An annual international event dedicated to the free circulation of ideas, knowledge and cultures, the "Night of Ideas" took place for the second consecutive year in Brazil, on 28 January 2021, from Brasilia, which had already hosted the first edition, as well as from Belém and Porto Alegre.

Entitled "Closer! "the Night of Ideas was an opportunity to get closer to local players (the Alliances françaises, in particular, who co-organized the events), but also to regional players (Uruguay, French Guyana). In the three cities, the theme "Closer! In the three cities, the theme "Closer!" was developed to address different aspects and to be as anchored as possible in the local contexts. 29 guests took part in 9 round tables (Secretary of State, poet, urban planner, musician, journalist, representatives of civil society and NGOs, chef, indigenous chef, geographer, economist, researcher, psychologist, health anthropologist, etc.).

Due to the health situation in Brazil, which made it impossible to welcome the public in person, this event was redesigned in a virtual format, with round tables in duplex accompanied by creative moments (concerts, exclusive documentaries, short films and micro-trotters). The three evenings were broadcasted on a platform created for the occasion, which will also broadcast the 2021 ideas debate program: http: //debatesideias.com.br.

  • In Belém, the event focused on "Amazonian Identities" from the triple prism of speech and culture, gastronomy and ecology. Each round-table discussion brought together two Brazilian guests from the State of Pará and one from Guyana.

  • In Porto Alegre, the sub-theme chosen was "Crossing the border: Brazil and Uruguay" and asked the question: how can culture, the digital world and health be factors in bringing people together? Each round-table discussion brought together two Brazilian guests from Porto Alegre and one guest from Montevideo, duplex from the French Embassy in Uruguay.

  • In Brasilia, the sub-theme chosen was "Thinking in proximity spaces". The aim was to reflect on the links of proximity within a recently built metropolis and the relationship between centre and periphery, based on demographic and urban planning issues in the context of the foundation and evolution of Brasilia from the "Pilot Plan", local and short-circuit economies, as well as migration and hospitality. Each round-table discussion brought into dialogue two to three Brazilian guests from Brasilia and one French-speaking guest.

 

Some of the major Brazilian figures in this edition were the indigenous philosopher Ailton Krenak, Secretaries of State (for culture in Belém, Ursula Vidal ; of Tourism in Brasilia, Vanessa Mendonça), Pedro Sangeon (illustrator), Leandro Folgar (president of the Ceibal plan for digital education in Uruguay), Rafael Prikladnicki (director of TecnoPuc), the indigenous chief Alessandra Munduruku, the indigenous artist Xadalú and the writers Edyr Augusto (Belém) and Fabián Severo (Montevideo). Among the French participants were the geographer Hervé Théry, the Guyanese writer Myrtô Ribal-Rilos, the artist JR, the linguist Christian Cécile and the journalist Mortaza Behboudi.

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Project leader: Vincent Zonca, National Attaché for books, debate and media libraries at the French Embassy in Brazil

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