‎Brazil News

 

 

December 26, 2022 - By Monique de Carvalho

Cover image for Vitória: online petitions achieved a happy ending for 110 Brazilian fights in 2022

Online petition campaigns help impact great causes in 2022 - Photo: Startup StockPhotos / Pixabay

Having a challenge to face, a cause to win, a right to conquer. When people come together to change the ending of online petitions, the result is beautiful to behold. This year there were 110 stories that had a happy ending thanks to the union of many.

 

The data is part of a survey carried out by the largest online petition platform in Brazil, Change.org, and released exclusively to “Só Notícia Boa”.

 

With 10 years of existence in the country, the platform ends the year 2022 accumulating 1,200 good news to tell. Our team now recalls four of these inspirational stories.

 

 

life saving medicine

 

Imagine having a child with a rare disease and knowing that the medicine for his treatment is one of the most expensive in the world.

 

This is the reality of many parents of children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic and degenerative disease, which has four types with different severities and compromises the survival of motor neurons.

 

Tireless, parents of children with SMA fought for the inclusion of high-cost medicines in the Unified Health System (SUS). After four years, they have won a victory that will help save lives.

 

In March, Risdiplam, the first medicine in the history of oral use for the treatment of this rare disease, was incorporated into the public health system in Brazil.

 

A mobilization, which brought together 194,000 supporters in an online petition, served as support during the years of struggle, reinforcing the appeal of these mothers and fathers. A victory that impacts lives! The campaign was spearheaded by the Associação Unidos por Cura da AME – see here.

 

Preserved environment and history

 

In May, it was time to celebrate the happy ending of a mobilization that engaged 40,000 people in the struggle to preserve the environment and part of our history.

 

An archaeological site located in Minas Gerais, in an environmental protection area and where the bones of “Luzia”, considered the oldest human testimony in the Americas, were found, came under the crosshairs of a project to build a beer factory.

 

In order to prevent a water and environmental collapse in the region, as well as to guarantee the preservation of archeology, paleontology, speleology and biology heritage, the mobilization was launched. The repercussion was so great that the factory gave up on the project – check it out here.

 

In defense of animals always!

 

Another case of inspiration that demonstrated that unity is strength was the story of the kitten librarian Lelo.

 

The feline, which lived among the books of a public library in the city of Guaxupé, in Minas Gerais, was the subject of a complaint to be removed from the place.

 

Quickly, library goers and animal advocates mobilized so that the kitten could return to the space he chose as home. In a short time, they gathered more than 11,000 signatures on an online petition, hosted on Change.org.

 

The campaign was so successful that, in addition to winning the right to live among the books again, Lelo, the librarian kitten, was recognized as a “community animal” by the City Hall. “Só Notícia Boa” told this story in detail. Check out the special article in full.

 

Dignity to women

 

Another victory resulting from strong online mobilization was the approval of national law number 14,214/2021, which created the Program for the Protection and Promotion of Menstrual Health.

 

Menstrual poverty, which is characterized by the lack of conditions for women and girls to buy sanitary napkins, is a sad reality in Brazil. To give dignity to all people who menstruate, this year, the free distribution of pads to needy students, women in vulnerable situations, as well as prison inmates was approved.

 

The achievement, which required a strong mobilization to overthrow a presidential veto against the law, represents a victory in the promotion of menstrual health. Thousands of people joined in a petition for the approval of the law, thus being part of this good news