Date of tip: October 2006 

Source: Guy Burton G.J.Burton@lse.ac.uk 

Location: SDS-Ed. Venâncio III, Salas 101/104, Brasília, DF, Brazil (postcode: CEP: 70393-902)

How to get there: Brasília is divided into northern and southern zones, divided by the two main roads that lead from the TV Tower to Congress.  SDS is located on the southern side, in the office complex on the road opposite the bus station.  The best bus route to take is one that takes the W3 South road (there are small minivans that ply the route around the roads along the main roads between the TV Tower and Congress and on Avenida W3 itself – the flat rate fare is R$2 or around 50p), towards the Pátio Brasil Shopping mall and which then loops and then Via S Dois Leste towards Congress.  Ask to be let off at Edificio Venâncio – the CNTE banner may be seen from the road.  The office complex is divided into several ‘buildings’; the CNTE is located in number ‘III’ (3) on the first floor. 

Language: Portuguese

Getting started: The CPB and CNTE Notícias are available for viewing but the CNTE does not have an archive as such.  It is best to phone or email ahead and explain who you are and what you are doing, although the office is informal and small enough to enable a drop-in visit.

Opening Hours: 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday

General working conditions: The CNTE has a small library with a small round table where you can work.  The library itself is not completely organised, partly due to limited staff and time.  The CNTE is primarily an administrative and campaigning organisation, rather than a place of study.

Policy on technology: I am unaware of any policy on technology.  However, the place is informal enough that an explanation of your work and needs should mean that it is possible to use the power points in the office for computers.  The staff was also willing to let me use their own computers to access my internet-based email.

Photocopy policy: There does not appear to be an official photocopy policy.  The staff was happy to photocopy any documents I wanted and they did not charge me for doing so.

Particularities: The CNTE is the national education workers’ union in Brazil.  This not only includes teachers, but other staff associated with education, from administrators to cleaning staff.  There is not an archive as such, but the union does possess several bound volumes of its newspaper.  These are not complete, but date between the mid-1980s, when the CNTE was formed from its predecessor, the CPB, to the late 1990s.  The newspapers, the CBP Notícias and the CNTE Notícias provide a contemporary account of both education workers’ struggles and the wider union movement in this period.  In addition to these volumes, the office also contains documents from each of the CNTE’s biennial congresses.  These documents are especially useful for research into the union movement, since they not only contain CNTE’s resolutions, but also its analysis of the situation facing both education and the country more generally. 

How to apply for classified files: n/a

Contact name in case of questions regarding classified files: There does not appear to be any specific individual who works with the library or archive in the CNTE.  However, a useful contact is Antonio Marquez, who works in the communications section.  He can be contacted through the general CNTE email, at cnte@cnte.org.br.  Alternately the CNTE’s numbers are: Tel: +55 (61) 3225-1003; Fax: +55 (61) 3225-2685

Etc: There are various bars, cafes and self-serve restaurants in the vicinity of the CNTE offices.  The closest is located in the square below the office where workers meet for drinks after work.  Brasília is located on a high plateau.  It has two main seasons: the dry (April to September) and the wet (October to March).  The days in the dry season are hot so it is worth drinking as much as possible, especially given the large-scale nature of the place which makes walking almost impossible.  The city is designed with cars in mind, which can be frustrating for those without access to their own.  However, the hotel sector (SHN and SHS) are both based just to the west of the SDS district, around a 10-15 minute walk away.