“Ninguém solta a mão de ninguém.” A Brazilian Blueprint update

As we prepare to head to Brazil the first week of October for the first round of the presidential election there, we’re encouraged by the increasing number of people in the U.S., Brazil, and beyond, who recognize the value of cross-national learning.

Put another way, supporting democracy is a global effort, and trying to “go it alone” is, well, let me be blunt:

TRYING TO “GO IT ALONE” IS FOOLISH.

There are important comparisons around the world and, just as the 50 states in these United States are “laboratories of democracy,” other countries offer critical insights - particularly a country like Brazil with its remarkable parallels to the U.S. 

Our similar size, populations, and history, make differences in policy all the more relevant.

For example, a national voting system was among the major institutional innovations Brazil undertook when rebuilding its democracy in 1988 after a military dictatorship. TThat voting system no longer relies on an electoral college, but it doesrequire every Brazilian of voting age to vote, and it does ensure every presidential election ends with a majority supporting the winning candidate.

How?

If no presidential candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round, the top two candidates advance to a second round runoff election. Hence, a system designed to ensure a clear majority.

Are we saying the U.S. should adopt exactly the same system? No.

Do we believe there is much to learn, experience, and consider at this moment?

YES.

That is why our first Brazilian Blueprint delegation will travel to Brazil this October to observe the first round of the presidential elections, meet with civil society leaders, and deepen relationships with organizations working every day to strengthen neighborhoods, communities, and our respective countries - and live up to our shared democratic values.

Electoral integrity is just one of our four areas of focus because there is so much to learn from each other. Again, trying to “go it alone” right now is foolish.

Or, put more positively, I’ll borrow a phrase we’ve heard in Brazil that moved us deeply:

“Ninguém solta a mão de ninguém.” 

It translates to: “No one lets go of anyone’s hand.”

The exact origins of this phrase aren’t clear. Some suggest it emerged during student movements of the 1960s. Others remember the phrase giving them hope during the COVID pandemic. And others know the phrase fortified their resolve when the post-dictatorship constitution was tested in the Bolsonaro years, and became a call for solidarity across political, social, and civic divides. 

No matter the context, this phrase reflects a commitment to coalition building and mutual responsibility. It recognizes that democracy is sustained not by individuals alone, but by communities that refuse to abandon one another.

There is much in this spirit that we can adopt.