The document discusses the politicization of evangelical Christianity in Brazil and focuses on Congressman and pastor Marcos Feliciano's term as president of the Commission on Human Rights and Minorities from 2013-2014. It describes how Feliciano used his position to block LGBT rights and women's issues, instead prioritizing evangelical conservative values. His leadership polarized debates and demonstrated evangelicals' growing influence in politics to oppose certain social movements' agendas.
Thanks to the political irresponsibility of the PT and its allies in defending the corrupt Lula are contributing to the ascent of the egg of the fascist serpent in Brazil. By acting in this way, the PT and its allies lack the necessary intelligence to realize that the correlation of forces is entirely unfavorable to their pretensions. Insisting on the confrontation with the great majority of Brazilian society means plunging the Country into civil war whose consequences are unpredictable. In addition to having allied themselves with right-wing parties and politicians to govern, the PT and its allies are now contributing to the rise of the extreme right to power either in the 2018 presidential election or through a coup d'état if political radicalization reaches uncontrollable levels.
From the confrontation between the defending forces and the opponents of the current democratic system may result in the maintenance of representative democracy in Brazil or its end.
Thanks to the political irresponsibility of the PT and its allies in defending the corrupt Lula are contributing to the ascent of the egg of the fascist serpent in Brazil. By acting in this way, the PT and its allies lack the necessary intelligence to realize that the correlation of forces is entirely unfavorable to their pretensions. Insisting on the confrontation with the great majority of Brazilian society means plunging the Country into civil war whose consequences are unpredictable. In addition to having allied themselves with right-wing parties and politicians to govern, the PT and its allies are now contributing to the rise of the extreme right to power either in the 2018 presidential election or through a coup d'état if political radicalization reaches uncontrollable levels.
From the confrontation between the defending forces and the opponents of the current democratic system may result in the maintenance of representative democracy in Brazil or its end.
9/9 FRI 9:30 | Planning & the LGBT Community in Florida 1APA Florida
Marisa Salas
In recent years, Richard Florida (Creative Cities) has highlighted the link between tolerance and a city’s ability to attract and retain the highly skilled and creative workforce that is required for high
technology industries to thrive. Florida finds that the presence of a visible LGBT population is an excellent indicator of tolerance. Yet most planners and planning documents look the other way
when it comes to acknowledging the presence of sexual and gender minorities within their cities. This session explores some of the critical issues surrounding planning for and with the LGBT community in the 21st century.
US STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE 2018 BURMA HUMAN RIGHT REPORT ON 13-3-2019 MYO AUNG Myanmar
US STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE 2018 BURMA HUMAN RIGHT REPORT ON 13-3-2019
https://burmese.voanews.com/a/us-state-department-human-rights-report-2019/4827968.html?ltflags=mailer
ျမန္မာ့ လူ႔အခြင့္အေရး စိုးရိမ္မကင္းျဖစ္မႈ ကန္အစီရင္ခံစာ ေထာက္ျပ
https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/03/290295.htm
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/289277.pdf
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016 Burma-Bureau of Democracy,...MYO AUNG Myanmar
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016
Burma
https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/#wrapper
2016 Human Rights Reports – Secretary’s Preface
https://www.forbes.com/profile/rex-tillerson/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Tillerson
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2016&dlid=265324
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016
Burma
Burma has a quasi-parliamentary system of government in which the national parliament selects the president, and constitutional provisions grant one-quarter of national, regional, and state parliamentary seats to active duty military appointees; all other seats are open to elections. The military also has the authority to appoint the ministers of defense, home affairs, and border affairs and assume power indefinitely over all branches of the government should the president declare a national state of emergency. In November 2015 the country held nationwide parliamentary elections that the public widely accepted as a credible reflection of the will of the people. The then opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), chaired by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 390 of 491 contested seats in the bicameral parliament. Parliament elected NLD member U Htin Kyaw as president in March and created the position of State Counsellor for Aung San Suu Kyi in April, cementing her position as the country’s de facto leader.
Civilian authorities did not maintain effective control over the security forces.
http://burmese.voanews.com/a/myanmar-army-still-involving-strong-under-new-nld-government-/3752110.html?ltflags=mailer
ျမန္မာလူ႕အခြင့္အေရးအဓိကျပႆ နာ ၃ ရပ္ ၂၀၁၆ ကန္အစီရင္ခံစာေထာက္ျပ
NARRATIVES OF VIOLENCE: The White ImagiNation and the Making of Black Masculi...Jaime Alves
The article explores the representation of young-black men in the 2002 film City of God. The film deploys “pathological scripts” of Black masculinity in Brazil as criminal and deviant. The controlling image of Black men’s bodies as a source of danger and impurity sustains Brazilian regime of racial domination, and the narratives of violence make explicit the ways in which the Brazilian
nation is imagined through a racial underpinning. Blackness is consumed as an exotic commodity, yet is also understood as a threat to national harmony. The nation is, then, written and re-imagined as a racial paradise, but mostly by inscribing death on the black body.
Nos Estados Unidos, a denúncia sobre a farsa do impeachment de Dilma Rousseff, encampada por grandes jornais como o The New York Times, ganha força agora entre parlamentares norte-americanos. Em carta a John Kerry, 33 parlamentares pedem ao secretário de Estado que se abstenha de declarações favoráveis ao golpista Michel Temer (PMDB); "Nosso governo deve expressar sua forte preocupação com as circunstâncias que envolvem o processo de impeachment e exigir a proteção da Constituição democrática no Brasil", afirmam os signatários do documento
Carta de políticos americanos para secretário de Estado dos EUADilmaRousseff
Congressistas pedem que representante americano demonstre preocupação com o processo de impeachment e apoio à retomada da democracia. Leia mais: https://goo.gl/sLgvgh
[October 23,2016]
Memo
Pg.03
Memo
Re
[Research Proposal The Political, social and Health Construction of Homosexuality]
Homosexuality is seen by most as a deviance to the social values and beliefs. This attitude has propagated the marginalization of this group in social, political and religious aspects. This research shall be exploring the religious, political and health care obstacles facing the homosexual community. This topic is of interest because society at any one time cannot be fit in to a one- size- fits- all. There will always be variations and for it to work as a well-oiled machine sensitive matters like homosexuality have to be addressed.
In Western Europe since 1989, there has been a spread of formalized same-sex couples when the institution of marriage has always been heterosexual.
This proposal will mainly focus on three secondary sources touching on these issues affecting homosexuals. It shall review the works of this research proposal will address two questions that will inform my preliminary research:
· How are religious groups working towards embracing the homosexuals with their principles being based on compassion for all?
· What are the political and health care stakeholders doing to protect the rights and lives of homosexuals who are part and parcel of our community?
The secondary sources I shall be using to answer the above questions are three books:
· First, a book by David R. Hodge titled “Epistemological Frameworks, Homosexuality, and Religion: How People of Faith Understand the Intersection between Homosexuality and Religion”, published July 2005.This book is a helpful tool in answering the question of how religious groups will extend support to homosexuals. In summary this book addresses how both people of faith and homosexuals both feel marginalized by the other and how it affects social works. It addresses how both these groups should embrace inclusivity for the good of society.
· The second book is by Achim Hildebrandt titled, “Christianity, Islam and Modernity: Explaining Prohibitions on Homosexuality in UN Member states.” It was published in 2014.It addresses the legality of same –sex groups and how 77 countries have banned them based on religious roots. This addresses the question of how the political frameworks of UN member states have affected how homosexuals lead their lives.
· The third book is by Andrew Moores, J.Craig Philips, Patrick O’Byrne and Paul McPherson titled “Anal Screening Knowledge, attitudes and experiences among men who have sex with men in Ottawa Ontario.”It was published in 2015. It addresses the health question of how homosexuals approach their health matters. It talks about anal cancer which is rare but has become prevalent among homosexuals and the challenges they face in addressing it due to lack of programs or standards of care informing primary care physicians.
People with same-sex orientation, more so, homosexuals should be given access to quality health care syst.
9/9 FRI 9:30 | Planning & the LGBT Community in Florida 1APA Florida
Marisa Salas
In recent years, Richard Florida (Creative Cities) has highlighted the link between tolerance and a city’s ability to attract and retain the highly skilled and creative workforce that is required for high
technology industries to thrive. Florida finds that the presence of a visible LGBT population is an excellent indicator of tolerance. Yet most planners and planning documents look the other way
when it comes to acknowledging the presence of sexual and gender minorities within their cities. This session explores some of the critical issues surrounding planning for and with the LGBT community in the 21st century.
US STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE 2018 BURMA HUMAN RIGHT REPORT ON 13-3-2019 MYO AUNG Myanmar
US STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE 2018 BURMA HUMAN RIGHT REPORT ON 13-3-2019
https://burmese.voanews.com/a/us-state-department-human-rights-report-2019/4827968.html?ltflags=mailer
ျမန္မာ့ လူ႔အခြင့္အေရး စိုးရိမ္မကင္းျဖစ္မႈ ကန္အစီရင္ခံစာ ေထာက္ျပ
https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/03/290295.htm
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/289277.pdf
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016 Burma-Bureau of Democracy,...MYO AUNG Myanmar
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016
Burma
https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/#wrapper
2016 Human Rights Reports – Secretary’s Preface
https://www.forbes.com/profile/rex-tillerson/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Tillerson
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2016&dlid=265324
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016
Burma
Burma has a quasi-parliamentary system of government in which the national parliament selects the president, and constitutional provisions grant one-quarter of national, regional, and state parliamentary seats to active duty military appointees; all other seats are open to elections. The military also has the authority to appoint the ministers of defense, home affairs, and border affairs and assume power indefinitely over all branches of the government should the president declare a national state of emergency. In November 2015 the country held nationwide parliamentary elections that the public widely accepted as a credible reflection of the will of the people. The then opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), chaired by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 390 of 491 contested seats in the bicameral parliament. Parliament elected NLD member U Htin Kyaw as president in March and created the position of State Counsellor for Aung San Suu Kyi in April, cementing her position as the country’s de facto leader.
Civilian authorities did not maintain effective control over the security forces.
http://burmese.voanews.com/a/myanmar-army-still-involving-strong-under-new-nld-government-/3752110.html?ltflags=mailer
ျမန္မာလူ႕အခြင့္အေရးအဓိကျပႆ နာ ၃ ရပ္ ၂၀၁၆ ကန္အစီရင္ခံစာေထာက္ျပ
NARRATIVES OF VIOLENCE: The White ImagiNation and the Making of Black Masculi...Jaime Alves
The article explores the representation of young-black men in the 2002 film City of God. The film deploys “pathological scripts” of Black masculinity in Brazil as criminal and deviant. The controlling image of Black men’s bodies as a source of danger and impurity sustains Brazilian regime of racial domination, and the narratives of violence make explicit the ways in which the Brazilian
nation is imagined through a racial underpinning. Blackness is consumed as an exotic commodity, yet is also understood as a threat to national harmony. The nation is, then, written and re-imagined as a racial paradise, but mostly by inscribing death on the black body.
Nos Estados Unidos, a denúncia sobre a farsa do impeachment de Dilma Rousseff, encampada por grandes jornais como o The New York Times, ganha força agora entre parlamentares norte-americanos. Em carta a John Kerry, 33 parlamentares pedem ao secretário de Estado que se abstenha de declarações favoráveis ao golpista Michel Temer (PMDB); "Nosso governo deve expressar sua forte preocupação com as circunstâncias que envolvem o processo de impeachment e exigir a proteção da Constituição democrática no Brasil", afirmam os signatários do documento
Carta de políticos americanos para secretário de Estado dos EUADilmaRousseff
Congressistas pedem que representante americano demonstre preocupação com o processo de impeachment e apoio à retomada da democracia. Leia mais: https://goo.gl/sLgvgh
[October 23,2016]
Memo
Pg.03
Memo
Re
[Research Proposal The Political, social and Health Construction of Homosexuality]
Homosexuality is seen by most as a deviance to the social values and beliefs. This attitude has propagated the marginalization of this group in social, political and religious aspects. This research shall be exploring the religious, political and health care obstacles facing the homosexual community. This topic is of interest because society at any one time cannot be fit in to a one- size- fits- all. There will always be variations and for it to work as a well-oiled machine sensitive matters like homosexuality have to be addressed.
In Western Europe since 1989, there has been a spread of formalized same-sex couples when the institution of marriage has always been heterosexual.
This proposal will mainly focus on three secondary sources touching on these issues affecting homosexuals. It shall review the works of this research proposal will address two questions that will inform my preliminary research:
· How are religious groups working towards embracing the homosexuals with their principles being based on compassion for all?
· What are the political and health care stakeholders doing to protect the rights and lives of homosexuals who are part and parcel of our community?
The secondary sources I shall be using to answer the above questions are three books:
· First, a book by David R. Hodge titled “Epistemological Frameworks, Homosexuality, and Religion: How People of Faith Understand the Intersection between Homosexuality and Religion”, published July 2005.This book is a helpful tool in answering the question of how religious groups will extend support to homosexuals. In summary this book addresses how both people of faith and homosexuals both feel marginalized by the other and how it affects social works. It addresses how both these groups should embrace inclusivity for the good of society.
· The second book is by Achim Hildebrandt titled, “Christianity, Islam and Modernity: Explaining Prohibitions on Homosexuality in UN Member states.” It was published in 2014.It addresses the legality of same –sex groups and how 77 countries have banned them based on religious roots. This addresses the question of how the political frameworks of UN member states have affected how homosexuals lead their lives.
· The third book is by Andrew Moores, J.Craig Philips, Patrick O’Byrne and Paul McPherson titled “Anal Screening Knowledge, attitudes and experiences among men who have sex with men in Ottawa Ontario.”It was published in 2015. It addresses the health question of how homosexuals approach their health matters. It talks about anal cancer which is rare but has become prevalent among homosexuals and the challenges they face in addressing it due to lack of programs or standards of care informing primary care physicians.
People with same-sex orientation, more so, homosexuals should be given access to quality health care syst.
Biological screening of herbal drugs: Introduction and Need for
Phyto-Pharmacological Screening, New Strategies for evaluating
Natural Products, In vitro evaluation techniques for Antioxidants, Antimicrobial and Anticancer drugs. In vivo evaluation techniques
for Anti-inflammatory, Antiulcer, Anticancer, Wound healing, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective, Cardio protective, Diuretics and
Antifertility, Toxicity studies as per OECD guidelines
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
1. Vania Morales Sierra (UERJ)
Wania Amélia B. Mesquita (UENF)
Religion, Human Rights and Politics
in Brazil: an analysis of congressman
and pastor Marcos Feliciano.
2. Religion, Human Rights and
Politics
The politicization of Pentecostalism was
identified by researchers in the late
1980s and early 1990s
Brazilian democracy allows the inclusion
of religious leaders in political parties.
These politicians often seek to infuse
religious morality into politic discourse,
advocating for conservative agendas
that oppose homosexuality, sex worker
rights, drug decriminalization, access to
abortion, euthanasia and stem cell
3. Religion in Brazil
According to the IBGE Demographic Census, Brazil’s
population includes 123 million Catholics, which make
up 64.6% of the country.
The growth among the evangelical segment of the
population is notorious.
In the 1940s, Protestants accounted for only 2.6% of
the population. This number grew to 3.4% by 1950,
4% by 1960, 5.2% by 1970, 6.6% by 1980, 9% by
1991, 15.4% by 2000 and 22.2% of the population –
for a total of 42.3 million people – in 2010.
Currently, 86.8% of Brazilians identify themselves as
Christians.
4. Religion, Human Rights and
Politics
The evangelical have gained attention
through television and radio programs,
and have also had a significant
presence in the market of gospel music.
Some denominations create
ostentatious churches with
congregations of up to ten thousand
people.
They hold events that attract up to two
million people, it finds representation
and power in the political sphere.
5. Religion and Politics
These politicians were characterized by their
adherence to patronage, conservatism, and
corporatism
Data from the non-governmental organization
Transparency Brazil revealed in 2012 that 32 of
these politicians were involved in lawsuits related
to political corruption. Regarding the ethics of
evangelical politicians, Veja magazine published
an article reporting that 23 of them had been part
of proceedings in the Supreme Court (STF) on
charges of corruption, embezzlement
(misappropriation of funds committed by a public
servant), electoral crime, use of fake documents,
6. Evangelicals provide an important means of support to the
government of President Dilma Rousseff. Their influence on
government is wide-ranging, and they hold significant political
capital with respect to those issues that affect their values.
The Workers' Party, which has long been recognized for its
positive engagement with social movements, has faced
criticism for the concessions it has made to evangelicals. Of
the 97 proposals on gay rights to circulate Congress, 38 have
come from the Workers’ Party. However, these proposals have
been largely ineffective. As an example of the type of pressure
the government faces from evangelicals, in 2011 President
Rousseff vetoed the distribution of educational material on
sexual diversity in schools.
In February 2012, she canceled campaigns encouraging
condom use among gay youth. In 2013 she postponed the vote
on PLC 122, which criminalizes homophobia. She also
suspended the kit, an anti-homophobia education material that
was being prepared by the Ministry of Education for distribution
in schools. In the 2014 elections, evangelicals are hoping to
gain more support among people who will defend their
conservative positions. The radicalization of the debate is
polarizing evangelicals and the gay movement.
7. Religion, social movement and
Politics
In Brazil, there are large demonstrations
advocating for human rights. The LGBT
movement, in particular, has gained incredible
momentum, with an annual parade in São Paulo
that in 2007 gathered together approximately
three million people.
It was in the context of demonstrations such as
this that Representative Marcos Feliciano, of the
Social Christian Party (PSC), was appointed
president of the Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities. He was seated on February 7,
2013 for a two year position, but he only served
one year.
8. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
The CDHM was created in 1995 after Brazil's
participation in the UN Conference on Human
Rights in Vienna (1993). Since its inception, the
CDHM has been a useful resource for lawmakers
addressing issues of human rights. It has also
created a system of funding to ensure its ability to
continue executing programs on human rights.
The Commission has published books, booklets,
pamphlets, and reports, and has participated in
other educational activities.
9. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
The Commission on Human Rights and Minorities (CDHM) is
one of the 21 standing committees of the House of
Representatives. It is a technical body composed of 18
representative members and an equal number of alternates,
supported by a group of aides and administrative staff.
Members are charged with receiving, reviewing and
investigating allegations of human rights violations; discussing
and voting on legislative proposals related to their subject
area; supervising and monitoring the implementation of
related government programs; collaborating with non-
governmental entities; conducting research and studies on
the state of human rights in Brazil and abroad, including for
the purpose of public disclosure and the provision of grants to
other Committees of the House; and addressing concerns
related to ethnic and social minorities, especially Indians and
indigenous communities, including the preservation and
protection of popular and ethnic cultures in the country.
10. Religion and Politics
The period during which Mr.
Feliciano served as president of the
Commission was marked by
continuous demonstrations and
challenges from social movements
and oppositional groups, all of
whom sought policies contrary to
those of the religious
representative.
11. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
The conflict involving Marcos Feliciano revolves
around his conservative stance, which runs contrary
to the creation of institutes and protective
mechanisms that seek to ensure the rights of
homosexuals. Evangelicals fear that giving
homosexuals the right to freedom of expression will in
effect deny freedom of expression to pastors who
disagree with homosexuality. They believe that the
policy positions in this case are not only different, but
directly oppositional. The affirmation of the rights of
homosexuals implies the suspension of religious
values, they contend. The interest that evangelical
politicians have shown in the Commission on Human
Rights and Minorities comes largely from a desire to
impede the advancement of social movements,
whose interests conflict with their “traditional Christian
12. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
Mr. Feliciano became president of CDHM on
February 7, 2013, by appointment of the Social
Christian Party (PSC). He was appointed to fill the
vacancy left by a representative from Workers’
Party (PT), which is the party of President Dilma
Rousseff. In fact, the PSC did not have proper
authority to fill this vacancy, and the result created
an unfair balance in which the PSC held five
seats on the Commission. They took vacancies
from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party
(PMDB) and Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), parties
who eventually ceded their seats to the
evangelicals.
13. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
During the period of Mr. Feliciano’s
presidency, twelve of the
Commission’s eighteen seats were
occupied by evangelical members.
Under his leadership, the CDHM
filled its agenda with topics of
interest to the evangelical majority
14. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
Feliciano was unable to attend the first two
sessions of the CDHM due to protests made by
social movements, who accused him of making
racist and homophobic statements on his Twitter
account in 2011. He had written: "On the African
continent rests the curse of paganism, occultism,
miseries, and diseases: ebola, AIDS, hunger ...
etc." On homosexuality, he wrote: "the rottenness
of homosexual feelings leads to hate, crime and
rejection."
15. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
On May 1, Feliciano introduced a proposal for a
“gay cure” on the Commission’s agenda
(PDC234/11), which would suspend portions of
the resolution from the Federal Council of
Psychology prohibiting professionals from
"treating" homosexuals. Another controversial bill
that was approved by the Commission was Bill
1411/11, which would allow religious churches to
openly discriminate against homosexuals beyond
denying them gay marriage rites and the baptism
of their children. Upon approval in Congress,
priests and pastors would have the right to
exclude gays from attending their religious
16. The Commission on Human Rights
and Minorities (CDHM)
The Commission also approved a proposal for a
plebiscite concerning the civil union of same-sex
couples, in an attempt to reverse the decision of the
Supreme Court. In the same session on November
20, 2013, the CDHM voted to suspend the decision of
the National Council of Justice (CNJ), which obliged
notaries to recognize gay marriages. Soon after,
Commission members openly opposed a project
moving through Congress that would legally ensure
dependency status to partners of gay Social Security
recipients.
As an evangelical representative on the Commission,
Mr. Feliciano proposed a bill to punish those who
sacrifice animals as part of religious rituals, a practice
17. Religion and Politics
Feliciano's position with respect to the
Commission reveals the intention of the
evangelical bloc to join the fight for power.
In a criticism of the Commission made on the
television program Ratinho in 2013, Feliciano
said the CDHM was a "headquarters" for the
LGBT movement. He defended himself by stating
that there were no family men in any of the
demonstrations. To further defend himself, he
stated that the majority of the population was
against gay marriage, and that he would support
majority rule at the expense of the rights sought
by the feminist and LGBT movements.
18. Religion and Politics
With Mr. Feliciano in the presidency, the
direction of the CDHM became overtly
politicized and oriented in the direction
of traditional and religious values. Mr.
Feliciano represented not only
evangelicals, but all Brazilian
conservatives who supported the
discourse of so-called traditional family
values.
19. Religion and Social Movement and
Politics
According to Cunha (2013), evangelicals in
politics reinforce the concept of gays as
national enemies, the “enemies against
religion and its principles, against the Bible,
against God, against Brazil and families.” In
an interview for the book "Religion and
politics: an analysis of the evangelical political
campaign against LGBT and women's rights
in Brazil," Mr. Feliciano claimed these rights
as a threat to the family.
20. Religion and Politics
The visibility that Mr. Feliciano gained in the
media can be seen as a tactic for attracting
votes. In a statement made to Folha de São
Paulo (07/04/2013) on the impact of this
situation among evangelicals and supporters,
Silas Malafaia, a pastor who has an
evangelical television program, said: "I want
to thank the gay movement. The more time
they waste on Feliciano, the greater the
evangelical push in 2014. "
21. Religion and Politics
Mr. Feliciano headed the Commission
for one year between March 2013 and
February 2014, after which the post was
taken over by Assis Couto from the
Workers’ Party. With new leadership, all
of the proposals that the Commission
had failed to vote on during Mr.
Feliciano’s tenure were archived.
22. Religion and Politics
Through this period of demonstrations and protests, the question
of LGBT rights became a central issue in the media. With it came
a more profound debate about the relationship between religion
and politics in Brazil. Evangelical politicians positioned
themselves as minorities contrary to the interests of the gay and
feminist movements. Although Mr. Feliciano’s post was not
renewed, evangelicals see his term as a positive experience.
The concept of ‘defending the family’ has become a political
banner for evangelical political representatives, in which they
seek to protect their country and fight against the
decriminalization of drugs and access to abortion. They seek
reelection by defending traditional values in churches and
exerting pressure on politicians, particularly in the case of
presidential elections. The case of Marcos Feliciano in the
Commission on Human Rights and Minorities shows how the
insertion of evangelicals in politics can be a strong impediment to
the advancement of the agenda of social movements, including
those in defense of gender equality, LGBT rights, the
decriminalization of drugs and access to abortion.