Culture & How to Use it Against Them

Honoring our youth is really an international issue - and in some places, it is an imperative. I've just finished reading "Culture is our Weapon" by Patrick Neate and Damian Platt. This is an account of the work of the NGO AfroReggae in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The favelas are the areas of the city, the neighborhoods in the hills, where most of the poorer residents of Rio live.
I've been to Rio twice, once last summer, and once 10.5 years ago. Both times, I visited a favela - two different ones. The first time, it was one of Rio's most well-known and biggest favelas, and our tour-guide was a resident of that favela. Last year, it felt much more like a tourist attraction - our guide was a Frenchman who had recently settled in Rio. Most of the people we saw were the electricians sent by the national grid to install electric boxes so that residents could get 'official' electricity. Clearly, there were many improvements - from the new cement steps to the painted and re-novated homes. And then there was the 'spot' where Michael Jackson recorded one of his videos. Ten years ago, 'favela tours' were new - and apparently rare. My friend and I were incredibly grateful to Ricco, our guide. Last year, I felt like I was watching a show.
Truth be told, I've been intrigued by the favelas since my first visit, and have watched many of the most well known movies and documentaries on the topic - City of God, Favela Rising, City of Men.
Why intrigued? For many of the reasons that "Culture is Our Weapon" lays out - these neighborhoods, which are not even legal, are full of life, yet full of violence. There are tons of children, yet very few, if any, schools. There are few jobs, but lots of opportunities for o trafico (the criminal sphere, including the drug trafficking). There is lots of culture, yet factions ruling many areas. All these contradictions. All the confusion.
But Culture is our Weapon gives hope. AfroReggae lures the kids, the young traffickers (and sometimes even the older ones) away from the criminality - and tries to capitalise on their creativity - on their ability to make their energy into something good, something positive. AfroReggae isn't just about music -it is about giving young people the tools they need to do well - whether it is a dance class, a computer lesson or any one of a number of other programs. It isn't about one size fits all - it changes depending on the favela the programming is setting up shop in (there are over 500 favelas in Rio).
It builds on relationships and partnerships between the leaders of AfroReggae and residents of the different favelas. Each AfroReggae chapter has a coordinator, and is set up to meet the needs of the particular community. It sometimes takes a couple of years for a program to really take off - without the buy-in of the community, it would be nothing.
Sure, AfroReggae has a leader - or a couple of leaders. But, in addition to bringing the news of AfroReggae around the world, they empower the local favela coordinators - the residents of the favela, the people who WANT something else, something better, something more.
In the end, it is about saving lives. The lives of the children of the favelas, who are left behind by the 'official' world, the children who, before AfroReggae, seemed to have less of a chance of making it into adulthood than that frog crossing the highway. It is about meeting the needs of a group of people - to help them make a difference in their lives, to give them the option to NOT get involved in the drugs or violence.
AfroReggae is working on becoming self-sufficient and restructuring. From what I can tell, about two-thirds of those who join AfroReggae stay away from o trafico, and stay in AfroReggae.
I find it hopeful. I find it creative. And I really loved reading about it.
But most of all, it was so important to know that objects aren't always what they seem. And tourism is sometimes just a show. But digging deeper, in many ways, brings more hope and a much better understanding.

If you ever have the chance to go to Rio, I recommend it - it is a fascinating city. In the meantime, pick up Culture is Our Weapon it is a fascinating read (and as a side note, it was a gift from my mom, who is eagerly waiting to read it herself).