Mechanisms of Representation and Coordination of the Brazilian AIDS Responses: A Perspective from Civil Society

Abstract

This chapter presents some principles and mechanisms of representation and coordination that have shaped the Brazilian response to HIV/AIDS. It takes the perspective of civil society, since the authors have worked primarily in this context. We argue that the responses to the epidemic in Brazil parallel the construction of democracy in the country in the last 25 years (see also Chapter 13). Some particularities of the Brazilian response will be noted — not to say that they can be supplanted in other countries but that they can serve as reference for other young systems of democracy in developing countries. The chapter first describes briefly the context in which the responses to HIV/AIDS developed. The argument is structured according to how democratic principles have been framed as a result of history, how they have been actively constructed by legal frameworks and governmental agencies, and, most importantly, we focus on how democratic principles emerged from activists and civil society. We explore the ways in which these principles influence the structure, policy, and base-level practices of the current Brazilian public health system — with an eye on these principles’ impacts the elaboration of concepts that drive actions from civil society organizations and mobilize social movements working with HIV/AIDS.