SAP PAILO – Instituto Reclame Aqui, a Brazilian online platform that monitors the reputation of companies and brands, is now expanding its business to monitor politicians. This program aims to empower Brazilian voters to make more informed decisions, thus improving Brazil’s problematic political context and assuaging the country’s inherent issue of political corruption.
Titled Colors of Corruption, the program combines technology with academia to feed an online database with well-versed, sensitive information around politicians’ involvement in specific public and private legal issues. Never before has this sort of information been available to Brazilian citizens in one place given the complexity of Brazil’s legal courts system which includes the Superior Court of Justice, Supreme Federal Court, Regional Federal Courts, and more.
Through a Chrome plug-in that is compatible with every website and social media network, the program transforms any Brazilian internet user’s navigator into a revelation tool. By simply floating a computer mouse over a politician’s name in any news article, Tweet, Facebook post or other written content, internet users can tell whether or not a politician is corrupt. If so, the politician’s name is highlighted in purple and his/her legal background pops up on the screen. Color of Corruption facilitates the public’s access to information by shining a light—or giving color—to corruption and illegal activities of non-compliance to the law by political officials.
Targeting the 2018 Elections
Only 24% of Brazilians trust their government and the majority of citizens are fearful of the future of the country due to its political corruption (Edelman Trust Barometer 2017). This notion and the approaching 2018 Elections—which will elect a new president, senators, federal and state deputies, governors and vice governors—is the ideal moment-in-time for Color of Corruption to become an ally to the Brazilian people. The program’s monitoring tools, information and equality in accessibility for all citizens allows voters to make more informed decisions in planning their future voting tendencies.
As it stands, Color of Corruption’s online database monitors 594 high level politicians within the Federal Legislature, including all senators and federal deputies. As time progresses, new names and categories of politicians will be included with a goal of monitoring 100% of all federal and state departments in Brazil’s Legislature by the 2018 election, totaling 1,708 elected officials.
Partnering with Academia and Civil Society
In support of the program, one of Brazil’s most top-tier academic institutions—Catholic Pontificia University of Paraná (PUCPR)—signed on asColor of Corruption’s main research partner to inform the database and provide proof points behind each politician’s legal background. Earlier this month, nearly 250 students attended PUCPR’s first lecture on the logic behind and mission of the new program. Participation in the program is voluntary and will become an extension of the graduation courses offered by the institution, granting course credit.
By bringing in academia and partnering with PUCPR, Color of Corruption is able to monitor a wider array and larger number of politicians, thus facilitating the program’s goal to monitor 100% of the country’s 70,430 political officials by 2020.
“This project not only educates Brazilian college students, but also promotes the practice of citizenship,” said Waldemiro Gremski, Dean at PUCPR. “Political awareness is a very important step for these young people to truly see themselves as citizens and to understand the impact of their social choices.”
“We’ve joined efforts over a common interest: to help the Brazilian population conscientiously vote and fight against government corruption,” said Maurício Vargas, founder of Reclame Aqui Institute and Color of Corruption. “This program is motivated by a feeling of indignation, filling a void to offer information and transparency to the people. Today, Brazilians need to be more informed, aware and vocal than ever before. We must take action and put the future of our country in our own hands ahead of the 2018 elections.”
The initiative was created by Grey Brasil for Reclame Aqui.
