arthur cordell: > >Thanx for your sobering message, Ed. As I was reading it I kept bouncing >back and forth between conditions and problems. Is Heliopolis (and >others) a condition (which will continue) or is it a problem (something >can be done about it). If its a problem, than what must be done to 'fix' >it? It's a cold overcast day here in Ottawa and my mood must reflect the >weather: I fear that the Heliopolis' of the world reflect aspects of the >human economic/political condition. I just can't imagine the >political/economic/environmental things that would have to be changed to >provide long term remedies (the kind of remedies that my middle class >mentality sees as remedies). Condition or problem? Interesting question. My own guess is that the favelas of Brazil are more condition than problem. Within as long a period as we can reasonably think about, they are permanent. They are a product of several things: relatively recent changes in the rural economy which led to migrations to the cities; rapid population growth; a highly inequitable distribution of income (the wealthiest 10% of the Brazilian population gets over half the country's annual income while the poorest 10% gets less than one percent); and a dearth of social programming aimed at helping the poor. Some of these things are fixable, but there appears to be little interest in taking serious, consistent initiatives toward fixing them. Perhaps this reflects the distribution of power in Brazil. I would guess that real power still lies with the military and other elites, and that populist politicians are allowed to strut their stuff as long as they don't really try to do anything. It must not be overlooked that the country was under military dictatorship for a twenty year period until 1985, and that the generals are still there in the wings. It may also have something to do with a growing, and increasingly powerful, middle class which must be catered to at the expense of the poor. And it may also be that, despite its enormous resources, Brazil is not yet a rich country. A massive transfer of resources from the rich to the poor would probably do little more than average income out a relatively low level. As well, one should not overlook the ethno-cultural composition of the population. Members of the elite are, I would suspect, decedents of land owners who hailed from Europe. People you see as anchor persons or soap opera stars on TV are usually white. People in the slums are most often noticeably darker and often betray African or Amerindian origins. You also see them on TV, but usually as people being interviewed at the scene of an accident or crime - or playing football, the great Brazilian leveler. Historically, the relationship between Europeans on the one hand and Africans and Indians on the other was that of master and slave. Slavery was not officially abolished until 1888, and probably continued unofficially well after that. Why should former masters be concerned about conditions among their former slaves? The slaves are, after all, free now. Let them look after themselves. I would suggest that the favelas will still be a major and perhaps even larger component of the Brazilian economy 50 and even 100 years from now. However, what should not be overlooked is the dynamics of change peculiar to the favelas themselves. Heliopolis, with its two, three and four story red brick-block buildings, its maze-like streets, and its population of 100,000, is now there to stay. It is a "third level" favela, meaning that people can sell their dwellings if not yet the land on which those dwellings are located (officially, they are still squatting). It was not always like this, and parts of it still consist of "second level" impermanent shacks. Not too far away are "first level" favelas which consist of the rudest of shelters against walls or in underpasses, and which the authorities are always attempting to demolish. It is certainly not inevitable that a "first level" favela will become "second level" and then move to "third level" permanence. However, one should never discount human tenacity and ingenuity. At some point, many favelas have taken hold and become rooted. Having made a commitment to leave the countryside and move to a large city, many people will get jobs. Small businesses, both legal and illegal, begin. Churches, often fundamentalist, move in to save souls and provide a community focus. Even if they do not stay for long or the education they receive is not the best, many of the kids start going to school. People use whatever money they earn to improve their housing and to permit themselves the luxuries of TVs and telephones. Little by little, the favela becomes a better place to live. But along with improving conditions come increasing ambitions. Quite a few of the children I encountered in Heliopolis struck me as being very bright and highly motivated. They reminded me of the kids of recent immigrants to Canada. Many in their pre-teens or very early teens would go to school all day and to English classes at night. A young man in his late teens or early twenties works all day and goes to school in the evening. He wants to become a doctor. He may not make it, but on the other hand he may. He is said to be bright enough, and public universities are free in Brazil, provided you can pass the rigorous tests that get you in. I would predict that few kids will make it out of the favelas, but some almost certainly will. And some that make it out may return to try to improve conditions. To conclude, then, I see the favelas as both condition and problem. As a condition, they are intolerable if they do not take root and if people cannot use them to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and begin to solve their problems. It is highly probable that there is a sizeable, permanent, floating population in Brazil which consists of "first level" favelados - a population that is forever on the move, setting up little shelters here and there or sleeping on sidewalks. The problems faced by these people are simply too overwhelming to enable them to overcome their condition. There is also many people whose permanent condition is life in the little shacks of "second level" favelas. There is a "second level" community at the edge of Heliopolis, where many adults spend the day drinking while children play in garbage. These people are either not interested in overcoming their condition or have given up, seeing their problems as too large. But many favelados have moved beyond this. They are problem solvers. The ambition which moved them to seek a better life in the city has also moved them to make something of their new life. Their children are usually well dressed and well cared for, and, to the extent possible, go to school. They may not succeed in overcoming all of their problems, but they will likely keep trying. Ed Weick
