ABSTRACT
Sustainability does not have the same connotations for the Brazilian people as it does for many Europeans or North Americans. Besides cultural differences, economic, environmental, and educational factors also need to be considered. From the South, it seems that sustainability in the developed countries means to preserve the present status, to have the same quality of life without causing ecological impact, if possible. But for the poorest communities of Brazil, sustainability means having enough food, safe shelter, and access to health services, and these depend upon getting a job, and having a job depends on education—to be able to learn enough to be employable.
