Opinion article
By Carola Matarazzo
Time will tell whether we have learned our duty to always be alert to social inequalities. Therefore, let's exchange the question in the title of this article with the reflection that Martin Luther King left us: 'What are you doing for others?'
We were in the last days of February 2020 when we received the news. A new disease, which until then seemed distant, had arrived in Brazil. Soon, panic set in. We still didn't know how serious the pandemic was, but it was clear that the chaos would be much greater among the most vulnerable regions and populations. Poverty, misery, hunger and lack of access to basic healthcare were already urgent issues in the country. The situation worsened and we entered a state of emergency.
To everyone's surprise, we saw a commotion emerging along with fear and despair that resulted in a record number of donations in Brazil, exceeding R$6 billion, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Fundraisers (ABCR). We discovered that we are able to organize ourselves and react in time. We understood the needs that already existed and, under pressure, solidarity emerged.
The big lesson is that we can be a nation of solidarity. Time will tell us whether we have learned our duty to always be alert about social inequalities and the country's structural problems, so that this flame can be perpetuated without needing an emergency to be lit. We are aware that we need to act and strengthen this new path of social articulation.
We also discover our power of engagement, with the understanding that strategic philanthropy — together with well-structured public policies and the mobilization of civil society — is a powerful tool for scaling solutions. An intelligent collective capable of finding alternatives that generate legacies for a society.
We create transformative intersectoral alliances, completing the philanthropic cycle, which combines the entrepreneur's experience, management tools and financial resources with knowledge of the needs of those at the base, experiencing the challenges.
The solution is collective because the problems are complex and involve everyone. That was the great teaching: we are interdependent. If my neighbor gets sick, my risk is greater; If I take care of myself, I take care of those around me. The virus showed us that there are no barriers between countries, that the rich and the poor can be affected, that the medicine can come from the other side of the planet. The good of all depends on each one.
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, Movimento Bem Maior, the Institute for the Development of Social Investment (Idis) and BSocial established the Covid-19 Emergency Health Fund. With the support of more than 10 thousand donors, he made it possible to donate R$40 million to 60 institutions in 25 states, thus proving that it is possible to join efforts between the public and private sectors with a common objective. We follow our purpose of delving deeper into structural demands to reinforce the social base.
The crisis reinforced the importance of coordinated collective intelligence and collaborative networks. The legacy is actions to meet health needs, unemployment and hunger. Initiatives like UniãoBR were an example of this. The organization brings together volunteers from all over Brazil working with a league of state unions. With the aim of supporting communities most vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic, União BR has already raised more than R$140 million — and remains open to everyone who wants to help, donate and collaborate.
The emergency will pass, but the urgency remains. Let's exchange the question in the title of this article with the reflection that Martin Luther King left us: “The most urgent and recurring question in life is: 'What are you doing for others?'.”
Carola Matarazzo is executive director of Movimento Bem Maior
This article was originally published on the IstoÉ Dinheiro magazine
