Perdi meu amigo: John Briscoe.
- Eu não desejava acreditar, nem receber a notícia do falecimento do John, mas aos poucos fui me lembrando dele, e me dei conta que agora água não significa para mim simplesmente um líquido que mata a sede, essencial para criar, sustentar e desenvolver a vida, mas me recorda querido amigo que tive a ventura de conhecer, e a felicidade de com ele conviver bons momentos, e sonhar juntos.Lembrei-me de ouvir dele que Economia era mais do que uma ciência ou arte de lidar com dinheiro e valores, mas era uma expressão numérica de apreciar e medir o relacionamento humano. Esta ideia eu a usei - dando-lhe o devido crédito - num artigo que escrevi para um jornal local.Há um gráfico que lembro vê-lo desenhando numa folha de papel e que depois ilustrou uma publicação do Banco Mundial sobre “Brazil. The New Challenge of Adult Health”, para a qual ele viera solicitar minha colaboração. Tratava-se de uma curva hipotética, representando a vida humana. Para muitos, a partir de um ponto vai descendo até chegar ao zero com a morte. Para outros, o que seria o ideal, mantém-se cada vez por mais tempo num patamar elevado, e depois, abruptamente cai até zero, como folhas de árvores no outono-inverno. Temo que meu amigo não tenha tido a felicidade de terminar sua jornada como ele idealizava, mas pela sua carta sinto que conseguiu superar esta transição com tranquilidade e no conforto do lar com sua amada Conceição, Alexa e demais familiares.Ele veio a Porto Alegre com o projeto de trabalhar comigo para uma publicação do Banco sobre Prevenção de Doenças Crônicas ou Não Transmissíveis. Tive a satisfação, durante nossas discussões, ao vê-lo adotar a proposta de um título positivo, contemplando a Saúde e não a Doença. Não sairá de minha memória o momento no qual fui busca-lo no aeroporto com um cartaz escrito “John Briscoe” para facilitar nosso encontro, e terminei encontrando um amigo.
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRBgIZEq9aM
06/11/2012 - Vídeo enviado por Muddied WatersProfessor Briscoe believes that the Water Act of 2007 is an abomination and was an attempt to put ...
Dear friends
John wrote the letter below for you, a few days before his passing away, on November 12th, 2014. Please forward it to anyone you think might like to know. Many thanks.
Love, Conceicao
Dear friends
It is tricky to know exactly how to communicate one's imminent death. I am now on my last leg and wanted to say goodbye.
I lived a very blessed life as many of you know. This is true with my friends, my family and with my profession. I had every opportunity imaginable to a young boy from South Africa. And always my life was a lucky one with immense opportunity at every stage, including the 22 years at the World Bank and the last 6 at Harvard University.
I lived a very blessed life as many of you know. This is true with my friends, my family and with my profession. I had every opportunity imaginable to a young boy from South Africa. And always my life was a lucky one with immense opportunity at every stage, including the 22 years at the World Bank and the last 6 at Harvard University.
In some ways a culmination of my life in water was that I was named as the Stockholm Water Laureate (Often referred to as the Nobel Prize in Water) this year. Here is a link to the award ceremony.
The last two and a half years I have lived with colon cancer. I have been fortunate in being able to manage it at home with a tremendous amount of care and love from Conceicao, and friends and family.
You are getting this note because you were a very important part of my life. I’m deeply thankful for that, and I hope and trust that you and your family will have many happy years together.
Love
John
My wife's email address is conceicaoaandrade@yahoo.com
You are getting this note because you were a very important part of my life. I’m deeply thankful for that, and I hope and trust that you and your family will have many happy years together.
Love
John
My wife's email address is conceicaoaandrade@yahoo.com
If you wish to commemorate my passing in any ways, I have three suggestions.
First, if you wish to you can send a note to Conceicao. There will will no Ceremony now, but in the Spring, Conceicao will invite some friends to our house in Poolesville. If you wish to send flowers, in lieu, you may make a donation to The John Briscoe STEM Award, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, for which a Development Fund has been set up as a Development Trust Account, at my high school in Kimberley:
Account Name: St. Patrick's Development Trust Account
Account No.: 2007687526
Type of Account: Savings
Bank:
Bank Code: 10350200
Bank SWIFT code: NEDSZAJJ
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