Brazil Gone Wild: #changebrazil and Why You Should Care

Yesterday, the New York times posted a wild picture of a Brazilian woman getting hosed in the face with pepper spray.

It was shocking to see the police brutality towards a peaceful protestor and at the same time an eye opener to realize the monumental shift happening!

So today, this post will be a divergence from the usual on this site in order to introduce you to something very important: the 20 cent movement.

And don’t forget to check out Ilya over from brazilcareerblueprint.com and I’s Google Hangout recording at the end of this post, where we talk about this movement in detail and explain why we should care as foreigners.

Let me start this post by saying that it’s called the 20 cent movement but it’s about rights, and here’s why:

It all started with 20 cents

Rewind back to June 7th where a group of protestors decided to take on the ever-reoccurring issue of bus fare hikes – this time for an immeasurable amount of value and not just 20 cents.

It was wild to see as more and more protestors joined the movement backed by a group by the name of Passo Livre, a movement who says that they are fed up with the World Cup and Olympic spending and would like to see better public hospitals and schools.

This lead to massive nationwide protests by Brazilians with the same sentiment about corruption and incorrect spending, simply put: they took the streets!

They have been met with both applause and dismay, applause from their fellow Brazilians and dismay in the way that reporters and protestors have had to deal with agression on behalf of the police, leading to several bloodied and a few dead.

Why is a 20 cent hike in bus fare worth going to the streets for and risking abuse from officials?  Because it’s what’s behind the 20 cents that matters…

Just a drop in the bucket

You see, 20 cents was just a drop in the bucket in a sea of problems, frustrations and irritations that Brazilians deal with daily.

They were fed up with price hikes, unfulfilled promises, corruption and mismanagement from the Government.

Now on a side note, I personally love Brazil and accept the country for what shortcomings it may have (or overlook them for the better things), but must admit that I can only agree.

My personal advice to foreigners coming to Brazil is to get private health insurance, get a car and not to depend on anything public as it is just that bad.

So understanding the frustrations of millions of Brazilians who are fed up with the way thing are, is an easy thing to do.

But this is changing…

When the Drop Made Waves

A Brazilian man made a video in English on behalf of the Brazilian people called #changeBrazil, where he talked about how the Brazilian population is tired of corrupt politicians taking their tax money and throwing it at stadiums instead of hospitals and schools.

Here is the video for you to see yourself:

(Watch on YouTube)

See what I mean?

The “Why You Should Care” Part

A huge pattern disruptor has happened now as this is the first time since Brazil had a president that a major manifestation has happened.

Think of it this way: when the earth is shaked, gold appears (both literally and metaphorically!)- this is where you come in…

To dive more into detail on what this all means for you as a foreigner, Ilya Brotzky and I held a little meeting last night and recorded it for you.

Just a quick intro: Ilya is a highly educated and successful Canadian man behind the site brazilcareerblueprint.com, where he shows people how to launch a successful career in Brazil – just like he did.

Let’s take it away and enjoy the conversation:

(Watch  on YouTube)

Here are some links of interest from the conversation:

• (law that will exempt politicians from criminal investigations)
• (making it legal to treat homosexuality as a disease)
• Ilya’s Brazil Career Blueprint site (how to launch a successful career in Brazil)

Final Words

I hope you enjoyed this interview and inside peek on the current revolution happening in Brazil.

This is just the beginning of amazing and lasting change in a wonderful country with huge potential – are you ready to hop on too?

Tell us what you think below

Valeu – cheers!

Kevin

P.S. don’t forget to !

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