The Mensa Brazil Foundation
Mensa Brazil launches the Mensa Brazil Foundation to support educational projects and defend the rights and interests of gifted individuals across the country.
The Mensa Brazil Association, one of almost fifty affiliated national groups of Mensa International, the world’s leading high-IQ organization, proudly announces its new institutional arm to strengthen public debate and to promote initiatives in the areas of education, social assistance, culture, and research.
On 6th April 2024, the Mensa Brazil Foundation will be launched in São Paulo, Brazil. This auspicious event will be attended by members, volunteers, and the executive board of the association itself. In addition, some famous personalities associated with Mensa Brazil are expected, including GetNinjas founder Eduardo L’Hotellier, Ultraje a Rigor front man Roger Moreira, and racing driver Lucas di Grassi.
The Mensa Brazil Foundation plans to create more and better initiatives aimed at gifted/high-ability individuals, which will benefit society as a whole by providing educational and social assistance, promoting advocacy and rights guarantees, and organizing cultural and research activities. It is hoped that these efforts will encourage a wider public debate on the untapped potential of high-ability individuals in Brazilian society, and the crucial role they could and should play in the development of the country.
During the launch event in São Paulo, the initial management team of the Mensa Brazil Foundation will be officially appointed. The team will be composed of volunteers from the Mensa Brazil Association, and from a group known as Curator Advisors. Also during the event, the Association will present its work plans and projects for 2024.
The Mensa Brazil Foundation is the newest entity under the umbrella of Mensa Brazil, which also includes the Mensa Brazil Association itself, founded 22 years ago. The Foundation will focus on the external public, notably defending the rights and interests of the gifted, and promoting this population within Brazilian society, while the Association will continue to focus on the internal public (its members) in accordance with its bylaws.
As Mensa Brazil President Cadu Fonseca explains:
“The Mensa Brazil Foundation emerges with a focus on developing initiatives for the gifted and high-ability population in Brazil, with the aim of opening up opportunities for partnerships with both governments and the private sector, broadening the public debate on this very important issue for Brazilian society.”
Fonseca strongly believes that identifying and fostering intelligence and high cognitive ability is of paramount importance to the country’s development:
“Identifying people with high intelligence is a fundamental tool to help Brazil develop public policies for giftedness and high ability, which currently do not reach the population that need to be served. The number of gifted Brazilians is expected to be between 4 million and 22 million people, but only 26,400 of them have been identified.
Bringing this issue to public debate is essential to achieve full compliance with the rights of high-potential individuals. Mensa has a fundamental role in this work, contributing to identification processes and providing environments that assist in the development of the potential of gifted individuals.”
Mensa Brazil is recommending to the Brazilian government the adoption of a structured national system for assessing the intelligence of children enrolled in early childhood and primary education, both in public and private educational institutions. This measure is already being applied in several countries worldwide, with important and positive results.
In the view of the Foundation, such a model would serve as a basis for the widespread identification of so-called “super intelligent” individuals, even in the early years of schooling, contributing to better guidance and development, and to a greater focus on fostering intellectual potential in Brazil, thus contributing positively to the lives of these gifted individuals and benefiting Brazilian society as a whole.
Mensa Brazil has identified over 3,500 high-IQ Brazilians within its national territory. According to the latest figures, the state of São Paulo leads the ranking with 1,544 individuals, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 373, Minas Gerais with 284, Parana with 264, and Brasilia with 211.
About the Mensa Brazil Association and Mensa International
Founded in 2002, the Mensa Brazil Association is the official Brazilian affiliate of Mensa International, the largest, oldest, and most prestigious high-intelligence quotient (IQ) organization in the world. The only initial requirement for membership of Mensa is to have an IQ in the top 2% of the general population, as evidenced by an approved intelligence test.
Mensa brings together individuals with high intellectual capabilities, and the organization focuses on three main objectives:
(i) To identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity.
(ii) To encourage research into the nature, characteristics and uses of intelligence.
(iii) To provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members.