Edesio FERNANDES

e.fernandes@dpu-associates.net

Specialisation

Land rights and urban and environmental law; land and urban planning, policy and management; informal land markets, regularisation and registration; constitutional law and human rights in developing and transition countries.

Languages

Portuguese (mother tongue), English, French, Spanish (fluent), Italian (good)

Educational and professional qualifications

1980

LL.B. Minas Gerais Federal University-MGFU, Brazil (awarded the "Rio Branco" special award for ‘intellectual merit and outstanding performance’)

1981

Diploma in Urban Law, National School of Urban Services/IBAM, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1983

Diploma in Urban Studies, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, MGFU, Brazil

1986

Diploma in Baroque Art and Culture, Institute of Culture and Arts, Ouro Preto Federal University, Brazil

1989

LL.M. in Law in Development, Warwick University, UK

1994

Ph.D. Warwick University, UK; (thesis: "Law and Urban Change in Brazil")

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

1.

Teaching

2.

Research

3.

Legal Consultancy

4.

Programme Management

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1. TEACHING

At the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge MA, USA (since 1996)

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Member of the Teaching Faculty of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, MA

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organiser of the courses “Informal markets: regularisation of land tenure and upgrading programmes in Latin America” in October 2001 (Cambridge MA, US), November 2002 (Cambridge MA, US, November 2003 (Recife, Brazil); and November 2004 (Montevideo, Uruguay)

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gave the 2001 Lincoln Lecture on “Land regularisation in Latin America: a critical assessment of Hernando de Soto’s The Mystery of Capital”

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co-ordinator of the Latin American Research Network on Land Regularisation

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co-ordinator of the Brazilian Research Network on Land Regularisation

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speaker in the “Seminar Series” promoted by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning of MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge MA, in November 1996

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invited by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to participate, as a ‘leading scholar in the field’, at the Workshop “Comparative Policy Perspectives on Urban Land Market Reform in Latin America, Southern Africa and Eastern Europe”, in Cambridge MA in July 1998

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regular participation in courses, roundtables, seminars and other academic events in the USA, Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay

At the Institute for Urban Development and Housing Studies in Rotterdam, Netherlands (since 2004)

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Lecturer in the course “Informal markets and land regularisation programmes” (2004-07)

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academic co-ordinator of the course “Law and Land Policy in an Urbanising World” in 2006

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lecturer in the course “Law and Land Policy in an Urbanising World” in 2006

At the Development Planning Unit (DPU-UCL) in the UK (since 2000)

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Lecturer in “Law in Urban Environmental Policy and Management” at the Postgraduate Courses in Urban and Environmental Planning at Development Planning Unit-DPU of University College London-UCL (2000-05)

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co-director of the “Environment and Sustainable Development” MSc Programme during the 2001-02 academic year

At the Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Long Distance/Virtual Courses Department) in Brazil (since 2000)

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Responsible for the formulation, co-ordination and teaching of the long distance/virtual Post-Graduate specialisation course on Urban Law, offered to Brazilian jurists, including judges and prosecutors (2005-07)

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responsible for the formulation, co-ordination and teaching of the long distance/virtual course on Land Regularisation Programmes, promoted by the Ministry of Cities and the Cities Alliance and offered to 900 participants from all over the country (2006)

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responsible for the formulation, co-ordination and teaching of the long distance/virtual specialisation course on Urban and Environmental Law offered to Brazilian jurists, including judges and prosecutors (2000-01; 2002-03)

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responsible for the formulation, co-ordination and teaching of the long distance/virtual course on Urban and Environmental Law (2001; 2003-04)

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responsible for the formulation, co-ordination and teaching of the long distance/virtual specialisation course on Human Rights and Citizens’ Rights sponsored by the Foreign Office and the British Council (2001)

Visiting Lecturer in Brazil (since 1996)

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Visiting Lecturer in “Urban Law and Policy” at the Postgraduate Courses in Urbanism of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of Catholic University of Campinas, Brazil (annually from 1996)

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Visiting Lecturer in “Urban Law and Policy” at the Postgraduate Courses in Urban and Architectural Renewal and Revitalisation, promoted by the Faculty of Architecture of Minas Gerais Federal University in Belo Horizonte, Brazil (annually from 1997)

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Visiting Lecturer in “Urban Law and Urban Management” at the Master’s Programme in City Management, Social Sciences Department, Catholic University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil (bi-annually from 2001)

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Visiting Lecturer in “Urban Law and Urban Management” at the Master’s Programme in Public Law, Law Department, Catholic University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil (annually from 2006)

Guest Lecturer and speaker (since 1976)

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Participated in several scientific conferences, congresses and seminars in many countries (regularly from 1976)

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Speaker on urban and environmental legal matters, as well as on human rights, in several universities in the UK (LSE, Warwick, UCL), US (Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, Cornell), South Africa (Witswatersrand), Brazil, and elsewhere (from 1989)

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Guest Lecturer in “Law and the production of urban landscapes” at the Department of City Planning of Cornell University, USA, in October 2002

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Guest Lecturer at the International Course “Development and Enforcement of Environmental Laws and Programmes in Urban Areas”, promoted by Fundacion Natura in Quito, Ecuador in July 1998

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Guest Lecturer in “Urban Law and Policy in Brazil” at the special course promoted by the School of Government of the Joao Pinheiro Foundation in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in November 1998

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Guest Lecturer in “Environmental Law and Policy” at the International Course on “Environmental Law for Urban Areas” promoted by the International Development Law Institute in Rome, Italy, in July 1997

Advisory work (since 2004)

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Member of the Advisory Group of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars/CUSP-Comparative Urban Studies Project, in Washington, DC, USA, having participated in a series of meetings in the Washington, DC

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Organisation of the “Access to Urban Land” Seminar promoted in Washington, DC in 2006 by of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars and USAID

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Member of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars “Inclusive City” project, having participated in a series of meetings in the Washington, DC, Barcelona, and Johannesburg (2005-07)

Editorial work (since 1999)

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Member of the Editorial Board of the international electronic journal Law, Social Justice and Global Development

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member of the Editorial Board of the journals Topos, Vivencia, Revista de Direito Registral, Revista Brasileira de Direito Ambiental, Revista de Direito Imobiliário, Urbanístico e Ambiental and Revista de Direito Urbano e Ambiental (Brazil), and Revista URBANA (Venezuela)

Reviewer and Guest Writer (since 1995)

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Regular reviewer of articles, books and manuscripts for many publishers and journals such as Zed Books, Routledge, Habitat International, Third World Planning Review, Urban Affairs Review, Geoforum, South African Geographical Journal, Development Southern Africa, Topos, International Development Planning Review, Land Policy Review, Latin American Research Review, and International Journal on Urban and Regional Research

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guest writer of regular articles on urban and environmental matters in the Brazilian daily newspapers “O Tempo”, “Estado de Minas”, “Jornal do Brasil”, “Zero Hora”, and to the legal magazine Revista Del Rey

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2. RESEARCH (in the UK since 1994)

At the Development Planning Unit-DPU, University College London (2000-05)

2002-04

Member of the Research Team responsible for the project “Service Provision Governance in the Peri-urban interface of Metropolitan Areas”, approved by the Department for International Development (DfID)

2000-05

Member of the academic link, sponsored by the British Council, between the DPU and the University of Brasilia, Brazil, for the assessment of a research project on “Environmental zoning in urban areas of the Brazilian Amazon Region”

Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies-ICS, University of London

1997-2001

Main research interests included urban and environmental planning, policy and legislation in developing countries, especially concerning the role of law and legal-political institutions in urban governance; the nature and dynamics of illegality in urban areas; legal-political mechanisms for land use and development control; local government, metropolitan management and inter-governmental relations; public-private partnerships and participatory mechanisms in urban environmental management; legal instruments for urban environmental revitalisation; legal reform, judicial review and the action of urban environmental social movements and NGOs; property rights, security of land tenure and regularisation policies; urban environmental legislation, land policy and the land market; political exclusion, socio-spatial segregation and housing rights; judicial access for the defence of human and collective rights; the protection of historical-cultural heritage; sociology of law; etc.

Activities included the organisation of the International Conferences “Mozambique in the Commonwealth: urban environmental realities after the flooding” (London, October 2000) and “South to South: urban environmental policies and politics and Brazil and South Africa” (London, March 1999)

Participation in meetings, seminars and conferences in several countries, including South Africa, Spain, Ecuador, Brazil, Kenya, US, Chile and the UK

Research Associate at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies-ICS, University of London

1994-97

Main activities included research on issues of urban and environmental planning, policy and legislation, as well as on local government and metropolitan management, in developing countries

Participation in meetings, seminars and conferences in several countries, especially South Africa, India, Spain, Brazil, Mexico and the UK

Responsible for the organisation of two International Conferences in the UK, “Environmental Strategies for Sustainable Development in Urban Areas: Lessons from Africa and Latin America” (1996) and “The Challenge of Environmental Management in Metropolitan Areas” (1997)

Co-ordinator of the International Research Group on Law and Urban Space-IRGLUS

1995-2006

Founder and former Co-ordinator of IRGLUS-International Research Group on Law and Urban Space, which is also a Working Group of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law of the International Sociological Association, being responsible for the organisation, institutionalisation and expansion of the network’s activities

recent activities included the organisation of the International Workshop “After the City Summit: challenges and prospects for urban legal research and practice” in Onati, Spain, in June 1997; the Working Group meeting in Montreal, Canada, during the 1998 World Congress of the International Sociological Association; the organisation of the International Workshop “Facing the Paradox: reforming property rights in the age of liberalisation and privatisation” in July 1999, in Johannesburg, South Africa; the organisation of the 7th International Workshop “Law in Urban Governance” in Cairo, Egypt, in June 2000; the Working Group meeting in Budapest, Hungary, during the 2001 World Congress of the International Sociological Association; and the organisation of the International Workshop “Building the legal foundation of the democratic city” in July 2002, in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Co-ordinator of the IRGLUS team invited to speak on “Land Regularisation Experiences” at the World Bank/Cities Alliance, in Washington DC, USA, in May 2002

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3. LEGAL CONSULTANCY (since 1993)

Legal Consultant with several international governmental and non-governmental organisations on urban and environmental legal-institutional matters, especially concerning land and property rights, local government and metropolitan administration; urban environmental legislation, land policy and management; and informal land development, security of land tenure and regularisation policies

With UN agencies

2007

Legal consultant with UN-HABITAT in the preparation of a spatial organisation strategy for Kosovo

2005-06

Legal consultant with UNDP in the discussion of the legal framework for decentralisation in Cape Verde

2005

Legal consultant with UN-HABITAT in the formulation of a “Global Network of Organisations for the Development of Land Tools”

2004

Legal consultant with UN-HABITAT in the “Evaluation of the Global Campaigns on Urban Governance and Secure Tenure”

2002

Legal consultant to UN-HABITAT’s Urban Planning and Management Programme in Kosovo, participating in a series of public consultations on the draft of the spatial planning law

With the World Bank

2004-06

Legal consultant hired by the Cities Alliance/World Bank, to provide support to with the Ministry of Cities, in Brazil dealing with several matters related to the “National Programme to Support Sustainable Urban Land Regularisation”, especially for the revision of Brazil’s federal law on urban land subdivision and regularisation

2006

Legal consultant with the World Bank in the assessment of Albania’s legal framework for urban planning and management

Legal consultant with the World Bank in the assessment of the legal framework on land markets regulation in Brazil

With the Institute of Housing Studies

2004

Legal consultant with the Institute of Housing Studies-IHS to provide support to Bulgarian NGOs and government in the discussion of legal aspects of urban management, housing policy, as well condominium law

2001

Participation in the programme “Training and Facilitation on Legalisation/Regularisation for the Municipality of Tirana, Albania”, sponsored by the IHS

2003

Legal consultant with Co-Plan to discuss urban-legal matters in the Municipality of Tirana, Albania, sponsored by the IHS

With Urbaplan - Switzerland

2007

Legal consultant in the formulation of Tirana’s Regulatory Plan

With OSCE

2006

Legal consultant in the discussion of a strategy for tackling informal

With Geoffrey Payne & Associates

2006-07

Participation in the research initiative on “Land Titling”

2000-01

Participation in international research project on “Innovative Land Tenure Systems for the Urban Poor”, co-ordinated by Geoffrey Payne & Associates and sponsored by the Department for International Development-DfID/UK

Other consultancy activities

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Past experiences included working for the African National Congress in South Africa on matters of local and metropolitan reorganisation (1993); for the Municipality of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on urban and environmental matters (1994/6); and for Praxis Consultants during the elaboration of Vargem das Flores’ Development Plan, in Belo Horizonte and Contagem, Brazil (1997/8)

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4. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT (2003)

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Director of Land Affairs at the Ministry of Cities in Brasilia, Brazil, during 2003, having been responsible for the formulation and all activities necessary for the initial implementation of the “National Programme to Support Sustainable Land Regularisation in Urban Areas”

Participation in UN Meetings and Conferences

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Member of the Expert Group Meeting on “Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical strategies to promote social integration”, put together by UNESCO, UN-HABITAT and UNDESA, having participated in meeting in Paris in September 2007

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member of the “Right to the City” initiative jointly promoted by UN-HABITAT and UNESCO, having participated in a series of meetings in Paris and Barcelona (from 2004)

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invited, as a ‘leading scholar in the field’, to be a guest speaker in the UNCHS/HABITAT and UNESCAP Asian Regional Seminar on Securing Land for the Urban Poor promoted in Fukuoka, Japan, in October 2001

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invited, as a ‘leading scholar in the field’, to be a guest speaker in the UNCHS/HABITAT and ECLAC “Latin American and Caribbean Regional Preparatory Conference for the special session of the general Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of the Habitat Agenda”, promoted in Santiago, Chile, in October 2000

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invited, as a ‘leading scholar in the field’, to be a guest speaker in the UNCHS/HABITAT International Conference on “Social Integration and Security for the Urban Poor: Towards Cities for All”, promoted in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 1999

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invited, as a ‘leading scholar in the field’, to participate in the UNCHS/UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Expert Group Meeting on “Practical aspects in the realisation of the human right to adequate housing”, promoted in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 1999

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invited, as a ‘leading scholar in the field’, to participate in the United Nations/UNCHS “Global Initiative on Urban Legislation”, in June 1998

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participation in HABITAT II - the UN Conference on Human Settlements, promoted in Istanbul, Turkey, in July 1996

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participation in the International Conference “Global Conference on Access to Land and Security of Tenure as a condition for sustainable shelter and urban development”, promoted by the UNCHS/HABITAT in New Delhi, India, in January 1996

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participation in the International Conference "Challenges of the Informal Town", promoted by UNCHS/HABITAT and the Municipality of Belo Horizonte in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in September 1995

Organisation of International Conferences and Workshops

2000

Responsible for obtaining the sponsorship and for the formulation and organisation of the “1st Brazilian Urban Law Conference” promoted in December 2000 (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) by the Order of Brazilian Lawyers and Belo Horizonte’s Municipal Administration

Responsible for obtaining the sponsorship and for the formulation and organisation of the International Workshop "Mozambique and/in the Commonwealth: urban-environmental realities” promoted in October 2000 (London, UK) by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies of the University of London

Responsible for the formulation and co-responsible for the organisation of the International Workshop "Law in Urban Governance", promoted in June 2000 (Cairo, Egypt), by the International Research Group on Law and Urban Space

1999

Responsible for the formulation and co-responsible for the organisation of the International Workshop "Law and Urban Space", jointly promoted, in July 1999, (Johannesburg, South Africa) by the International Research Group on Law and Urban Space and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies of the University of the Witwatersrand

Responsible for obtaining the sponsorship and for the formulation and organisation of the International Conference "South to South: urban policies and politics in Brazil and South Africa” promoted in March 1999 by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies of the University of London

1998

Responsible for obtaining part of the sponsorship and for the formulation and organisation of the International Conference "Law and Governance: recent trends for urban-environmental management and the reform of the public sector”, promoted in November and December 1998 (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) by the School of Government of Fundacao Joao Pinheiro

1997

Responsible for obtaining the sponsorship and for the formulation, and co-responsible for the organisation of the International Workshop "Law and Urban Space", jointly promoted, in June 1997 (Onati Spain), by the Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law and the International Research Group on Law and Urban Space

Responsible for obtaining the sponsorship and co-responsible for the organisation of the International Conference on “The Challenge of Environmental Management in Metropolitan Areas”, jointly promoted, in June 1997, by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and Development Planning Unit of the University of London

1996

Responsible for obtaining the sponsorship and co-responsible for the formulation and organisation of the International Conference on "Environmental Strategies for Sustainable Development in Urban Areas: Lessons from Africa and Latin America", jointly promoted, in September 1996, by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and the Institute of Latin American Studies of the University of London.

Former Professional Experience in Brazil (1976-88)

1987-88

Parliamentary Secretary/Legal Adviser to Federal Deputy Joao Paulo Vasconcelos during the Constitution-making process (July 1987/July 1988). Duties and responsibilities included:
* advised on Constitutional, Labour, Administrative, Urban, Environmental and Finance Law during last federal Constitution review;
* participated in the elaboration of constitutional articles, amendments, and their respective justifications;
* contributed to the elaboration of speeches, leaflets, newspapers and other informative materials;
* took part in several debates and meetings promoted by unions and other non-governmental organisations;
* co-produced the video "Workers in the Constitution-Making Process"; and
* reason for leaving: Higher Education (British Council FCO scholarship).

Part-time University Lecturer (1983-86)

1983-86

Isabela Hendrix Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Belo Horizonte-Brazil; Part-time Lecturer in Social Studies/Urban Law (Urban and Environmental Legislation)

1981-83

Milton Campos Law Faculty, Belo Horizonte-Brazil; Part-time Lecturer in Finance Law (Introduction to Finance Law/The National Taxation System)

Lawyer/Urban Planner (1980-87)

1982-87

Urban Planner: participated in several interdisciplinary programmes in urban and rural environments, involving the formulation and implementation of projects of land use and development control, zoning schemes, local, metropolitan and regional development plans, housing policies, regularisation of slums, environmental protection, historical and cultural heritage, urban environmental management, etc.

1980-87

PLAMBEL-Planning of Belo Horizonte's Metropolitan Region, Belo Horizonte

1980-82

Lawyer at Legal Department: processed diverse contracts; researched and advised on Civil, Constitutional, Administrative, Environmental and Urban Law

Cabinet Official

1978-79

Minas Gerais' State Secretariat for Education, Belo Horizonte-Brazil; in charge of Secretary's social agenda, correspondence, and reception of public

Notary Public

1976-78

6th Property Registry Office, Belo Horizonte-Brazil; in charge of registration of real estate transactions and related activities; left to work with Secretary for Education

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Other professional and technical training and qualifications

1981-99

Organised and gave several further education courses and talks on urban and environmental legislation in several Brazilian universities

1980-99

Member of the Brazilian Order of Lawyers (OAB)

1996-

Member of the Law and Society Association and of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law of the International Sociological Association

1997-

Member of the Development Studies Association

Voluntary work

1981-88

Legal adviser to IAB-Institute of Brazilian Architects/Department of Minas Gerais, to several unions and non-governmental organisations, as well as to local councillors and state representatives

1988-

Member of Amnesty International

1991-

Volunteer at The Terrence Higgins Trust, London, UK

Community activities

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Community representative on Belo Horizonte's Municipal Land Use Committee (nominated by Mayor in 1988)

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Director, in Brazil, of Group of Philosophical Studies (1986-88) and Gaia Planning Consultancy (1988-92)

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Public speaking, in Brazil, giving more than 50 lectures and talks on legal, especially urban and environmental, issues (1980-88)

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