The Brazilian Blueprint

Strengthening Global Connections.

Building Civic Muscle.

Reimagining the Shared Story of Democracy. 

PURPOSE

As U.S. Americans, we find ourselves in a deeply unsettling moment in our, as of 2026, 250-year-old country. The threat of authoritarianism feels closer and more familiar than ever before. We have long imagined ourselves as a beacon of democracy, yet now face institutional breakdown, polarization, and public distrust from within. 

The “American Dream” promises equal opportunity for all, but today the U.S. sees wealth inequality, housing insecurity, and attacks on higher education and health research. Economic mobility is slipping out of reach for many, especially for younger generations and marginalized groups. As political violence rises and voting rights are rolled back in key states, the very pillars of democracy are under threat, exposing how far the nation has drifted from its founding ideals.

In moments like these, we often look to historical comparisons—particularly the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany. But these analogies, while important, offer only partial relevance. Germany is smaller than Texas, and its historical, social, and political contexts differ widely from ours.

Brazil, by contrast, offers a more resonant, relevant, and underappreciated model. It is the second-largest multiracial democracy in the world. Like the U.S., Brazil is a federation of diverse, independent states. It bears the legacy of slavery and colonization. But unlike the U.S., Brazil has rebuilt its democracy within living memory—emerging from dictatorship in the 1980s with a new constitution designed to fortify democratic institutions. 

Brazil abolished its electoral college, implemented mandatory voting, and prioritized civic participation as a guardrail against authoritarian resurgence. Today, it too faces challenges from political extremism, media disinformation, and ideological division. But Brazil’s relatively young democratic infrastructure offers insight into resilience and reform. We can see in real time that Brazilian guardrails are working. For example, the Brazilian Supreme Court just convicted former President, Jair Bolsonaro (nicknamed the “Tropical Trump”) of staging a coup following an attack on their capital institutions on January 8, 2023 (also modeled after what happened in the US on January 6th). See NYT “Brazil Just Succeeded Where America Failed.”

We believe that it is in the United States’ national interest to move beyond Eurocentric comparisons and instead embrace South-North learning, centering Brazil as a democratic peer, not just a case study. 

To that end, we are creating an Intercultural Learning Community with Brazilian pro-democracy advocates to help the U.S. develop a blueprint for rebuilding our democracy.

The multi-phase program will bring together U.S. changemakers to learn from counterparts in Brazil, gather bold ideas and practical strategies, and expand civic engagement.

VISION 

Equip a new generation of civic leaders with the global insight and local power to build a resilient, inclusive, and interconnected democratic culture across the Americas. 

KEY AREAS OF FOCUS 

• Equal Treatment Under the Law

• Electoral Integrity

• Trusted Information

• Social Cohesion 

WHO

Stories Change Power is a U.S.-based crosspartisan nonprofit 501(c)(3) that equips people and organizations to be effective, empathetic, and trusted advocates. We build civic muscle to make a difference in communities, neighborhoods, and our country so that everyone can thrive - without exceptions. 

We are committed to bolstering democratic resilience, with a particular focus on democratic pluralism and culture, through cross-cultural learning, community building, and storytelling. 

In building anchor partnerships in Brazil, we have had initial conversations with leading civil society organizations including:

• Pacto pela Democracia

• Conectas

• Fundação Konrad Adenauer

• Instituto Elimu 

• Instituto Ethos

• Instituto Sou da Paz

Piper Hendricks, CEO: Former international human rights lawyer and documentary filmmaker, now advocacy strategist. As a member of Braver Angels’ newly launched Citizen-Led Solutions initiative, Piper is dedicated to supporting civic renewal and building civic muscle. B.S., Vanderbilt University. J.D., University of Michigan.

Sheila Maloney, Director of Intercultural Learning Labs: This project is personal for Sheila as both a Brazilian and American. As a lawyer, mediator, clinical professor, and bridge builder, Sheila has spent her career helping people find common ground. B.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. J.D. Northwestern University.

STRATEGY: A WIDE AND LASTING RIPPLE EFFECT

The intercultural learning community will include participants from the U.S. and from Brazil, selected by a combination of invitation and application, including diverse civic leaders, organizers, journalists, educators, and other advocates and storytellers.

PHASE I: Community and idea building, including planning with our Brazilian partners.

PHASE II: Democracy in Action during the October 2026 presidential election, with a select group of funders and grantees.

PHASE III: Multi-month Learning Community of U.S. and Brazilian changemakers, combining virtual engagement, including  workshops, small- group dialogues, and collaborative projects, with immersive in-person exchanges in Brazil and the United States to support civic engagement and policy discourse.

PHASE IV: Innovation and learning distribution, sharing ideas beyond the formal engagement as every participant contributes to the wide and lasting ripple effect of this work, including in ways we cannot yet anticipate. At minimum, the work will be documented and amplify learning through storytelling, art, and media, including:

• A podcast series geared toward everyday Americans - in both the U.S. and Brazil - interested in becoming more civically engaged; 

• A documentary film; 

• Public scholarship, including at academic and practitioner conferences; and

• A publicly available toolkit to be shared by educators and advocates alike.

These deliverables and others potential participants will propose will all contribute to a larger cultural shift in civic health and civic identity. 

THEORY OF CHANGE

Democratic renewal requires not only institutional reform, but also intercultural, people-powered learning spaces that build civic imagination, solidarity, and cross-border democratic fluency. As current institutions and systems crumble, we must build the next loop. 

INVESTMENT 

We are energized by the scalability and ripple effect of this effort to shift long- term civic trajectories.

We welcome inquiries: admin@storieschangepower.org