The attacks on democracy, the recurrence of cases of violence, discrimination and intolerance seen on university campuses – and also in the country as a whole – led Unicamp to produce and publish a document entitled Letter of Principles, in which the University reiterates its vocation to the culture of academic and teaching freedom and its fight against violence and for diversity and inclusion.
In nine points, the signatories of the document establish guidelines for respect for life that they consider non-negotiable. (See the full Letter below). In the first two fundamentals, the University expresses its determination to combat discrimination and violence. “The State University of Campinas treats all people with respect, condemning any form of discrimination based on race, gender, belief, sexual orientation and people with disabilities”, expresses the first principle.
“The State University of Campinas cultivates dialogue between members of its community, not tolerating hostility, harassment, physical or psychological violence and verbal aggression as forms of dispute over ideas and values”, advocates the second principle.
The declaration reaffirms Unicamp's search for knowledge and its transmission and reiterates the institution's vocation for the culture of freedom and pluralism. The Charter says that the University guarantees equitable and tolerant treatment to the different segments that comprise it and that it expects all members of its community to respect these precepts.
For Unicamp, diversity is not only necessary for the development of society, but it also translates into a contribution to scientific knowledge. According to the Charter, inclusion and academic excellence are inseparable.
The document also highlights that the University defends good practices in carrying out teaching, research and extension activities and that it promotes knowledge with a view to the sustainable development of the country and the planet. Finally, “it rejects any and all authoritarian regression that threatens the construction of a democratic society”.
Dialogue and pluralism
For the rector of Unicamp, professor Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, the document represents the reaffirmation of the University's commitment to dialogue, pluralism and the debate of ideas. “The Charter affirms and reaffirms our commitment, as a community, to democratic values, inclusion, justice and sustainability. We express our condemnation of any type of prejudice and violence as a form of conflict resolution, with a commitment to valuing dialogue, pluralism and the debate of ideas”, said the rector.
“Diversity, inclusion, sustainability, social responsibility and excellence are an intrinsic part of our institution and contribute, in a decisive way, to our scientific production and to the training of people”, he added. Meirelles remembers that the University is part of a changing world and that it must be prepared for the challenges ahead. “We live in a university, a country, a world in transformation, challenged by climate change and the demands for justice, inclusion and deepening democracy”, he argued.
“We thus affirm and reaffirm our commitment to face these challenges within our institution and to contribute to facing them in our State, in our country and, perhaps, in the world”, he concluded.
Dimensions
For the Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Rachel Meneguello, with the exposition of these principles, the Rectory intends to address two dimensions of the same and worrying issue, democratic coexistence. “The first of these concerns the many situations that have occurred on campuses and in which there is a notable lack of concern with the basic references of dialogue, sociability and good coexistence between students, teachers and staff”, explains Meneguello, who is a professor head of the Department of Political Science at the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) and researcher at the Center for Public Opinion Studies (Cesop) at Unicamp.
“It is necessary to encourage and preserve the rules of good coexistence, typical of an academic institution in which respect for plurality and divergence is a central part of its functioning, a respect without which knowledge is not given value”, he assesses.
For Meneguello, the second dimension concerns the preservation of democratic society, an achievement that Unicamp seeks to strengthen. “We have witnessed in the country, in recent years, the melting of democratic values, respect for life, coexistence between people. And, going further, we have witnessed contempt for the institutions and rules pertinent to the functioning of democracy,” he argues.
“The University's concern is to recover the positive context of democratic life and to highlight the references that make it possible, thus consolidating valid guidelines for the entire community”, he concludes.
For the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Ivan Toro, “it is of fundamental importance” for the Unicamp community to know and be aware of these basic principles of coexistence, ethics and citizenship. “Themes such as democracy, sustainability, non-violence and inclusion should not only be part of teaching, research and extension, but of all our daily activities. Our practice of coexistence must always be strongly linked to the principles expressed here”, he states.
Current times
Professor Silvia Santiago, from the Executive Directorate of Human Rights (DEDH), recalled that the first two items of the letter deal with discrimination and violence, and this fact, according to her, reflects well the current times.
“This says a lot about the world we are living in”, he argues. “And precisely because of this arises the need for the University to search for its roots: its fundamental purposes, those that show what are the parameters that allow it to fulfill the missions that society has delegated to us, those of teaching, researching things that bring improvements for the population and provide quality services, with efficient extension work”, he said.
The professor draws attention to the increase in the number of cases of violence against women and cases of violence on the part of the state apparatus against citizens, such as the deaths that occurred at the end of July this year, in Guarujá (Baixada Santista), when at least 20 civilians were killed in Military Police operations. For the leader, this type of violence ends up contaminating the way ordinary people act. “These are exemplary issues of violence by the State and this concerns us greatly, because they can become a model of action to be followed by civil society”, she argues.
The professor says she does not have data to say whether or not there has been an increase in acts of discrimination or violence on the University campuses, but guarantees that, today, Unicamp is better prepared to face these issues. “Currently, we have more reporting channels,” she said.
Santiago considers it important to publish a document such as the Charter of Principles. “This is a very important document, because the University talks about itself. Don't point the finger. You don't want to impose anything. But it makes it clear that these are the University’s values”, he concludes.
Watch Rector Antonio Meirelles' speech: