2025 Report on Brazil Immersion
In late May 2025, ten students of the third-year cohort of Higher Education & Leadership Ministries (HELM) Leadership Fellows traveled to Brazil for a global immersion experience in partnership with Disciples Overseas Ministries. The trip provided a unique space for students to interact with our partners on faith, justice, and leadership issues. The group visited “Little Africa” with the Instituto Pretos Novos, where they learned that Brazil received ten times the number of enslaved people that arrived in North America. The group also met with an indigenous community, health care workers, and local politicians to discuss systemic inequalities in Brazilian society. The following is a reflection from one of the students: “I knew our trip had an anti-colonialism focus, but I struggled to envision what that would look like when the problems surrounding colonialism seem so daunting. I was very impressed with the work that Michael, Fiyori, and the rest of Global Ministries did to connect us with such fantastic individuals throughout our trip.”