São Paulo – In September, a new stage will begin in a Brazilian project to provide training on jewellery production to Algerians. The Brazilian Association of Small and Medium Gems, Jewels, Similar Products and Miners (Abragem) carried out the initial stage of a training program late last year and will proceed with the initiative within two months.
The second stage will focus on jewel cutting.

The first part of the course was an overview of gemmology, taught by one of Brazil’s foremost specialists in the field, Pérsio de Moraes Branco. The program’s launch was attended by Algerian ministers, according to Abragem chairman Harilton Carlos de Vasconcelos Sobrinho, who travelled alongside Branco. The course was attended by 20 students from across Algeria.

The students included people who work with jewellery, especially corals, and artisans specializing in leather and metal-based handicraft. According to Branco, they are new to precious stones and the students’ knowledge level was widely varied. “One of them was a teacher with several books on gold jewellery published, and others had plenty of hands-on experience. This experience, however, was largely limited to metals, some of them with corals,” says Branco.

The same group will attend the new training stage. This time, the teachers will be four Abragem-affiliated. The goal is to have the Algerian professionals pass on the knowledge at a designated school yet to be built in Algeria. The training, both last year and this year, takes place at a facility made available by the Regional Organisation for Geology and Mines (ORGN), in Tamanrasset, in southern Algeria.

The next stage will last three months. According to Vasconcelos, the subjects will include facet-cutting, aka mechanical cutting, and artisanal cutting. The students will be divided into two groups that will sit classes on each of the fields.

 The project is a cooperation between the Brazilian and Algerian governments. The Brazilian part is carried out by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) and handled by Abragem. In Algeria, the project has been entrusted to the Ministry of Handicraft and operated by the Tamanrasset Handicraft Chamber. The second stage was scheduled to begin in February, but was postponed due to operational issues. The only pending detail for the next phase, due in September, is translation, according to Vasconcelos.

The project aims at professionalization and is designed to allow Algeria to fulfil its potential, inaugurating a new productive sector. “Algeria boasts a long-standing tradition in jewel making using metal and other materials, but precious stones are not widespread. In the country, there are mineral resources that can be used in jewellery, although they are mostly non-transparent minerals, and this is one of the Algerian government’s goals in carrying out the project with Brazil,” says Branco.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum

São Paulo – Ten Arab importers are engaging in matchmaking with Brazilian pharmaceutical and pharma-chemical companies on August 5th and 6th, at the CPhI South America fair in São Paulo. The meetings are being organized by the Brazilian Pharma-Chemical and Pharmaceutical Inputs Industry Association (Abiquifi) and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

Abiquifi International Projects manager Natalia Porto explains that Arab companies do not come to Brazil looking to purchase specific types of products, but to engage in broader negotiation.

“Brazilian industries offer rather vast portfolios. The goal [of the matchmaking] is to bring Arabs and Brazilians together so they may weigh the business opportunities. We are focusing on potential exports, joint venture formation, licensing for overseas manufacturing, and the internationalization of Brazilian enterprises,” she said.

In order to participate in the matchmaking, Brazilian companies must be affiliated with the Brazilian Pharma Solutions project, sponsored by Abiquifi and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil). Affiliation is cost-free and so is the matchmaking.

Abiquifi is expecting 10 to 15 Brazilian companies at the meetings with the Arabs. Registration is still open and will remain so until July 31st.

The Arab companies attending the matchmaking are Tabuk (Saudi Arabia), Bajafar Medical (Sudan), Reopharm (Jordan), Ibn Hayyan&Mohdar (Yemen), Pharmacare (Palestine), Al Taqaddom Pharmaceutical Industries (Jordan), Al Multaqa Drugs & Pharmaceutical (United Arab Emirates), Unipharma (Iraq), Biopharm and SigmaTec Pharma (Egypt).

Every year, Abiquifi holds matchmaking events during the CPhI South America, featuring importers from one single country or region. In 2014, the matchmaking will involve buyers from the Middle East and North Africa exclusively. In 2013, the guest country was Russia.

“The Arab market is a large one, and some of the countries are on our target list, such as Saudi Arabia and the Emirates,” the executive says on explaining the choice of the region. She also says she received requests from Brazilian companies, which are very much interested in the Arab countries, but find it difficult to break into the region’s markets. “Our main goal is to enter the markets,” says Porto, adding that the participating Arab companies are medium and large-sized.
She notes that some Arab countries are exportation hubs, therefore other markets can be reached through them.

As a preparation for the matchmaking, on July 30th, a workshop will be held on Cultural Aspects and Negotiation with Arab Countries. The event, at the Arab Chamber headquarters, will focus on business techniques with Arab businessmen, and an overview of the region’s pharmaceutical industry. The seminar is open to all interested companies.

According to figures compiled by the Arab Chamber, in 2013, Arab countries imported US$ 17 billion worth of pharmaceutical products. Imports from Brazil, however, amounted to only US$ 11.57 million. The leading pharmaceutical product suppliers to Arab countries are Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and England.

Service

Matchmaking at CPhI South America
Expo Center Norte
José Bernardo Pinto Street, 333 Vila Guilherme – São Paulo
August 5th and 6th
To register, send an email to atendimento_psi@abiquifi.org.br

Workshop on Cultural Aspects and Negotiation with Arab Countries
July 30th at 9:30 pm
Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce headquarters
Paulista Avenue, 326, 11th floor – São Paulo
For additional information call (+55 11) 3147-4092 or send an email to tmachado@ccab.org.br

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum

São Paulo – Five Arab nations are in the list of countries with very high Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Programme (Undp). In the list of 49 countries which comprise the ranking, Qatar is the 31st and the first among Arabs. Also listed are Saudi Arabia, at 34th, the Emirates, at 40th, Bahrain, at 44th, and Kuwait, at the 46th position. Norway, Australia and Swiss are at the top of the list, in ascending order.

The HDI shows quality of life and economic development of a country, evaluating areas such as health, education and income. The index ranges from zero to one. The closer to one, the better qualified is the country. Norway, the first in the ranking of the study disclosed this Thursday (24th), which concerns last year, had a 0.944 HDI. Qatar has 0.851, Saudi Arabia 0.836, Emirates 0.827, Bahrain 0.815 and Kuwait 0.814.

The United Nations classify the countries in four levels of HDI: very high, high, medium and low. Brazil is part of the group of nations with high level, at 0.744. It is placed 79th in the general ranking. Among the Arabs, high HDI nations include Libya, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan and Algeria. Out of those, only Algeria is behind Brazil, at the 93rd position, with 0.717.

Arabs classified with medium human development are Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Morocco. The list of countries with low HDI includes the Arabs Yemen, Comoro Islands, Mauritania, Sudan and Djibouti. Two of the Arab nations, Tunisia and Somalia, are not classified. The average score of very high HDI nations is 0.890, while high HDI average is 0.735. Medium indexes are 0.614 and low are 0.493.The Arab nation’s average HDI is 0.682.

In the Arab World, Comoro Islands moved down one position in the ranking in relation to 2012’s survey, Egypt dropped two positions, Kuwait has also dropped two positions, Libya moved down five, Mauritania moved down two and Syria moved down four positions. Morocco was the only country which moved up, two positions. The other nations remained in the same position in the ranking.

The report points out that most countries improved their human development in relation to the situation they were in 1990. In this group there are over 40 developing countries, which accommodate most of the world population. The Undp stresses, though, that the growth rate of the HDI slowed down in all groups: very high, high, medium and low.

According to the Undp, 2.2 million people are in poor or almost poor condition. Around 842 million people, or 12% of the population, are chronically hungry. And almost half of the workers in the world, over 1.5 billion people have informal or unstable employment. The report stressed that the gains, in health and nutrition areas, may be quickly reverted by natural disasters or economic recessions.

*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça

São Paulo – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised down its world economic growth forecast by 0.3% for this year. As per an update of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, the global economy is expected to grow by 3.4%. According to the IMF, the revision stems from subpar performance in Q1 this year, especially in the United States, and from less optimistic expectations for several emerging countries, Brazil included.

For 2015, the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast has been kept at 4%.

According to the document, international economic activity has slowed down more than expected, from 3.75% in Q1 2013 to 2.75% in the same period of 2014. The increase was 0.5% lower than previously estimated by the Fund.

The IMF reports that inventory overhang in the United States in late 2013 exceeded expectations, since demand declined due to a harsh winter, exports dropped significantly in Q1 this year from Q4 2013, and production decreased.

In China, domestic demand also slowed down more than expected, due to local government intervention to reign in credit expansion and “correct” real estate activity. In Russia, demand dropped as a consequence of “geopolitical tensions,” particularly the crisis with Ukraine, and affected growth significantly.

In other emerging countries, according to the IMF, economic growth was lower than expected as a result of lower external demand, mostly from the United States and China, and in many cases due to weakening domestic consumption and investment.

According to the Fund, however, international financial conditions have eased since April, when the first version of the WEO report was released. Long term interest rates in developed countries have dropped even further, price volatility expectations have diminished and equity prices have strengthened.

This scenario led to a recovery of capital flows to emerging markets, whose bond spreads also declined, and exchange rates and equity prices have stabilized or even strengthened in some of these economies.

Therefore, the IMF believes that performance improved in Q2 from Q1 2014. “This is consistent with the view that the unexpected weakness in the first quarter was in large part temporary,” according to the update.

However, some of these “weaknesses” are likely to persist, hence the downward revision of global growth projections for 2014.

Brazil and the Arabs

Also regarding emerging economies, the IMF expects 4.6% growth this year, down 0.2% from the April forecast, and 5.2% in 2015, down 0.1%.

In Brazil, the Fund believes tighter financial conditions and continued weakness in business and consumer confidence are holding back investment and dampening consumption growth.

The revised Brazilian economic growth forecast is 1.3% for 2014, down 0.6% from April, and 2% for 2015, also down 0.6%. This week, the Brazilian government itself has revised down its GDP growth estimate for this year from 2.5% to 1.8%.

For the Middle East and North Africa, plus Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Fund forecasts 3.1% growth this year, down 0.2% from April, and 4.8% in 2015, up 2%. This bloc comprises the Arab countries.

Concerning the Middle East, the Fund warns of issues affecting the region that may negatively influence the world economy as a whole. “Geopolitical risks have risen relative to April: risks of an oil price spike are higher due to recent developments in the Middle East while those related to Ukraine are still present.”

Since the original report was released in April, violence has escalated in Libya and Iraq, in addition to Israel’s attack on Gaza that has caused over 700 casualties. It is worth noting that the former two countries are major oil producers and exporters.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum

Brasília – Brazil’s placement on the global human development ranking improved in 2013. According to information released this Thursday (24th) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the country ranked 79th in the Human Development Index (HDI) last year, up one position from 2012. Despite the improvement, Brazil remains below other Latin American countries like Chile, Argentina, Cuba and Uruguay.

Brazil’s HDI score, 0.744, is the same as Georgia’s (a republic in the Caucasus region) and Granada’s (in the Caribbean). As per the United Nations’ methodology, Brazil boasts a high level of human development, since its score is higher than 0.7. The HDI ranges from 0 to 1, the latter being equivalent to the highest possible development level. In 2013, the indicator covered 187 countries.

Norway had the highest HDI score last year, at 0.944, followed by Australia (0.933), Switzerland (0.917) and Holland (0.915). In Latin America, the best ranked countries were Chile (41st with a 0.822 score), Cuba (44th with 0.815) and Argentina (49th with 0.808), considered as having very high human development levels, with scores above 0.8.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, Uruguay (50th in the ranking with a 0.790 score), Barbados (59th with 0.776), Antigua and Barbuda (61stwith 0.774), Trinidad and Tobago (64th with 0.766), Panama (65th with 0.765), Venezuela (67th with 0.764), Costa Rica (68th with 0.763), Mexico (71st with 0.756) and Saint Christopher and Nevis (73rd with 0.750) also had higher HDI scores than Brazil.

Among the Brics, the group composed of the world’s five leading emerging economies, Brazil had the second highest HDI, the first being Russia (57th with 0.778). China placed 91st with a 0.719 grade. South Africa ranked 118th (0.658); and India ranked 135th (0.586).

Despite the improvement from 2012 to 2013, Brazil has lost four positions since 2008, when it ranked 75th. However, according to the UNDP, Brazil’s actual HDI has improved throughout these years. Still, four countries – Iran, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka and Turkey – had higher rates of improvement in HDI during the period, hence the positions lost.

Established in 1980, the HDI ranking measures human development based on three components: life expectancy, education and income. In 2013 in Brazil, life expectancy averaged at 73.9 years, years of schooling averaged at 7.2 years, expected years of schooling averaged at 15.2 (for children currently entering school), and gross national income per capita was US$ 14.275, purchasing power- adjusted.

Brazil’s HDI was up 36.4% in 2013 from 1980. In 1980, life expectancy was 62.7 years, mean years of schooling was 2.6, expected years of schooling was 9.9 and gross national income per capita was US$ 9,154. “Brazil is one of the countries whose human development has improved the most over the past 30 years,” said the UNDP resident representative in Brazil, Jorge Chediek. He noted that the changes are structural and took place during all administrations.

Due to changes in methodology, HDI record-keeping has been revised. As per the former criteria, Brazil had placed 85th in 2012. Based on the new calculations, the country ranked 80th.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum

São Paulo – The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has opened registration for companies interested in exhibiting at the Big 5, a construction fair due from November 17th to 20th in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The participation is promoted by the Arab Chamber alongside the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and companies may register until the end of August.

This Tuesday (22nd), the Arab Chamber’s CEO, Michel Alaby, presented the fair and its opportunities to housing and building industry delegates attending a meeting the with Apex, in São Paulo, to outline promotional actions for the industry. Attendees were thrilled with the location of the Brazilian stand in this edition of the Big 5, as the stand will be near the main entrance in the area of ornamental stones and rocks.

“It is a privileged location,” Alaby told representatives of organizations such as Anfacer, of ceramics and ceramic tiles, Abimovel, of the real estate sector, Abilux, which is comprised of lighting industry companies, Asbea, of architecture firms, National Plastics Institute and other organizations. Overall, around 20 people attended the meeting.

The Brazilian space can fit ten stands and seven are already sold. There are still three places/slots/openings, each with nine square meters. Prices to occupy a stand are US$ 3,320 (or R$ 7,400) for members of the Arab Chamber and US$ 4,742 (or R$ 10,571) for non-members. The value concerns only the participation in the fair and does not include travel and accommodation expenses.

The Big 5 is held in Dubai, but is a landmark for the entire region, and besides attracting importers from the Gulf Cooperation Council itself, it is attended by buyers from other parts of the world, such as Europe and the United States. Last year, Gulf countries imported US$ 20.4 billion in construction materials. Saudi Arabia alone, one of the main markets in the region, has US$ 1 trillion in ongoing or planned construction projects. The Emirates have US$ 727 billion.

Saudi Arabia is the main target of Brazilian construction material exports to the Gulf, according to Alaby, accounting for 23.3% of the total, followed by the Emirates. Last year, Arab countries imported US$ 3.7 billion worth of ornamental stones alone, and Brazil’s Big 5 stand will be located exactly in the ornamental stone area. The main suppliers to the Arabs in this segment are the Chinese, followed by the Italians and the Turkish.

Arab Chamber marketing analyst Daniela Yuri Tiba and Apex-Brasil project manager Rafael Gratão have also attended the meeting this Tuesday.

Service:
Big 5 fair
November 17th to 20th, 2014
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Registration is open until the end of August at http://www.apexbrasil.com.br/inscricoes/big5/02/index.htm (in Portuguese)
For further information contact Apex-Brasil by phone (+5561) 3426-0202 or email apexbrasil@apexbrasil.com.br, or the Arab Chamber Commercial Department at
(+5511) 3147-4066 or members@ccab.org.br
Big 5 website: www.thebig5.ae (in English)

*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça

São Paulo – The Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and the Institute of Arab Culture (Icarabe) are establishing this week the Edward Said Chair of Post-Colonial Studies of the Unifesp. The launching ceremony will be on Tuesday (22nd) and Wednesday (23rd).

 “The chair is a way to gather people from different disciplines to study the topic,” explains Soraya Smaili, dean of Unifesp. According to her, the post-colonialism studies involve many disciplines and the chair, associated to the university, will involve professors, researchers and students from different courses in the post-graduate program of the university.

According to the dean, the theme of the chair is closely linked to the work done by Edward Said. The Palestinian intellectual, says Smaili, was also known as “king of post-colonialism.” Said died in September 2003. “He described exile and alterity,” points out the professor. She explains that gender issues, such as the ones involving women’s role and its anthropologic context are influenced by post-colonialism, as are the issues related to displacement and refugees.

The chair will initially involve the delivery of seminars and later on, research projects, courses and a specialization program. From the start, the chair will involve professor from different areas of Unifesp, such as Philosophy, History, Art History, Social Sciences, Political Science, Foreign Affairs, Economy, Social Service and Languages.

Smaili also highlights that the chair’s studies will include the history of the Arab world. “The Arab world is a product of post-colonialism,” she points out. According to the dean, the participation of the Icarabe will enable the Unifesp’s chair studies to be taken closer to society. The launching event is also part of the 10-year anniversary celebration of Icarabe.

Launching

The launching of the Edward Said Chair will start on Tuesday (22nd) with the screening of the movie Knowledge is the Beginning, which tells the story of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, created by Said in a partnership with Argentinian Jewish musician Daniel Baremboim. After the screening, there will be a roundtable with the participation of Mariam Said, the Palestinian intellectual’s widow.

“She will speak about Said’s life and the steps which were important in the creation of the orchestra. Afterwards, we will sign the decree for the launching of the chair and she will receive homage,” reveals Smaili. The dean also says that Mariam will follow  up on the workings of the chair, and, in the future, there are plans to bring the orchestra to perform in Brazil.

The second day of the launching will be Wednesday. One of the highlights is the lecture of Argentinian professor Saad Chedid, director of the Palestinian Studies Chair at the University of Buenos Aires.

Smaili also reveals that she plans to expand the operations of the chair. “The idea is that, in a second phase, we will be able to invite researchers from other universities,” she adds.

Service
Launching of the Edward Said Chair of Post-Colonial Studies

July 22nd
Edward Said: A contemporary author
2pm – Screening of the film “Knowledge is the Beginning”
4pm – Solo of Arab music presentation and homage to Edward Said and his multicultural legacy
4.45pm – Table 1: Edward Said : legacy of a contemporary author
Lecturer: Mariam Said – President of the Barenboim-Said Foundation
Debater : Milton Hatoum
Mediator: Francisco Miraglia
Place: Amphitheater – Rectory Building – Rua Sena Madureira, 1500 – Ground floor

July 23rd
Edward Said: Post-colonial studies
4pm – Table 2: Post-colonial studies: a chair for the Brazilian University
Lecturer: Saad Chedid and José Arbex Jr.
Mediator: Geraldo Campos
Place: Amphitheater – Rectory Building – Rua Sena Madureira, 1500 – Ground floor

*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça