UNODC rants to Civil Society organizations in Brazil generate promising results

Special Story for the International Day of Sport for Peace and Development

As part of its global efforts to promote sports in preventing youth crime, UNODC offered support, through grants, to local initiatives undertaken by selected non-governmental organizations with experience in connecting sports and crime prevention.

Banner used to publicize the selection process.

 

Youth in the employability class.

One of these initiatives was implemented in Rio de Janeiro's neighborhood of Cidade de Deus  , where gang violence has been a major problem leading young people into crime, violence and drug use. Instituto Companheiros das Américas (ICA), a Brazilian NGO implemented an initiative that connects sports to employability and entrepreneurial skills training for at-risk youth. The initiative aimed at equipping young people with the skills necessary to enter the labor market, or to re-enter the formal education system, thus strengthening their resilience to crime and violence while simultaneously supporting the community as a whole.

Session on sports and skills for labour market.

The implementation of ICA respected the deadlines established in grant. With the Commitment of the project team, there was a high level of interest of the young people of the community, which was reflected in a high demand for enrolment. More than 300 young people registered for the selection process of 50 participants. With the project started, the youth attended the project activities with enthusiasm and the strategy of using sports to help youth finding opportunities in the labor market proved to be successful.

Classroom on employability during the morning.

An obstacle was the context of violence in Cidade de Deus, with frequent shootings and confrontations with the police, which brought many disruptions to the routine of the project, with interrupted cancelations of classes and student that could not attend the classes. On the other hand, the high attendance of the students to the activities of the project demonstrates the commitment and trust built up between the project team, the students and the community served.

Implementation of Session 5 of Line Up Live Up: Free Zone. Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Event with the recessive scenario of the economy of the state of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, the goals of "positive engagement" with the labor market were reached for 27 students in the period, which means a very good index. Many young people reached this goal with before the end of the calendar of activities. ICA also used UNODC's life skills training methodology,  Line Up, Live Up , which addresses specific risk factors for crime and drug-use. 50 youngsters enrolled in the initiative.

 

In the city of Niteroi, 38 kilometers from Cidade de Deus, the Instituto Rumo Náutico NGO implemented engaged at-risk youth in Rio de Janeiro with a 'Boats as Instruments of Education' seminar promoting educational sport, and sailing in particular, as an educational tool to build the resilience of marginalized youth.

Lars Grael speaking at the opening of the Seminar.

The seminar marked the 20th anniversary of the Grael Project, which took place at the institution's headquarters and which included training, lectures, workshops and theoretical, and practical, classes on sailing, canoeing and paddling. The assessment of the Seminar "Boats as Instrument for Education" was successful in providing training focused on sport for integral human development with emphasis on nautical modalities: sailing, canoeing and rowing.

The activities took place from July 16 to 27, morning and afternoon shifts, in a total of 80 hours of activities for a public of students and teachers of physical education, teachers of nautical modalities, community leaders who develop works with nautical sports, as well as other people interested in the sport universe, focusing on integral human development. The initial goal of reaching 50 people (25 women and 25 men) was accomplished and the event had a total of 211 participants (91 women and 120 men).

View from the Rumo Nautico Facilities in Niteroi.

 

In another part of Brazil, the  Assis Chateaubriand Foundation provided psychological counselling to marginalized youth in selected sport centres in Brasilia, while training them to become football referees. Thirty-seven children and young people in situations of social vulnerability were certified by the conclusion of the Young Referee - Football 7 course. From July 16 to August 13, the course delivered theoretical and practical classes in the field, as well as psychosocial support, and showed another side of the sport.

Classes were taught by socially recognized instructors at the Olympic and Paralympic Centers of Ceilândia, Estrutural and São Sebastião. The course had a positive impact in the youth making them look at the sport in a different way, including the importance of the role of the referee and compliance with the rules in soccer. In addition, the initiative humanized the role of football referee with possibility of experiencing sport not only as an athlete, but as another actor inserted in the games.  In December 2018, three youth that participated in the Assis Chateaubriand Course acted as referees in the Line Up Live Up Sport Festival promoted by UNDOC in Brasília.

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This article is related to the Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 10 (Reducing Inequalities), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Insitutions) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Further information:  https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

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