Madonna's Interest in Brazil

I guess this is good:

Madonna, who has promoted school building in the African country Malawi, is now turning her star power onto projects to improve the notorious slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The 51-year-old star is in Rio to visit some of the Brazilian city's slums, or "favelas", and meet with one of the country's richest businessmen to discuss setting up social projects, said state Governor Sergio Cabral.

"She will get to know some social projects; she is enchanted with Rio and wants to help," Cabral said.

I tend to be cynical, but I'll actually give Madonna the benefit of the doubt on this. I'm not sure how much she can help - funding social programs is indeed a very important step, but it doesn't always address the broader aspects of the drug trade. Likewise, social programs are well and good, but Rio also needs to be taking major steps to curb police violence. Still, given that this news is coming not from one of Madonna's PR people, but from the governor of Rio de Janeiro, would seem to indicate there is a general concern on her part. Her heart seems to be in the right place on this, and I'll say this: her solution for the problems facing the favelas is much better than David Lynch's proposal.

It's SO Simple, I Wonder Why Brazil Hadn't Thought of This Sooner....

David Lynch is clearly operating on another plane of existence, far, far away from reality:

U.S. movie director David Lynch says transcendental meditation is the cure for Rio de Janeiro's rampant violence.
Lynch says he hopes to meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to discuss the possibility of offering mediation studies in Brazil....He proposed bringing meditation studies to Brazilian schools and universities, and said such a move "would end the stress among youths and free the country of violence."

Such ideas are simply laughable. Putting it mildly, I think it's fair to say that Lynch doesn't really have much of a grasp on the social, economic, cultural, and political factors that contribute to urban violence in Brazil.