Wellington Almeida is a journalist. He earned his PhD in political science at São Paulo University (Brazil). His doctoral thesis was on the Brazilian “National Program of Human Rights” during the first mandate of President Cardoso (1995-1998). Mr. Almeida received his master's degree in international relations from the University of Brasilia in 1995, with a thesis addressing the role of non-governmental organizations as actors in contemporary international politics, in the context of the Second World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, June 1993). Mr. Almeida worked for 10 years at the Institute of Economics and Social Studies (INESC), one of the most important Brazilian NGOs that advocates for the rights of the indigenous populations, agrarian reform, along with World Bank Projects among others. He worked as a human rights researcher and also served as director of the INESC for two years (1996-97). Mr. Almeida is also the author of several publications, including: “Political Reform in Brazil,” Brazilian Agenda for Human Development, (Brasilia: United Nations Development Program, 2000); Active Citizenship: The Experience of Small Farm in Valente (Bahia-Brazil), (Rio de Janeiro: Getulio Vargas Foundation/World Bank, 1999); Two years of Brazilian Human Rights Programs, (Rio de Janeiro: Ibase, 1998); The European Union and NGOs, (São Paulo: NGOs Brazilian Association—Abong, 1998); Globalization and Human Rights, (Brasilia: INESC, 1997).