BPC PUBLICATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OXFAM RANKED AMONG THE 10 BEST POLICY STUDIES PRODUCED IN 2015
The book “Right to the City for a safe and just world: The case of the BRICS” has been named the 9th Best Policy Study-Report produced by a think tank in 2015 by the report “Global Go To Think Tank Index Report” from the University of Pennsylvania (USA). The publication was organized by Sergio Veloso, Professor at IRI/PUC-Rio and researcher at the BRICS Policy Center, and is the outcome of a partnership between BPC/OXFAM, established since 2013. According to Sergio Veloso, “The most challenging and global problem we face in today’s world is inequality in all its forms, manifesting increasingly in urban environments. Thus, the BRICS Policy Center, in partnership with Oxfam, edited this study to draw attention to the need to ensure that cities become spaces of rights and active citizenship exercise. It seems to be the main way to tackle inequality on a global scale “. According to Katia Maia, Executive Director of OXFAM Brazil, “We live today the radicality of the challenges imposed by segregation and inequality in large cities of Brazil and other emerging countries. It is no longer possible to live with an urban paradigm centered on the privilege of the few. To face this enormous challenge we need, first of all, to know it in all its complexity. And it is precisely in this aspect that the BRICS Policy Center shows its competence. Only with excellent research papers – rightly awarded – we have elements to build actions and policies to face the injustices generated by inequality.”
The policy study is organized around six chapters, five of which feature case studies on rights to the city in BRICS-cities written by researchers, academics and representatives of organized civil society: Rio de Janeiro (Aércio de Oliveira, coordinator of FASE-Rio), Moscow (Alvaro Artigas, Sciences-Po Paris), Mumbai (Sudha Mohan, University of Mumbai), Chongqing and Ordos (Sérgio Veloso and Pedro Maia, BPC/IRI/PUC-Rio) and Tshwane (Geci Sebina, South African Cities Networks). In addition to these case studies, the publication has a theoretical chapter in which the economist Rasigan Maharajh, Professor at University of Pretoria, South Africa, analyzes the concept of the right to the city through a critical discussion of the challenges for development in 21st century.
In 2014, BPC had already excelled in this same category with the Policy Brief “Brazil and South-South Cooperation: How to Respond to Current Challenges”, being placed in the 39th position. In 2015, BPC has also been ranked in other 12 categories. The report evaluated more than 6.500 think tanks worldwide and for the third consecutive year, the BRICS Policy Center has been placed among the top 10 “Best University Affiliated Think Tank” and “Best Transdisciplinary Research Program at the Think Tank.” Finally, for the first time, BPC was rated as one of the best Think Tanks in Central and South America.
The BRICS Policy Center also ranks:
Top Think Tanks in South America, Central America and the Caribbean – 30º
Top Domestic Economic Policy Think Tanks – 86º
Top Science and Technology Think Tanks – 59º
Top Social Policy Think Tanks – 62º
Best Advocacy Campaign – 74º
Best Managed Think Tanks – 21º
Best New Idea or Paradigm Developed by the Think Tank – 4º
Best Policy Study / Report Produced by the Think Tank 2015 – 9º
Best Think Tank Conference -10º
Best Think Tank Network – 10º
Best Transdisciplinary Research Program at a Think Tank – 6º
Best University Affiliated Think Tank – 9º
Best Use of Social Networks – 24º
*The mention of the BRICS Policy Center is on pages 57, 79, 99, 101, 106, 113, 115, 118, 120, 122, 125, 127 and 130 of the report, which can be accessed through the link: http://goo.gl/1KfhtK.