Dear newsletter subscriber,
In the midst of a rather disillusioned global climate debate, Brazil recently announced some positive news: deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has hit its lowest level in over ten years. As delegates from around the world are gathering for COP30 in Belém – where rainforest was cleared to make way for infrastructure – the host country reporte progress on protecting tropical rainforests.
Of course, this is still too little given the challenges the Amazon faces. In some cases, the Brazilian government is actually thwarting its own efforts – drilling for oil is soon to begin near the mouth of the Amazon river, for instance. All the same, the political will is there and things are moving in the right direction – and that hasn’t always been the case. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is currently taking advantage of the stage offered by COP30 to mobilise international funding for a new fund to protect tropical forests worldwide.
At the international level, Brazil is currently positioning itself as a champion of values that are being eroded elsewhere: climate action, multilateral cooperation, the rule of law. At the G20, the government urged for a global wealth tax of two percent to be levied on billionaires. In the summer, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that huge tech corporations should be held accountable for illegal content posted by their users.
The trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro even sparked open conflict with US President Donald Trump, who attempted to prevent Bolsonaro’s conviction. He imposed sanctions and hiked tariffs on Brazilian products, but the court nonetheless sentenced the ex-president to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup d’état.
So far, Brazil’s strategy seems to be working: its firm stance vis-à-vis Washington has driven up Lula’s approval ratings, while Trump signalled recently that he was willing to hold talks.
The country is still beset by a whole host of challenges – crime, inequality, corporate power and the fossil industry, threats to the Indigenous way of life, social polarisation. Yet it’s worth keeping an eye on this South American country, especially at a time when the international order is shifting and democracies across the world are under pressure.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. Please feel free to share your opinions, criticisms and suggestions by emailing us at euz.editor@dandc.eu.
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Kind regards,
Eva-Maria Verfürth
editor-in-chief at D+C |
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© picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com/Cris Faga
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Jair Bolsonaro’s historic conviction
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© picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com / Vuk Valcic
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X also came under scrutiny from Brazil’s judiciary after far-right groups had used the platform extensively to mobilise supporters ahead of the attempted coup. Since the spread of disinformation and hate speech is prohibited in Brazil, the Supreme Court was able to take decisive action against the platform. Economist André de Mello e Souza explains what ultimately compelled Elon Musk and his team to comply with Brazilian law.
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© picture-alliance/ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andre Penner |
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Colonialism and environmental preservation in Brazil
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Our latest Digital Monthly:
Does money rule the world? |
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African billionaires are richer than 750 million people on the continent, according to an Oxfam report. Together, they hold $57.4 billion. The report also shows that almost half of the countries with the highest levels of inequality in the world are in Africa. To tackle this, Oxfam is calling for higher taxes: while public spending on education, health and social security is being cut, African countries collect an average of only 0.3 per cent of GDP in wealth taxes. This puts the continent well behind OECD countries (1.8 per cent), Latin America (0.9 per cent) and Asia (0.6 per cent). In our current focus on elites and their political influence, we examine why super-wealth not only exacerbates inequality but also often undermines democratic processes. |
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| This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared four countries – Senegal, Fiji, India and Burundi – free of trachoma. They thus join a growing list: There are currently 26 countries where trachoma no longer occurs. The bacterial eye infection, classified by the WHO as a neglected tropical disease, is primarily transmitted through personal contact, contaminated surfaces and flies. Water shortages, poor hygiene and inadequate healthcare are the main risk factors for the disease, which remains one of the most common causes of preventable blindness worldwide. Progress in combating trachoma has been achieved primarily through public education, eye surgery and the distribution of antibiotics. |
| What has also caught our interest |
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An in-depth analysis in Africa Is a Country looks at the structural background to the recent youth-led unrest in Nepal. The argument is that the protests, triggered by anger over corruption and inequality, reflect deeper structural tensions in the Nepalese economy. Over the past two decades, a fragile balance has developed in the country between subsistence farming and massive labour migration. Many households depend on remittances from family members (often young men) working abroad, while those who stay at home continue to engage in small-scale farming to provide food and “some security if things go wrong”. This dual livelihood system limits prospects for social mobility – even though access to education has improved significantly. A growing number of educated youth now faces few opportunities in their own country, fueling the frustration that erupted on the streets. To understand the role of the country’s elites in this, it is worth taking a look at Rukamanee Maharjan’s article in our current issue.
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How can entrepreneurship be promoted and poverty overcome in pastoral communities? The usual answer is: microloans, financial training, and savings groups. This sounds reasonable and has been tried many times before. But why are so many pastoralists still poor? In a five-year study in northern Kenya, researchers analysed a program that implemented all of these measures. The result: not every community in the world embraces the capitalist mentality. While some participants successfully adopted entrepreneurial practices, many were confronted with profound cultural and moral tensions. In communities where sharing and mutual support are central social values, refusing requests for help for the purpose of making a profit or repaying loans can result in social sanctions or even curses. The study found that religion also played a crucial role: Christian participants were more likely to stick to their entrepreneurial activities because they were convinced that their faith would protect them from such consequences. The results show – once again – how important it is to really know the local cultural context. |
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It sounds like a joke from a WhatsApp group of married women, but it is as serious as it is effective: “Schools for husbands” in Senegal are helping to change traditional gender roles and improve maternal health. The initiative trains respected men from the community – such as imams and local leaders – to promote “positive masculinity” and support women’s health and rights. Participants learn about reproductive health, family planning, and gender equality, and then pass on this knowledge in sermons and community discussions. The approach has helped change attitudes: some men now support their wives with childcare and housework or encourage them to give birth in hospital rather than at home. However, this should not obscure the fact that maternal and newborn mortality rates in Senegal remain high and that changing mindsets is still a major challenge. Stay tuned for our next issue, in which we take a closer look at masculinity and how our perception of it shapes the world. |
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| In this section, we occasionally highlight small projects that are making a difference at the community level – because local engagement is just as important as major international decisions. |
| Holy Innocents Hospital in rural Kamutur, Bukedea District in Eastern Uganda, provides essential care for some of the region’s most vulnerable groups, including women, children, and the elderly. In an area marked by hunger, poor infrastructure, and diseases such as malaria, the hospital offers both basic health services and community support. Beyond treatment, it is active in prevention, education, and outreach. To strengthen long-term capacity, the hospital seeks international partnerships focused on knowledge and skills transfer. Volunteer health professionals can share expertise, support local staff, and help improve patient care. The hospital expects such an exchange to enhance local health services and foster lasting networks for collaboration and learning. Interested parties can contact mosesaisia@gmail.com or holyinnocentshospitalkamutur@gmail.com |
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The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers an extensive funding guide for international students and researchers seeking scholarships in Germany. The online database includes a wide range of programmes across various academic fields and covers all stages of academic careers, from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers.
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Impactpool will be hosting a Virtual Career Fair for Asia-Pacific Nationals on 20 November from 5:00 to 11:00 am UTC. It offers participants the chance to engage with HR professionals from international organisations in the impact sector, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme or OECD.
Participation is open to professionals with at least four years of international work experience. A postgraduate degree is required, though candidates with a bachelor’s degree may qualify if they have substantial additional experience.
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Imprint
Publisher information: ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen
Publisher: Fazit Communication GmbH, Pariser Strasse 1, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)69 7591-3110 | Email: euz.editor@dandc.eu
Website: www.fazit.de | Managing Directors: Jonas Grashey, Hannes Ludwig |
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