In 2023, Professor Rinaldi had the honor to advise and conclude two undergraduate theses: 

Undergraduate theses

• The Responsibility to Protect and the Challenges of the Security Council in Its Implementation - Professor Rinaldi advised International Relations student Aline Salomão on her research on Responsibility to Protect (R2P), examining if this principle effectively addresses the dilemma of balancing state sovereignty with the protection of human rights. She argued that, conceptually, R2P resolves this dilemma, but in practice, its implementation by the UN Security Council is subject to the political will of the permanent members and affected by the Council’s lack of legitimacy. Consequently, the UNSC tends to prioritize international security solutions over human rights protection.

• The Decentralization of Humanitarian Assistance: Problems and Challenges in the Action of the Three UNs - Professor Rinaldi and Professor Roberta Machado co-advised International Relations student Pedro Henrique del Monaco Staut on his research on a historical overview of humanitarian assistance, identifying its main actors and related elements. The research aims to understand the problems and challenges faced by humanitarian assistance in relation to the First UN, composed of UN Member State's interests; the Second UN, composed of the UN Secretariat; and the Third UN, composed of civil society and other stakeholders.

The Second Brazilian Forum for the Rights of Nature, also known as the Earth Assembly Brazil, was held on 6-7 October 2023 in the city of Ilhéus, Bahia. The Assembly promoted the sharing of knowledge and listening to indigenous and traditional communities, academia, and civil society to support the creation of the United Nations Earth Assembly, as recommended by the UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/77/169. 

The Assembly was hosted by the National Articulation for the Rights of Nature - Mother Earth, a Brazilian initiative created in 2019 that gathers institutions from civil society and academia to foster the recognition of the rights of Nature. As a multistakeholder event, it counted more than 300 participants, approximately 20 indigenous communities, 10 Brazilian legislators, 250 NGOs and collectives, and representatives from 23 universities. The NGO Mapas, directed by Vanessa Hasson and Giovanna de Souza, was responsible for the extensive program of circles and workshops for the sharing of knowledge and promotion of concrete collective actions.

Based on the principles of bioculture and territoriality, the first day of the event was hosted by the indigenous community Tupinambá of Olivença led by the indigenous leader Cacique Ramon, at the Tukum Village. The second day of the Assembly was hosted by the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC) and supported by the Federal University of Southern Bahia (UFSB), recognizing the important role of academia in fostering the urgent paradigm shift from an anthropocentric to an Earth-centered knowledge system. 

Under the supervision of Professors Patrícia Rinaldi and Patricia Borelli, the research volunteers of the UN Harmony with Nature Programme and members of the CERI-FACAMP Harmony with Nature Study Group - Alessandra Fernandes, Camila Ferri, Giulia Feijó, Isabele Moraes, Kamilla Miasso, Laís Samezima, and Marina Spieth - were responsible for the report segment and recording the Assembly proceedings. The team produced a series of documents and reports to be presented to Brazilian governmental bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as to the UN Harmony with Nature Programme. 

The Assembly ended with concrete commitments to advancing the rights of Nature in Brazil and providing inputs to the creation of a future United Nations Earth Assembly: to proceed with a petition to the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and the State of Bahia Attorney Office to expedite the demarcation of the Tupinambá of Olivença territory; to initiate formal consultations with the Brazilian Foreign Ministry and Permanent Mission at the United Nations to support of the creation of the Earth Assembly; to engage in civil society consultations to the Summit of the Future, advocating for an Earth-centered approach to sustainable development; and to begin the preparations for attending COP-30, which will be held in Brazil in 2025, advocating for the rights of Nature as part of the climate agenda.

The tenth edition of FACAMP Model United Nations (FAMUN), themed “Flip the Script: A World of Infinite Possibilities,” invited participants to join the UN campaign “Flip the Script.” This campaign aims to recalibrate the way we talk to each other, reimagine our purpose for the future, and reinvent solutions to speed up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Since partnering with WFUNA to the organization of the WFUNA International Model United Nations Brazil in 2017 and 2018, FAMUN has been dedicated to providing an authentic United Nations simulation experience by adhering to best practices in leadership structure, rules of procedure, and flow of debate. FAMUN stands out not only for its commitment to delivering a realistic simulation experience but also for the depth of its thematic discussions. Participants simulated the UN Security Council, under the topic “The Situation in Afghanistan”; the UN General Assembly, under the topic “International Cooperation for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space”; the UN Human Rights Council, under the topic “Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons”; and the International Labour Organization, under the topic "Youth Employment". 

Professors Patrícia Rinaldi advised the research and simulation of the UN Security Council. In the Research Guide, Professor Rinaldi explored with the students the history of the Security Council's involvement in Afghanistan since 2001, having authorized sanctions and the use of force to combat the Taliban rule and establish a new government in the country. Besides, since 2002 the Council has renewed the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which is responsible for delivering humanitarian assistance and supporting the reconstruction of the country. However, after the Taliban’s seizure of power in 2021, the Council is struggling to stop the escalation of violence and the massive violation of human rights, especially of women and girls. In this grave context, FAMUN 2023 delegates had the urgent task of flipping the Council’s script to foster peace in Afghanistan.

In January 2023, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), in collaboration with the Norwegian bank SpareBank 1 SMN and the UN Association of Norway, launched the Under the Starry Sky – Youth Action of SDGs program, with the aim of funding projects led by youth in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development. Among the 27 projects selected, the educational project “Reconnecting with Mother Earth” was the only one that promoted an Earth-centered paradigm in youth education. 

The “Reconnecting with Mother Earth” project was proposed by Camila Ferri Luciano, Gabriela Cardoso, Isabele Moraes de Oliveira, and Matheus Padovani, four undergraduate students of International Relations and members of the Harmony with Nature Study Group. The project was advised by Professor Rinaldi and hosted by the Center of Studies and Research of International Relations at Faculdades de Campinas (CERI-FACAMP), in the city of Campinas, Brazil.  

The goal of the “Reconnecting with Mother Earth” project was to promote the paradigm of the Harmony of Nature at two public schools in the city of Campinas (Escola Estadual Barão Geraldo de Rezende and Escola Estadual Professor Moacyr Santos de Campos). From January to September 2023, the educational project involved approximately 70 children, adolescents, and young people in a non-anthropocentric education and daily practices in harmony with Nature. Based on the TiNi methodology, the project replicated the idea of creating a network between youth and Nature. Through classes and practical activities such as implementing compost bins and activities in community gardens, the project encouraged the development of active empathy for Nature, thus accelerating the implementation of the SDGs targets 4.7, 12.8, and 13.3. 

By the end of the Under the Starry Sky program, the four leaders of the “Reconnecting with Mother Earth” project went on a ship expedition to Norway to showcase their results to 100 other young people from 20 countries that were part of the program. Besides, the expedition made strategic stops in local communities, where they could interact and spread the values of biocentrism and harmony with Nature as a crucial part of the implementation of the 2023 Agenda. 

Professors Patrícia Rinaldi and Roberta Machado represented FACAMP at the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The 2023 edition brought together over 400 professionals and academics to discuss the theme, “Making, Keeping, and Sustaining Peace". Professor Patrícia Rinaldi presented her policy brief, “Why Not Peace and Development, IBSA Fund? Convincing the IBSA Fund of the Value of South-South Cooperation on the Peace and Development Agenda,” during the panel on Reversing Inequalities. 

In her policy brief, Professor Rinaldi argued that the IBSA Fund is missing a crucial opportunity to contribute to reviewing the peace architecture in the UN by addressing the peace and development nexus through South-South cooperation. The demand-driven and non-conditionality nature of South-South cooperation would allow the IBSA Fund to offer an alternative to interventionism in peacebuilding, and the focus on peer learning and knowledge sharing would enable the Fund to contribute to new concepts and narratives related to sustaining peace.

On 22 April, the United Nations celebrated International Mother Earth Day and held its 12th Interactive Dialogue on Harmony with Nature. For the first time, CERI-FACAMP Harmony with Nature Study Group participated in this event, representing academia and civil society. The Director of the UN Harmony with Nature Programme, Maria Mercedes Sanchez, invited Professor Patrícia Rinaldi and FACAMP five research interns from the UN Harmony with Nature Programme - Camila Ferri Luciano, Gabriela Cardoso, Isabella Scuracchio, Isabele Moraes de Oliveira, and Tallison Miguel Sousa - to attend the interactive dialogue.

During the event, Isabele Moraes de Oliveira, a fourth-year International Relations student at FACAMP, delivered an inspiring speech on the role of youth in recognizing the rights of Nature. The invitation was an excellent opportunity to showcase CERI-FACAMP’s Harmony with Nature Study Group research and advocacy activities. Since its creation in 2018, the group has been dedicated to advancing studies and dialogue on Harmony with Nature, and its participation in the UN event reflected the contributions of multiple generations of CERI-FACAMP students who have enriched this initiative over the years.