Brazil’s creative cities: Exploring their opportunities for social inclusion partnerships across South America

• In Event: Brazil's Creative Cities: Challenges and Opportunities for Social Inclusion in the Americas

Abstract

This paper maps opportunities for Brazilian cities to connect in new ways with counterpart communities across Latin America in ways that deepen South American integration. Among these opportunities are future partnerships among UNESCO-designated “creative cities” to adapt and improve digital tools for cultural exchange and grassroots social inclusion. Since their 2003 introduction in Brazil, when Gilberto Gil, a musician and composer served as Minister of Culture, Brazilian cities have introduced electronic technologies in innovative ways to empower citizens, promote grassroots consumption of cultural works, and close long-standing educational gaps. Networks of tele centers, supplemented by micro vouchers and extensive online learning initiatives, have been a cornerstone of Brazil’s strategy for inclusion and development of creative industries. For regional outreach, Brazil more recently has created the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA), in the State of Parana, Brazil. It is a pioneering example of the use of bilingual (Portuguese-Spanish) courses for the benefit of students across Latin America and the Caribbean. How can these trans-border learning initiatives of UNILA best be expanded, in ways that benefit creative cities across Latin America? This paper maps opportunities for creative co-evolution partnerships between Portuguese and Spanish speaking cities that include virtual work-study projects in music and visual arts, crowdfunding of public artworks and expositions, cross-border teaming to provide design solutions in fast-growing global online marketplaces, and transborder micro investments for entrepreneurial startup ventures. These opportunities have the potential for “early wins” online marketplaces and for fostering sustainable and replicable linkages among people.

Authors

• Valnora Leister, James Madison University

• Mark Frazier, Openworld