A/HRC/31/56/Add.1 9. Brazil was the last nation in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery, in 1888. Yet the deep social divide created did not dissipate with abolition. On the contrary, as political and economic power remained concentrated in the hands of the white landowners, Afro-Brazilians had limited means or opportunity to establish their homes or develop livelihoods. This led to the development of impoverished favelas, which further entrenched their disadvantage and marginalization. 10. The early twentieth century saw the mass migration to Brazil of approximately 5.2 million Western Europeans, facilitated by immigration policies of “branqueamiento” (whitening), which were designed to boost the white population and “improve” the racial balance of the country. Brazil now has sizeable minority communities of Western-European heritage. During this period Brazil also facilitated other migration schemes, including from Lebanon and Japan. 11. As a result of this history, twentieth-century Brazil became a place of ethnic, racial and religious diversity. Owing to widespread inter-ethnic relationships, as well as the absence of legalized segregation, a political discourse emerged labelling Brazil as a “racial democracy” – a theory which posited that all groups in Brazil experienced conditions of juridical and social equality. Yet while it is true that some groups, notably those who migrated to Brazil as part of the branqueamiento agenda, were able to enjoy social and economic success, others, most notably Afro-Brazilians, remained severely marginalized owing to historically rooted patterns of discrimination, as well as ongoing structural discrimination. 12. Since the 1940s, scholars, activists, historians and civil society have exposed the inequalities between the white and Afro-Brazilian populations, and have debunked the racial democracy discourse as a myth. Nevertheless, the pervasive way in which it permeated the Brazilian psyche has made it difficult for Afro-Brazilians to advocate on issues of racism and discrimination. The racial democracy myth has contributed to false assumptions that the marginalized situation of Afro-Brazilians is attributable to factors of class or wealth, rather than racial factors or institutional discrimination. 13. Approximately 4.5 million people belong to so-called “traditional peoples and communities” in Brazil, and occupy approximately 25 per cent of the national territory. Decree 6040 of 2007 defines traditional communities as culturally differentiated groups which recognize themselves as such, which have their own forms of social organization, which occupy and use territories and natural resources as a condition for their cultural, social, religious, ancestral and economic continuity, using knowledge, innovations and practices generated and passed on through tradition (item I, art. 3). Traditional communities include many Afro-Brazilian communities as well as those of indigenous descent. They also include Quilombos, communities established by escaped African slaves in diverse and often remote and isolated regions of Brazil, as well as a range of other groups.1. 14. Brazil also has a notable Roma (Cigano) population. Not a homogenous group, the Roma population of Brazil is made up of distinctly different groups and subgroups which differ in religion, mother tongue, cultural and traditional practices and lifestyles. Estimates indicate that more than 500,000 Roma currently reside in Brazil, making it the largest Roma population in the Americas. 15. In terms of religious diversity, while the country is predominately Roman Catholic, the religious landscape of Brazil is undergoing changes. Between 2000 and 2010, the 1 4 See http://basilio.fundaj.gov.br/pesquisaescolar_en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13 99:traditional-peoples-and-communities&catid=54:letter-t&Itemid=1.