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 Brazil begins to discuss the 2002 budgets of federal,
state and municipal governments much more concerned
in keeping privileges of a few protected by law
than guaranteeing rights still not conquered by the majority.
By Cristovam Buarque
"It's just stones", were the words of the government of Afghanistan to
justify the destruction of sacred Buddhist sculptures over one thousand years old. With
the lack of feeling of those who do not understand the value of what is behind the stones
sculpted by artists, the Taliban governments do not understand the historic value of the
past, do not respect religious diversity and commit the crime of destroying cultural
heritage of humanity.
"Just poor", are the words thought by the global elite before the tragedy of
misery scattered all over the world. With the lack of feeling of that who does not
understand the suffering of its equals, the world economic elite does not consider human
value in the faces of the poor, does not understand the sacrifice of destruction of human
beings and commits the crime of destroying its own humanism.
This is what the inhabitants of the modern side of society think when they pass beside
the excluded poor. This is what comes to their minds when they see and read news of misery
or when they are informed about the social indicators of poverty. It is the same when they
ask the poor for their vote to keep them in poverty, fooling themselves and the poor into
thinking they are "just poor".
Right into the 21st Century, a few days ago, the world saw the voyage of a
ship transporting children for the slave market on television. They were sold, at low
prices in dollars, by parents desperate of misery. Before the destruction of sacred images
of Buddha, two months earlier, the world manifested its indignation. Today, the world just
watches in awe the tragedy of this modern slave ship.
It is serious to consider that there was no way to predict and avoid the Taliban crime
committed by isolated fanatics of the world. However, for decades the tragedy of global
poverty has been predictable, built by economic policies deliberated by the centers of
international power.
What happens today in Africa is the fault of corrupt government officials, of
unsuccessful national experiences. It is, overall, the result of the imposition of
development models not adapted to local reality. It is the consequence of an attempt to
impose a path that seeks wealth for few instead of seeking the eradication of poverty for
all.
What happened in Afghanistan can not be avoided even when a few rich propose to buy the
sacred sculptures of Buddha and transport them to museums of the West. But the poverty
existent in the world could be avoided if the rich decided to invest a small part of their
global income to attend the necessities of the poor.
Only 0.1 percent of the world's income would be necessary to guarantee Bolsa-Escola
for all 250 million boys and girls that are presently obliged to work. They would all be
in school, free from being sold as slaves by their own parents. Only 13 percent of what
poor countries pay as service to their external debts to the rich banks of the world would
be necessary to remove children from work and enroll them in school.
But this is not done. On the contrary, to force these countries to pay their external
debt, severe measures are imposed that deepen poverty and throw millions into despair to
the point where children are sold as slaves under the global eye via television. Despite
all internal errors of the past, a considerable part of world poverty is caused from the
outside into African countries.
This is not the case of Brazil. Here there are sufficient funds to eradicate poverty.
Our poverty has no international excuses, even though our submission worsens our misery.
With only a small portion of the available resources in possession of the public sector,
less than 14 percent, it would be possible to carry out programs and public policies that
in a few years would eradicate poverty within national territory.
However, the country begins to discuss the 2002 budgets of federal, state and municipal
governments much more concerned with problems of the rich than with the needs of the poor.
More concerned in keeping privileges of a few protected by law than guaranteeing rights
still not conquered by the majority.
Brazil watched astonished the course of the slave ship on the other side of the
Atlantic, but does not see that within the path of the budget through Congress there is a
slave ship of greater proportions, even if disguised.
On the pages and numbers of the budget is the future of public policies, the picture of
health, jobs, school, safety, food, housing, of water and sewers available for the
Brazilian population during the next few years. This route of the country towards the
future, as a nation or as a huge slave ship, depends on the decisions made now.
Depends on our mobilization of representatives to define a budget to eradicate poverty
before the budget to increase wealth. A budget of social debt before other debts. A budget
of rights before privileges.
One hundred years ago an anti-slavery movement led Brazil to the abolition of Negro
serfdom. It is time for a new abolitionist movement, a movement for a second abolition to
waken the country to eradicate poverty.
In order for the first abolition to work, it was necessary that free people realize
that slaves were not "just slaves", that each of them had a soul. Now it is
necessary that the rich realize that the poor are not "just poor" as the
sculptures are not "just stones". They are our brothers, our equals, waiting to
exercise their rights. As they wait, the life they lead becomes proof that the rich have
won the world but lost their souls. They are "just rich", without souls.
Cristovam Ricardo Cavalcanti Buarque was born on February 20, 1944, in
Recife, Pernambuco. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Pernambuco Federal
University and received a PhD in Economy from Paris University. He is a professor at the
University of Brasilia. Buarque has also created and is the president of the NGO Mission
Child, with the purpose of fighting poverty and social segregation. His most recent book, O
Admirável Mundo Atual (Brave Present World), is being released by Geração Ed. A
respected voice of the Brazilian left wing, he is a member of the PT (Partido dos
Trabalhadores—Worker`s Party) and was the Federal District governor from 1994 to
1998. He is the author of 18 books and his articles are published twice a month in O
Globo, Correio Braziliense and many other publications in Brazil. Homepage: www.cristovambuarque.pro.br
His e-mail: cbuarque@tba.com.br
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