Maria do Rosário
Encyclopedia
Maria do Rosário Nunes is a Brazilian teacher and politician. Graduated in pedagogy
from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and postgraduated
from the University of São Paulo
, she currently serves as a federal deputy for the state of Rio Grande do Sul
for the Workers' Party
. On 8 December 2010, she was appointed by President-elect Dilma Rousseff
to succeed Paulo Vannuchi as the Special Secretary for Human Rights
.
. In her youth she was an active member of the student's movement. Later, as a teacher in public schools, Maria do Rosário became active in the trade union
movement. A graduated teacher, she got a postgraduation degree
in domestic violence
by the Laboratory for Child Studies of the University of São Paulo
.
As a member of the Communist Party of Brazil
, Maria do Rosário was elected to the Porto Alegre
City Council for the 1993-1996 term with 7,555 votes. The following year after her inauguration, she migrated to the Workers' Party
. In 1996, she was reelected with over 20,000 votes, becoming the top voted councilor that year. During her two terms as councilwoman, Maria do Rosário acted as president of the education and human rights committees. Her second term at the Porto Alegre City Council was interrupted after she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul with over 77,000 votes in 1998. That year, she became the second top voted state deputy of Rio Grande do Sul. As a state deputy, she acted as chairwoman of the citizenship and human rights committee and vice-president of the Legislative Assembly for two years.
The following election, Maria do Rosário was elected for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies
after receiving over 140,000 votes. She was reelected in 2006 with 110,000 votes. Both times she was among the top voted candidates in the state. In the National Congress, she served as the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry which investigated people responsible for sexual exploitation of children
. Maria do Rosário represented the Chamber in the Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances during the military dictatorship and acted as chairwoman of the Special Committee for the Adoption Bill. Since 2003, she coordinates the Parliamentary Front in Defense of the Children's Rights, in addition to serving as vice-chairwoman of the human rights and education committees. In 2009, she was the chairwoman of the education committee, having coordinated a series of debates about the new National Education Plan, which sets the goals for the area for the period spanning from 2011 to 2020.
On 2004, Maria do Rosário was a candidate for deputy mayor on the ticket headed by fellow party member Raul Pont. Their defeat brought an end to the Workers' Party sixteen year run in the City Hall. On 2008, she was the mayoral candidate, having lost to incumbent mayor José Fogaça
, in spite of advancing to the second round
in a heavy race. During her tenure in the Chamber, she was also a candidate for the presidency of the Workers' Party, having lost to Ricardo Berzoini
. Nevertheless, she acted as the party's vice-president from 2005 to 2007.
During the 2010 elections, Maria do Rosário was declared ineligible by the Regional Electoral Court due to some debt problems found on her 2008 campaign. She filed an appeal against this decision in the Superior Electoral Court, where he was acquitted of the charges against her and declared eligible. The final decision, however, was only released a day after the elections, and her votes were not considered in the original counting. After the Superior Electoral Court's decision, it was revealed that Maria do Rosário had been reelected for a third term with more than 146,000 votes, being the sixth top voted candidate in the state.
On 8 December 2010, President-elect Dilma Rousseff
appointed Maria do Rosário to succeed Paulo Vannuchi as head of the Special Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic for Human Rights
, a ministerial-level cabinet office. Although she did not indicate priorities, the press points the battle against homophobia
and the establishment of truth and reconciliation commission
s to investigate the crimes practiced by public office holders during the dictatorship among her top priorities. It is also expected that Maria do Rosário, acting as Special Secretary, will work for the Brazilian government to fulfill the veredict of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
against the country's amnesty law.
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and postgraduated
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
from the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
, she currently serves as a federal deputy for the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
for the Workers' Party
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
. On 8 December 2010, she was appointed by President-elect Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
to succeed Paulo Vannuchi as the Special Secretary for Human Rights
Special Secretariat for Human Rights
-Background:The Special Secretariat for Human Rights is an office attached to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil. Its purpose is to implement, promote, and protect human rights, civic rights, and the rights of children, adoloscents, the elderly, and the disabled...
.
Career
Maria do Rosário Nunes was born on 22 November 1966 in the municipality of VeranópolisVeranópolis
Veranópolis is a municipality in the state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Veranópolis, like most of its neighbouring towns, is known as one of the cities with highest standards of living in Brazil. The city is also known for being home to one of the largest gun exporters in Brazil, E.R...
. In her youth she was an active member of the student's movement. Later, as a teacher in public schools, Maria do Rosário became active in the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
movement. A graduated teacher, she got a postgraduation degree
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
in domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
by the Laboratory for Child Studies of the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
.
As a member of the Communist Party of Brazil
Communist Party of Brazil
The Communist Party of Brazil is a political party in Brazil. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and students movements. PCdoB dispute with the Brazilian Communist Party the title of "oldest political party in Brazil"...
, Maria do Rosário was elected to the Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
City Council for the 1993-1996 term with 7,555 votes. The following year after her inauguration, she migrated to the Workers' Party
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
. In 1996, she was reelected with over 20,000 votes, becoming the top voted councilor that year. During her two terms as councilwoman, Maria do Rosário acted as president of the education and human rights committees. Her second term at the Porto Alegre City Council was interrupted after she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul with over 77,000 votes in 1998. That year, she became the second top voted state deputy of Rio Grande do Sul. As a state deputy, she acted as chairwoman of the citizenship and human rights committee and vice-president of the Legislative Assembly for two years.
The following election, Maria do Rosário was elected for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
after receiving over 140,000 votes. She was reelected in 2006 with 110,000 votes. Both times she was among the top voted candidates in the state. In the National Congress, she served as the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry which investigated people responsible for sexual exploitation of children
Commercial sexual exploitation of children
Commercial sexual exploitation of children constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children and amounts to forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery....
. Maria do Rosário represented the Chamber in the Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances during the military dictatorship and acted as chairwoman of the Special Committee for the Adoption Bill. Since 2003, she coordinates the Parliamentary Front in Defense of the Children's Rights, in addition to serving as vice-chairwoman of the human rights and education committees. In 2009, she was the chairwoman of the education committee, having coordinated a series of debates about the new National Education Plan, which sets the goals for the area for the period spanning from 2011 to 2020.
On 2004, Maria do Rosário was a candidate for deputy mayor on the ticket headed by fellow party member Raul Pont. Their defeat brought an end to the Workers' Party sixteen year run in the City Hall. On 2008, she was the mayoral candidate, having lost to incumbent mayor José Fogaça
José Fogaça
José Alberto Fogaça de Medeiros is the current Mayor of Porto Alegre, Brazil and a former state deputy, federal deputy and senator....
, in spite of advancing to the second round
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
in a heavy race. During her tenure in the Chamber, she was also a candidate for the presidency of the Workers' Party, having lost to Ricardo Berzoini
Ricardo Berzoini
Ricardo Berzoini was the President of the Workers' Party of Brazil from 2005 to 2010. He has served as minister for social security.-References:...
. Nevertheless, she acted as the party's vice-president from 2005 to 2007.
During the 2010 elections, Maria do Rosário was declared ineligible by the Regional Electoral Court due to some debt problems found on her 2008 campaign. She filed an appeal against this decision in the Superior Electoral Court, where he was acquitted of the charges against her and declared eligible. The final decision, however, was only released a day after the elections, and her votes were not considered in the original counting. After the Superior Electoral Court's decision, it was revealed that Maria do Rosário had been reelected for a third term with more than 146,000 votes, being the sixth top voted candidate in the state.
On 8 December 2010, President-elect Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
appointed Maria do Rosário to succeed Paulo Vannuchi as head of the Special Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic for Human Rights
Special Secretariat for Human Rights
-Background:The Special Secretariat for Human Rights is an office attached to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil. Its purpose is to implement, promote, and protect human rights, civic rights, and the rights of children, adoloscents, the elderly, and the disabled...
, a ministerial-level cabinet office. Although she did not indicate priorities, the press points the battle against homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
and the establishment of truth and reconciliation commission
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a court-like restorative justice body assembled in South Africa after the abolition of apartheid. Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences, and some were selected...
s to investigate the crimes practiced by public office holders during the dictatorship among her top priorities. It is also expected that Maria do Rosário, acting as Special Secretary, will work for the Brazilian government to fulfill the veredict of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and...
against the country's amnesty law.