The Edelstein Center for Social Research


The Edelstein Center for Social Research is a Brazilian think tank based in Rio de Janeiro, that: 1) promotes research and publications designed to improve public policies and institutions to enhance democracy and social justice in Latin America; 2) fosters the dialogue between social actors and knowledge producers to disseminate internationally Latin American social sciences production and research institutions; 3) develops free access virtual libraries, data banks and the translation of Latin American social research works into English.

History and staff

The Edelstein Center was established in 2004, by Joel Edelstein, a USA citizen living in Brazil. From its inception is directed by Bernardo Sorj and the Board of Advisors includes Adama Samassékou, Angelina Peralva, Daniel Pécaut, Giorgio Alberti, Guillermo O'Donnell, Jean-Michel Blanquer Julio Cotler, Sérgio Costa, Shepard Forman and Simon Schwartzman.
In 2007, in association with the Instituto Fernando Henrique Cardoso founded the Democratic Platform Project.
In 2009-2010, the Edelstein Center was one of the sponsors of the Latin American Initiative on Drugs and Democracy. The other organizations were Instituto Fernando Henrique Cardoso and the Open Society Institute.
In 2010-2011, the Edelstein Center was part of the secretariat of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Programs

The Information Society in Latin America
This research program concentrates on the impact of new information and communications technology on the transformation of Latin America's education system, public space and democratic life.
Recently the Edelstein Center has completed a research on the use of computers and Internet by public school teachers in Rio de Janeiro. The study indicates that even when they have a positive impact, they cannot be separated from the educational and human context. A comprehensive policy needs to properly training teachers, in particular confronting the difficulties of the older generation, use monitored software, and adequate maintaining the physical infrastructural and technical support for school computer labs.
Civil Society and Globalization Agendas
The Civil Society and Globalization Agendas research program focuses on the current changes in Latin America’s civil society. Civil society played an important role in the promotion of democracy during the period of military dictatorships. However, more recently, civil society organizations have expanded and changed profoundly. While continuing to play an important role in the defense of human rights, in many countries civil society has become a vehicle for political parties, individual politicians, unions and social movements to channel public funds for their own benefit and/or political cooptation.
Virtual Libraries
' develops and offers free access to a set of virtual libraries with 55.000 titles in constant expansion. The virtual library includes: 1) which makes freely available re-editions of books already published by Brazilian authors or residents, in Portuguese as well as other languages, with 220 titles. 2) , with more than 30.000 academic texts about the information society. 3) , in partnerships with SciELO contains 30 journals from Brazil and other Latin American countries translated into English. 4) with 15.000 academic texts on democracy in Latin America.
Democratic Platform
is a joint initiative of the Edelstein Center and the Instituto Fernando Henrique Cardoso devoted to strengthening Latin American democratic institutions and culture by fostering pluralistic debate on the social and political transformations of the region and the world. Plataforma Democrática includes 21 associated institutions in Latin America. Its current areas of research and policy papers are: a) Global Geopolitical Transformations and Latina America Democracies; and b) Media and Democracy.
Plataforma Democrática site's includes a virtual library of free access with 15.000 academic titles, more than hundred original papers and the book series The State of Democracy in Latin America.
Other activities
The Edelstein Center''' did participated in the Secretariat of the Latin American Initiative on Drugs and Democracy. and of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Select Publications

Books & e-Books
SORJ, Bernardo. . Buenos Aires: Catálogos S.L.R, 2012.
SORJ, Bernardo FAUSTO, Sergio. . Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI, 2011.
SORJ, Bernardo FAUSTO, Sergio. . Buenos Aires: Catálogos S.L.R., 2011.
O'DONNELL, Guillermo. . Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra, 2011.
SERBIN, Andrés. . Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI Editora Iberoamericana, 2011.
FAUSTO, Sérgio. . Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI, 2010.
HILB, Claudia. . São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 2010.
PÉCAUT, Daniel. São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 2010.
SORJ, B.. . Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI, 2010.
SORJ, B.. . Buenos Aires: Siglo XX, 2010.
SORJ, Bernardo MARTUCCELLI, Danilo. . São Paulo: Instituto Fernando Henrique Cardoso / Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, 2008.
SORJ, Bernardo. . Milano: Polimetrica. Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, 2008.
SORJ, Bernardo. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, E-book Series 2, 2007.
SORJ, Bernardo OLIVEIRA, Miguel Darcy. . Rio de Janeiro: Centro Edelstein de Investigaciones Sociales São Paulo: iFHC, 2007.
REMOLD, Julie. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Série E-book 1, 2006.
Working Papers
SORJ, Bernardo; LISSOVSKY, Mauricio. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Working Paper 6, May 2011.
MILANI, Carlos R. S.; LANIADO, Ruthy Nadia. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Working Paper 5, 2006.
RIBEIRO, Gustavo Lins. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Working Paper 4, 2006.
WILKINSON, John. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Working Paper 3, 2006.
SORJ, Bernardo. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Working Paper 2, 2006.
SORJ, Bernardo. . Rio de Janeiro: The Edelstein Center for Social Research, Working Paper 1, 2005.
Internet Research Resources
Zina Angelica Caceres Benavides. . September, 2006.
Dayse Marie Oliveira. . November 2005.