Brazil

Threats of ethnic violence spiralling out of control in many of the world's regions habe spawned a new recognition of the urgent need for authoritative and enforceable global standards in regulating situations of conflict. Because of the juxtaposition of extreme poverty with extreme wealth, the culture's association with machismo, and its troubled ethnic history, Brazil provides an interesting framework in which to consider the usefulness and limiations of international intervention. Brazil's endemic sexism and racial discrimination are still largely unacknowledged by its mainstream society, which is reluctant to implement equal opportunity policies. Yet, although Brazil's women's and black movements have been widely studied, union and political elites, which shape the country's attitudes and policies, have all but been ignored. This text examines the roots of the resistance to equal opportunity amongst these elites and provides a systematic analysis of the sources of conflict.