Rousseff “humbly” encourages popular contributions

President Dilma Rousseff launched Tuesday (July 28) a website called Dialoga Brasil, an online platform where people can make suggestions for government programs, calling on Brazilians to get involved by sharing their comments and raising any issues. Rousseff said active popular participation is crucial and “humbly” called on the population to contribute, pointing out “the Internet should be used as a forum for debate and build consensus for change.”

“The government welcomes criticism, suggestions, and proposals on all issues. We will make every effort to ensure this process will open up new, better paths. Building consensus creates huge transformational power. That's what we owe our country,” the president said.

The site launch event, formatted to emulate a television program, featured ministers and civil society council members, and announced the basics of the first discussions on four themes: public security, healthcare, poverty reduction, and education.

The president on to note that dialogue was a commitment she undertook for her second term as president. “One lesson we've learned along the way is that a country as big as Brazil can be very difficult to govern if you don't listen to people. The key initiatives we've seen so far were nearly all born out of popular participation, dialogue, criticism, and insights on the country,” she said.

An innovative feature on Dialoga Brasil is that people can chat with ministers online. According to the president, the tool is a continuation of her policy of hearing and acting on suggestions, but now takes on a more organized format. “Criticism is interesting as we should all regard it with respect. We have to regard it considering history and the events leading up to it.”

*With additional reporting by Marcelo Brandão

Translated by Mayra Borges