Have you and your family lost rights as a result of the economic crisis?
Or do you know anyone who has lost rights due to it?
Millions and millions of people are being affected
Unemployment,
hunger
and cuts in public policies
are driving the country backward,
Many families are not managing to make ends meet.
The government has responded by promoting increased repression
of social movements and mass incarceration, especially of black youth.
Violence, discrimination and intolerance are on the rise across the country.
Bills are being passed by the National Congress without the necessary public debate,
such as Constitutional Amendment 95,
and on other social policies for 20 years,
All these setbacks stem from the so-called
Do you know what this means?
It's a policy according to which economic problems can only be solved by:
by reducing population's wages
and cutting public investment and spending on social policies.
But such economic austerity policy generates a vicious circle:
by cutting wages, people consume less;
as a result, companies can not sell their products;
so they dismiss empolyees,
increasing the number of people without a job
and an income to consume;
less labor rights and cuts in social protection policies
mean that more people are left without livelihoods;
diseases, despair and fear grow;
social inequalities and violence increase.
Governments that adopt austerity policies
But who makes such sacrifice?
The majority of workers
that generate jobs.
Austerity policies impose greater sacrifices on
And who wins with this situation?
Mainly banks, the financial market and all those
But there also large economic groups
All of this results in income concentration,
money in the hand of a few.
Another lie is to say that
a country's economic policy follows the same principles
of household economy:
if a family's income decreases, it has to cut down household expenses.
But the economy of a country is very different of a household.
When a crisis breaks out, many governments around the world do the opposite:
they increase public spending
to keep the economy warm,
protect jobs and preserve social policies,
Particularly to prevent poorer people from being further penalized.
These policies are referred to as COUNTERCYCLICAL POLICIES.
As you have seen, there's not only one way to address economic problems,
According to several international treaties, conventions and declarations,
the economy must be at the service of realizing human rights.
They also stress that governments should not adopt economic policies that lead to social setbacks.
Therefore, the Brazilian Government has no right to adopt austerity policies
that destroy human lives without holding a broad debate on ther consequences for the population.
Economic Crisis: Does it have to be this way?
No! It doesn't!
There are other ways and you, your family, and your friends must take part in this conversation.
Don't be fooled: economics is not a matter only for experts.
It is a matter of public interest. It concerns all of us.
Talk, reflect and challenge old ways!
You make all difference for Brazil to change!
by the biggest economic crisis that Brazil has faced in all its history.
causing significant sectors of the population to return to poverty.
which froze public spending on health care and education
making it impossible to ensure several rights.
economic austerity policy adopted by the Brazilian government from 2014.
argue that their countries must make a great sacrifice
for the economy to improve.
and productive sectors of the economy
those in greater need.
profit from high interest rates on public debt.
that want to turn health care, education and other rights into commodities.
as preached by the supporters of austerity policies.
