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Women, Peace and Security Initiatives: Brazil
In-country | International

In-Country

Art lessons for Abused Brazilian Women
Women's Funding Network (sponsor)
September 2004
In Brazil, where a woman is beaten every 15 seconds (70% of the cases occur within the home), the outcome is low self-esteem which impacts women's ability to succeed in their workplace, in their homes, and in their communities. In northeast Brazil, the most violent region, impoverished women have few resources. Art courses, in mediums such as poetry writing and photography, provide safe communication methods for these women, while boosting their self-esteem by acquiring a new skill. Through this project, women will be able to photograph their daily activities and their families; write poetry; learn about art history, and discuss the female characters in the stories they read. Courses may end in an exposition of the work created. As a result, these abused women will be able to learn an art, and will be exposed to positive female role models in literature. Recognition of their talent increases self-esteem and enables women to speak up for their legal right not to be abused. The current cost of this project is $2,750; to donate and/or learn more, please click here, or contact Renata Couto, Communication & Development Officer, Rua Jardim Botanico 610, casa 7, Rio de Janeiro, 22641-000, Brazil. Tel: 55 21 2512-2220.

Create Brazilian Network to Fight Domestic Abuse
Women's Funding Network (sponsor)
September 2004
Northeast Brazil is the most violent region of a country, where a woman is beaten every 15 seconds (70% of cases occur within the home). In response to this problem, dozens of small, grassroots women's organizations have been created to provide a wide range of direct services for abused women. Each has worked independently of the other, and can have a more strategic impact by joining together in a network, increasing both outreach and the quality of services provided. Through this initiative, grassroots women's groups will come together at regional workshops to exchange information, share best practices, and receive training in improving the structure of their organizations and systematizing their knowledge for optimum learning. Hence, diverse women's groups will improve their internal structure, increase their capacity to provide direct services, and identify areas of strategic collaboration with other groups, resulting in more success in the battle to end domestic violence. The project’s costs are estimated at $1,463. To learn more about this endeavor and/or to contribute, please click here, or contact Renata Couto, Communication and Develpment Officer, Rua Jardim Botanico 610, casa 7, Rio de Janeiro, 22641-000, Brazil. Tel: 55-212-512-2220.

Week of Action Against Small Arms
June, 2003
International Action Network on Small Arms held a silent march in Brasilia, during the week of action against small arms from June 1 to 8 2003, using victims' empty shoes to symbolize the high toll of gun death in the country. Brazil has one of the highest gun death rates in the world. Nearly one hundred people die every day in shoot-outs, most of them young boys and men between 15 and 29 years of age. The event was covered extensively by national media. To read an article published by Jornal do Senado click here. For more information visit International Action Network Against Small Arms.

March for Brazil Without Arms
Sptember 14, 2003
The Disarmament Declaration risks to be disapproved by the Brazilian National Congress. As a result, Viva Rio organized a March in favour of the Disarmament Statute and urging all citizens to contact their representatives to address inmediately its approvation. The march took place in Copacabana in Septemer 14, 2003. As a result of the mass mobilization, it appears that there will be a vote on the law by the end of September. Click here for the full text of the Disarmament Statute. For more information visit Viva Rio.

Peace Generation
November 2002
Aiming to reduce the high levels of violence in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and increase the participation of young people in educatives programmes, the television network TV Globo, jointly with other national organizations including Viva Rio, Roberto Marinho Foundation and the government of Rio de Janeiro, launched on November 2002 the Peace Generation Campaign. For more information visit Rede Globo.

International Day for Armament Destruction
July 9, 2001
The 9th of July, was established as the International Day for Armament Destrcution by the United Nations, with the aim of disarmament and create public awareness of the relation between armament proliferation and criminality. Among the activities organized for the 2002 celebration, the government of Rio de Janeiro and Viva Rio, organized the destruction of 10 thousand firearms taken during the year 1997. For more information visit Viva Rio.

No Arms! She or Him!
2001
Viva Rio invited women’s publicists, jouranlists, artists and writers, who have lost their parents, husbands, or children victims of armed violence to join and represent this campaign. No Arms! She or Him! was launched on Mother’s Day in 2001, and since then has been advocating for disarmament in a local, national and international level. For more information visit Viva Rio.

Enough! I want Peace!
July, 2000
A national campaign calling for an end of the violence took place on July 7, 2000 when millions of people ghathered all over the country dressed in white and holding lighted candles in a peaceful demonstration. In 16 Capitals diverse organizations joined the national campaign , such as, Viva Rio in Rio de Janeiro; Instituto Sou da Paz in Sao Paulo; Brahma Kumaris, IPAM and Julad in Brasilia; Human Rights Forum in Salvador; Jornada da Paz in Maceio; and Movimento pela Segurança, Cidadania e Paz in Porto Alegre, among others. To read the full report click here. For more information visit Viva Rio.

International

Call on States to Protect Human Rights Regardless of Sexual Orientation
April, 2004
In a revolutionary step to promote human rights, Brazil championed the call for worldwide protection of all persons regardless of their sexual
orientation at last year's 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. At its meeting this month, the Commission will once again consider the adoption of a draft resolution that calls for international standards and protections for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people. The Brazil Resolution expresses concern for the prevalence of human rights abuses based on sexual orientation, and
acknowledges that such violations breach existing international laws. Click Here to write a letter to the Secretary of State Colin Powel asking that the US government sign on as co-sponsor and vote in support of the resolution.