BRICS 2014 Brasil – Fortaleza – Brazil
Heads of State (left to right) of Russia, India, Brazil, China, and South Africa
Photo Credit: Marcelo Camargo, Agência Brasil

The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is over. Brazil did not win the coveted cup. Their humiliating loss of seven to one goals in their semi-final match against Germany is a clear indication of the need for profound changes in Brazilian football. Changing heads will make no difference. As Otto Scharmer, a senior lecturer at MIT, said in his article on the Huffington Post Sports Blog, the Brazilian team needs to shift its focus to a shared awareness of the evolving whole. As Scharmer points out, it’s a challenge that we face in all sectors of society.

The day after watching the German team take away the World Cup, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff headed northeast to Fortaleza, Ceará, for the Sixth Summit of Heads of State of the BRICS group: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Since their inaugural summit in Russia on 16 June 2009, BRICS leaders have met annually to pursue their common goals for peace, security, development, and cooperation. Working within the framework of the United Nations, they continue to push for financial stability, sustainable growth, and quality jobs – globally and nationally. Continue reading →