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The paper examines, summarily, the sociological debate about concept of secularization and compares it to the concept of laicity. It analyses the limits of Brazilian laicity and focuses on the relationship between religion and politics in Brazil. It shows that the competition between Catholics and Pentecostals extrapolated the religious field and migrated to the spheres midiatic and politics. And highlights the occurrence of intenses clashes in Brazilian public sphere between Christian and laics groups about the place and role of religion, laicity of State, human rights, social, sexual and reproductive rights of minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first part of this paper presents the legal status of 27 European Economic Community and 20 Latin-American countries with respect to the relations established between the State and religions. There are three most salient models: countries with a regime of separation between State and church; countries adopting the separation between religion and State including particular provisions for certain religions or churches; and finally, countries adopting the State Church regime. Such a heterogeneity of approaches points to the existence of different forms of being secular, which are always shaped by the history and culture of each country. This is also the case of Brazil, which is the object of the second part of the analysis. The paper concludes with the perceptions held by individuals from the city of Porto Alegre (Brazil) with different religious belongings about one of the pillars of secularism, that is, religious freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the restorative justice system adopted by the Belgian law, and demonstrates the ways in which restorative mechanisms interact with the criminal justice system. Describes the initial difficulties faced in the early 1990s, during the first experiences with conflicts mediation in Belgium, as well as how they were overcome. At the end, from a critical perspective, designs possibilities for the adoption of restorative justice in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]