Since 2019
Ricardo Boechat Political Journalism Course and Award
Since 2019, the Ricardo Boechat Political Journalism Course and Award has been one of HumanizaCom 's main initiatives, the result of a partnership with the Dr. Osmar de Souza School of Parliament, of the Itapevi City Council. The course proposal was co-authored by Professor Cilene Victor, leader of HumanizaCom , the group's researcher, Marcelo Damasceno, and the director of the School of Parliament, Roberto Lamari. The initiative pays tribute to journalist Ricardo Boechat, a national reference in political journalism, who passed away in 2019.
Offered annually, this initiative aims to contribute to fostering the training of journalism students and newly graduated journalists and, with this, enhance coverage of politics and its interfaces with other areas and topics of interest, such as the environment, sustainability and climate change; displacement due to conflicts, wars, climate change, disasters and economic and political instability; human rights; culture of peace; public policies; democracy, economy and development; race, ethnicity, gender and the issue of minorities.
With 100 places available per edition, in addition to places reserved exclusively for journalists in refugee situations, black, indigenous, trans and disabled people, the course is free and completely online. The course load combines live (synchronous) classes, asynchronous content and practical production, culminating in the delivery of a multimedia report that competes for the Ricardo Boechat Political Journalism Award.
The faculty includes journalists with extensive experience in political coverage, political scientists, radio broadcasters, documentary filmmakers and researchers, providing training that is connected to the contemporary challenges of journalism. Members of HumanizaCom have served as teachers on the course, including Rodrigo Borges, Gilvani Moletta, Willian Correa, Francisco Santos, Filomena Salemme and Isabella Pandolfelli.
The course has the institutional support of the UNESCO/UMESP Chair in Communication for Regional Development, the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS), the Palavra Aberta Institute, the Brazilian Association of Legislative and Accounting Schools (ABEL) and the São Paulo Association of Legislative and Accounting Schools (APEL).
The sixth edition, in 2025, focuses on the role of Brazilian city councils in the face of the challenges of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promoting qualified journalistic coverage of the performance of local legislatures in SDGs 4, 5, 10, 11, 13 and 16.
Future editions will continue to promote journalism committed to the public interest, democracy and social justice.
Record of some moments of the editions of the Ricardo Boechat Course and Award
Image credits: Parliament School.
2020
The social dimension of public policies in cities - Perspectives on the 2030 agenda through the lens of humanitarian and peace communication
Public policies designed by representatives of the municipal Legislative and Executive branches are those that are closest to the population, directly addressing their needs and aspirations. At their core, local policies seek to ensure improvements in the quality of life in cities, guided by the principles of social justice, equality and human dignity. Because they are so close to the daily lives of communities, they represent the most concrete and effective form of political action.
If life takes place in cities, it is also in cities that conflicts, both constructive and non-constructive, arise that shape the country's urban and rural landscapes. These conflicts require the active participation of local social actors, especially public policy multipliers, who play a strategic role throughout the entire life cycle of these tensions.
In this context, humanitarian and peace communication plays a fundamental role. More than just bringing together the different actors involved, it contributes to the mediation of conflicts, especially those that result in the silencing, exclusion and underrepresentation of social and political groups. By promoting inclusive, dialogical and ethical communication, this approach strengthens local democracy and enables the design of public policies committed to human rights and collective well-being.
Based on this understanding, the Itapevi City Council , through the Dr. Osmar de Souza School of Parliament , and the Humanitarian Journalism and Media Interventions research group (HumanizaCom) , with support from the UNESCO-UMESP Chair for Regional Development and the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS) , entered into a partnership to carry out the extension course “The social dimension of public policies in cities – perspectives of the 2030 Agenda through the lenses of humanitarian and peace communication”.
Aligned with the principles, challenges and opportunities of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , the course promoted a critical debate on the strategic role of communication in the formulation and implementation of municipal public policies. It also presented fundamentals and practical resources of humanitarian and peace communication, with the aim of strengthening public communication and contributing to the construction of more just, inclusive and resilient cities.
The social dimension of public policies in cities
Perspectives on the 2030 agenda through the lens of humanitarian and peace communication
15/4 – Thursday, from 5:30pm to 9pm
Introduction to Humanitarian and Peace Communication
Prof. Dr. Cilene Victor
Introduction to humanitarian semiotics
Prof. Dr. Roberto Chiachiri
Otherness and humanitarian ethics in politics
Prof. Louis Ndomo
16/4 – Friday, from 6pm to 10:10pm
Municipal public policies and Agenda 2030
Prof. Dr. Petronio Pereira de Souza
Disinformation or Fake News: noise in public communication
Prof. Ma. Edna Pereira
4/22 – Thursday, from 6pm to 10:10pm
Media and social representation
Prof. Me. Wagner Ribeiro
The social representation of women
Prof. Ma. Marilia Carrera
17/4 – Saturday, from 10am to 3pm
Humanitarianism, representations and perception of reality
Prof. Ma. Lilian Sanches
Communication and public migration policies
Prof. Rodrigo Borges
Communication, daily life and environment
Prof. Matheus Macedo
23/4 – Friday, from 6pm to 8pm
From communication to inclusive public policies and people with disabilities
Prof. Renata Juliotti
The role of communication in humanitarian institutions
Prof. Kamila Lovizon