About ANDI

Formally established in 1993 – although operating actively since 1990 – ANDI is a non-partisan not-for-profit civil society organization engaged in coordinating innovative initiatives in the field of media for development. Its strategies are founded on promoting and strengthening a professional and ethical dialogue among news rooms, university media departments and other major programs, government, and entities devoted to sustainable development and human rights at the national and global levels.

ANDI was founded in Brazil shortly before enactment of the new Federal Constitution (1988), through which individual liberties were restored and democratic process enshrined. Spurred by popular opinion, the article 227 of the new Constitution mandated that families, society, and the State give “absolute priority” to the rights of children and adolescents. Two years later, Brazil ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and approved the Child and Adolescent Bill of Rights (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente – ECA).

The insight and vision of two journalists – Âmbar de Barros and Gilberto Dimenstein –, combined with the knowledge and experience of collaborators in the fields of education, sociology, business, and international cooperation gave birth to the guiding mission of ANDI – News Agency for Children’s Rights.

Under the stewardship of Âmbar de Barros, ANDI turned its attention to two interrelated contexts: on the one hand, underprivileged children and adolescents subject to various forms of social disruption and, on the other hand, a news media insufficiently focused on this reality and incapable of building a culture of investigative journalism in which girls and boys could be incorporated in the public agenda and recognized as subjects of legal relations.

In time, ANDI became a key mediator between large media outlets and social movements devoted to advocating for the rights of the youngest population segments.

Following a review of the institution’s growing contributions to other fields, in 2011 ANDI redefined its underlying mission statement. Re-baptized ANDI – Communication and Rights, the institution’s mission is expanded to include the following three principal areas of activity: Children and Youth, Inclusion and Sustainability, and Media Policies.

One highlight of this period was the active role in the elaboration, debate, and consolidation of the norms of the Indicative Classification. Thus, ANDI begins to act more strongly in the field of public communication policies, with the perspective of providing inputs for the construction of democratic mechanisms that promote the harmonization of rights in the extensive and complex arena of mass communication.

In the Childhood and Youth axis, ANDI took over the Executive Secretary of the National Early Childhood Network (RNPI) in 2018, composed of more than 270 organizations from all regions of Brazil.

During the quadrennium (2018-2021), ANDI coordinated projects such as: Early Childhood is a Priority and the Child is a Priority in Elections Campaign. In addition, it conceived and promoted the launch of the Observa platform – Observatory of the Legal Framework for Early Childhood, and supported the reissue of the publications: “National Plan for Early Childhood”, and “Guide for the elaboration of Municipal Plans for Early Childhood.”

In 2022, ANDI participated in the creation of the Agenda 227 movement, which was born with the objective of putting children and adolescents at the center of the electoral debate that year, offering the presidential candidates, the press, and all society a diagnosis of the most urgent issues related to the rights of the population aged 0 to 18.

During that period, Agenda 227 produced the Country Plan for Childhood and Adolescence, with 137 proposals to take the policies for the care of children and adolescents in Brazil to another level.

In 2023-2024, the movement began to monitor and guarantee the rights of Brazilian children and adolescents, with actions of political advocacy, network communication, and social mobilization.

Agenda 227 is composed of more than 400 civil society organizations committed to the absolute priority guaranteed to the population from 0 to 18 years old by article 227 of the Federal Constitution. ANDI is part of the Coordination and Articulation Group of the movement, and together with the Alana Institute, it is responsible for the executive coordination.

Mission
To enhance communication as a tool to ensure rights and promote diversity and social inclusion to address structural inequalities.

Vision
To be an agent of change in favor of the construction and qualification of social and environmental protection policies through communication strategies.

ANDI works with strategies that integrate and feedback themselves. It aims at developing medium and long-range actions that allow for potential contribution of these different strategies – reason for the good results achieved in 15 years both in the childhood and adolescence area as well as other themes of the socioenvironmental agenda.  Actions based on only one or two of these strategies have revealed favorable results and are often used as a first step – acknowledgement of the field — towards evolution as far as the use of various possibilities and tools are concerned.

They are:

Mobilization
Monitoring
Qualification
Re-applicability

1. Mobilization

ANDI interacts with press offices and information sources on a daily basis in order to build its work agenda and in the dissemination of reference news. It acts not only provoking new agendas but also in help desk attendance to journalists and social organizations. These activities are based on the principle that the search for public quality information lies in the co-responsibility of reporters, editors and sources of information; and that good journalism dwells in the diversity of perspectives and opinions.

So, it is ANDI´s task to promote investigation opportunities, access to relevant information, awards and other forms of acknowledgement – to the best productions as well as to professionals who have a permanent dedication to the area – which is done with rigorous criteria and aware that it is key to stand out themes of public interest and professionals involved in their coverage.

2. Monitoring

ANDI´s investment in the development of observation methodologies, whether quantitative or qualitative for monitoring news contents is based on the principle that it is essential to give back to professionals and communication companies a critical, structured and constructive review about their editorial performance. This kind of diagnosis allows for correcting faults in the investigation process and bad habits of formation or professional practice. It is also an efficient way to make journalists aware of the possibility to access new knowledge and try different approaches on the issues being discussed.

Media analysis are made mostly taking into account daily newspapers and magazines but in special projects, radio news and television are monitored. This helps each means of communication to reflect upon its own work, comparing with the average media of the sector and even with one or more specific vehicles. They also help the media to realize when they need to focus more in areas in which they are not acting at the moment.

At the same time press offices find in media analysis a way to observe their evolution, for ANDI itself these studies offer inputs for decisions referring to what themes – or to what media – they should put efforts for mobilization and qualification. It is from these evaluations that the main strategies and new projects arise. Analysis are, after all, the way ANDI monitors the results of its own efforts.

3. Qualification

The complexity and diversity of agendas related to childhood and youth as well as those referring to other aspects of sustainable human development, demand great capacity from the professional of communication to provide contextualized information to the society, prioritize agenda for debates in the public sphere and inspect government authorities and policies they implement.

The main reason for ANDI´s efforts in Monitoring (media analysis) is to contribute so that media can mitigate some of its limitations in a way to explore original journalistic paths and also in the area of Qualification (or Capability). ANDI seeks to promote seminars to debate the most important aspects brought up by its studies to encourage journalists and sources of information to set a more trusting relationship thus overcoming limits concerning vision and practice. Training opportunities with workshops in their newsrooms and distance learning courses are offered as well.

On the other side, the ties that link ANDI to university date back to 1997 when an internship program has started – hundreds of students have already worked in ANDI´s newsrooms in Brasília and in the following organizations: Rede ANDI Brazil and Rede ANDI Latin America. In 2006 InFormation was created – Cooperation Program for the Qualification of Journalism students in partnership with institutions of higher education. It aims at creating qualification opportunities aware of the interface between communication and social issues in Brazil. Some of the actions of this program are the realization of special subjects in courses of Journalism, contests, seminars, colloquies, the maintenance of a bank with academic works, the publication of reference works and a scholarship program for Conclusion Term Papers.

4. Re-applicability

ANDI´s media successful model for the development has been acknowledged as a “social technology” in the latest years – that is, an initiative that includes products, techniques and/or methodologies that can be reproduced. They were developed in close interaction with communities and constitute an effective solution of social transformation. As far as the work in the childhood and youth area is concerned, “ANDI technology” is being reproduced and enlarged through Rede Andi Brazil and Rede ANDI Latin America.

After well succeeded experiences in the joint construction, ANDI seeks for creating opportunities in transferring its technologies to organizations in other sectors of the socio-environmental agenda as well. Among the principles that guide this work there is an acting that aims at securing structured and sustainable strategies in the medium and long term and the necessary follow-up over the implantation and effectiveness of activities.

Childhood and Adolescence

All persons have the right to live their childhood and adolescent years in healthy family, social, and natural settings that recognize human diversity and continuously facilitate physical, intellectual, and spiritual development. In the context of the multiplicity of content produced or distributed through the media (journalism, advertising, entertainment…), ANDI strives to contribute to ensuring that actors in the communications field recognize and are able to respond in a responsible manner to the privileged position they occupy as guardians of the best interests of children and adolescents, as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The treaty defines these segments as society’s most vulnerable and, as such, warranting of full protection and special attention.

Inclusive and Sustainable Development

The sustainability of human life is not possible in the absence of a harmonious relationship between people and the environment – or of a total correspondence between democracy and the promotion of creative dialogue and unrestricted inclusion. We know that journalism and the media in general – due to their enormous influence in setting the public agenda, delivering information in context, and overseeing public interest institutions – play a decisive role in the debate on the kind of development we want and the best policies for achieving that end.

Communication Policies

The construction of a diverse and pluralistic media environment is critical to secure the vitality of democracy, economic growth, full citizen inclusion, and sustainable development. What is at stake is the fundament right of access to information and the freedom to produce and disseminate knowledge. A democratic media system, moreover, has a significant impact in promoting quality journalism, socially responsible advertising, and constructive entertainment.

We consider transparency to be one of our pillars in acting. Therefore, we provide meeting minutes, reports on external audits and yearly financial balance.

Privacy Policy

ANDI Privacy and Data Protection Policy

Action plan

2022
2021
2020

Activities Report

2021
2020
2019

Minutes and Statutes

Assembly Minute 2023
Assembly Minute 2022
Assembly Minute Extraordinary 2022
Assembly Minute 2021
Assembly Minute 2020
Assembly Minute 2019
Assembly Minute 2018
Assembly Minute 2017

Social Statute

Audits

Audit 2022
Audit 2021
Audit 2020
Audit 2019
Audit 2018
Audit 2017
Audit 2016

Public Calls

Public Call Processes

Antonio Augusto
He holds a degree in Communication and Journalism from the University of Brasília-UnB, a master’s degree in Development, Society, and International Cooperation from UnB, and a certificate in Administration for Third Sector Organizations from FGV-SP. He pursued a postgraduate degree in Visual Anthropology at the University of Southern California – USC, in Los Angeles. He built his career in Journalism as a reporter (BSB, SP), editor (RJ), foreign correspondent (New York), editor-in-chief, and presenter (BSB) for TV Globo. He served as the regional director of Journalism branches for TV Record and SBT in Brasília. Since 1996, he has been involved in communication projects in the areas of education, public affairs, and advocacy. He directed the British NGO WSPA in Brazil, was a member of WSPA’s international campaign board, and a speaker at the G77 at the UN headquarters in New York. He was the executive director of ANDI.

Bia Barbosa
She is a journalist, specializing in Human Rights, and holds a master’s degree in Public Policies. For over 20 years, she has been working on topics such as freedom of expression, internet access, media regulation, and digital platforms. She was part of the executive board of the National Forum for the Democratization of Communication (FNDC) and Intervozes. Currently, she is a member of DiraCom – Communication Rights and Democracy and the Rights on the Network Coalition. She is one of the representatives of the third sector in the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) and alternate representative of civil society in the National Congress Communication Council. She is a co-author, among other works, of “Fake News: how platforms tackle misinformation” (Multifoco/Intervozes, 2021).

Flávio Debique
Graduated in Nursing and Literature, with a master’s degree in Social Ethics and Human Development, specializing in Social Research on International Migration. He has been working for 20 years in the promotion and defense of children and adolescents’ human rights, in Brazil and in various countries in Latin America. He is currently the National Programs and Advocacy Manager at Plan International Brazil.

Letícia Leobet
Social Scientist with a focus on Anthropology from the Federal University of Paraná, works as a project manager in Education and Research at Geledés Black Women’s Institute, executive leadership in early childhood development trained by the Harvard University Child Development Center, and activist in the black movement.

Marcos Daudt
Coming from the Oceanology program at FURG/79, and after 15 years working in the Third Sector, he is currently the President of Instituto Cuidar Jovem. This work is focused on the safety of events aimed at young people, with an emphasis on alcohol and drug prevention, actively collaborating with various public and private institutions in this sector. He achieves the objectives by updating existing laws and promoting new ones, as well as through on-site actions at youth events, in addition to the hundreds (330+) of lectures given in schools, other public and private institutions, receiving the “Prêmio Atividades Relevantes à Sociedade Brasileira” (2018) from the Brazilian National Congress/DF. As his main activity, he seeks investments directed towards philanthropic and charitable institutions, such as APAE BRASIL, Fundação ABRINQ, FENAPESTALOZZI, and others.

Cida Camarano
Graduated in Pedagogy, with a master’s and doctoral degree in Education from the Graduate Program in Education at the University of Brasília-UnB (2020), she worked at the Ministry of Education and at the State Secretariat of Education of the Federal District – SEEDF, as well as in civil society organizations in the social assistance field, volunteering in Sheltering and Family and Community Living services. As well as accompanying projects aimed at young people leaving Sheltering Services and the Socio-educational System. She is a research member of the Study and Research Group on Educational Practices – GEPPE (certified by CNPq). She is part of the Steering Committee of the Interforums Movement for Early Childhood Education in Brazil – MIEIB, the Management Committee of the Early Childhood Education Forum of the Federal District – FEIDF, as well as the National Network for Early Childhood – RNPI. She currently works as a professor in the Specialization Course in Early Childhood Education in the Historical-Cultural Perspective – Instituto Saber. She recently assumed a position in the General Coordination of Early Childhood Education at the Ministry of Education.

Raquel Fuzaro
Lawyer by profession, with over 20 years of experience, currently pursuing a master’s degree in public policies for childhood and adolescence at UNB, from São Paulo, only child, married for decades, mother of two, and, as I like to define myself in life, an activist. Being present in life, actively, is what defines me. I bring people together around ideas, projects, and causes because we are a collective, amidst individualities, and the more diverse, the better! In my professional work, I highlight my experience at the Ministry of Tourism, in the office advising Minister Marta Suplicy, in the legal department, and as a substitute for the Director of Sustainable Tourism and Childhood, representing the Ministry in inter-ministerial dialogue and with organized civil society on issues of childhood and adolescence, particularly mentioning work on the National Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. I also worked as responsible for communication at the Brasília Environmental Institute – Ibram, in advocacy actions, leading the Children and Adolescent Rights Commission of OAB/DF, and as legal director of a non-profit association. Some of these works were done on a voluntary basis. In the activist realm, I mention my participation as a founding member of the Movement for a Childhood Free from Consumerism (MILC) and as a founding member of the Brazilian Network for Childhood and Consumption – REBRINC. Throughout this journey, I have always been driven by the desire to contribute to society.