Brazil is the first country I have visited in South America. I was impressed with the progress and development taking place throughout the country. Our company visits gave us a unique opportunity, not normally available to tourists, to experience the people and culture.
Summary of the Brazil Experience
I am inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit throughout Brazil. Brazilians are a proud people and posses the infrastructure and knowledge necessary to expedite their development across all levels of society.
The fun activities in Brazil are endless; there is something for every one. The beaches were the best I have ever experienced; especially in Florianopolis. The views from the hiking trails in the mountains around Rio are breathtaking. The quality and variety of food made every meal an experience. I wish we had more time; I definitely plan on returning.
Brazil is a country of great disparity between the rich and poor. Everywhere we traveled these disparities were evident. I am grateful to Ms. Santos, the founder of Favela Receptiva http://www.favelareceptiva.com, for providing four of our group a personal tour of Vila Canoas and Vila da Pedra Bonita; two favelas (slums) located near Rio. Her efforts to improve the quality of life of the favela’s residents and promote development by offering opportunities for residents to host tourist are commendable. I was impressed with the amount of community reinvestment and the widespread use of ICTs throughout these communities. The poor in these communities have access to information and educational systems allowing them to improve their quality of life.As a result of my trip to Brazil, I plan to study the impact of ICTs on poverty in Brazil and throughout the world. I plan on researching how ICTs and globalization impact the economic development required that will result in individual opportunities for the world’s poor.
Name:
David Hopp
Current Location:
Chicago, IL
Current Field of Study:
M.S. in Information Systems
Current Area of Employment or Job Role:
Project Manager
Career Objectives:
Meaningful employment in the Information Technology field that makes a difference in people’s lives.
Benefit of the trip in relation to career objective
Broadened my exposure to potential outsourcing opportunities and business opportunities in Brazil.
What part of the framework did you study?
Networked Learning / Network Society
What was your role outside of the framework?
Content Review
Would you ever return to Brazil to work/study/live?
Definitely! Brazil is a fun place to visit and would be an interesting place to work.