São Paulo – The Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation (FUNAG) plans on bringing Brazil and the Arab countries closer together for discussions and research on diplomatic history and international relations. FUNAG president and ambassador Márcia Loureiro visited the headquarters of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in São Paulo on Wednesday (6) and discussed the matter with ABCC president and diplomat Osmar Chohfi and International Relations vice president Mohamad Orra Mourad. FUNAG and the ABCC could work together to achieve these goals.
FUNAG is a think tank affiliated to Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that works on the history of diplomacy and international relations by fostering the development of studies and research as well as cultural and pedagogical activities on the topics. The mission is carried out primarily by two institutions, Brazilian History Research and Documentation Center in Rio de Janeiro and the International Relations Research Institute in Brasília.
“We make great efforts to democratize the access to knowledge on these topics and raise awareness in Brazil regarding international coexistence,” Loureiro told ANBA in an interview after the meeting she had with the ABCC leaders. The diplomat sees major advantages in this democratization. “The more the Brazilian society keeps up with international topics, more this will enhance the diplomatic and the foreign policy formulation work, as it cannot ignore this dialogue with society,” she said.
FUNAG celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Leading the foundation since July 2021, Loureiro aims to use the reflections on the anniversary to ensure the gold standard of FUNAG’s intellectual production of the last 50 years, collaborate with agencies of the Foreign Relations Ministry and preserve the relevance of the topics addressed. “Discussing topics that are really important for Brazil’s international integration and recognition,” she explained.
Another goal is bringing new regards and voices into the foundation, incorporating gender equality, diversity and room for international relations thinkers from across Brazil – not only from Rio, São Paulo and Brasília. The institution also aims to strengthen and develop partnerships with Brazilian and foreign similar entities and think tanks that work on the topics addressed by FUNAG. Another front is making the foundation better known to the general public with a digital strategy, going beyond the specialized audience and Brazil’s borders.
The FUNAG’s president says that visiting the ABCC is part of working toward these goals. The diplomat discussed with Chohfi and Mourad a potential collaboration for producing content that could deepen the reciprocal knowledge between Brazil and the Arab world in trade, investments, culture, diplomatic history, sciences, and technology. The idea is co-hosting symposiums, workshops, roundtables, seminars and journals. “We’ll try and identify topics of common interest to promote this rapprochement and academic dialogue in the Arab countries and Brazil,” she says.
In an interview with ANBA, Chohfi praised the highly effective work of the foundation and talked about the potential cooperation with the ABCC. “It’s one of the most significant think tanks we have here in Brazil, especially dedicated to international-related topics,” he said. The ABCC will probably cooperate through its cultural branch, the Arab House. “The ABCC could hold joint activities with the foundation such as webinars, seminars, as well as co-sponsoring publications regarding the Arab world, both by Brazilian and Arab authors,” he said. The institution could also help by setting up cooperation between the foundation and similar Arab entities.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
