"I went in thinking it was just a game and came out a real citizen."

"Brazil's citizens are out of shape," says social entrepreneur Luciana Martinelli. Brazil is bogged down by poverty, unemployment, and inequality, and few of its 180 million citizens know how � or what � they can do to make a change.

Getting Citizens into Shape

Although a clause in Brazil's Constitution says that "all power emanates from the people" and citizens are required by law to vote, a recent survey by a leading national think tank found that 56 percent of Brazilians believe they have no say in the direction of their country and do not even know how to voice their opinions publicly. Even more alarming: nearly 55 percent of Latin Americans surveyed in a comprehensive UNDP report on Democracy in the Americas say that they would opt for a return to dictatorship if it solved the economic problems of their country.

"Social participation is the key to a healthy democracy," Martinelli said. "It means voicing one's opinions and taking part in decision-making processes, whether acting within a neighborhood association or lobbying the government for policy changes."

Putting Young People in the Driver's Seat

Aracati focuses its energy on youth. "This is not because it is nice that youth participate. It is strategic," Martinelli says. "Getting Brazilians to participate does not happen with a new law, it requires a change of attitude, a change in culture."

Youth are key actors in two respects. First, they are more willing to participate: a national study shows that young people, more than adults, will participate in forums and councils that can improve the social and economic conditions of their communities. Second, young people are a bridge to the next generation. "With young people, you get more bang for your buck," Martinelli said. "Learning how to be proactive citizens now carries over into their families today, and the families they will have tomorrow."

Let the Games Begin

Nevertheless, youth in Brazil are typically associated with society's problems. The media portray them either as the instigators of crime and violence or, at best, as a statistic: a segment of society that lacks the education and employment opportunities needed to make a contribution. But Martinelli sees young people as the solution rather than as the problem.

To prove this, Aracati created Gincana da Cidadania or "Citizenship Relay Games". Rather than asking students to join in sack races and egg tosses, Aracati went to 23 public and private high schools in the city of Santos and challenged 300 students there to develop and implement their own social change projects.

"We wanted to increase young peoples' ability to create solutions to the problems of their communities, while leaving a seed for youth-led social change in their schools," said Carla Cabrera Duarte, cofounder of Aracati and coordinator of the project.

Aracati's team of trained facilitators spent two years getting 23 youth groups involved in social change by doing it, most of them for the first time. During this time, Aracati also held workshops with school principals and teachers to help them incorporate innovative tools for citizenship development in the school setting.

"We carried out an analysis of problems in the city that had bothered us and that we wanted to change," Scarlelini said. "When we realized that all of these had one thing in common, namely that youth were not being heard, we decided to set up a project to promote youth leadership in social change."

Together, the group organized community action days to get encourage young people to volunteer. They wrote a theater piece about how young people can help others in their communities and then performed it in schools across the city.

More than Just a Game: Creating Citizens

At each step in the process, the group received jigsaw-like puzzle pieces that challenged them to identify a social problem they wanted to change, define a goal, plan their actions, and evaluate the results. "The Gincana showed us not only how to launch an idea but really how to do it, step-by-step," Scarpelini said.

The puzzle was dubbed "Wilson" for being, in the words of a participant, "like an imaginary friend who supported and guided us" � as did Tom Hank's imaginary and supportive volleyball "friend" in the movie Cast Away. Aracati's team augmented Wilson with informational booklets adapted to a young audience on the themes of peace, the environment, and health. They provide basic information, sources, and contacts for young people to delve deeper into these themes on their own.

"I learned things that I think many adults don't even know how to do," Scarpelini said, noting that during the Gincana he learned how to write a project proposal, raise funds, manage money, and even speak before a city council meeting. "I went in thinking it was just a game and came out a real citizen."

SOURCE: www.changemakers.net

READ ALSO: Aracati's "12 Musts for Youth Participation"

RECOMMENDED: Visit the original article et:

www.changemakers.net/journal/04august/fallender.cfm

WEBSITE: aracati.org.br gincanadacidadania.org.br

CONTACT:

Luciana Martinelli, Executive Director, Aracati, Rua Mourato Coelho, 460, Pinheiros, 05417-001 S�o Paulo/SP, Brazil

Tel: (55) (11) 3031-1133, Fax: (55) (11) 3819-8593, Email: contato@aracati.org.br

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