Teens 4, 5, 6 e 7

Guilherme Bonaccorsi de B. Menezes Think now Act now 7Carmen Jimenez Castro Reach Out to Those in Need 8Eduardo Duarte Ramos Coelho Matos Give a Hand to Others; Help Yourself 8Guilherme Meotti Brandão Good Citizens Take Good Care 9Gabriel Lobão Barroso de Souza Turn Trash into Treasure 9Beatriz Kono Carvalho Your Happiness, in Someone Else´s Smile 10Carolina Noleto Perna Choose to Do Your Best 10Isabela Lopes de Freitas The Planet Pleads for Your Participation 11Kyra Tayanna Lamster Is this the century of transformation? 12Laura Angotti D'Alessandro Difficulties Develop Character: Yours 12Matheus Diniz Teixeirense Universal Quality, a Golden Goal 13Paula Miziara Verlaet “Each One Teach One” 13Thales Valim Angelo Mobilizing for More Help 14William Braga da Silva Quashie Selfless Sharing 14Adriano Horn Pureza Oliveira Libraries Need your Help 15Larissa Silva Lenza Teens can Turn the World Around 15Anne Caroline Castro Pereira The Endless Valued of Volunteering 16Guilherme Castro Doing What You Choose 17Letícia Almeida Muniz Volunteer Variety 17 Intermediate, Top Flex e Combo

Leonardo Ferreira de Oliveira Think Social, Local and Mobile 18Daniel Meneses Cury Globalization has Brought us Together 18Gabriel de Souza Dantas Amorim Araújo Collective Action for Worthy Causes 19Harley Alves Ferreira Keep Clicking; Stay Connected 19Amanda Soares de Souza The Best Citizen is Well-Informed 20Marcus Vinícius Gonçalves Dutra Our Hope is in the Future 20Artur Greimel de Paiva Can Technology Tap into the Spirit? 21Flávia Regina Souza Sobral 21st Century Citizens of the World 21Renan Rocha Reboredo Citizens of the world 22Gledson de Lima Araujo Technology Reduces Limits 22Cecília de Souza Salviano Connecting Will Power and Good Will 23 21st Century Citizens of the World

Advanced, Thomas Prime e Special Courses

Pedro Guilherme Rodrigues Alves Martins Concerned about the Environment 24Carolina Araujo Carneiro Actions Make the Difference 25Jéssica Givoni It’s Trendy to Save the World 26Osvaldo Cassimiro da Silva Junior Civic education: a Right and an Obligation 27Victor Carvalho Pinto Central of Democracy 28Marco Aurelio Gabardo Public Information and The Digital Age 29Ana Luiza Camacho Guimarães Education is the Foundation 29Eduardo Miranda Cesar Citizenship Request Responsability 30Adriana Cristina Bastos Pinto 21st Century Citizenship in the digital world 31Carlos Vinicius Sarmento Silva Civic Engagement and its Advances in Brazil 32

INDEX

Think Now! Act Now!

Have you ever stopped and thought about other people, our world, your

actions or something you could do to help and be a good citizen? If you haven’t, do it now.

Think about the homeless people or those who don’t have real parents, and when

I say real parents I mean present parents, who really care about their kids. Think about the kids who live at the hospital, people who

don’t have good health and spend all their life taking medication. Think about families that

live on the streets, people who rob to survive. Think about the people starving in the whole world, think about the drugged people, think

about the kids that should be at school and actually are selling candies on the streets.

These people know what suffering is. Fortunately, there are people who care

about them. These people help preparing and distributing meals, helping the students who

have difficulty, the tutors, coaching kids. Have you ever stopped and thought about

other people, our world, your actions or something you could do to help and be a good

citizen? If you haven’t, do it now. Think about the homeless people or those who don’t have real

parents, and when I say real parents I mean present parents, who really care about their kids.

Think about the kids who live at the hospital, people who don’t have good health and spend all

their life taking medication. Think about families that live on the streets, people who rob to survive.

Think about the people starving in the whole world think about the drugged people, think about the

kids that should be at school and actually are selling candies on the streets. These people know what

suffering is. Fortunately, there are people who care about them. These people help preparing and

distributing meals, helping the students who have difficulty, the tutors, coaching kids

sports that they can’t pay for, helping children that are mentally challenged, visiting hospitals and nursing homes and really giving hope. Some people help animals, which most of the times were abandoned by the people that swore to be faithful to them. Everybody can help,teenagers and kids can help. Some schools make projects to help, where the students visit hospitals, orphans, and old people. Being a good citizen is not only based on helping other people; being a good citizen is also based on helping your city and your country, and there are many ways to do it. For example, one of the biggest actions that helps the world’s pollution and the cleaning of your city is always putting the trash in the trash can. Simple actions can build a better future. It is time for you to start helping others and being a good citizen!

Student: Guilherme Bonaccorsi de B. MenezesBranch: Asa Norte 74-A

1st Winner

Reach Out to Those in Need

Nowadays, with all the technology and changes, people do not care as much as in the past about taking positive actions to help the others or bein a good person in society. The problem is that people only care about themselves. It is sad when you are on a street and see the homeless asking for help and the other people do not even look at them. It is a shame to see people who have everything ignoring other people. But there is still time to change that. You can carry out simple and small actions that have a lot of value for the needy. There are so many hospitals with lonely children who have serious diseases and would love your company. Also, there are the elderly who stay in nursing homes all day and can’t go out to have some fun. You can go there and make them have a good laugh or distract them by playing cards, singing, dancing and talking with them. Fortunately, nowadays, there are a lot of teenagers who realize the importance of volunteer work and help children with cancer, old and lonely people or people who can’t even leave the hospital bed. There are children who deserve to live longer, but unfortunately, they know they are terminal cases. Anyway, thanks to the volunteers, these children can still enjoy their childhood with a smile on their faces. You may think it makes no difference, but for these people, it can change their lives. If everyone devoted a little of their free time to visit these people, the world wouldn’t be as lack as it is today and many people would be smiling more. Have you already made someone smile today? Have you ever thought about how important you can be to a person? Performing actions is not too hard and it also gives you a great feeling and makes you a better person. Let’s revolutionize the 21st century and give solidarity because we teenagers can change the world. We just have to want it.

Student: Carmen Jimenez CastroBranch: Asa Norte

Give a Hand to Others; Help Yourself

Every citizen has responsibilities to comply with. “Not my problem!” “I have more important things to do!” or “Who cares?!” are, probably, common answers to the responsibility issue, but, honestly, people who don’t do this shouldn’t be called citizens. Maybe not even people… Who knows what they should be called? Things? Maybe animals? No. Because they are much less than that! What is the big deal in getting conscious? What’s the problem in not polluting the parks? Why can’t a big number of people think about environment or the place they live? Is it a crime? This is a sickness, a really big trouble. You people pay taxes for the State to take care of it, but they can’t do it without help. They need somebody, not just anybody (and you’re not. Anyone can be unique). You know they need someone, so, people, HELP YOURSELVES! Turn yourselves into a good citizen!

Student: Eduardo Duarte Ramos Coelho MatosBranch: Asa Norte

2nd Winner

Turn Trash into Treasure

We are the citizens of this century. We are the world. We have to make it better than it is now. If it continue like it is now, it will turn into a big “trash” with people living there and surviving I don’t know how. Now it’s our turn to change the world, to throw away all this “trash” that we are accumulating. It isn’t just me or just you; it`s all of us. We live here and we have to make the world better because it’s our 21º century. Let’s do this with little things and make it bigger and bigger. Everything that we learn in school to help the environment can be used to help the world. And that is the most important part, because we learn everything at school. And the poor people, we just can’t leave them without knowing what to do; we have to help them, teaching what to do. Education is getting down and down because of people that don’t do anything. Let’s help the kids that didn’t have the opportunity to learn, to practice. If some people don’t do anything, let’s do it and make those ones better for this world. Crime is appearing more and more, principally for those people that don’t have anything because of the inequality. Everybody needs to have the same quantity of money, principally the poor people; that is the reason they steal. So let’s make this world better than it is. This is our century. It isn’t just me or you; it’s us. Let’s make it.

Student: Gabriel Lobão Barroso de SouzaBranch: Asa Norte

Good Citizens Take Good Care

In today’s world, we can call good citizens the ones that develop their actions thinking not only about themselves, but also about the others. These people always think about the future and about what they can do to make the world a better place to live in. To protect the environment, for example, a good citizen would certainly try to keep the air and the water unpolluted, because he knows that polluted water can’t be drunk (once it contains a lot of dirt and germs and can make people get sick) and that polluted air can cause diseases (breathing problems, for example). A good citizen would also take care of the animals and of the forests. Of the animals because they deserve a good life as we do. And of the forests because forests contain trees that, through the photosynthesis process, convert CO2 into O2, the air that is good to breathe. Besides, good citizens are those people that are always able to help a friend. If someone is in trouble, they will surely try to help. Because of that, it would be a good idea if those people became politicians, because they would do a lot of things for the nation, like paying attention to poor people and finding a solution to the financial problem of those people, especially giving them jobs. Those good citizens would also give the homeless a place to live in. You can become a good citizen doing simple things. If each one helps a little, the world will became a better place for us to live.

Student: Guilherme Meotti BrandãoBranch: Asa Norte

Your Happiness, in Someone Else´s Smile

Many people believe that the end of the world is coming soon, but others don’t believe that. For now, I want you to just close your eyes and think “What if the world is really

ending?” “What could I do?” Some people will answer “Nothing, because I’m going to die”, but that is not the answer I want to hear. I think everyone wants to be happy and

have a great life, but happiness is not something easy to achieve. Some people need help, and who knows? Maybe if you help someone, you could make this person happy? Remember: A true smile is the most beautiful thing that you can give to another person. Why don’t you, teen, become a tutor and help people who are in need in your school? If you are a good student, you can explain to others that don’t understand the subject. If you are a very patient person, you

can donate part of your time to read to the elderly in an asylum. The teenagers today can volunteer their time to help not just people, but also animals and nature. Why don’t you

encourage a selective group of your neighbors that live in your building or near your house? Or maybe you like animals and want to help them, too. What do you think about creating campaigns

to stop animal abuse or prevent extinction? Even more… encourage the adoption of animals, pets…? We have a lot of ideas; why not put them into practice?

Student: Beatriz Kono CarvalhoBranch: Posto Avançado 74-B

Choose to Do Your Best

To be a volunteer, you don’t have to be the best; you just have to like helping other people, the animals and the environment. Also, you shouldn’t think about money; being a volunteer must not be an obligation, but a pleasurable activity. A lot of teenagers with different characteristics can collaborate for the development of many Volunteers Works. If you are a high school student, you can help children from elementary school; if you like animals, you can take care of them and keep the facilities clean in Animal Shelters; you can visit hospitals and nursing homes; can volunteer in organizations that help people, like Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way; you can volunteer in parks to help plants and flowers. So there are a lot of things teens can do; it is just a matter of choosing one you can and start to do a great job.

Student: Carolina Noleto PernaBranch: Posto Avançado

The Planet Pleads for Your Participation

Nowadays, the planet needs help. All the people should take action, even with little things, because if everybody helps we can make this planet a better place to live. In schools today, we can see a lot of projects that show us how we can contribute and act. There is a lot of volunteer work in which we can participate. I, for example, have cleaned the Olhos D'agua Park. This park is near my house so it is great to spend a little time acting this way. In my house, we separate the organic trash and my neighbor sends all her recyclable trash to a recycling center. We always heard that in our homes we can act by turning off the lights when we are not using them, turning off the water when we are brushing our teeth and taking a 15-minute shower. They look simple but they are very important actions. Helping the environment is a very polemic question because we are not taking care of the things that we use and almost all the trash goes to the ocean, lakes and rivers, which are places were other creatures live. By recycling, we can change this. There's a lot of furniture that is made of recycled material. We also can customize our clothes in order not to throw them away. In conclusion, we have to take care of the planet the way we take care of our houses, bedrooms and bodies. The earth is our home and we have to keep it clean and healthy by saving the environment.

Student: Isabela Lopes de Freitas Branch: Asa Norte 75

Is this the century of transformation?

I've been thinking about how it is to be a citizen of the 21st century. My generation knows what I´m talking about; our parents and

grandparents also know, but they didn´t understand. The 19th century was marked by the discovery and use of energy and oil, the world entered the industrial era. The 20th century was marked by the transition between physical work, using the world´s resources, and the use of our intellect to

help work become easier and more productive. Humans discovered how important education is to produce better intellect. Natural resources were exploited without measure, and after decades of use, we discovered

that they are limited and cause pollution. We are in the early 21st century and we know that economic growth must come together with concerns for the protection of the environment, such as recycling, the

control of pollution, and the use of alternative energy. We know exactly what is right and wrong and we must make our best choices. Our

society has lots of problems, because it has grown too fast and without control. Reducing social inequality is the most important thing we can do to improve our civilization. We must work hard to give to all teens

access to food and education, and good students after school should help others to study. This century must be remembered as the one that everyone

could eat and study and help each other, so we can transform our society into a true democracy.

Student: Kyra Tayanna LamsterBranch: Asa Norte 65-A

Difficulties Develop Character: Yours

Currently, adolescents are dedicating more to people with difficulties. Visiting hospitals and nursing homes is one of those actions. Patients are often dealing with serious illnesses, some of which are in terminal decline. They like to talk, play cards, read books and hang out. Some schools work with excursions to hospitals and encourage young people to keep the sick company.It’s important to have patience, but in general,

the feeling of helping others is very nice. Young people should worry more about the others than about themselves and always help. Maybe with this help, a great friendship can arise between the patient and the young. The sick and the old like to interact with teenagers and, with regular visits, they feel more wanted and loved, and that’s really important for those who are dealing with some very serious illnesses. A better world is formed when people help others because it can bring happiness to everyone.

Student:Laura Angotti D'AlessandroBranch: Asa Norte

Universal Quality, a Golden Goal

There are many ways that you can show that you are a good citizen of the 21st century. One of them is by helping the Ronald McDonald Foundation. It has the concept “a home away from home”. It offers housing, meals, transportation and psychological support to young patients and their families who are out of their cities because of the illness of their relatives. By becoming a Ronald McDonald Foundation, the institution is a “seal of quality”, an international certification of RHMC, Ronald McDonald House Charities, that recognizes the highest standards of quality of service that reinforces the credibility of the institution .The objective is to guarantee that the quality and the pattern of a Ronald House is the same universally, just like promoting a continuous improvement of the service for children .There are many ways to get involved with this organization, like:1st-Spread the word by sharing your experience; 2nd-Prepare and serve a home-cooked meal ; 3rd-Bring homemade cookies or cupcakes for families or help children bake and decorate them. In conclusion, you can be a good citizen at the present time by helping charities like this one.

Student: Matheus Diniz TeixeirenseBranch: Asa Norte 77

“Each One Teach One”

Volunteer work is essential to the world because you learn how good it is to help people and how important it is for the society. When we help, we become better citizens. A kind of volunteer work that I like is to be a tutor because you can help other students get better grades with something you have already learned, something you know well. When you are a tutor, you feel great because you help someone who needs and you meet new people too. At the same time the kid learns from you, you learn from the kid and you both win, not just the kid. That is what I like most about being a tutor.

Student: Paula Miziara VerlaetBranch: Asa Norte 75

Mobilizing for More Help

Nowadays, we are surrounded by poverty, hunger and constant human rights abuses and depravations. We are used to a capitalist world that leaves no space for a sense of charity or any force to try to make our world a better place to live. Nevertheless, unfortunately,

many in our society are those selfish people; there are still people that care about the ones that suffer from their government politics and global neglect. One good, or maybe the best,

example is the Red Cross, where thousands of people mobilize themselves to help collect food for starving people; they make huge efforts to help homeless crushed by

environmental disaster to survive; they fight for those who don't have anyone to stand up for them, and it's all for free. I love helping people, not only people but the world.

Student: Thales Valim AngeloBranch: Asa Norte 62

Selfless Sharing

I think volunteer work is when someone does a good deed without the intention of receiving something in return and does it because it feels good doing so. One idea for improving the volunteer work in hospitals and nursing homes is a form of bank funding. It could be used for many improvements. First, it could be used to buy more drugs for patients and the elderly, and also to buy more advanced technological devices to perform tasks that, when we're older people or patients, are more difficult to perform. Second, to create recreational, physical and educational centers in hospitals and nursing homes for people not to get bored, keep in shape or to get in shape. Third, grow food that can help patients keep from getting sick, for example fruits and vegetables. Fourth, the money could be used to buy books; it would encourage them to read. Fifth, a special day could be created for patients and the elderly to receive visits from young volunteers who can cheer them up. Then a great method for increasing happiness in hospitals and nursing homes is to join a young volunteer with an elderly patient so each would have two friends and one another and the company would build a patio that links a hospital, a hospice and a nursing home for people to have more friends. And that's how I think that volunteer work can be improved.

Student: William Braga da Silva Quashie Branch: Lago Sul 62-I

Teens can Turn the World Around

We have to do many things to be in a better world. The volunteer work for teens is one of the biggest ideas, because now we are young and have a concept about the world, but if we learn more about the problems, when we get older, we will have another concept and will teach this to the kids and other teens. Well, the reality today is not too good; we can see people learning from the street, but most of the time they don’t learn what is correct and this is how we will help the people, teaching them what is correct to do. And what about the animals? They can’t be left out; many people can do bad things with them, but we don’t have to do this; there is no reason for that, they have a life like us, so think before teaching wrong things and before hurting an animal. We can help the world, trust and help us to make this planet a better place for all of us.

Student: Larissa Silva LenzaBranch: Santo Antonio 75 SA

Libraries Need your Help

There are several ways for the 21st century citizen to help society and the environment; however, the one that I like the most is to be a volunteer at libraries. Sometimes, there is a need for volunteer help to work efficiently. It's not very hard to help. Moreover, there are many ways to volunteer and you can choose one of them. Some of the options are: run children's programs, shelve books and assist the library staff. Nevertheless, the best part is that you can encourage people to read; reading, besides being very fun, is essential to preserve humanity's culture and it's very good for the brain. In addition, well preserved books mean no necessity to buy new ones, which clearly helps the environment. Being a volunteer at libraries is, in my opinion, one of the best options if you want to be a volunteer. However, if you aren’t a book lover like me, there are many other ways to help; choose wisely.

Student: Adriano Horn Pureza OliveiraBranch: Sudoeste 61

The Endless Valued of Volunteering

Today it is difficult for someone to stop their routine to do volunteer work. But we should do it! There are many types of volunteer work we can do. And you can choose one that you like most or one which involves something interesting for you. If you like children, for example, you can be a tutor! You’ll help children who need help at school; also you know how students pay attention to the teachers, so it’s easier for you to teach in a way they understand. Another thing you can do is to volunteer as a summer camp counselor! A lot of people today have a computer, an I-Phone, or an I-Touch and live in a technological world, so it is a way to spend some days off from these things and at the same time make some children happy! You can visit not only children, but adults too, at hospitals. When you are sick, is there anything better than company? So, why can’t you give it to them? It is not easy, but you would like it if you were there. Also, you can help animals too! If you want one or you have an animal, you’ll like taking care of them! They are so cute; it’s nice to spend your time playing with them! Everybody loves Mc Donald’s and knows a little about their projects, but what about being a volunteer there? It’s a different way to do volunteer work. You’ll help a lot of families. There are also Special Olympics, for children who are mentally handicapped. You can help them in sports training, competition training. If you are quieter and like books, you can help a library. You will shelve books and help library staff. It’s really nice what you feel when you make someone happy! It’s impossible to describe this feeling! Here there are only some types of this magical work, but there are many more! I hope that by doing this text; I can inspire some people to do this awesome work, VOLUNTEER WORK!

Student: Anne Caroline Castro PereiraBranch: Sudoeste 74-A

Volunteer work is essential to the world because you learn how good it is to help people and how important it is for the society. When we help, we become better citizens. A kind of volunteer work that I like is to be a tutor because you can help other students get better grades with something you have already learned, something you know well. When you are a tutor, you feel great because you help someone who needs and you meet new people too. At the same time the kid learns from you, you learn from the kid and you both win, not just the kid. That is what I like most about being a tutor.

Doing What You Choose

Volunteer work is when people work to help others or a particular cause without payment. Some people might think that volunteer work is for retired people or for those who don’t have anything to do. But volunteer work is done by a wide range of people with different skills, but with the same objective: to promote good or improve human quality of life. People also volunteer to improve their knowledge, to get a better job, to make friends or just to have fun. Volunteer work is an opportunity to change lives and yourself. In the United States of America they take volunteer work very seriously. Helping others in need is very important for them. This kind of work has helped many people around the world. A great thing about being a volunteer is that you can do what you really like and you can decide how many hours you would like to put in on it. There is a great variety of volunteer work. You can help kids with learning problems, serve food for the homeless, help take care of pets, help the environment, help people with health problems, help during environmental disasters, like hurricane, tsunami etc. Many people choose to volunteer because they get personal benefits. They used to say that the experience doing this kind of work made them a better person. Usually volunteers are people that really care about others ,and for most of them the race, nationality or religion doesn´t matter. And we cannot forget that responsibility is also a very important part of volunteer work.

Student: Guilherme CastroBranch: Sudoeste 65

Volunteer Variety

Every hour, thousands of people need help. There are some people who use most of their time to help others. These are called volunteers. There are a lot of kinds of volunteers,

ranging from tutors to help children with homework, to volunteers in hospitals to help people who are admitted to not feel alone. I don't think I could choose only one to be,

but two of the things I would really like would be in the library and to volunteer to help at animal shelters. I really enjoy reading, and this would be a really fun experience. As for

help at an animal shelter, it is because I love animals, they are fun and cute. I think it's not worth a person wanting to volunteer for something she dislikes. Thus, it will not be

entertaining. Best of all is to do this with friends, with whom you can share pleasant moments, helping the thousands of people who need help.

Student: Letícia Almeida MunizBranch: Sudoeste 65

Being a citizen of the world goes far beyond just living on planet Earth. Knowing the cultures of other countries, speaking other languages, being attentive to what happens in the world and caring about the problems that arise with others, make you a true global citizen. In the 21st century, with the advent of new technologies, the developmental process of social, cultural, economic and political welfare is spreading quickly around the world, well-known as globalization. Communication from one side to another of the world happens in a few seconds via satellite and Internet; people can travel so much faster and more safely by the latest generation of aircraft, modern electronics (such as iPods, androids, among others) connect to wireless internet (wifi) and have many useful applications in day-to-day. For example, there is a device that translates what you say into the language you want. These technologies enable a person living in Brazil to access the Internet and see the disasters that have occurred in Japan. One who lives in France can support the defense and preservation of the Amazon forest. An American who has never studied other languages can go to Africa to help starving children, etc. Undoubtedly, new technologies connect people around the world and this integration is the greatest achievement of humanity in this century, so it will be easier to become a true citizen of the world.

Student: Daniel Meneses CuryBranch: Asa Norte 259

Think Social, Local and Mobile

In order to answer how the technology in the 21st century can help you become a betterworld citizen, we can use a new word: “SoLoMo”. You can’t find this word in the dictionaries just yet, but nowadays its use is very common, especially in the information technology field. It means that you have to think SOCIAL, LOCAL, and MOBILE. These are the three characteristics that can influence an individual to become a better world citizen. First, because a better world citizen must be a social and yet cooperative individual who cares about other people from different countries around the world. More than that, such an individual must have the responsibility to share his ideas and engage others to change the current scenario he is in. The Internet with its many social network websites can facilitate that. In fact, we saw this recently in the manifestation against corruption that occurred in Brazil, last September 7th, completely organized through Facebook, one of the most popular social network websites there is. Second, we have to think locally; this concept is connected with the GPS technology. But we can think about the necessity of understanding our local context and monitor what is near us, like our family, streets, buildings, schools, churches, government, etc. It means that, wherever you are, you have the responsibility to care about the environment around you. For instance, the manifestation against corruption occurred first in Brasília and then its model was reproduced locally in Rio de Janeiro, last September 20th. Finally, MOBILE technology like smartphones and tablet computers brings the capacity to be connected, to receive and send information on-line, making it possible to take action very fast, just like when we receive messages about a traffic jam and how to find an alternate route, this way helping all the transportation system. Thus, the technology implicit in the word “SOLOMO” can enhance not only the skills and knowledge, but also the attitude that we must have to become better world citizens in the 21st century.

Student: Leonardo Ferreira de OliveiraBranch: Asa Sul

1st Winner

2nd Winner

Globalization has Brought us Together

Collective Action for Worthy Causes (Citizenship on the Web)

When we talk about the 21st century, we rapidly think of digital technology. Like any technology, it can help us to make the world a better place to live. The

Internet, for example, with its social networks, gets people together all around the world, with an increasing amount of access. This recent means of communication is normally

used for silly goals. But what if we use it for the citizenship, for consciousness and social mobilization? To be a citizen means to be aware of one’s rights and duties, means to

know how to live in society. The social networks can greatly help in this consciousness, making more and more people able to be a citizen in their environment. From consciousness,

we go to mobilization that gains forces when informed and conscious citizens get together for a worthy cause to make the society better. The social networks can be very important when we talk

about this issue. Movements, protests, marches, all kind of manifestations can be organized by the Internet. We have as an example the recent movement “A marcha da corrupção”,

realized on September 7th of 2011, in Brasilia, which had as purpose the protest against corruption. It was organized through social networks and it mobilized 40 thousand citizens

crying out for a fair and honest government. Many things remain to be done for a fair and conscious society, and with the help of the social networks, issues like environmental

questions, violence around the world, social problems and any kind of difficulties could be discussed and solved.Citizens,once together for a worthy cause, are able

to change the world!

Student: Gabriel de Souza Dantas Amorim AraújoBranch: Asa Norte 203

Keep Clicking; Stay Connected

Being a world citizen nowadays is a much easier task. With all the technology we have available, it’s pretty hard not to feel connected to everyone. Firstly, it’s strongly recommended to know the main subjects, what the headlines are. Through the internet, we can know what is going on, not only in Brazil, but in South and North America as well as in Europe and Asia. We just need to access the main newspapers online: the New York Times, Le Monde, Folha de São Paulo and so on. A little click here, a little click there and we instantaneously are informed about the Greek crisis, the downgrade in US credit ratings and how the stock market reacted! Secondly, to be a citizen of the world, it’s mandatory to have friends of different nationalities. We must have our Latin and neighbor friends, some Americans to give us a hand in the language skills, Europeans to let us know how the old world is doing and some Australians to remind us that there are no boundaries to friendship in today’s world! The social networks are widely available to help us! Finally, learning another language is not the burden it used to be! Essentially, to blend in, with all the gadgets and information before us, being in contact with the language we are currently learning is just a piece of cake! And by learning another language, a whole new world just blooms before us!

Student: Harley Alves FerreiraBranch:Asa Norte TPF72

Our Hope is in the Future

The world today suffers because of many impacts of human actions. Today we have an obligation to think about how the world will be for the generations who are coming. Based on

this argument was made the concept of sustainability. “Sustainability” is to meet our basic needs without

compromising future generations. Thanks to current technologies, yes we can accomplish this task fully and

effectively. Thinking about it even states that our technologies pollute to produce in the long run what can be beneficial to the

environment. Such as e-books, that need tablets to be read; in return, you do not need paper for them to be manufactured, and

a tablet can store thousands of books only causing the environmental impact of production. But the concept of sustainability goes beyond environmental; it involves all aspects of humanity: economic, political, environmental,

social and cultural rights. So the first step towards sustainability is awareness, so that future generations can restore the damage

that all the generations that have inhabited the planet so far caused doesn’t harm the technological and intellectual

progress of humanity. So, having these technologies to help them, the future generations will consist of better citizens,

real world citizens.

Student: Marcus Vinícius Gonçalves DutraBranch: Asa Norte - Class 357

What is it to be a citizen of the world in the 21st century? A citizen must be someone who respects the other human beings and knows his/her role in humanity. This kind of person is well informed, connected with the world, likes to know foreign cultures

and is always trying to make the world better by helping the ones in need. In the 21st century, the citizen has many ways to do that. The means of communication allow you to help the others without leaving your home! You can donate money through your computer to a

country that suffers due to a recent natural disaster, for instance. You can also send messages with words of hope for many people. A good citizen is never alienated, especially today, when people have television, internet and newspapers. Being conscious about what is

happening around the world is very important, and it is the first step to do something to improve our planet. We can do it more easily now and the best thing is that we can do it together, as one.

That is why technology is so important, to link us with the entire world.

Student: Amanda Soares de SouzaBranch: Asa Sul

The Best Citizen is Well-Informed

21st Century Citizens of the World

Nowadays, technological development is as amazing as scary. Information is obtained quickly. Connections between family, friends, nations, and religions, are possible with a simple "click". However, this connection that can gather, paradoxically, can repel people. In fact, we are approaching virtually, but physically moving away. The 21st century citizen needs to extract what is good in the speed of information and put it into action. Based in the knowledge about the increasing of natural disasters, for instance, he should learn to preserve the planet, and to make people around him be more aware to act in order to achieve the common good. This person must be prepared to propagate world peace, and not war, since the speed of technology could accelerate the ravages in intercontinental dimensions. However, the biggest challenge for this 21st century citizen will be the dissemination of a teaching from a long distant past: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Based on this philosophy, that citizen will be able to use technology for the benefit of a better world!

Student: Flávia Regina Souza SobralBranch: Águas Claras Top Flex 07

Although Socrates, Kaniyan Poongundram and Thomas Paine did not have all the technology that we do nowadays, they were able to realize a notion of citizenship that went beyond the ordinary one. Here and now, in the 21st century, we have a lot of means provided by us through the development of technology, especially technology of information. Thanks to the geniuses of a lot of researchers and scientists, a single click delivers on the screen everything about the situation of the starving children in Darfur. The right tapping on the keypad provides an enormous and varied amount of information on global warming issues. A cellphone camera makes videos that travel around the world through the internet, provoking revolutions and taking down governments and dictators. Through internet banking, it is possible to donate money to tsunami victims in Japan. It is right to say that technology has made it easier for us to put ourselves in other citizens’ shoes. But technology is also a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides us with all the means to improve our knowledge and awareness. On the other hand, it tempts us to get lost in other less noble activities. But the good thing about it is that we can choose to use technology to become better citizens of the world. And when choosing, let us remember Socrates, Kaniyan Poongundram and Thomas Paine. They lacked the technology, but they had the spirit. We have all the technology we could ask for. On their behalf, and on the behalf of so many others that we have learnt about and studied, we must not lack the spirit.

Student: Artur Greimel de PaivaBranch:Asa Sul 355-A

Can Technology Tap into the Spirit?

Citizens of the world

Our house is not the one made from bricks, cement and other things, located in a fixed place, with our

family and our things, but the whole world, the one that shelters us, that embraces and welcomes every

person. And it’s OUR duty, as citizens of this world, to take care and worry about its problems and causes.

The technology came at a good time to shorten the distances between people and the sources of information.

Real citizens of the world, more than participating eagerly in the world’s problems, enjoy them more than

everything. The internet helps you, at first, to communicate with people outside your country,

secondly, it lets you know about things happening, in real time, all over the world, and finally, makes easier

your access to information, even learning other languages by reading, talking, and socializing. Technology, in

general, is made for comfort and to help make the life of the people to be better, and that comfort comes with

accessibility to an open window of possibilities of how to know things. Real citizens of the world use this,

wherever they are on the globe, to participate every day in world affairs.

Student: Renan Rocha ReboredoBranch: Asa Sul

We have no more limits in the world due to technology. For example, with the internet we can be anywhere at any time. It puts people into the same level. We became world citizens. The world

is small; if there is a problem in any country, it is our problem too. Technology is good because we can pay attention to problems as citizens should; for example: wars, pollution, energy, food. For this, several technologies can be very important. We can use them to recycle garbage more

efficiently, produce energy more cheaply. These are good for citizens who worry about the place where they live. A good citizen is looking forward to having a good environment for himself,

his children, his neighbors, everybody. However, one thing is important: A good citizen is made of actions, not of omissions. You need to have just one thing to be a really good citizen;

you need volition. Take action, for you can be a good citizen in the world. And technology can help you.

Student: Gledson de Lima AraujoBranch: Sudoeste TPF 32

Technology Reduces Limits

Connecting Will Power and Good Will21st Century Citizens of the World

Willingness. There is a lot of power in this single word! At a time when simply bringing an object in a pocket to access the Internet on a Smartphone to be well informed is not as difficult. In Brasilia, for example, places frequented by many people, such as the Rodoviária do Plano Piloto and Parque da Cidade, already have a Wi-Fi available by the government. Thus, access to information is another

opportunity for those who wish to exercise their citizenship. All we need is to want to do something. Just like what happened in Brasilia last 07 September 2011, during the celebrations of Brazil’s

Independence Day, when more than twenty thousand people, overcome the feeling of disability in the face of corruption in the country's politics, jointly expressed their indignation. The main channel

used to mobilize people was social networks. However, this was just a small demonstration of the strength of the Internet, which in recent years started to play a strategic political role. Much more to

publish the facts, the ease of communication leads people to share their frustration with politics, which may raise protests like those that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, who was

in power for almost thirty years. In fact, only this year, several popular manifestations were fomented by social networks such as the student protests in Chile, by ensuring a quality public

education, and the protests in Spain, also referred to as the 15-M Movement, which came up with the economic crisis and with the repudiation of the current two-party political system in that country.

So, increasingly, technology is in the service of citizenship, making easier the mission of becoming a citizen of the world. Just be a willing person, really.

Student: Cecília de Souza SalvianoBranch: Sudoeste TPF1-5

Concerned about the Environment

High temperatures, floods, lack of food and water are some of the consequences of our recklessness with Nature. During the past three hundred years, powered by the Industrial Revolution, we have just explored and destroyed Nature without thinking about the possible bad effects and about the future. Brazil, for instance, has been suffering from climate changes, strong rains and drying weather. So, is this the end? Maybe! Can we change it? Yes, we can! But we must do it now. Being a 21st century citizen requires a change of values: a challenge we all need to face. First of all, we ought to get rid of our current consumption patterns, inasmuch as they are responsible for the exploration and destruction of our planet – the more we demand, the more they cut trees, build industries, pollute rivers and so forth. This predatory behavior may be about to end, since people are beginning to demonstrate green values all over Brazil. Brazilian citizens are starting to change their minds. Tired of counting on governments, we are now playing a more active role, expressing our opinions. These days, for example, there were many manifestations against the new forest code, a disrespectful code which threatens our forests. Another example of citizenship is the manifestation against Belo Monte, a hydroelectric plant that has just started to be built in Pará State, threatening environment, indigenous culture and areas. It’s good to see how Brazilians are starting to be concerned about environmental problems. Furthermore, we Brazilians must keep in mind three new words which are indispensable to survival of natural environment, likewise to the survival of human beings. They are: reduce, recycle, reuse. We should spread out these principles and step into sustainability – the issue of the decade. Otherwise, if we do not learn to be sustainable, this planet will not be able to provide our basic needs. We are lucky that in Brazil there’s an abundance of natural resources. However, we can’t wait until they come to an end. To sum up, we need to learn to preserve the natural resources in order to guarantee the survival of our own species and of the planet as well. Even though being concerned and aware of these issues is so important, it’s not enough. We need to collaborate, to “get our hands dirty”. As well as practicing the principles of sustainability, we also have the obligation of propagating them. Brazil is tired of waiting on its politicians; we are tired of watching Nature and wildlife populations being destroyed. The future depends on us.

Student: Pedro Guilherme Rodrigues Alves MartinsBranch: Asa Sul

1st Winner

Actions Make the Difference

Day after day the world is getting more polluted, the rivers are drying and the forests are being devastated. These are some examples of the problems that people all around the world

have to face up to in their everyday lives. However, actions which may seem not worthy can really make the difference.

A model citizen of this century must think outside the box aim to revert this chaotic situation. Now we may ask: what should the 21st century citizen do to

become a model and help the Earth? A model citizen in the 21st century must be aware of all the problems that the world is facing up to. This kind of citizen must be conscientious of his responsibilities with one eye to solve the issues that are all over the place, such as

pollution, deforestation and waste. Also, this kind of citizen must not count on the others to put into practice a good action that he was supposed to do. Otherwise, if everybody

waited for the other one to start a good initiative, the world wouldn’t go forward. Moreover, this citizen must be a risk taker and not be afraid to go for alternative ways if something

goes wrong – it is necessary to understand that sometimes some ideas don’t run as we wanted them to. It doesn’t matter where the citizen comes from, or which language he speaks, to be a

model citizen to the people on Earth, the only skill required is to adapt his lifestyle with the purpose to help the world be a better place to live.

Another important subject that must be considered to be a 21st century citizen is the beliefs that he has about the global situation.

It is extremely important for the people to believe that we all together can make the difference. If each one did their bit, the planet would take results faster. Therefore, more people would

start believing in small attitudes, and even faster the results would show up. Also, this kind of people must believe that they can change the future of the next generations. They must feel responsible to give the others the opportunity to live in a sustainable world. Furthermore, it

is essential to believe in the people’s will power, because, will power is the most powerful weapon that a person has against the increasing number of difficulties that appear in people’s way.

Having strong concepts about the present situation is crucial to standing the cause of a greener world.

Finally, the real citizen of the 21st century has to put into practice all the concepts that he strongly believes. The global warming, which is caused by the excess of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, is indeed one of the most worrying issues that everybody must be concerned about; the 21st century citizen must look for alternative ways of transportation, such as the use of a bicycle and public transportation. However, if the use of a car is necessary, people must not hesitate to know if there is someone that goes in the

same direction as theirs so that they could take a ride with each other. This attitude can reduce the number of cars on the streets and control the air pollution. Another worrying

issue is the deforestation. While there are thousands of trees being cut down, many tons of packaging are being thrown out incorrectly. It is the model citizen’s responsibility to recycle

his own waste, or at last separate the organic garbage from the recyclable garbage to facilitate the recycling process. Also, people should pay attention to the kind of packaging

they purchase so that they would buy only recyclable ones. The effort to give up comfortable transportation and to recycle your own waste, even if it’s inconvenient and tough, is easily

forgotten when compared to the results that will remain for the future. The 21st Century

Citizen is a self-starter person that is always looking for alternative ways to promote new concepts in favor of reverting the world’s issues. And it is the world’s population’s

duty to become a 21st century citizen because we all live on the same planet and together we stand stronger than ever to reach a better world for all of us and the future

generation.

Student: Carolina Araujo Carneiro Branch: Asa Norte 551-S

2nd Winner

It’s Trendy to Save the World

The world has been changing since the 20th Century. With new and improved technology, people have started to share their ideas in a vast span of interest, most of which includes modern citizenship. People can’t stop asking themselves these questions, among others: what should I do to save the world? How can I have civic engagement? This means people are starting to interest themselves in citizenship. We all can become good citizens with some effort and a good spirit. For example, the hottest subject that goes around on the internet these days is the “save the world” trend. People are worried about our environment, since the polar caps are melting, more and more animals are endangered and pollution is getting to absurd levels. There are things we can do to prevent that. And I’m not saying oh, go vegan and start a riot defending animal rights. What I mean is that there are simple ways – things you can do on a daily basis – that would help our environment. One thing to do is to actually throw your garbage in the appropriate recycling trash can, not just throw it out randomly. Recycling is one of the greatest things one can do to be sustainable. Another big civic concernis focused upon education and health care. Education is, by far, the most important thing in a citizen’s life, for without it, one cannot understand politics, civics, or any other useful skill. Having a good education means having a better way of seeing things, either by having a highly creative side, logistical side, or by any other manner. And what bothers people is that there hasn’t been much investment in public education these past few years. The Government is being pressured with regard to the matter, but they always find a way to get past it. With the health care issue, it’s the same thing. In order to be a good citizen, one should have a better knowledge of politics so one can help improve our public education and health care by continuing to pressure our Government and electing better leaders of our country in the next elections. Another thing that is a great deal for the 21st Century citizen is to volunteer. Volunteering can bring a smile to someone’s face. There are many ways of volunteering these days: either by helping out in a shelter after a disaster or by joining Green Peace or the Red Cross; that’s how people show they care. I’m not telling you that you have to join the Peace Force in order to be a good citizen. You can just help a senior center out after school or work, donate old clothes,food, or money to those in need, etc. But one thing that is needed for sure is selflessness. If one is rude and does not enjoy sharing, it would be useless if they offered to help. The fact of the matter is that people are getting busier and busier, so they assume there isn’t much time left to engage in civic matters, such as volunteering. But as I said before, there are many ways to be an active citizen while rushing to work or school. Either by carpooling, recycling, helping those people you pass by in the street, being sustainable, looking up the latest news on our public issues while you’re surfing the web or just trying to make the world a better place by being polite to people you pass by. It’s not that hard to ride a bus or read a newspaper once in a while and that is what I think makes the 21st Century citizen.

Student: Jéssica GivoniBranch: Asa Norte 452

Civic education: a Right and an Obligation

Civic education is essential to an informed and engaged democracy. It means all citizens working together to build a different society where everyone has the same opportunities. Effective civic education teaches citizens that they are equal, they have the same rights and obligations and they can use the same tools to make them real. Citizens must know that their fundamental rights like education, health care, and housing and safety as well, are not tokens of mercy which were given by the government or someone else. Actually, they are the consequence of their citizenship. Tokens are hoped for, but rights are conquered. If people figure out this fact, their attitude about social issues will change completely. On the other hand, it’s necessary to know that citizenship also includes obligations that are related to family, community, work, government and other social groups. They seem too much to observe, but all of them can be simplified in just one main obligation: respect for other people’s rights. Civic education also teaches about the tools that are available for citizens to make their rights become true and to force others to comply with their obligations. People will know about those tools learning basic politics, economy and law. Those subjects have to be taught in school, just as math and physics are. Civic education is crucial in democracy. Citizens will treat each other as equals if they figure out that everybody has the same rights and obligations. The best way to show that is through civic education.

Student: Osvaldo Cassimiro da Silva JuniorBranch:Asa Norte 501A-S

Central of Democracy

Civic engagement is the central concept of democracy. The greater the participation of the people in political affairs, the stronger is democracy. In this regard, the 21st century offers a lot of hope. Never before has there been such an intense participation of the ordinary citizen, due to the connectedness provided by the internet, which has increased government transparency, accountability of public officials and the power of civil society. That is a worldwide phenomenon which has reached Brazil intensely. Transparency has increased due to two main factors. It is easy to make public all the relevant information by simply putting it on the web. Everyone is getting used to it and nobody accepts anything short of full transparency. It is unacceptable nowadays to have to fill a form and wait days to receive a simple certificate or an answer to a question. On the other hand, most governments have had great difficulties in keeping secrets, since hackers are always trying to reach classified information and dissident civil servants can easily leak sensitive information to the press or NGOs. In Brazil, “Transparência Brasil” has been making full use of the budgetary information provided by the government, exposing cases of misconduct and corruption. Accountability has increased because information is accessible and voters can easily get in touch with their representatives. Not so many years ago; it was almost impossible to know what was going on in the Parliament and how each representative voted. Nowadays, it takes only pressing one or two buttons on your notebook, and you have all the information you need on its screen. Politicians can no longer fool their constituencies by making false allegations. Most politicians are, on the contrary, creating direct links with their voters through social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, which has permitted them to collaborate in many ways. In Brazil, the site of the National Congress offers a complete coverage of each representative, allowing the voters to checkout every step he takes. All this has turned civil society into a permanent actor in the debate on any issue. New initiatives are proposed every day, by ordinary citizens, who spread them to their friends and acquaintances. These, in their turn, may help spreading the ideas they support by doing the same in the social networks or by email. This system of spontaneous order has brought together thousands of people that share the same ideas. These people, who would otherwise have never met, are now important political actors. Even dictatorships have fallen due to street manifestations quickly organized through thesocial networks. In Brazil, manifestations against corruption have spread out over social networks and reached the streets in the bigger cities. Never before has human kind been so tightly connected, due to the ubiquity of the internet. At a speed nobody ever imagined, participatory democracy is becoming a reality. This situation calls for new institutions, since the state as we know it was modeled before the information technology revolution. It is up to us to build a new political system in which participation is part of everyday life.

Student: Victor Carvalho PintoBranch: Asa Norte

Public Information and The Digital Age

I believe that, in order to build a healthy democracy, Brazilians must have access to information about public expenditures in education, health, security and other public services. The average citizen pay taxes and must be able to control government investments; otherwise people may feel that the government is not a real partner as it should be. Nowadays, we have numerous ways to share the budget information using the internet. If all the three levels of government make use of these ways, it will be possible for the citizen to control the public expenditures. One of the major problems in Brazilian democracy is corruption. As there is little control over publicinvestments, the politicians feel free to steal the money from the country’s vaults. If all the expenditures are made public, every action taken by the government will be watched and controlled. Imagine citizens of your city with access to information about how much is invested on education and security. Everybody would be able to demand the affordable quality of public services. In Brazil, as well as in many other poor countries, the low quality of public services and high level of taxes create a bad environment for economic growth and social inclusion. If the public investments in education and infrastructure are worthwhile, there is a chance of Brazil becoming a developed country. The level of commitment of the citizen is the measurement of the level of the development of the country. That is why it is so important to create a sense of membership and responsibility in the citizens. With more information and equal opportunities, we can create the long-living democracy that will be resilient for centuries ahead.

Student: Marco Aurelio GabardoBranch:Lago Sul - Prime conversation

Education is the Foundation

The government is responsible for offering basic education to the whole population, including youngsters, seniors and indigents. Access to schools is one of the main needs of children and it will change their whole life by providing good job opportunities for them and by making them become conscientious citizens. The government of Brazil has started developing a reasonable educational system since 1950 and, still, a huge part of the population is neither educated nor has access to good schools and universities. This is one of the main causes of corruption and slow economic development in Brazil. Many politicians were elected without high education degrees and they struggle to try to come up with good ways to improve our situation. There aren’t enough schools, especially for 19% of the population, who live in rural areas. Currently, eighty thousand schools are available for the rural population, but some of them are located far away from the students’ houses and many parents can’t afford having their children go to school every day, since they need help with planting and harvesting crops daily. Due to this, several children are still uneducated and without access to a better quality of life. They will do the same with their children in the future and this will happen during many generations. We can’t find many good teachers in public institutions nowadays. The government offers them pretty low remuneration, even though they are essential to our country. Aware, updated and polite teachers influence children in an extremely positive way and this difference isn’t noticed only among parents; we can see it in the overall condition of the country. A solid economy, good researchers and scientists, conscientious politicians and a good prospection of the future of the population are results of an efficient educational program. As citizens, it’s our obligation to elect better politicians and do our best to try to help underprivileged people. Social programs aren’t enough to change our reality; we also need better teachers and schools. Education is the foundation of a country and without it there will never be any progress.

Student: Ana Luiza Camacho GuimarãesBranch: Sudoeste 554

Citizenship Request Responsability

A country’s educational system has the power to shape its society. Most importantly, it is the basis for the formation of active citizens that sustain andstrengthen a democracy. Therefore, access to quality education constitutes one

of the main rights of a civilian;hence, it is a duty of the state to provide it.

The Brazilian Federal Constitution established, in 1988, an articleconcerning those matters and aiming for the promotion of schooling for everyone.

Moreover, it is determined as an obligation of the parents to register and followtheir child’s performance at school, in the course of time. The key point here is

that citizenship is not only about having rights; it also demands responsibility andengagement from each and every part involved.

Unfortunately, the present scenario in Brazil’s school system is quiteworrying. To analyze it is to face an evident need for investments in structure,

materials and the qualification of professionals, those regarding particularly publicinstitutions. Even though it is stipulated that the government shall reserve

twenty-five percent of the State’s budget for education, mismanagement ofresources and, most frequently, corruption often threaten our student’s rights.

This is reflected in the country’s poor results in several examinations, such as theProgram for International Student Assessment(PISA).

Nevertheless, a lot of achievements were made in the last decades,revealing significant advances in the field. For instance, studies show that, today,

one third of the Brazilian population attends school daily, an increase incomparison to previous rates. At the same time, illiteracy levels have been

dropping notably through years, being one of our government’s goals to eradicateit. Needless to say, those are all consequences of greater attention directed

to this area through the past years.

All things considered, it’s reasonable to infer that education must becomea priority in our nation’s development. This can only be done with efforts from

both the authorities and citizens, who ought to be informed and active, it beingtheir responsibility to look out for necessary improvements in the area. That

way, we can guarantee the maintenance of citizenship and the prosperity of our land.

Student: Eduardo Miranda CesarBranch:Asa Sul

21st Century Citizenship in the digital world

One of the advances of the 21st century is the consolidation of the digital world. Nowadays, most of the population has access to digital technology and, as a consequence, we have a digital community. Like in a real community, everyone must be aware of their rights and responsibilities. It means that a digital citizen must behave in a way that uses some services on the digital world without damaging other users. For example, everyone has the right to access information in real time as well as access information in the public domain. So, if someone publishes wrong information, then it will generate successive mistakes and it can create riot and insecurity. On August 23, for instance, the state of Virginia suffered an earthquake and some people posted on the web that it could be a terrorist act. Such comment generated insecurity which lasted until the correct information, that it was just an earthquake, was spread on the web. So, everyone must take care of the accuracy of what to publish on the web. Another important capacity on the web is that an idea can reach more people in a considerably short period of time. So, if someone preaches that breaking things is the best solution to call attention to some problem, the probability that this idea is spread and becomes real is great. Something similar happened in England, where some teenagers broke into and robbed stores and put videos of these actions on social networks. This idea spread and other users of those networks did the same. All this movement called attention to the problem of juvenile unemployment. On the other hand, in Tunisia, people organized manifestations from social networks to ask for democracy in this country and this organization was essential to change the situation for them. Therefore, everyone must be aware and the take care of what kind of idea to publish. Finally, we can mention that everyone can surf the web as an anonymous person, but this does not give them the right to attack another, to use an image without permission, to break and invade private systems, or even to steal. For instance, the presence of “trolls” is common in forums. They are legitimate forum users who make comments ordering to stop the work that has been done by insulting other users, or leading other users to be impolite, or even pretending to be more intelligent than others. This kind of behavior is completely inappropriate in a community. Therefore, everyone in the digital world has the right to access and generate public information. However, they must take care of the accuracy of the information and to be responsible for the quality of information that is published by them. So, a 21stcentury citizen should know how to behave in the real as in the digital world in a way to have a good acquaintanceship with others.

Student: Adriana Cristina Bastos PintoBranch: Asa Norte 457

Civic Engagement and its Advances in Brazil

All around the world, civic engagement has been the subject of huge importance not only among civil society groups but also among government sectors. In Brazil, activities of civic engagement have been growing since the end of our military dictatorship in the late 1980's. But even now, we can still feel a culture of passivity in our people here. Although the Brazilian people are seen as the warmest people in the world, it seems that this same characteristic does not exist toward the well-being of the community. Unfortunately, a strong political history of corruption added to the cultural passivity of Brazilians have resulted in a weak sense of personal responsibility to our community. However, some initiatives have shown that Brazilians are starting to change their feelings about this subject. The concept of civic engagement involves activities from volunteer work to electoral participations. It has been defined as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. In the book edited by Thomas Ehrlich, Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, we find that civic engagement activities work in order to “make a difference in the civic life of our communities and develop the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference". Concerning the political issues in Brazil, as a result of civic engagement, there have been some successful initiatives against corruption in the last 20 years, such as the impeachment of President Collor de Mello and the law called Lei da Ficha Limpa" (No Criminal Record Law), which prevents political candidates who are under criminal condemnation from running in the elections. This law, which was created last year by popular initiative, was a positive leap in terms of political advancement in Brazil. Several politicians were prohibited from running in recent elections because of their criminal history, almost always connected with corruption. Also, with the contribution of civic engagement, a corruption scheme was found out in 2008. It was known as the Corporate Credit Card Scandal, a political scandal involving several high-level executives in the Government, including one minister, who ended up losing her job as a result of the denunciation of her personal expenses being paid with Government Credit Cards. Civic engagement initiatives are still fewer than what would be expected, given the current problems faced by Brazilian society. However, it seems that the sense of community involvement is growing in our society, especially now that social networks have made it easier to spread information about civil organization across the country. But it's not enough to just spread information. In order for changes to take place, we need hands to be stretched out, arms to hug, feet to walk alongside and hearts to love. Its about time to wake up and quit our self-indulgence and passivity. We have plenty of resources to re-shape our society into one that is more helpful, more caring and more loving. Therefore, it's just a matter of facing our responsabilities as citizens and start doing our part. In conclusion, it seems our society is doing well, however, there is a long way to go before we get to an acceptable level of society. We have to keep in mind that real democracy is not only having the right to elect our representatives, but real democracy is reached when people manage to build their path toward a righteous society, where there is neither social nor economic nor political nor cultural gaps. Civic engagement is a powerful tool to achieve that. In fact, civic engagement has to be part of society solutions.

Student: Carlos Vinicius Sarmento SilvaBranch: PR33C-UNACON