Brasília, 7/20/2004 (Agência Brasil) - On Monday president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva inaugurated a campaign with the theme, "The best thing Brazil has is Brazilians." The campagn is being sponsored by the Brazilian Advertisers Council (Associação Brasileira de Anunciantes) (ABA) with the idea of improving the population's self-esteem, which has been somewhat sluggish.

The ABA reports that a 2002 survey by the Small Business Administration (Serviço de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas) (Sebrae) found that the main problems Brazilians have are low self-esteem, coupled with a tendency to overvalue foreign-made goods.

The ABA also used data from a survey by Latino Barômetro, a Chilean public opinion institute, that found that Brazilians have the lowest self-esteem in Latin America, with only 22% of those interviewed saying they trusted their countrymen (in Uruguay, Colombia and Chile, the numbers were 64%, 55% and 52%, respectively).

In order to give Brazilian self-esteem a boost, the ABA is counting on an emotional publicity campaign showing people who overcame obstacles. They will be famous people and unknowns and their stories will appear on radio, TV, and in newspapers and magazines.

The campaign is to be entirely a public service operation based on voluntary efforts. Brazil's main media groups have already promised to cooperate. The ABA expects the private sector and government agencies to also join in extolling Brazilian talent, capabilities and accomplishments.

Repórter: Carolina Pimentel
Tradutor: Allen Bennett