Current Affairs Analysis

Polycrises, democracy, and disputes over the future

Abstract

The interview with sociologist and educator Eduardo Brasileiro analyzes the contemporary context through the notion of “polycrisis,” characterized by the interconnection of political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural crises. The author identifies, at the root of this scenario, the crisis of neoliberal and financialized capitalism, associated with the precarization of life, rising inequalities, and the erosion of democratic institutions. It also highlights a crisis of meaning and of the future, marked by social fragmentation, disinformation, and difficulties in constructing shared horizons, especially among youth.

At the international level, the interview points to a transition from a global order hegemonized by the United States to a multipolar scenario, with the strengthening of actors such as China, the BRICS, and countries of the Global South. This process intensifies geopolitical disputes while also revealing the limitations of multilateral institutions. The rise of far-right sectors and the role of Big Techs are analyzed as factors that impact democracy, whether through polarization, disinformation, or the algorithmic capture of public debate.

The reflection also addresses the notion of “ecosocial dystopia,” which highlights the unsustainability of the current development model in the face of the climate crisis and socio-environmental inequalities. In this context, alternatives such as the popular and solidarity economy, buen vivir, and ecosocial justice are presented. In the Brazilian context, the third Lula administration is understood as a period of institutional reconstruction, albeit marked by structural limitations and political challenges.

Finally, the interview emphasizes the role of the Catholic Church in public life, particularly in promoting social justice, with an emphasis on housing as a fundamental right, and proposes key elements for a new democratic and popular cycle, based on citizen participation, an economy at the service of life, sustainability, and critical political education.