For the future now

Six months that will go down in history. Around the world, 2020 has wrought challenges unknown to our generation. In a country like Brazil, marked by historical inequalities, the Covid-19 pandemic has further only exacerbated the situation. Without the commitment and action of many, these disparities could become even more extreme and entrenched.

Over the past few months, we have reaffirmed our commitment to public education and leadership development. We moved quickly to become a leading force for direct action as well as to support the initiatives of others. We joined forces with various leaders, organizations, and governments that, like us, understood that this historic moment demanded an unprecedented level of initiative and collaboration.

Amid this remarkable context, we now share a partial results report for the current year. We describe the fruits of the initiatives taken by an exceptional network of people and partner organizations. Working together, these individuals and groups have made a world of difference. Together, we built a critical foundation for the construction of a fairer, more advanced future while fully addressing the challenges of the moment.

We put Brazil on the map for Covid-19 vaccine trials by partnering with the University of Oxford and the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). With this initiative, we reaffirmed our commitment to evidence-based research and the crucial work of scientists, professionals, and leaders at the forefront of finding solutions to end this deadly pandemic.

We have doubled down on our belief that all children have the right to learn. We made a host of adjustments, both big and small, to sustain our ongoing initiatives so future generations can reach their maximum potential and contribute to the creation of a better Brazil. We have also expanded and deepened our support to a vast network of people and organizations, providing them with resources, a development structure, connections, and helping expand their initiatives.

At this moment in time, we remain optimistic but with our feet planted firmly on the ground. We find ourselves with a renewed commitment to our own initiatives and to helping as many others as possible reaffirm their commitments to Brazil’s future.

One of our priorities is encouraging robust debates around back-to-school strategies and supporting educational managers to structure protocols that guarantee both continued learning as well as the safety of students, teachers, and education professionals. Throughout this process, we have realized that so much of what we have been fighting so hard for over the past decade—quality Internet in all public schools, technology-powered resources for learning, and sound pedagogy—are of the utmost importance during pandemic times.

We are also strengthening our support for the development of the next generation of leaders committed to solving Brazil’s major challenges.

This is just the beginning of an arduous journey. But these early results you will read about in this report show that good things are already happening. We remain together, working now for the future Brazil that we dream of and know to be possible.

Denis Mizne
Executive Director, Lemann Foundation