Brazil in Focus

In Brazil, the town plaza, or praça pública, has long been the place to go to find out about the community, the country and the world beyond. This website is a gathering place for those who want to know more about Brazil today. Our praça will feature a regular flow of articles, opinion and art on this country that is increasingly in the public eye but not always easy to discern. Other media may chase after breaking news and the latest buzz. Brazil in Focus is an invitation to step back from the daily fray to try and bring the often confusing jumble of events and issues shaping this emerging nation into focus. Like lens crafters, we want to sharpen the picture with a select offering, in English, of informed reporting and reflection on Brazil and the Brazilians. We pay attention to what influential people here and abroad are thinking and saying about Brazil as it claims a more prominent place in the world. BIF is a work in progress, so we welcome your comments and thoughtful criticism.

This website is not associated with any political party or movement, and the opinions expressed in the articles posted here are exclusively those of the individual authors.

Why Brazil in Focus?
There are many ways to find out about Brazil, from guide books to the wires to the blogosphere. Brazil In Focus is different in that it taps a network of professional journalists, writers, scholars, and policy makers dedicated to thinking about Latin America's largest nation. This portal is the work of many hands and is edited by Mac Margolis, a longtime correspondent for Newsweek, who many years ago made Rio his home and Brazil his vocation. Joining him is Ricardo Azoury, a prizewinning Brazilian photographer and photojournalist, who has been traveling and shooting his native country since the 1970s. Over the years, both Mac and Ricardo have seen firsthand the country transform from a military dictatorship with an erratic economy to a maturing democracy that has become a star of the emerging markets. BIF is the product of this commitment and founded on the conviction that it's time the world became better acquainted with this nation that has made the transition from perennial underachiever to the emerging power of the western hemisphere today.

The key questions this website will address are:
BRAZIL AT A GLANCE: quick takes on current issues.
GLOBAL REACH: Brazil's place in the 21st century world. BRICS, neighbors, allies, and rivals.
VOX POLITICS: Political parties, civic power, interests, government and institutions.
ENERGY & ENTERPRISE Business, energy, agriculture, investment and consumers.
AVENIDA BRAZIL: Cities, towns and urban development.
GREEN ZONE: Amazonia, climate change, forestry and the carbon market
SOCIETY & CULTURE: Communities, education, inequality, race and gender. Crime and punishment. Religion and the arts.
SCIENCE & INNOVATION: Science, technology and innovation.