Brazil. It conjures up images of carnival, the beaches of Rio, The Girl From Ipanema, and the samba.

But a new Brazil is emerging on the world stage. Brazil today is one of the fastest growing players in the global economy, a bio-fuels pioneer on the fast track to energy self-sufficiency, a booming haven for foreign investment, and a test case for a new approach to governance in Latin America.

Can Brazil successfully chart a new path that overcomes the country’s grinding poverty and its tide of violent crime, while still preserving the country’s unique environment?

Will the new Brazil continue as a strategic partner for the United States or could it become a formidable competitor? How will the rest of the world accommodate Brazil’s seemingly unstoppable growth?

In “Brazil Rising,” released in June 2008, veteran public radio journalist David Brown takes listeners on a personal journey across the country, exploring Brazil’s view of itself, its neighbors, and the world.

“Brazil Rising”—produced by Simon Marks, Kristin McHugh, and Keith Porter—is a Stanley Foundation production in association with KQED Public Radio and KUT Austin.

The full program is available as a MP3 file here. A complete transcript is available here.