We should never study alone, for there is the risk to be too sure of our thoughts. “Fellow” it is not a just a word which reminds us of scholarships, but also of a sense of community, of a feeling of belonging. The experience to be part of the first class of the Néstor Kirchner Fellowship was a thrilling opportunity to research in an outstanding academic institution such as the New School University, and at the same time a chance to confirm a commitment to public engagement in the greatest task of my generation: the consolidation and enlargement of young Latin American democracies.
The cosmopolitan environment of the New School gave me the possibility to discuss my work on the Brazilian democracy and foreign policy with professors, students, diplomats, politicians, journalists and activists from several countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Iran, Latvia, Peru, South Africa, South Korea, United States and Uruguay. There is no university in Brazil with such a large international perspective. The diversity and critical opinions of the foreign colleagues was very important to me. Their fresh perspective on my subject was exciting and provocative and helped me reframe my research and review my positions.
“People are places”, once wrote the Moroccan sociologist Fatima Mernissi. The location of the New School also made a positive difference. New York City is a global focus point of several networks, which allowed me to conduct my research in several kinds of first-rate institutions: universities, international NGOs, newspapers, and the United Nations. If you are considering to apply to the fellowship, but afraid that two weeks is too little time to do research, relax: your will have a busy schedule, and the people which you will interview are just a few subway stops away from each other. New Yorkers (native or adoptive sons and daughters of the city) are open, critical, innovative, extremely polite, and supportive.
This diverse environment was crucial because the Néstor Kirchner Fellowship is not just an academic program. The fellows share an engagement in public policy, as government officials or activists in social movements and NGOs. It was extremely productive to meet others with a similar history, with careers in States, international organizations, civil society associations, private companies, or universities.
The Fellowship was created in a very special historical moment. Many countries of Latin America are now ruled by the generation who fought against the military or civilian dictatorships of the recent past. A combination of economic growth, political mobilization and social policies are reducing poverty in the region and starting the long process of the formation of middle class societies. Other global changes are occurring and the United States is facing a severe economic and political crisis, which may lead to different relations with Latin America in an increasing multipolar world. Both societies need to think about their mutual images, expectations, fears and hopes – and how they work together to achieve development and democracy, without the terrible mistakes of their troubled history.
The Fellowship does not end with our return to our countries. The idea is to build a network of Latin American researchers and public policy activists, committed to an agenda of social change in the region, who will remain in touch, developing projects and supporting our mutual work. The new tools of communication through the Internet allows us several opportunities to continue our dialogue, and the potential impact is huge, as other Fellows join the pgrogram the program.
