Religious Intolerance in Brazil: Legal, Political and Social Perspectives from Rio de Janeiro

The seminar Religious Intolerance in Brazil: Legal, Political and Social Perspectives from Rio de Janeiro will examine the challenges of religious freedom in Brazil, drawing on the experience of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The discussion will address the concept of tolerance, Brazilian religious law and its main regulatory frameworks, the secular nature of the state and its contemporary challenges, as well as the implementation of affirmative action measures and public policies aimed at promoting and protecting religious freedom.

The seminar will welcome Márcio Dodds Righetti Mendes, also known as Márcio de Jagun, a Brazilian scholar, lawyer and former public official whose academic and professional work has focused on human rights, religious diversity, African philosophy and decolonial thought.

Márcio de Jagun holds a Law degree from Universidade Cândido Mendes, a Master's degree in Education and a PhD in Philosophy from Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). He has completed postdoctoral studies in Religious Studies at Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) and in Philosophy, specializing in Afro-Metaphysics, at UERJ.

He teaches Yoruba Philosophy and Culture at UERJ's Programme for Studies and Research on Religions (PROEPER) and Yoruba Language, Philosophy and Culture at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). He is also a member of the Kékeré research group at UERJ and serves as a consultant to Brazil's National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) on the inclusion of the Yoruba language in the National Inventory of Linguistic Diversity.

As a lawyer specializing in human rights and religious freedom, he was a founding member of the State Council for the Defence and Promotion of Religious Freedom. He served as State Superintendent for the Defence and Promotion of Religious Freedom in Rio de Janeiro from 2017 to 2021 and as Executive Coordinator for Religious Diversity in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro from 2022 to 2025. In 2022, he received the title of Benefactor of the State of Rio de Janeiro in recognition of his contributions to public administration and cultural production in defence of religious freedom. He was also elected to the Pan-American Academy of Letters and Arts.

His academic and cultural publications address African philosophy and theology, Yoruba religion, Candomblé, decolonial thought and religious freedom. His books include Orí – a Cabeça como Divindade (2015), Odù – os Yorubas e o Destino(2016), Yorùbá – Vocabulário Temático do Candomblé (2017), Ewé: a Chave do Portal (2019), Nkó Yorùbá – Gramática, Conversação e Tradução (2020) and Filosofia Descolonial do Candomblé Nagô (2024).

The seminar will provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between religious diversity, citizenship, public policy and institutional responses to discrimination. Drawing on the Brazilian experience, the discussion will contribute to broader debates on human rights, social inclusion, democratic governance and the protection of cultural and religious diversity.

28 de outubro 2026 | 18h00