Crossing

Travessia: de bancoiro a companhia , the newest book by economist Eduardo Moreira, tells the life story of a man in parallel with the history of Brazil, in his journey from banks to left-wing political activism.

Most Brazilians don't grasp the true extent of the poverty and misery that exist in our country. It's well known that Brazil is one of the most unequal nations in the world. But reading statistics and newspaper headlines is one thing; actually entering the country and witnessing it all is another. Eduardo Moreira traveled to forgotten corners and marginalized populations, and thus experienced a truly revolutionary journey in his life.

If any citizen would be shocked by the atrocities to which the poorest populations are subjected in their daily lives, imagine what it was like for a former banker to experience these atrocious realities so far removed from his privileged background for seasons. What Eduardo Moreira witnessed was deeply impactful and transformative. So transformative that it turned him, a former banker, into a comrade, an ally, and a social activist in the fight for equality.

Many people wonder what made Eduardo Moreira change so radically. With this unique, disconcerting account, we not only understand his trajectory but also question our own. How can we be more useful or even more active Brazilian citizens? How can we become more empathetic human beings?

The reality check, the insights, and even the epiphanies shared here allow us to reach the same understanding as the author, without experiencing everything he faced firsthand. Through his account, we are exposed to the everyday details of hunger and the battles fought over resource scarcity—whether water or land. We learn that there are Brazilian territories where the more affluent resort to methods of mass murder of the neediest, where chemical warfare is even carried out against children. Eduardo Moreira reminds us of the (absurd) origin of the term "grilagem" (land grabbing) and informs us about the (beautiful) egalitarian strategy of quilombola and indigenous communities and the strength behind the MST's motto: "Occupy, resist, and produce."

"Travessia: de bancoiro a companhia" is a crusade by Eduardo Moreira that resonates deeply and intimately with every reader of the work. If it was impossible for him to return from this journey the same, it is also impossible for the reader to finish the book as the same person.