This proposal investigates the effects of changes in the trajectories of participatory institutions in Brazil, focusing on public policy councils linked to the protection of human rights. The research is based on the assumption that cycles of expansion and contraction of institutionalized participation, intensified after 2014, have directly affected the composition, representation, and disputes among political coalitions within and beyond these councils. Drawing on cases at the national, state, and municipal levels, the study seeks to understand who the actors occupying these spaces are, which interests and beliefs they represent, and how they articulate themselves into political coalitions. The theoretical perspective engages with the literature on institutionalized participation, associationalism, and public policy, incorporating the concept of advocacy coalitions as a tool to analyze processes of resilience and retrenchment. Methodologically, it combines documentary analysis, in-depth interviews, and the systematization of data within a historically comparative perspective.

Participants (Center)

NUPAD/UFES: Luciana Andressa Martins de Souza, Nathália Rodrigues, Karini Bergi, Paolo SIlva, Juliana Rosa e Luciana Menezes.

This project aims to analyze the institutional profile and the participatory and deliberative processes of municipal public policy councils from a comparative perspective in medium-sized cities of Brazil’s Northeast, with emphasis on the dimensions of democratic innovation (normative structure, selection method, modes of participation, decision-making mechanisms, and degree of influence on local public policies). Its specific objectives are: (a) to characterize the institutional structure of the selected municipal public policy councils, considering their legal basis, composition, available resources, agendas, and internal functioning; (b) to map the methods of selection and inclusion of council members, with attention to affirmative action measures and criteria of social and territorial representativeness; (c) to describe the modes of participation of council members and other actors involved; (d) to identify the decision-making mechanisms adopted by the councils, distinguishing between consultation, voting, negotiation, or shared deliberation between civil society and government; (e) to assess the degree of influence and effectiveness of council decisions on the formulation and implementation of municipal public policies; and (f) to compare the results between the two municipalities, highlighting similarities, differences, and potential explanatory factors related to the political-institutional context.

Participants (Center)

LAPID/UFAL:  Leonardo Leal, Rachel Carvalho, Giovanna Carvalho Lira Matos, Maria Eduarda da Silva Augusto

This project analyzes the political advocacy strategies developed by the National Coordination for the Articulation of Black Rural Quilombola Communities (CONAQ) in the context of COP30. The study aims to examine the political mechanisms mobilized by the organization to negotiate its climate and territorial justice agenda with the Brazilian federal government, with emphasis on the elaboration of the Quilombola NDC, the building of cross-sector alliances, and the production of autonomous narratives. Methodologically, this is a qualitative instrumental case study that draws on document analysis and content analysis of audiovisual materials produced between October and November 2025, including the document “NDC of the Quilombos of Brazil” and public dissemination records. The results show that CONAQ articulated a decolonial mode of action by developing a specific NDC, translating the historical demand for land titling into measurable carbon targets, and by fostering alliances with Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. The organization also invested in training young leaders and producing its own narrators, positioning itself as a guardian of territories and a problem-solver in the climate crisis. It is concluded that CONAQ operates through a dual strategy of pressure and proposition, offering academic contributions by demonstrating how social movements re-signify global governance spaces, and social contributions by highlighting the viability of alternative development models grounded in Quilombola knowledge systems.

Participants (Center)

Democracy and Social Markers of Difference Research Center/UFPI: Olivia Perez, Árion Bartira

This project seeks to answer the following question: how can the state strengthen its political-relational capacities to build more effective public policies with greater social legitimacy? In a context of change and uncertainty regarding the direction of state–society relations, we propose a methodology that combines qualitative research with elements of action research, directly involving the actors who participate in these interactions in constructing the answers to our question. The project is organized around mapping innovative initiatives of interaction between the state and society, conducting semi-structured interviews with their main actors, and holding two workshops with social actors invited to share experiences and reflect on the challenges and obstacles encountered.

Participants (Center)

RESOCIE/UNB: Rebecca Neaera Abers, Debora Rezende de Almeida, Eduardo Georjão Fernandes, David Hamou, Marisa von Bülow, Pedro Burity, Natalia Assunção, Romi Marcia Benckie, Jhonatan Bento da Silva, Mariana de Souza Fonseca, Rafael de Toni, Laila Bellix

This project examines the relationship between social movements and political parties, exploring how this interaction can reinvigorate party structures and democratize political representation. Research question: What conditions enable socio-party activism and the democratization of representation? The interface between movements, parties, and elections has attracted growing attention, with scholars examining the fluidity of boundaries and the diverse consequences—both positive and negative—for parties and social movements alike. This study seeks to advance our understanding of how social movements and activists challenge party structures and political representation, drawing on a multidisciplinary theoretical framework and introducing two shifts in focus. First, rather than analyzing the interaction between specific movements and parties or examining how movements institutionalize themselves as parties (a common theme in the literature), I propose taking activists from diverse movements and parties as the unit of analysis. Second, while many studies focus on isolated moments—such as pre- and post-electoral periods or times of heightened contentious politics, for example protest cycles—this project adopts a more continuous approach. It follows activists through their interactions with parties during the electoral process and throughout their legislative terms. The project proposes a qualitative, multi-method research design based on a multiple case study strategy. Cases will be selected among legislative mandates at the three levels of the federation in which the officeholder emerges from social movements or other forms of sociopolitical activism. Key research techniques include document analysis from diverse sources to map candidate profiles, electoral strategies, and proposals aimed at democratizing representation. Semi-structured interviews with candidates, staffers, and party leaders will constitute a central source of data, complemented by content analysis to deepen the study.

Participants (Center)

Resocie/UnB: Debora Rezende de Almeida, Taianara Coelho.

The project aims to link actions that deepen our understanding of the connections between food and climate transitions, supporting strategies and policies that promote more sustainable, healthy, and equitable food systems, while also strengthening mechanisms to enhance resilience to climate change.

Participants (Center)

SOPAS/UFRGS: Maycon Noremberg Schubert (Coordinator); Marília Luz David (Vice Coordinator); Paulo Niederle; Vitória Giovana Duarte; Luíza Tavares; Júlia Menin; Ana Beatriz Lopes da Silva; Paula Mariani de Andrade; Liége Disconzi Rodrigues; Alanis Esber Reck; Alessandra Lamana Waschburger; Nadine Gerhardt Lermen; Thielle Vieira Pinho; Kamila Guimarães Schneider; Sávyo de Avila; Caetano Flores de Moura; Estela Vitório Pires; Eduarda Paz Trindade; Rubens de Oliveira dos Reis; Juliana de Macedo Garcia

Considering the numerous barriers to political participation faced by people with disabilities – such as architectural, attitudinal, communicational, technological, and procedural obstacles – this study examines how the electoral judiciary and political parties are working to promote electoral accessibility, both in terms of voting and candidacies among people with disabilities. The study looks at two main aspects: first, it analyzes the Electoral Accessibility Program; second, it examines whether inclusion committees for people with disabilities in political parties help increase the number of candidacies from this group.

Participants (Center)

NPMS/UFSC: Márcia Inês Schaefer

To deepen our understanding of the profile of the associativism involved with management councils, this study seeks to identify the characteristics of various types and subtypes of associations. It begins with a broad classification of associative types – Labor, Socio-Assistance, Territorial/Community, Business/Employer, Academic, Religious, Socio-Environmental, Social Movements, and Forums – and also aims to identify subtypes, like those that are simultaneously religious and entrepreneurial. This approach will expand our database on national social assistance and child and adolescent rights councils, as well as those in eleven state capitals (Lüchmann and Taborda, 2024). The study aims to include councils from other state capitals as well as small to medium-sized cities across different regions of Brazil. It also plans to expand the scope to include councils in other policy areas such as education, women’s issues, and the environment.

Participants (Center)

NPMS/UFSC: Lígia Helena Lüchmann, Márcia Inês Schaefer, Luana Taborda.

The study examines the effects of intense activist experiences on individual biographies. The central question of the study examines the relationships between political engagement and other areas of life, particularly focusing on family, emotional, and professional life. The study aims to explore the conditions that sustain activist trajectories over time – which may vary in intensity or experience interruptions – and the diverse impacts on the biographies of individuals who were deeply engaged during adolescence and later pursued different social and professional paths.

Participants (Center)

NPMS/UFSC: Ernesto Seidl (PIBIC Miguel Holtzel)

In Brazil, studies have shown that the institutionalization of policies largely driven by socio-state interactions has contributed to both the development of state capacities and the expansion of opportunities for action for the social actors involved in these processes. The analysis of public policies involving processes where the state and civil society mutually shape each other has allowed the literature to identify specific types of state capacities that may emerge from these interactions. Building on these insights, this research line aims to deepen our understanding of a still underexplored phenomenon that requires clearer conceptualization: the institutionalization of socio-state capacities and its impacts on policy formulation and stability.

Participants (Center)

NDAC/Cebrap: Adrian Gurza Lavalle, Monika Dowbor, Ana Claudia Cortez, Pedro Crepaldi Carlessi, José Szwako , Victoria Lustosa Braga