The Norberto Odebrecht Foundation highlights its work for racial equity at an event in the Bahian capital

Paying homage to the abolitionist struggle and the religious plurality of the Bahian recôncavo, the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation (FNO) mediated the panel “Memories and Resistance: The Brotherhood of the Good Death”, at the official opening of Black Philanthropy Month 2024, in an event promoted by the Group of Institutes, Foundations and Companies (GIFE) at the Barroquinha Cultural Space in Salvador, this Thursday (8).

Mediated by Jonas Nogueira, FNO’s Sustainability coordinator, the panel welcomed Nilza Prado and Adaildes Ferreira Lemos, from the Brotherhood of the Good Death, an Afro-Catholic brotherhood and the first feminist and abolitionist institution in Brazil, known for its work in freeing slaves. Made up exclusively of black women, the sisterhood has been holding the traditional festival in honor of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Our Lady of the Good Death) in Cachoeira (BA) for over 200 years and is currently dedicated to promoting culture.

The institution actively participated in a meeting on black philanthropy organized by GIFE in Salvador

According to Jonas, the main objective of the panel was to highlight knowledge that is not included in the academic space, valuing popular knowledge that comes from the memories and lives of black people. “Private social investment needs to reflect on culture, a sector that generates work, income and nourishes subjectivities. The Brotherhood of the Good Death teaches us that the festival is also a political manifestation, an act of resistance that claims spaces historically denied to excluded minorities,” he says.

“Even before getting to know the concept of black philanthropy, the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation made this choice for its work by defining as its main target audience the young people of the rural area of the Southern Bahia Lowlands,” said Cristiane Nascimento, Sustainability and Partnerships Manager at the FNO, who also took part in the event by opening the workshop “Black philanthropy as an ancestral practice: translating black, indigenous and quilombola principles into institutional practices”, conducted by Mahin Consultoria. “We are grateful for the opportunity to take part in this meeting, which is so important for giving visibility to philanthropic initiatives aimed at transforming communities and groups in situations of vulnerability, especially black people,” he concluded.

The event

With the theme “Futures of Black Philanthropy – a tribute to Martin Luther King and Nêgo Bispo”, Black Philanthropy Month is taking place for the fourth consecutive year in Brazil, following the movement that began in the USA in 2011. Organized by GIFE, an institution created with the support of the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation and a national reference in philanthropy and Private Social Investment (PSI), the 2024 event was held for the first time in Salvador (BA).

Bringing together racial equity experts from all over the country, the meeting promoted reflections and practical proposals to strengthen black organizations and boost donation and community finance initiatives. “Black Philanthropy Month has gained proportions in Brazil that has a very big impact. With this movement, our ambition is to make the ISP’s institutes and foundations truly Brazilian; and for this to happen, it is necessary for the decision-making processes to be equitable, valuing our racial wealth,” said GIFE’s secretary-general, Cássio França, speaking at the opening of the event.