The passing of another anniversary of the 1988 Constitution on October 5th brings to mind one of the most important chapters in the 200th anniversary of the Senate: that of the popular mobilization for the construction of the country's highest law. One of the best examples of this history are the 72,719 letters sent by citizens to the constituents between 1986 and 1987. Until now, they were only accessible through a little-known database on the Senate portal. From now on, they can also be explored through a platform that makes it easier to search for themes, cities, and the names of the authors—a tool developed especially for this article (see below).

The initiative to invite people to contribute suggestions to the Constitution was part of the context of the country's re-democratization in the 1980s. After two decades of military dictatorship, society was signaling its desire for greater participation in political decisions. Between 1983 and 1984, the Diretas Já [Direct Elections Now] campaign brought millions of people to the streets of the main cities.

When, in 1985, the then President of Brazil, José Sarney, called for a Constitutional Convention, various sectors of civil society came together to take part in the process. The slogan "Constituinte sem povo não cria nada de novo” [Convention without the people brings no change] reflected the aspirations of the time.

This spirit was captured by the senators and deputies of the Convention. They provided for participatory mechanisms in the Assembly's house rules. More than a thousand people were heard at public hearings. And 122 popular amendments organized by associations received more than 12 million signatures and were delivered to the parliamentarians. But that's another great story of the Convention. The story of the letters to the Constitution, told here, followed a different path.

Initially named Diga Gente [Say, People] and then Projeto Constituição [Constitution Project], the idea for the letters came from Senate civil servant William Dupin, who at the time headed the Special Projects Coordination Office at Prodasen—the body responsible for information technology in the House. The then chairman of the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), Senator José Ignácio Ferreira, from Espírito Santo, supported the initiative.

However, the high costs of the project led Dupin to seek support from the private sector. Mass media conglomerate Globo Organization financed part of the costs and ran advertisements promoting the campaign, in exchange for including the company's logo on the printed forms that would be distributed.

Although it ensured that the idea was viable, the solution was not without its critics. The pertinence of the partnership with a private company was seen as a risk to the impartiality that should characterize public administration. In any case, the project was launched in June 1986.

Five million forms were distributed to the municipalities in proportion to their population. The forms were available at post offices, but there were also collection points in town halls and legislative assemblies. In addition, political parties were able to deliver forms directly to their members.

After almost a year, more than 72,000 completed forms arrived at the Senate. As they arrived, a group coordinated by Prodasen, including staff from the House and students from the University of Brasilia (UnB), sorted the messages into 24 thematic areas and typed them up so that they could be entered into a database in the newly created Sistema de Apoio Informático à Constituinte [Constitutional Convention Computer Support System] (Saic, in the original acronym).

Who were the authors?

In 1987, Francisco Alves Mendes Filho wrote one of the letters that reached Prodasen. In handwritten text, the message sent from the interior of Acre defended the preservation of the Amazon rainforest through the creation of extractive reserves.

The following year, just before Christmas, Francisco was shot dead on his doorstep at the age of 44. It was only then that the name Chico Mendes became known throughout the country as a rubber tapper leader and an inspiration for the environmental cause. The murder had repercussions around the world.

Although Chico Mendes' letter and those of other personalities draw attention because of the names of the senders, the collection stored at Saic reveals a country dreamt up by anonymous citizens.

—There is a population that is crying out for improvements in transportation, health, and education,—said French Brazilianist Stéphane Monclaire in an interview with Jornal do Senado in 2013.

Professor of political science at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Monclaire organized and co-authored the book A Constituição Desejada [The Desired Constitution, free translation], published by the Senate in 1991 with a sociological analysis of the suggestions sent to the constituents.

In the book, Professor Clóvis de Barros Filho, author of one of the chapters and currently one of the country's most prominent philosophers, states that the letters "are qualitatively more important for science" than public opinion polls. Even considering that the group of senders was not a representative sample of the entire Brazilian population at the time.

For him, by opening up a space for suggestions, without pre-formatted options, the Projeto Constituição's forms would provide more accurate analyses of citizens' political positions.

What were the messages asking for?

The more than 72,000 letters sent to the Senate generally contained informal appeals, without legal formatting.

—People are expressing their anguish about life's difficulties. And they expect everything from the Constitutional Convention. Everything, that is, a better life, —said Professor Stéphane Monclaire, in the same interview with Jornal do Senado (the professor died in Brazil in 2016 after almost 30 years dedicated to the study of Brazilian issues).