Mothers of dreams: a proposal of reflection and intervention into family relations

The present article conducts a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the intersection between the self-knowledge, self-esteem and family relations of women living in the city of Sud Mennucci, in the state of São Paulo, whose children were enrolled during the year 2007 in a municipal entity that provides assistance for children and adolescents, called Sonho Meu (My Dream). Through this project, these women could build a support group in which they strengthened their psychic health and the performance of the social roles of mother, wife, human being and professional. They also learnt some strategies that favored behavior changes. The chosen methodology was diversified in order to meet the group's needs and also those of the professional organization, and was supported by three areas of knowledge: Social Work, Psychology and Pedagogy, concentrated in the Social Assistance and Health Departments of the city of Sud Mennucci. The results were extremely valuable to the family relations of the target audience and also to every professional involved in this project, directly or indirectly. The family is seen as the stem cell of our society, in which the moral values, ethical principles, culture, education and other concepts are transmitted and solidified across generations. But we also know that an entity of such magnitude has some gaps, which were approached in order to be solved, searching for the promotion and quality of the affective family bonds through these women.O presente artigo realiza uma análise qualitativa e quantitativa da estreita intersecção entre autoconhecimento, autoestima e as relações familiares de algumas mulheres residentes na cidade de Sud Mennucci, no estado de São Paulo, cujos filhos estavam matriculados na entidade municipal Casa de Assistência à Criança e ao Adolescente - Sonho Meu - no decorrer de 2007. Além disso, através do referido projeto, estas mulheres tiveram a oportunidade de construir um grupo de apoio, no qual fortaleceram a sua saúde psíquica e o exercício dos papéis sociais de: mãe, esposa, ser humano e profissional. Elas também aprenderam algumas estratégias relevantes à mudança comportamental. A metodologia escolhida foi bastante diversificada para atender às necessidades do grupo participante e de organização profissional, além de contar com o suporte de três áreas de conhecimento: Serviço Social, Psicologia e Pedagogia, condensadas nos departamentos de Assistência Social e de Saúde do referido município. Os resultados atingidos foram de grande valia para as relações familiares do público-alvo e para todos os profissionais envolvidos, quer seja direta ou indiretamente na execução do mesmo. A família é vista como a célula-tronco da nossa sociedade, na qual os valores morais, os princípios éticos, a cultura, a educação e outros conceitos são transmitidos e consolidados ao longo de gerações. Mas sabemos que uma entidade formadora de tamanha magnitude tem algumas lacunas, as quais foram abordadas na expectativa de serem sanadas, buscando a promoção e qualidade dos vínculos afetivos familiares através destas mulheres

Meio ambiente e comércio internacional: Relação sustentável ou opostos inconciliáveis? Argumentos ambientalistas e pró-comércio do debate Environment and international trade: Sustainable relationship or irreconcilable opposites? Environmental and pro-commerce arguments of the debate

As complexas relações entre o processo de liberalização comercial e o meio ambiente destacam-se, hoje, como um dos assuntos prioritários na agenda internacional. Muito se tem discutido a esse respeito, porém poucas são as respostas concludentes acerca dos impactos ambientais gerados pela crescente prática do livre-comércio. Na busca de maiores esclarecimentos sobre o assunto, este artigo procurou identificar a existência de uma relação direta entre o aumento dos fluxos comerciais decorrente do processo de liberalização econômica e maiores níveis de degradação ambiental. As análises empreendidas ao longo da pesquisa levaram à conclusão de que os efeitos ambientais do livre-comércio são muito ambíguos, não sendo possível afirmar, como regra geral, haver tal relação. Constatou-se que uma análise mais precisa sobre o assunto depende do estudo pontual de cada caso.<br>The complex relationship between the process of trade liberalization and the environment is, nowadays, one of the most important issues found at the international affairs agenda. Much has been discussed, but few conclusive answers on the so-called environmental impact by free trade have been drawn. This paper has beseeched establishing a direct relationship between the increase of both the commercial activity as a result of economic liberalization and the environmental degradation levels. This research has led to the core conclusion that environmental effects of trade liberalization are ambiguous, having shown the impossibility of asserting, as a general rule, the existence of a direct relation between free trade and environmental degradation. We have also concluded that an accurate analysis on the issue will depend on the individual study of each case due to its complexity and subjectivity

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora