After the nationwide protests in 2013 that started after the elevation of transportation fares, the optimistic political analysis pointed out young Brazilians have left their comfort zones and flocked to the streets to become more active and interested in what was being decided on their behalf. The 2014 presidential election, however, was a statistic cold shower: the total of registered voters between 16 and 17 years old – which are not forced by law to participate, but are able to – had a massive drop. In 2010, they were 2,39 million, or 1,7% of the total. Four years later, 1,64 million, or 1,15%.
In-depth researches made by Ibope and Box1824 institutes between the two facts have shown that, despite engaging somehow in the protests, youngsters were not feeling represented by formal politics, and a small percentage of the more active ones were following and debating the theme on a daily basis, specially on social media – Facebook, to be more specific. This group is probably the main focus of a number of initiatives that have appeared in the last years, trying to “explain” civics to a larger crowd or even bringing real life politics to the common citizen. Here are some of them:

10.  Beabá do Cidadão / Citizen ABC
Created in 1998 by a group of university students, this NGO has a focus in developing autonomy and critical conscience in citizens.
Strong point: has a qualified group of volunteers coming from university and focuses on basic civis, as teaching how to obtain personal documents.
Weakness: very little interactivity on the website – most of the works are digital versions of PDFs or personal group activities, limiting the sharing of knowledge.

9. Politeia Project
A partnership between Brasilia University and the Brazilian Congress, it makes students assume the role of elected representatives, presenting projects, debating and voting them.
Strong point: the material seems very realistic, following the same principles of the Congress (electing president, presenting projects and so forth), giving students a goos basis even for trying  the political career.
Weakness: It is only for university students, which narrows a lot its reach, to a group that would not necessarily need this much help as others that have no access to this degree of education.

One of the Congress Radar displays (Captured from http://radarparlamentar.polignu.org/)

8. Congress Radar
Created in 2012 based on the Congress open source system, it allows the visualization of how each congressmen has voted during the years.
Strong point: Interesting forms of visualization, following the radar model.
Weakness: Demands a considerable previous knowlegdge of politics to understand it; very little didatic content.

7.  Projeto Politiquê / Politiwhat Project
Aims at youngsters and on the transmission of an impartial political knowledge.
Strong point: as Turbovote, focuses on taking students to register as voters.
Weakness: weak internet interface – Facebook only, and mainly based on news -, which weakens the spread of the experience.

6. Hacker Bus
Created in 2011 after a sucessful crowdfunding to buy and equip a bus, this project has focuses ranging from city and problems digital mapping to cultural presentations.
Strong point: mobile digital structure can reach various places.
Weakness: very outdated internet activity limits the reach of the project

5. Política de Boteco/Pub Politics
Mobile interface of Votenaweb project, it is designed to bring the politics to happy hour. Allows to search and agree or not with projects being analyzed by the Congress.
Strong point: Does not require previous politics and civics knowledge of the user; focus on mobile allows easy access.
Weakness: Has bugs for earlier Android versions, a factor that can exclude older smartphones users.

4. Cidade Democrática / Democratic City
A platform that allows people to present problems and ideas to solve them, as well as third parties to analyze and add suggestions to each one of them.
Strong point: High degree of participation, even without prior knowledge of civics
Weakness: Website a little confusing and with difficulties to find proposals.

3. E eu com isso? What do I have to do with that?
A series of Youtube videos about very basic civics, as duties division among Executive, Legislative and Justice Powers in the country, States and cities.
Strong point: Good animation, easy to grasp the basic principles of politics.
Weakness: It has only four videos; Youtube may not be the ideal platform to reach people needing the most basic content on civics.

2. Show do Rafucko / Rafucko’s Show
A series of Youtube programs featuring the comediant Rafael Puetter, it has gathered more than a million viewers.
Strong point: Humor, politics and human rights. And a cast of interesting interviewees, from TV stars to congressmen.
Weakness: It is explicitly left oriented; spectators with different views need to look for other alternatives.

Some of Votenaweb’s projects (Captured from http://www.votenaweb.com.br/)

1. Votenaweb
A site that presents more than 4,500 projects being analyzed by the Congress to citizen’s evaluation.
Strong point: Comprehensible texts about the projects, easy decisions – support or not – and the possibility to follow its path along the bureaucracy. Also presents a rank of poticians based on projects presented and popular agreement or disagreement with each one. So far this one is the best executed idea on Brazilian civics engagement.