The life, work, and struggles of mathematician, statistician, and demographer Elza Berquó, who celebrates her 100th birthday this Friday (October 17), were celebrated this Thursday (16) at the Population Study Center (NEPO) at Unicamp, which she founded in 1982 and which, in 2014, was named after her. Social scientist, anthropologist, and demographer Gláucia Marcondes, who took over as coordinator of NEPO after 30 years of work at the Center, highlighted the importance of the tribute cycle. "It is a cycle of recovering memory, of recognizing the many struggles Elza fought."
On Friday (10), the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (Cebrap), another institution created by Berquó, had the honor of receiving her for a tribute in São Paulo. “At the end, she thanked us, was emotional, gave a lucid speech, with great affection,” says Marcondes. At the ceremony at Unicamp, the demographer was unable to attend, but website dedicated to his life and work, launched by Nepo, was given as a birthday present. "Elza will read the messages and watch the video testimonies. We added the 'In Elza's Words' section to the project, featuring her speeches at Unicamp," said Marcondes.
One of the founding and leading institutional spaces for the development of Demography in Brazil, Berquó also spearheaded the creation of the Brazilian Association of Population Studies (ABEP), which announced at the event the launch of the Elza Berquó virtual library, which brings together texts and studies. "We join this wave of tributes. To think about a tribute is to think about her legacy," emphasizes Luciana Lima, president of ABEP.
At the Nepo event, a series of testimonials brought together guests, both in person and online, who lived, learned, and worked with Berquó. Among them, participating online, was Richarlls Martins, current president of the National Commission on Population and Development (CNPD). "She was the first president of this commission, from 1995 to 2004, and made an important contribution to family planning legislation, in addition to making a significant difference in health diplomacy," he stated.
Psychologist and researcher Margareth Arilha, who lived and worked with Berquó, emphasized that the demographer "was always a caring woman." "She spoke of data with poetry, creating networks, not virtual ones, of ideas and knowledge." Speaking of poetry, sociologist Carmem Barroso, who lives in the United States, presented the poem "Elza Centenária" and recalled her relationship with the demographer. "Her greatest lesson was teaching us to occupy public space." Sandra Garcia, a researcher at Cebrap, addressed Berquó's concern for youth. "Even at almost 90, Elza remained restless and concerned about young people." Marta Cristina Teixeira Duarte, deputy coordinator of the Coordination of Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Nuclei (Cocen), emphasized the pioneering spirit of Berquó and NEPO, Unicamp's first research center. "She embraced many causes."
Public health physician Tânia Lago, in turn, reinforced the lessons she learned from Berquó, particularly regarding women's reproductive rights. "Elza used data to show how reality can inform public policy directions. We brought this content to medical schools. She broadened the horizons of healthcare professionals."
Demographer and anthropologist Marta Azevedo, a pioneer in identifying the phenomenon of population recovery among indigenous Brazilians and president of the National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI) between 2012 and 2013, explained Berquó's influence on her work in her online testimony. "I turned to NEPO when, in 1991, the indigenous people told me that the IBGE [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics] hadn't visited the villages, and we considered an independent census. I became a student, the work progressed, Dr. Elza established the first indigenous population committee, and slowly, we progressed," she reported.
"I was welcomed at Nepo; I had this great fortune in life. It was an absolutely fundamental experience, and I remain grateful for that and the memory of never asking a research question that is far from reality or biased. Scientific honesty is another great lesson I learned from Dr. Elza," she adds.
At the event, the indigenous expert announced that on the 24th, the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) will release, at Unicamp, the results of the "2022 Demographic Census: Indigenous Ethnicities and Languages – Main Sociodemographic Characteristics – Universe Results," which will update the portrait of the ethnolinguistic diversity of Indigenous peoples residing in Brazil and present a set of sociodemographic information on the different ethnicities, peoples, and groups identified. "We owe her a lot. This 2022 census of Indigenous ethnicities and languages owes a lot to Elza Berquó," she added.
Cover photo:
Watch the tribute series organized by Nepo:
