E/CN.4/1996/72/Add.1 page 18 62. An effort has also been made at rehabilitation in order to assign or restore to Black communities from the quilombos the land on which they live or used to live. This land is sought after by big landowners and precious metal prospectors. Research is under way to locate the lands and define their boundaries, with the assistance of the Palmares Cultural Foundation of the Ministry of Culture. The aim is to provide legal security to the descendants of the slaves who formed the quilombos and who nowadays live on these lands, whose boundaries have not yet been set. They are reportedly small in area, but their restitution to the Black communities would provide the latter with symbolic recognition of their contribution to Brazil’s historical development. At the time of the Special Rapporteur’s visit a presidential decree was being drawn up to recognize the property rights of the quilombo communities to their land. J. Anti-Semitism 63. The Special Rapporteur was informed that there was no anti-Semitism in Brazil. However, in the States of Paraná and São Paulo there are neo-Nazi groups made up of skinheads and punks who attack Jews, Blacks and people from the North-east. Further research has shown them to be unstructured groups imitating foreign movements. They have been disbanded by the police. 64. One case of anti-Semitism was none the less brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur. The incident, which occurred in April 1995, involved an employee of the Electricians’ Union in São Paulo, nicknamed Pezao, who said, referring to Dr. David Zylbersztajn, Secretary of Energy for the State of São Paulo, that "a little Jew is transforming the secretariat into a synagogue; he should start selling cloth; a Jew created the world and now another one wants to end it". 35/ After the President of the Electricians’ Union and the person who made the statement had offered their apologies, Dr. Zylbersztajn decided not to lodge a complaint. IV. GOVERNMENTAL MEASURES TO COMBAT RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION A. From the denial of race to multiracial democracy 65. The 1980s marked a genuine change in the Brazilian authorities’ attitude to ethnic and racial issues. Even though the principle of the singleness of the Brazilian people is not called into question, the multiplicity of its component races and ethnic groups is acknowledged; hence the assertion of multiracial democracy and the concern of the Brazilian authorities to "construct a free, just and mutually supportive society; [to] ensure national development; [to] eradicate poverty and marginalization and [to] reduce social and regional inequalities; [to] promote the well-being of all, without prejudice based on origin, race, sex, colour, age or any other form of discrimination (1988 Constitution, art. 3). The application of these provisions, which primarily concern Indians, persons of mixed parentage and Blacks, the poorest among the poor, will eventually help to integrate them more effectively into Brazilian society. 66. The appointment of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname Pele, as Minister of Sport, is an integral part of this process of