clearly, what they need to accomplish, and why. Give them step-by-step instructions about how they can complete their mission.
Be a great friend to each volunteer. Your relationship with the volunteers needs to be simultaneously friendly and professional. So, be vulnerable, friendly, and energetic to engage them!
STAY INFORMED
Want to learn more about Politize’s work? You can visit their website or connect with them on Instagram and other social networks.