In Brazil, the richest tenth owns 23,5 times more than the poorest tenth

... and that is good news! Social inequality diminished for the first time in recent history, thanks to social programs like Bolsa Família and the rise of the minimum wage.

In 2004, the richest tenth owned 27,4 times more than the poorest tenth. In the last 5 years, the revenues of the former has risen 4,9%, while the revenues of the latter increased in a much faster pace: by 22%.

The interesting thing, though, comes when we relate this piece of news with other figures:

- the average monthly wage of the poorest tenth of the population is R$ 207 (US$ 128), while the richest tenth earns R$ 4,853 a month (US$ 3,014 - not a fortune, right?)

- when we consider the number of billionaires, Sao Paulo is the 11th city in the world, with 14 uber rich residents - first is Moscow (with 74), followed by New York (71), London (36), Istanbul (34), Hong Kong (30), Los Angeles (24), Mumbai (20), San Francisco (19), Dallas and Tokyo (15 each)

- talking about millionaires, Brazil was granted with 60.000 new ones in 2007 - in 2006, there were 130.000, a colossal 46% growth

- Sao Paulo has the second largest helicopter fleet in the world - it has passed Tokyo and is just behind New York

I guess we have a lot of serious work to do when it comes to offering a quality life to all the Brazilian citizens. And if we take sustainability into account, we should probably not count on economical growth for closing the wealth distribution gap. But that discussion is worth a new post for itself. Stay tuned!

Sources: Portal Exame, Folha Online, BCG Global Wealth Report 2007

Violence

Today it's been 7 years a cousin of mine was killed after a robbery attempt. Also today I got to know that, in a different part of the country but under the same circumstances, the ex boyfriend of another cousin was assassinated.

As Brazilians, we're exposed to violence all the time: drug dealers porting heavy guns; policemen invading slums and handing people to rival gangs to be executed; huge gap in wealth distribution, stopping a big part of the youth from dreaming about a good future; kids pickpocketing in the city centre; people afraid of being kidnapped while driving their cars at night alone; friends and family members being robbed, abused and assassinated.

This can't be normal! We shouldn't need to learn how to live with such an absurd!

I can't understand the dynamics and the level of influence of each of the founding factors of violence: poverty, guns, bad wealth distribution, destroyed communities, psycological temperament, history, drugs, others. We must have created an environment where the combination generated an explosive result, as many countries have more serious individual problems, which don't seem to lead to this war we live in.

What I can say, though, is that is getting harder and harder to stay loyal to the phylosphy of being free, not thinking too much about what could happen and just enjoying life.

Banco Real is the Sustainable Bank of the Year

Banco Real triumphs in Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards

Banco Real has been named as ‘Sustainable Bank of the Year’ at the prestigious Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards. In a double coup, the Brazilian bank also took out the ‘Sustainable Emerging Markets Bank of the Year’.

Now in their third year, the Awards were created by the Financial Times in association with the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. They recognise banks and other financial institutions that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance considerations into their operations. The Awards are one of the most important recognitions of sustainable activities in the financial world.

Banco Real was selected from a record 182 entries from 129 institutions across 54 countries and this was the first time the top prize in the global contest has gone to an emerging markets bank. The judges said the bank had pioneered sustainable banking in South America, putting social and environmental issues at the centre of all its business activities and involving its 32,000 staff in the strategy.

"Sustainability is in its DNA," the judges said. "Banco Real has a radical vision for sustainability in Latin America: it believes a bank is only as sound as the society that surrounds it."

More information on the Awards and the judge’s comments can be found on the Financial Times website.

Lesson from Prof. Yunus

Talking to a group of young professionals from the Pioneers of Change, micro credit social entrepreneur and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus was asked:

What do we have to unlearn in order to start social businesses?

The answer was: “Business school graduates should never ask for a job but rather create jobs for others. An attitude shift from job seekers to job creators needs to take place.”

Outback Diaries on YouTube

I just realised it's been over a year since we (Jhow, Marina, Salma, Lucy and I) went on our amazing Australian outback trip, when we learned a lot about ourselves, nature, aboriginal culture, trips and friendship.

To celebrate, I finally put our "Outback Diaries" film on YouTube. Enjoy!

Part 1:



Click here to see Part 2

Grupo Corpo

Grupo Corpo is one of the best contemporary dance groups in Brazil. They do about 80 shows a year, travel all around the world, launch a new fantastic spectacle every couple of years and do unbelievable things with their bodies. Tonight, I had the opportunity to talk to Paulo Pederneiras, the production director and one of the founders of the group.

History
Started 33 years ago in the house of the founders, who convinced their parents to move out. Contributions for the first big success came from famous and unknown artists.

Principles
- one interferes and helps in everyone else's work
- doors are always open. In fact, there are no doors
- transparency and honesty
- commitment to do arts (and not with any particular cause)
- hard work
- great freedom AND responsibility

Evolution
After a big success, a need for self assurance and various experiments, an identity started to emerge.

Keeping humility
- "I don't know anything about contemporary arts. But I pay a lot of attention"
- "Our goal can't be success, because it attracts dishonesty"
- "I depend on other people's skills 100% of the time"

Plans
- "It doesn't matter much what has happened in the past, but what's in front of us"
- "I'd like Grupo Corpo to be something I don't know exactly what it is. I guess a space where everything is allowed"
- and asked about succession, Paulo said: "I don't intend to pass away any time soon..."

Let my People go Surfing

I've started to read the book Let my People go Surfing, written by Yvon Chouinard. Yvon is a climber, surfer, kayaker, skier and the founder of Patagonia, a company created to provide gear for nature related sports, which has been maintaining a few interesting principles since its foundation in the 70s:

- work has to be enjoyable on a daily basis
- one dresses as it pleases him/her
- colleagues are all friends
- everybody should have flextime to surf the waves when they are good, of ski the powder after a big storm, or stay home and take care of a sick child - the distinction between work, play and family should be blurred
- be aware of one's impact and reduce the environmental damage

This is how Yvon starts its book.

"I've been a businessman for almost fifty years. It's as difficult for me to say those words as it is for someone to admit being an alcoholic or a lawyer. I've never respected the profession. It's business that has to take the majority of the blame for being the enemy of nature, for destroying native cultures, for taking from the poor and giving to the rich, and for poisoning the earth with the effluent from its factories.

Yet business can produce food, cure disease, control population, employ people, and generally enrich our lives. And it can do these things and make a profit without losing its soul."