Políticas afirmativas no Mercosul: um estudo em Salvador - Bahia – Brasil e Caracas-Venezuela

Abstract

This work was the object of a study to implement two assertive policies in education, both in Brazil and Venezuela. The Brazilian experience analyzed was the law 10.639/2003 which has made compulsory the teaching of History and Afro-Brazilian and African Culture in the basic education, based on its use in Colegio Modelo Luis Eduardo Magalhaes in Salvador, Bahia. The Venezuelan experience studied was Catedra Libre Africa, in place in several universities in Caracas, Venezuela, articulated by the Institute of Strategic Investigation about Africa and its Diaspora (African Knowledge Center). The main goal was the discussion of differences and similarities between the two policies from these members of Mercosul countries that were the target of the research. For that matter, the comparison and contrast method was utilized in Hamlin (2008) perspective starting at Lawson (2008). At first, the study reviewed the theoretical contributions and the document analyses of agreements, protocol, statements, rules and regulations and several educational tools produced in the Mercosul area. Furthermore, social actors who were involved with both realities in question, were interviewed. The investigation technique chosen to dialogue was the semi structured interview. The groups selected were five: managers, academic coordinators, teachers and members of the afro descendents from Salvador/Brazil and Caracas/Venezuela who have participated as representatives of the Mercosul. The technique used to analyze the data, was based on the content, according to Bardin (1977). Considering the content review of the interviews and documents, some similarities were identified in the implementation process of the two policies, mentioned above in both countries. The most relevant one, was maybe the fact that the result came out after historical struggles among the afro descendant movements against the ethnical racial disparities. These educational policies were originated from commitments assumed by local government after the afro movement mobilizations at the Durban Conference, held in 2001. Moreover, there were other aspects that facilitated the implementation of the assertive policies, such as the disposition showed by the teachers at Colegio Modelo (Salvador) that even lacking the proper means, they were able to create favorable conditions to promote an experience, similar to the political action in Caracas, with an agreement named “Acta-Compromisso” signed by representatives of different educational institutions. Among the many challenges, there was the complexity of the ethnic-racial relations in the contexts studied and the need to consolidate the Mercosul as a space to promote social and racial justice. Finally, it was observed that the essence of each policy is exactly what best expresses their similarities, by referring to the study of the African History and the culture of the afro descendants and taking a positive approach which mainly acknowledges its contribution to the historical and cultural construction as well as economical and social, in the realities studied.