The Brazilian Press Association (ABI) and the Arns Commission on Human Rights are the most recent civil society entities to join the movement that aims to create the National Day for the Defense of Democracy in Brazil. The movement was launched this week by the nine scientific and academic institutions that make up the Initiative for Science and Technology in Parliament (ICTP) and is open to membership by civil society organizations in general. In an interview with Agência Brasil, ICTP’s executive secretary, Fábio Guedes Gomes, informed that the proposal already has the support of 74 scientific societies from various areas of knowledge, in addition to the nine scientific institutions, the ABI and the Arns Commission. “There are now almost 90 institutions and the tendency is to grow because this is the first stage of the document. Now let’s move on to collecting more signatories. Fábio Guedes Gomes bets on joining the Brazilian Association of Economists for Democracy (ABED), the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB). “The tendency is for the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC) to gather more followers”. The executive secretary highlighted that, in the first place, it is necessary to demonstrate the strength and interest of civil society. “This is important because organized civil society needs to demonstrate the concerns that, today, Brazil, in a certain way, still has in relation to a past that is very close to ours”. He recalled that the day’s agenda is the defense of the democratic rule of law and the threats it suffered, which culminated in the attack on Praça dos Três Poderes, in Brasília, in January of this year. Gomes stressed that it is necessary for civil society to exercise the practice of discussing, informing and making the population aware of what Brazilian democracy means. He believes that the number of entities and institutions that will support the proposal should exceed 100. According to the document signed by the entities, the date aims to celebrate democracy and also repudiate dictatorship. Dates In principle, two dates were suggested for the celebration of the National Day for the Defense of Democracy: October 25th and 31st, both related to facts that occurred in 1975. “Because they are quite symbolic dates”, stated Gomes. The first marks the murder of journalist Vladmir Herzog; the second highlights the first major demonstration in the streets against Institutional Act number 5, issued by the military government in December 1968. It was also an ecumenical celebration, between Christians of various denominations and Jews, for the murdered journalist in the premises of the political police. AI-5, as it became known, had 12 articles. This decree prohibited the guarantee of habeas corpus in cases of political crimes, determined the closure of the National Congress, for the first time since 1937, and authorized the president to declare a state of siege in the country, for an indefinite period. It also established the dismissal of people from the public service, revocation of mandates, confiscation of private property and intervention in states and municipalities. It was considered the toughest period of the military regime. Censorship of the media became customary and torture was a common action during the dictatorship. Representatives Federal universities, represented by the National Association of Directors of Federal Institutions of Higher Education (Andifes), joined the movement, as well as state and municipal universities, through the Brazilian Association of Rectors of State and Municipal Universities (Abruem), and also the federal institutes, through the National Council of Institutions of the Federal Network of Professional, Scientific and Technological Education (Conif). There was also adhesion of the state secretaries of Science and Technology. “If we were to reproduce by unit and representativeness, we would very easily reach 300 or 500 institutions”. Fábio Gomes also highlighted the importance of taking the discussion to the Brazilian Parliament. The idea is that this could happen by the end of this month. To join the movement and define in the calendar what the National Day for the Defense of Democracy will be, political parties, collectives, sectorial movements and associations representing professional categories, among other groups, are also being invited. The membership form can be accessed on the website.
Agência Brasil
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