By Pat Brewer
The Brazilian Workers Party (PT) has been tipped by many commentators to become part of a new government in the country's national elections in October. The PT is part of an electoral alliance with a variety of progressive parties, including the Green Party.
During April a leader of the PT, Dulce Maria Pereira, will speak in most Australian capital cities as part of a tour organised by the Committees in Solidarity with Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dulce Maria, a fluent English speaker, is a feminist and member of the Unified Black Movement. She spoke at the 1992 Sao Paulo Forum held in Managua, Nicaragua, on behalf of the PT at the concurrent women's meeting.
The destruction of the rainforests in Brazil's Amazon region has been a growing focus of concern. Food riots among the huge population of urban poor, murders of street kids and the plight of rubber tappers and tribal peoples are a grim reminder of the conditions suffered by the peoples of the Third World.
One hundred million Brazilians live in poverty; 60 million are completely destitute. Of every thousand Brazilians born, 90 die before they are five years old, and scarcely 90 complete high school.
The PT and its policies of agrarian reform, wealth tax, free health care and education and environmental justice have gained the support of millions. PT presidential candidate Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva is polling at least 30 points better than the other presidential candidates.
Dulce Maria is the projects coordinator for the PT's television production TVT. On her return from her tour. she will be preparing television and media promotions for the election campaign.
Currently she is the alternate senator for the state of Sao Paulo. In 1989-1992 she was a member of the government of the city of Sao Paulo.
She participates in the Movement for Democratisation of Communication and pioneered a weekly radio program on multicultural relations. She is the author of several TV and video documentaries. Her latest work, As Filhas de Lilith, is a video on AIDS prevention for women living in prostitution.
She has been very active in international solidarity, participating in solidarity committees for South Africa, Namibia, Cuba, Nicaragua, East Timor, Grenada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Angola and Mozambique.
Dulce Maria will deliver a keynote speech at the International Green Left Conference (Sydney April 1-4) on creating an alternative people's power, and will participate in panel discussions on alternative media, women in parliament, feminism and racism in the Third World and the politics of development. On her speaking tour she will discuss many of these issues at public meetings.