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I arrived in Brazil when the Internet was becoming widely available. Brazil offered a clear contrast to the distant coldness of electronic communications. Brazilians are warm and physical. I was won over by the warmth and emotional expressiveness of Brazilians. A good example is the exuberance of Brazilian 'Formula Indy' (as Brazilians say it) driver Helio Castroneves. He always climbs the track fence to wave at fans when he wins. And I fell for Brazilian food, music, color, diversity, climate and geography. Brazilians feel a special affinity for these things, and for each other. They have a word for it, 'saudades'. Saudades may be the most important word in Brazilian Portuguese, since it so well defines Brazilians. The closest we can probably come in defining this word in English would be to represent it as a deep longing. I like this Brazilian characteristic of so deeply 'longing' for things that are important.

I was also inspired by the work of Alonzo Gomez, a non-Brazilian who spoke no Portuguese, had no money or income and worked with children from the favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro. My first Web-site, created at that time by my friend Jerry Rankin, was an attempt to publicize his efforts. Through that attempt I met someone from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil who introduced me to similar programs there. Alonzo in Rio was an artist, and many of those doing the good work in Salvador were also artists. But unlike Alonzo, they were music artists. I had just interviewed two music artists in Rio (Marisa Monte and Zelia Duncan) for a story when I encountered this opportunity to visit Salvador, Bahia. 'Constructive social engagement' became the cornerstone of my expanding Brazil Web-site.

More can be accomplished more easily, and at less expense, to secure global equality, prosperity, security, and tranquility by proactively addressing the reasonable wants, justifiable grievances and recognizable needs of people living on the margins of society. Noone should be expected to dedicate their lives to alleviate the suffering of others. But, for anyone who would wish for a better world, standing on the sidelines is not an option. In our world the seeds of discontent, violence, instability and conflict are sown in the soil of ignorance, hopelessness, frustration, bitterness, fear, anger and despair. If little or nothing is done, then little or nothing will change. If we always wait until a potential problem becomes a crisis then our burden will forever seem more than we should have to bear. Informing people, and encouraging people to become constructively involved in improving the lives of others, will help to lessen the risks we all face together, and will help us all to more fully realize our potential and our dreams.

This site is dedicated to 1) informing the English speaking world about Brazil and related issues 2) promoting the efforts of selected social programs, special projects, campaigns and individuals generating awareness of, or involved in addressing the needs of, the poor in Brazil, and 3) encouraging visitors to become constructively involved in improving the lives of the less fortunate in Brazil.

The potential for this site to have a positive impact, both in and (by virtue of dispelling ignorance and providing a more balanced accounting of Brazil's more and less desirable characteristics) out of Brazil will grow as visitors become inspired to act (or to encourage others to act) and, in turn, later inspire still others to do the same.

A person "... best supports his (or her) government by creating friendliness through kindness and generosity wherever fate may carry him (or her)" - taken from inside of a public memorial in Indianapolis, Indiana.

"Only through actions do words take power", the motto of the Freechild Project at http://www.freechild.org/.