In this term’s inaugural session of the Global Thinkers of the International Discussion Series, Professor Leslie Bethell, a leading expert on 19th and 20th century Latin America, Emeritus Fellow of St Anthony’s College and founder of the Centre for Brazilian Studies, Oxford, will trace the life and internationalist thought of Brazil’s Joaquim Nabuco (1849–1910).

Nabuco was a Brazilian writer, statesman, and a leading voice in the abolitionist movement of his country. One of his most significant works in this regard is the book “O Abolicionismo” that was published in 1883. He later became the first Brazilian ambassador to the United States from 1905–1910 marking a significant shift in Brazil’s role in the world arena.

He soon became a proponent of Pan-Americanism as he realised the importance for Brazil and other South American nations, to develop a united relationship with the North American stage. Like many other thinkers in this series, his voice has not made its way into mainstream International Relations.