This Friday (15), the 11th edition of the 11th Forum Instituto Unimed/RS took place, a biennial event promoted by Unimed in Rio Grande do Sul. This edition brought together professionals to debate within the perspective of the topic Free thinking.
During the morning, the president of Unimed Federation/RS, doctor Nilson Luiz May, opened the event with a speech encouraging the public to dive into the event’s themes. He highlighted the importance of freedom to express and talk about issues pertinent to society.
Afterwards, professor Leandro Karnal from Rio Grande do Sul brought his philosophical experiences to invite the public to reflect on human life in different areas, in the lecture What is freedom?. He comments on the complexity and survival instinct of human beings. “I’m free because I can do what I don’t want to do, and that’s being an adult,” Karnal said. The professor explained that children live based on instincts, and over time, people are shaped by society.
“Empathy is more important than rational discourse”, he emphasizes. The philosopher exemplifies with the doctor-patient relationship, as the patient does not always understand the instructions. Karnal argues that professionals should first think philosophically and then with medical rigor. He emphasizes that people think in different ways and it is necessary to understand the other’s concept of freedom, to maintain a dialogue, but never tolerate intolerance. “Talking about a free world is always an exercise”, concludes Karnal.
The panel Sustainability, innovation and free thinking brought together brand strategist Arthur Bender; journalist Daniela Diniz; the CEO of Rock in Rio Luis Justo and the researcher Alexandre Pellaes. The guests presented their world views related to work and also perspectives for the future.
Advertiser Arthur Bender believes in the importance of community, and argued that people should enjoy what they do, and not live just to get to the weekend. In organizations, he states that coherence in speeches is the most important thing for credibility and good prospects. “It’s about feeling alive and leaving our mark on the world, which is the closest thing to immortality,” concludes Bender.
Journalist Daniela Diniz brought data to show how relationships in companies have changed, especially after the years of the Covid-19 pandemic. She reflects on the phenomena of m layoffs, mismanagement and silent dismissal – doing the minimum necessary. “We need to think about why we go to work every day”, invites Daniela.
Luis Justo, CEO of Rock In Rio, defends thinking about possibilities through ideas and the desire to make things happen. For him, the important thing in companies is to bring people together with a purpose. “The culture [de um local] it is made from examples”, says Justo.
For researcher Alexandre Pellaes, who studies work culture, “free thinking is free acting”. He believes that people should be more than their roles, and need to be guided by discipline based on ethics. To improve work environments, he argues that the diversity sought is not based on social characteristics but on diversity of thought.
The second panel, Society, economy and liberal thought, brought together Jovem Pan commentator, Luis Nogueira; professor Fernando Schuler; investor Allan Costa and international policy specialist Demétrio Magnoli. The men spoke about their world views, mainly political and economic.
Luis Nogueira commented that people come to him showing concern about the Brazilian socioeconomic situation and stated that the population will pay more taxes, due to Lula’s victory in the last election. However, “Brazil will continue to grow and attract investments”. Allan Costa chose to emphasize the theme of ESG – environmental, social and corporate governance. He argues that it is necessary to demystify the topic in order to implement it in organizations and that every company needs to be concerned with these factors.
Costa also states that “the essence of capitalism is extremely wise” and argues that companies should not have diversity as a priority. In his presentation, he showed brands that dealt with topics such as gender bias in their adver and faced criticism. Demétrio contextualized for the public some factors and events in international politics.
The forum also features a presentation by OSPA and an artistic intervention by actor Henri Pagnoncelli.