Today is the Day: combating slave labor and trans visibility in focus

This week is strongly marked by the defense of human rights and human dignity. There are no less than four dates in this regard. We start with January 28th, which was defined as the National Day to Combat Slave Labor. The date refers to an episode that occurred in 2004, when three labor inspectors and a driver were murdered while investigating allegations of slave labor on farms in Unaí (MG). This report from Repórter Brasil, from TV Brasilshown in 2021, recalls the case. In 2023 alone, the Ministry of Labor and Employment rescued 3,190 people in situations similar to slavery, in 598 urban and rural establishments. It was the highest number of people rescued in the last 14 years. This year’s edition of Brazil Magazine, from Rádio Nacionaladdresses the challenges of combating this criminal practice. And this report from Jornal da Amazônia, from Rádio Nacional da Amazôniashows that the North region leads the statistics of occurrences in the country.

Now talking about another serious violation of human rights, Brazil boasts the shameful position of being the country that kills the most transsexuals in the world, as revealed by data from the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (Antra). In 2023 alone there were 145 murders, as shown this report from last year by Agência Brasil. To encourage respect and tolerance for diversity, January 29th is the Trans Visibility Day. In 2024, the mobilization completed 20 years, as shown this other report, also from Agência Brasiland this edition of Repórter Brasil Tarde, from TV Brasil. Already the Agência Gov highlighted, in this textthe growing number of complaints registered in the Data Panel of the National Human Rights Ombudsman against this portion of the population.

Few periods in history have been as dark as the Second World War. And one of the greatest symbols of the atrocities committed by the Nazis is the Auschwitz concentration camp, where more than 1.1 million people were exterminated, most of them Jews. Exactly 80 years ago, the camp’s prisoners were liberated by Soviet troops, on January 27, 1945. The date became the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust. Liberation was highlighted in this 2021 edition of Repórter Brasil, from TV Brasil. The date was also the subject of this report published on National Radiogency last year. And this edition of the program Caminhos da Reportagem, from TV Brasilshown in 2017, spoke to survivors of Auschwitz, who recounted the horrors they experienced in the concentration camp.

Data Privacy

Technology permeates many aspects of our lives. From social networks to means of communication such as Whats App, online shopping and banking transactions. That’s why the Day is so important International Data Privacycelebrated on January 28th. The ephemeris was created in 2006, as shown this report from Agência Gov. The need to provide biometric data is something that concerns 60% of Brazilians, as Agência Brasil highlighted in this publication, from 2024. In Brazil, two mechanisms were created to guarantee user safety: the General Data Protection Law and the Marco Civil da Internet, which has already completed ten years. Understand a little more about LGPD in this reportand about the Marco Civil in this other one hereboth published by Agência Brasil.

Environment

For many decades, biologists thought it was impossible for corals to exist in the Amazon, due to the characteristics of the region, where the murky and muddy waters make it difficult for light to penetrate. Luminosity is fundamental for the development of these life forms. But in 2016 researchers discovered an extraordinary biome, which is unique in the world due to the characteristics in which it developed: a reef of corals and sponges with 56 thousand squares in extension, practically the size of the state of Paraíba, located in the coastal region of the state of Amapá. The discovery led to the creation of World Amazon Coral Daycelebrated on January 28, which was highlighted in this 2016 report and in this other one, from 2017both from Agência Brasil. Rádio Nacional also addressed the topic, in this edition of the program Meeting Point, 2017and in this National Afternoon, 2021.

Culture

Frank Sinatra, one of the greatest artists of all time and known as “The Voice”, gave his most memorable show in Brazilian lands on January 26, 1980, when he sang to an audience of 180 thousand people at Maracanã. The North American, son of Italian immigrants, was self-taught. He never attended a music school. But he conquered the world with his unique tone and sold around 10 million records a year. He and Tom Jobim, master of Bossa Nova, had a mutual admiration, and together they recorded an LP that was nominated for a Grammy in 1968. Sinatra passed away in 1998, and his centenary was celebrated in this edition of Repórter Brasil, from TV Brasil, shown in 2015and in this History Today, 2016, from Rádio Nacional.

Another unforgettable performance in Brazilian lands was the first by the Rolling Stones, on January 27, 1995. The show was at the Pacaembu Stadium, in São Paulo, under torrential rain. It’s been 30 years and, apparently, they’ve taken a liking to the thing, because they’ve already done 11 other shows here, the most popular of which was in 2006, on Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro. Apart from the late drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in 2021, everyone is fine, including Mick Jagger. This edition of Repórter Brasil 2018, from TV Brasilhighlighted the 75 years of the charismatic leader and vocalist of the English band.

“Where you least expect it, nothing comes out.” “Time is money. So let’s pay our debts over time.” “This world is round, but it’s getting more and more boring.” These are just some of the many witty phrases by Rio Grande do Sul journalist Apparício Torelly, the Baron of Itararé, who was born on January 29, 1895. He is considered the father of Brazilian political humor. He created several alternative newspapers, faced the Estado Novo dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas, trampled on corrupt politicians and made fun of the Brazilian conservative elite. All without ever losing your good humor. So much so that, in 1934, after criticizing Navy officers in his publications, he was kidnapped by the military, beaten and abandoned in an almost deserted place. When he returned to his newspaper office, he posted a sign on the door with the phrase “Enter without knocking”. Torelly was an inspiration for figures such as Stanislaw Ponte Preta, Luis Fernando Veríssimo, Jô Soares and the groups at Pasquim and Casseta e Planeta. Your story has been told in this 2011 edition of De Lá Pra Cáand in this 2018 History Todayboth from Rádio Nacional.

Now let’s talk about another form of art. January 30th is the celebration of National Comic Book Day. It was on this date, in 1869, that Angelo Agostini published the first Brazilian comic: “The adventures of Nhô Quim”which tells the challenges of a hillbilly who moves to Rio de Janeiro. Today it is not possible to talk about the subject without mentioning Maurício de Sousa and his characters from Turma da Mônica, created in 1959, who transcended comic books and gained an audience in animations, cinema films and even video games. But Brazilians do well in many other independent publications, which have even won international awards, as shown this 2020 edition of Repórter Brasilfrom TV Brasil, and also this one, from 2021. THE National Comic Book Day was also the topic of this 2021 edition of the Rádio Animada programfrom Rádio Nacional.

Historical tragedy

We end the week already entering the month of February, unfortunately talking about one of the biggest tragedies in Brazil. On February 1, 1974, that is, 60 years ago, the Joelma Building fire occurred in São Paulo, which killed 181 people and left more than 300 injured. The construction consisted of two towers of 25 floors each, occupied by commercial establishments and offices. The fire started due to a short circuit on the 12th floor, and the wind and lack of security in the building soon caused the flames to spread. The 50th anniversary of the fire was remembered in 2024, in this edition of Reporter Braziland in this chapter of the program Reporting Pathsboth from TV Brasil. Joelma did not have emergency stairs, an evacuation plan or a fire brigade, among other deficiencies that contributed to the disaster. The severity of the tragedy led to changes in Brazil’s building safety rules, as shown this report from 2024, from Agência Brasil.

Check out the list of dates for this week’s Today is Day.