Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, better known simply as Lula, became President of Brazil
in 2003 and has helped champion many social programs, including the Zero Hunger
campaign, which has served as a model of inspiration for other nations around
the world. Coming from humble origins, Lula understood the plight of the working
class. He helped found the Worker's Party in Brazil during the height of the military
dictatorship, and was involved in the campaign to demand a democratic election.
When he became President, he put social programs at the top of his agenda. Brazil
is the world's 4th largest food exporter, but when he took office there were more
than 15 million malnourished people in his country. The Zero Hunger Campaign (Fome
Zero) has made ending hunger in Brazil a national priority and much progress has
been made. The program has been heralded by world leaders, global institutions,
like the UN Food & Agriculture Organization, and by celebrity activists like
Bono and Lenny Kravitz, who donated guitars to raise funds and awareness.
Internationally,
President Lula has helped Brazil to become an important player in international
politics. He sees himself as a negotiator who is not out to destroy the system,
just to help make it fairer, especially for poorer nations. For this reason he
is able to be on friendly terms with governments on both ends of the political
spectrum. In 2006 he was overwhelmingly re-elected to another term, extending
his presidency through 2010.
