People Making Peace Project in Brazil Receives Funding from UNESCO
April 15th, 2003 by sfuqua
Andre Porto, URI Regional Coordinator for South America, reports on a new partnership called “People Making Peace”, which has recently received a small development grant from United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
By Andre Porto
I am happy to share with you that UNESCO has approved a small grant for
the project People Making Peace which is a result of partnerships between
URI, Viva Rio, Palas Athena Association, UNIPAZ, Afroreggae, American
University's Peace Institute and UNESCO (all took part during the Global
Assembly 2002). A meaningful fact is that the approval from UNESCO took
place at the same day the War on Iraq has atarted.
The project, PEOPLE MAKING PEACE was created in order to enable
individuals to peacefully resolve conflicts and build peace in their
communities. The project's partner institutions have put together a
multimedia kit of methodologies, tools and projects developed to
facilitate the practice of a culture of peace. Teachers, volunteers,
religious and community leaders, young people, police officers and others
will be trained using the various instruments offered in the Peace Kit
and on the website. Everyone will be invited to participate in the
Peacemakers Network which will promote the exchange of experiences
through both gatherings and the Internet.
Unesco is supporting the project's initial phase. It is a seed money (R$
50.000 = US$ 15.000) that will enable us to do the creation workshop,
produce the prototype and train teachers of two UNESCO programs in Rio
within public schools and youth prisons. In fact, this way we will have
the opportunity to have a pilot stage and check out the impact of the
project.
We are sure that with the prototype in hands it will be much easier to
fundraise for accomplishing the rest of the project! It is also great
that UNESCO itself is sponsoring the project. They really loved it and
want to see it spreading worldwide. Two Brazilian minitries, Education
and Justice, are also looking forward to send one represantative each to
the workshop in order to follow up and get closer with our initiative.
Thanks for your attention,
Andre Porto - URI regional coordinator
