Initiatives

Oral History

Between 2009 and 2012, several people who worked with FHC in the Senate and/or held key positions in his two presidential terms were interviewed. Such interviews, organized around 34 themes, shall be periodically published in this section

The program Oral History was conceived with the aim of contextualizing the documents related to Fernando Henrique Cardoso´s political trajectory (those that are preserved in the Foundation's Collection). Between 2009 and 2012, more than 60 people (men and women who have worked with him in the Senate or served in his administration) were interviewed. Interviews focused on two different periods: from 1983 to 1993, when Fernando Henrique Cardoso was in the Senate, including the Constituent Assembly (1987-1988); and from 1993 to 2002, a period when he became Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and then President of Brazil for two terms.

When asked about FHC government, interviewees were invited to reflect on their experiences in performing relevant functions in the administration. The idea was to shed light on how politics and policy making work in Brazil, from an inside perspective, one that cannot be found in the press. The interviews help to better understand the documents preserved in the Collection by given them context. 

The approach adopted is different from the traditional practice of Oral History since it does not concentrate on a single personality, question or type of activity. Instead it focuses on a group of people that shared a common experience in public life. 

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