This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SAO PAULO 000875 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SUE CRONIN 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/PD 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KCRM ECON PHUM BTIO EINV SOCI BR TIP
SUBJECT:  AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DEBATE CONTINUES IN BRAZIL 
 
REF: A) 04 Sao Paulo 843 
 
     B) 04 Sao Paulo 789 
     C) 03 Rio 823 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  On June 10-11, government officials, non- 
profit organizations, educators, interested citizens, and 
representatives from 20 public Brazilian universities met in 
Sao Paulo for a two-day nation-wide conference to discuss 
nascent affirmative action programs in higher education. 
Many programs in Brazil include specific quotas for students 
graduating from public high schools, who typically are 
dramatically underrepresented in elite Brazilian public 
universities.  Debate on viable ways of creating equity in 
the education system continues in Brazil.  Although many 
attendees were optimistic about the academic success of 
students admitted under quota programs, some activist groups 
are not pleased about delays in implementation of government 
mandated affirmative action requirements currently under 
debate.  The Conference themes went beyond university policy 
and included cultural performances, health awareness and 
community building. End Summary 
 
FOCUS ON QUOTA PROGRAMS 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Office for Coordination of Black Affairs of the 
City of Sao Paulo (CONE) organized the two-day conference 
held in one of Sao Paulo's major convention centers.  The 
conference received not only the support of the GOB and the 
State of Sao Paulo, but also support of the United Nations 
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 
private companies and educational institutions.  University 
representatives from distant states were flown in for the 
event to present information on affirmative action programs 
in place at their institutions.  Universities from the five 
states in Sao Paulo's consular district were represented: 
the Federal University of Sao Paulo's School of Medicine, 
the State University of Campinas (State of Sao Paulo), the 
State University of Santa Catarina, the Federal University 
of Parana, the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, and 
the State University of Rio Grande do Sul.  Many affirmative 
action programs in Brazil specifically target graduates of 
the public school system, regardless of racial or ethnic 
background.  Public school students of all races are 
underrepresented in the elite public universities.  In a 
recent meeting with Poloff, Mario Luiz Cortes, head of CONE, 
stated that the location of Sao Paulo for this nationwide 
conference had symbolic value.  He said that the University 
of Sao Paulo (USP), a very large and prestigious public 
university located in the city, has resisted the 
implementation of affirmative action measures, and CONE 
wished to bring administrators from universities from all 
over Brazil to the city in this well-publicized and 
sponsored event. 
 
AN UNEQUAL SYSTEM 
----------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Significantly, all the universities involved in the 
Conference were public universities, traditionally the 
"elites" of higher education in Brazil. The private and 
public education systems have historically been very 
unequal. Public elementary/secondary schools suffer from a 
lack of resources, high classroom enrollment and low teacher 
salaries.  Few middle or upper-middle class families choose 
to send their children to public elementary and secondary 
schools if they can afford private school tuition. In 
contrast, public universities are well funded, have very 
competitive entrance exams, offer excellent programs, and 
award prestigious degrees to their graduates.  Furthermore, 
tuition at public universities is free or extremely low 
cost.  For example, the Federal University of Minas Gerais 
(UFMG) charges approximately 150 Reals (USD 61) per semester 
for tuition and fees.  Dormitory housing at UFMG costs about 
USD 105 per month.  Graduates of public high schools in 
Brazil are frequently unprepared to pass the difficult 
entrance exams to these elite public universities.  These 
students must pay high private university tuition or not 
attend college at all.  The Education Ministry estimates 
that 16 percent of all university students are Afro- 
Brazilian.  AfroBras, the Afro-Brazilian advocacy NGO, 
estimates only 3 to 7 percent of students in public 
universities are Afro-Brazilian. 
 
POSITIVE VIEW FROM SOME UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶4.  (U) Some university affirmative action administrators 
are optimistic about the ultimate academic success of 
students who entered under quota systems.  The coordinator 
of affirmative action at the Federal University of Sao Paulo 
(UNIFESP), Marcos Ferraz, remarked that despite differences 
in family income, computer ownership, and internet access in 
the home, the academic performance of quota students is 
"similar" to that of non-quota students at UNIFESP and he is 
confident about the success of quota-based students as they 
pass through the university course.  In the School of 
Medicine, the difference in the grades of the best quota 
based student and the best student who entered under the 
traditional system was ten points (on a scale of 100). 
(Note:  Absolute scores are unavailable.  End Note.)  Ferraz 
acknowledged that quota-based students needed assistance 
from the university -- generally in the form of computer 
access and scholarships, but he is ultimately confident of 
their success in the normal course of studies.  The average 
monthly family income for students who enter UNIFESP as 
beneficiaries of the quota system is approximately USD 720, 
as compared to an average family monthly income of USD 1,600 
for students who enter under the regular admissions process. 
Computer ownership and Internet access rates are also 
dissimilar.  62 percent of quota beneficiaries own a 
computer and 48 percent have internet access in their homes, 
while 93 percent of non-quota students own computers and 88 
percent have home internet access. 
 
¶5.  (U) The Federal University of Parana (UFPR) has had 
affirmative action programs in place since 2002.  Under 
UFPR's program, 20 percent of entrance slots are reserved 
for Afro-Brazilians and persons of mixed ancestry, and 20 
percent are reserved for public high school graduates, 
regardless of race or ethnicity.  The University Rector from 
UFPR stated that his university supports the separate 
category for Afro-Brazilian and persons of mixed ancestry 
because those students, regardless of whether they graduate 
from public schools or prestigious private ones, experience 
discrimination and racism in Brazilian society. 
 
DELAYS IN IMPLEMENTATION UPSET HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6.  (U) Brazilian non-profit organizations such as Educafro 
(Education and Citizenship for Afro-Brazilians and the 
Needy) and the MSU (Movement of those Without Access to 
Universities) are pressing for immediate implementation of 
quota-systems in all public universities.  In June, however, 
GOB Education Minister Tarso Genro addressed an audience of 
non-profit organizations in Sao Paulo and outlined a 
proposal that would delay immediate implementation of quotas 
for federal universities.  The proposal would give federal 
universities until 2015 to implement programs requiring that 
fifty percent of entering students be graduates of public 
secondary schools, and would allow each institution to reach 
the goal in a variety of ways, not necessarily through a 
quota system.  The GOB's earlier proposal requiring 
immediate implementation of a quota-based system reportedly 
encountered stiff opposition from many federal university 
administrators, many of whom believed the plan was not 
feasible.  The affirmative action debate in Brazil has 
included concerns that students from public schools will not 
be able to compete in the rigorous public university system, 
and that lower academic standards will result. (See Reftel 
A.)  Many university administrators feel that institutions 
should be able to reach equity goals through a variety of 
methods, such as programs that provide entrance exam 
preparation, academic assistance, and scholarships to public 
school students, rather than through mandated quota systems. 
Human rights and Afro-Brazilian advocacy groups remain 
adamant that they will not wait ten years for full 
implementation of affirmative action programs.  According to 
press reports, David Santos, executive director of Educafro, 
stated that "clearly" the Ministry is "giving in to 
pressures."  The coordinator of MSU stated that, despite the 
Education Ministry announcement delaying proposed 
implementation of affirmative action programs in Federal 
universities, "We will continue to fight."  A public forum 
to debate university affirmative action programs, organized 
by the Educational and Cultural Commission of Congress, 
originally planned for April, was postponed; it now appears 
a scaled-back version of the forum, now billed as a seminar, 
may take place in August in Brasilia. 
 
MORE THAN JUST QUOTAS 
--------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The scope of the Sao Paulo event went beyond the 
presentation of statistical data on affirmative action 
programs throughout Brazil.  Speakers also addressed Afro- 
Brazilian consciousness; health issues, particularly 
HIV/AIDs; and Afro-Brazilian self-support programs.  The 
largely Afro-Brazilian audience included a large number of 
young adults (senior high school and university students), 
some of whom apparently attended to fulfill course 
requirements, as well as public school educators and 
interested community members. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment:  While conferences on affirmative action, 
such as the Sao Paulo city government sponsored conference 
in June, shine a useful spotlight on racial and socio- 
economic inequalities in Brazil, it is not clear how 
effective they will be in promoting substantive progress. 
The conference received little press coverage, and from our 
observation, appeared to reach a limited audience beyond 
those who were already committed to the implementation of 
affirmative action programs.  Despite the optimism of some 
public university administrators present at the conference 
about the initial success of their programs, educational 
affirmative action programs currently appear to be reaching 
only a small slice of the socio-economically disadvantaged 
population.  Almost all affirmative action advocacy efforts 
have been focused on the implementation of controversial 
quotas for racially disadvantaged groups and public school 
students, with little focus on expanding opportunities for 
quality public school education at the primary and secondary 
level.  End Comment. 
 
WOLFE