Founders
Promundo was founded in June 1997 by Dr. Miguel Fontes, with Marilyn Kay Nations and Márcio Schiavo as founding partners, as a non-profit Institute. Among its objectives were (according to the minutes of incorporation of the institution, a document available below):
Develop training actions for specialized labor in the area of Basic Education, also in the areas of Health and Social Assistance.
Guidance and assistance to authorities and the community on the adoption of methodologies to improve the education and health of children and young people in situations of social vulnerability
Implementation of a Documentation Center to systematize and disseminate the technical knowledge acquired
Develop, adapt and improve equipment and technological instruments intended for basic education projects, health and social assistance programs for children and young people in situations of social vulnerability.
Develop financial fundraising projects for the above programs in order to qualify the various segments of civil and public society that work in the social area.
This wording dates back to June 1997 and, even today, is subject to periodic review by the team with a view to improving Promundo's objectives. Access to the founding document is free, just clickhere.
Dr. Miguel Fontes
Executive Director and Founder
Miguel Fontes has experience in developing and evaluating the impact of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs. He led the first national strategic plan for ECD in Brazil in 2001, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Assistance. He is the founder of PROMUNDO, one of the leading organizations for men's involvement in fatherhood and early childhood care across the world. He also has experience in Social Impact Assessment (SIA), data collection, research design and project evaluation, and social mobilization, and has worked on several child and youth development projects. His field of specialization is the development of sustainability strategies in Latin America and the United States. He has a degree in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Brasília, a master's degree in International Relations and a doctorate in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
Márcio Schiavo
Founding partner
Professor of Social Communication at Universidade Gama Filho (UGF), in Rio de Janeiro, he is dedicated to the field of communication for sustainable human development, emphasizing the use of social marketing techniques and methods. He has more than 30 years of national and international experience in social programs, especially in the fields of Human Rights, Rights of Children and Adolescents, Education, Preventive Health, Environment, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Promotion of the Social Condition of Women, Youth Protagonism, Drug Abuse Prevention and also Business Communication, Community Communication, Internal Communication and Values Development. His professional experience covers the fields of conception, planning and coordination of social projects; information, education and communication; human resources training; strategic management, supervision and evaluation of social projects. Specialist in Social Marketing, he has a postgraduate degree in Communication for Development.
Marilyn Kay Nations
Founding partner
More than 30 years of international career marked by intellectual creativity, long-term social commitment and innovative contributions to the health sector. Research on folk medicine and diarrheal diseases in Northeast Brazil was adopted by Brazilian health authorities, leading to a drastic decline in infant mortality in Ceará. Prayers & ORT (Prayers & Serum) has been recognized nationally and internationally, recently winning the highest scientific and healthcare honors in Brazil for its innovative contribution to children's health. The prestigious National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) has recognized research and teaching contributions, supporting a visiting professorship, research projects and a Scientific Research Productivity Grant. The early integration of social sciences (Anthropology) into medical training at North American and international universities laid the foundation for Problem-Based Learning, currently being implemented in Brazil. The training of a large number of international students in anthropological field research (in the context of poverty), publications and invited conferences have contributed significantly to the establishment of Medical Anthropology in teaching/research programs in Brazil. The ethical commitment to increasing lay access to self-care knowledge has stimulated the publication of award-winning (and widely distributed) health manuals/materials for low-literacy populations. A strong leadership role in founding activist NGOs, collaborating with the Brazilian Ministry of Health, integrating traditional medicine and biomedicine, and innovating Social Medicine teaching in an urban favela “classroom” have marked this unique international career. A lifetime of creative academic work, in one of the poorest regions of the world, has inspired many students and researchers from Brazil and other countries – also committed to social justice and health equity.