Irishman seeking support for a charity working in the favelas of Brazil with the #CheerForPeace movement

Greetings from Brazil,

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My name is Duncan Crowley, an Irishman who lives in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba but who is traveling to participate in an event in the largest favela in Latin America this Saturday; Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro, the day before the world cup final. I am part of a charity movement called CHEER FOR PEACE that is trying to share the joy of the world cup to all of Brazilian society, including the most marginalized.

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Our first event was on Curitiba and was a great success (article here) and now we embark on our second. We are trying to spread word and to get more people supporting the campaign, by both donating money or simply by spreading word about our actions and the wider reality here in Brazil. The day after our first event I spoke on Irish radio on the Joe Duffy show for a few minutes about what was going on.

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Here is our Press Release we released today before the event on Saturday: Brazilian students and world football fans create a cheer to make the World Cup greener and more socially inclusive (2 page PDF here)

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I hope you can support us in any way you see fit.

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Regards from Brazil,

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Dunk

Rocinha, Rio: Latina America’s largest favela

Brazilian students and world football fans create a cheer to make the World Cup greener and more socially inclusive (Press Release)

The international student movement #CheerForPeace was designed by Football For Kids Foundation in Brazil and college students of Junior enterprise of the Tourism department from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), with support from the Curitiba startup ImpacTour, and other companies such as tourist train operator Serra Verde Express.

With the mission of making mega sports events greener and more socially inclusive, the campaign is taking advantage of the fact that the World Cup is happening and shaking Brazilian cities with the arrival of people from various countries to enjoy the greatest show in the world. It is proposing another way to cheer where everyone can collaborate, leading to social inclusion and sustainability.

“While there are protests and complaints about perceived problems happening around the Cup, we are celebrating small steps that will bring peace and harmony during the mega event”, says movemnt founder Paloma Pinheiro.

In the campaign people can collaborate in many ways: collecting donations of football shirts in their home countries, contributing financially via PayPal using your credit card and by participating in one of the Give & Game Fan Fest for the Rest events organized by the movement.

The actions that encompass this campaign are: the planting of native trees by SOS Mata Atlantica; a pioneer NGO in defense of the Atlantic coast rain forest; creating Give & Game Fan Fest for the Rest events, safe and fun events for social inclusion that the #CheerForPeace campaign is promoting.

Geared to football, the Give & Game Fan Fest for the Rest include the donation of meals and football jerseys for kids and youth in marginalized communities, with games, music and fun activities, making it so that everyone has the opportunity to be part of the World Cup and to be involved in this mega event.

The first Give & Game Fan Fest for the Rest event happened on June 15 in the Vila Torres community of Curitiba, marking the day before the first game of the World Cup in the history of the city. The event was hosted by the NGO Organization for the Development of Human Potential (ODPH- Organizacao de Desenvolvimento do Potencial Humano).

The second Give & Game Fan Fest for the Rest event is being organized in the Rocinha community of Rio de Janeiro on July 12, the day before the World Cup final in the Maracana. Rocinha community resident and founder of SPIN Rocinha, Zezinho, Renato da Silva, is hosting this event and has been an inspiration for the #CheerForPeace movement. ImpacTour and Football For Kids Foundation have already made an impact with the community with similar events in past months. On the day the movement hopes to receive hundreds of children who will benefit from the donations of soccer kits, music, fun and the celebration of inclusion in the crowd of the tournament.

The movement is counting on the contribution of fans, both Brazilians and foreigners, as well as companies that want to show how much they care about bringing peace and harmony to everyone in this moment, so that everyone can cheer and celebrate the Cup of Cups.

For more information about the #CheerForPeace movement, the event in Rocinha and how you can contribute, visit the website or contact the organizers. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite football team jerseys & other sports equipment to donate at the event.

PDF: Rocinha- Press Realease (English)

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Regarding favelas, heres some thoughts from the earlier article, prior to our event in Vila Torres:

Some urbanists claim that as world trends continue, soon 1 in 4 people living on the planet will be living in such a settlement and that they are not “falling into poverty”, as is often the claim, but actually getting out of poverty by the fastest means possible. While many in the “West” or “North”, or even Brazil for that matter, view the favela in a totally negative light; a place of drugs, gangs, murder, crime, violence etc… Incredible things are also happening here, some of the most interesting and exciting ideas are coming from such worlds, especially in terms of design, recycling, micro business, women’s rights, grassroots political activism.. There is much for the world to learn yet. For more on that I’d direct you to the research of Stewart Brand and Robert Neuwirth:

VIDS:
Stewart Brand: Why squatter cities are a good thing

Robert Neuwirth: The “shadow cities” of the future

From: For a greener and socially fair World Cup – #CheerForPeace working with all of Brazil
https://anirishecodudeinbrazil.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/cheerforpeace/

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