Chongqing- On October 25, the "Origins of Brazil" program, a collaboration between the Embassy of Brazil in China and UNESCO Beijing, was launched in Chongqing Renmin Primary School. This is the first stop of the program in Chinese elementary school, and it will be followed by a series of cultural classes to promote the dialogue between Brazil and China.

The Embassy of Brazil in China attaches great importance to the exchange of people with China. In 2019, the Embassy organized more than 200 Brazilian cultural events in more than 20 cities in China. However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the exchange of artists between Brazil and China was almost impossible in 2020. Therefore, the Embassy of Brazil in China began to reconsider how to promote bilateral exchanges, and the project "Origins of Brazil" was born.

"The project is divided into four parts: a curriculum, a design competition, a publication, and a painting competition.

In the first phase, the Embassy of Brazil in China collaborated with Tsinghua University, launched a design competition seeking inspirational illustrations with Chinese characteristics that could be used in children's books. In the second phase, the winning designs from the competition have been incorporated into a children's book, which is expected to be published in January 2022. "The third phase of the project begins with a cultural class in elementary school in China, starting with the Chongqing Renmin Primary School," said Larissa Costa, head of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Brazil in China.

"Brazil and China, in terms of politics, economy, and trade, have deep exchanges. While in terms of culture, we want to reach out to the children and let them know more interesting information about Brazil." Larissa Costa said that the Brazilian cultural classes are the most important part of the "Origins of Brazil" project. The Embassy of Brazil in China will organize and conduct a series of cultural classes introducing the history and geography of Brazil in elementary schools in China.

Each school that hosts a cultural class will be able to participate in the fourth phase of "Origins of Brazil," where students are encouraged to submit paintings about Brazil to the Embassy of Brazil in China. The paintings will then be posted on the Embassy's social networks, and the Embassy will award prizes to the winners of the paintings with the highest ratings.

Liu Yonghong, Vice Principal of Chongqing Renmin Primary School, said that he expected all kinds of excellent works and expected a tremendous collision of cultures. It is believed that the activities will not only promote Chinese children's understanding of Brazilian history, geography and culture, but also, and more importantly, plant the seeds of Sino-Brazilian friendship in the children's hearts, build a bridge of communication between China and Brazil, and transmit the cultural values of mutual respect and harmonious coexistence.