Contexto - Sixth edition by Priscila Bellini

contexto 6th edition

march 2013

World Cup for whom? 1

Tiago Queiroz/EstadĂŁo ConteĂşdo

Index #editorial

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#illustration

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#Brazil We will have the World Cup, but will we have a home? The demonstration World Cup

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#international No rights, no World Cup

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#proseandpoetry

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#photocontext

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#editorial

200 million

hey want the 200 million to be silent. Shut up, in a corner without protest or riot call. When thinking of the Brazil World Cup in 2014, thinking about the rights of Brazilians is the key to understand the current situation. No rights, no World Cup. In this edition of Contexto magazine, y o u w i l l fi n d t e x t s a b o u t p o l i c e repression during the demonstrations, on displacements and evictions and on organizations that are in the meeting in Organization of American States, OAS, to talk about all abuses committed. In photography, Gabriela Batista registers moments of a protest with participation of black blocs, whose tactics have been showed in various media. Poetry and illustration are made by Caio Cartenum in the South American Festival of Arab Culture, and his search for identity. Again, special thanks to Qatar Foundation International for their support in all editions and magazine team. The fight continue, and no rights, no World Cup.

Priscila Bellini Editor in Chief

Seja bem-vindo Ă Contexto! Welcome! Ahlan wa sahlan!

The Team Editor in Chief

Priscila Bellini Journalists

Andressa Vilela Marcela Reis Muriel Vieira Priscila Bellini Poetry

Caio Cartenum Illustration

Caio Cartenum Design

Fernanda Tottero Photography

Gabriela Batista Translation

Priscila Bellini

#illustration

Caio Cartenum is a poet and artist. His work is exhibited in BibliASPA during the South American Festival of Arab Culture.

#Brazil

www.midiaonlline.com

We will have the World Cup, but will we have a home?

By Andressa Vilela and Marcela Reis

“Evictions caused by the FIFA World Cup show how the Brazilian government is still silent and continues to violate human rights” Almost six years ago, Brazil was chosen as the headquarter for the World Cup in 2014. Even before the President of FIFA (International Federation of Football Association), Joseph Blatter, visit the country, which happened in April 2007 to assess the ability of Brazil to host the event, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had declared in 2006 that Brazil would build 12 new stadiums to be able to host the event. The last technical survey released by FIFA points out that Brazil has already spent around £ 8, 9 billion in construction and renovation of stadiums, which represents an increase of over 300% compared to the estimate of expenses made in 2007. Lula’s speech to journalists in 2006, and the data mentioned above are not only frightening, as shown, but also extremely unfair when the classification

of Brazil according to social inequality in the country is analyzed, according to the report of the UN (United Nations) released in July 2010: Brazil appears with the third worst record. The right to housing is universal and violating it is a serious breach of human rights, so the question arises: will the World Cup be for who? The Ancop (National Coordination of Popular Committees in the World Cup) estimated earlier this year that about 250 thousand people have been or will be removed from their homes due to construction works for the World Cup and Olympics, this being based in Brazil in 2016. The World Cup will feature twelve host cities and in all of them there is the presence of human rights violations, such as the violent dispossession of communities

for construction of transport corridors, stadiums or the simple act of “clean” the country for tourists being welcomed. The report ‘’Mega Events and Human Rights Violations in Brazil”, produced by Ancop, said: “The strategies used uniformly throughout the national territory is almost always begin with the systematic production of disinformation, which feeds on false news, to which add rumors and false advertising.” Then the threats begin to appear: “If someone express some resistance, even if disorganized, the resurgence of political and psychological pressure comes. Final act: the withdrawal of public services and the violent removal.”

Displacements - In 2010 and 2011, many lands were expropriated by the city of Rio de Janeiro, for the construction of the BRT corridor TransOeste, which is the main connection between the west of the city and some neighborhoods of the north. The Popular Committee for the World Cup and Olympics in Rio denounced at the end of last year, there are lands that are unoccupied. According to the president of the Association of Residents of the Village Playground 2, Laércio Chagas, a news agency for Brazil, 90 % of the expropriated land was not used to finish the World Cup projects, which meant that 400 families lost their homes without any reason. He also stated that the city did not give any assistance to the residents and that the amount of compensation received did not cover the expense of a new home and he pays rent. Communities devalue the land and do not attract new investment, and the area is considered the territory

www.portal2014.org.br

Desapropriações no Rio

of a real estate market boom. In the Loteamento São Francisco, in Pernambuco, 77 properties have been and are being evicted, according to the state government, at the end of last year. The families who live there, however, claim that the number of homes is much higher. The inhabitants of the place are being hard hit because the neighborhood is between two accesses to the Pernambuco Arena, which will host some matches. According to an article published in Terra news in December, the house of Geronimo Sebastião Oliveira, resident of the area, was demolished and he was not compensated. The state government told Terra that a team of social workers, lawyers, engineers and architects formed a way of dialogue with the locals, but what he saw there was no alternative and an authoritarian relationship, and the inhabitants had to leave without having somewhere to go. In Belo Horizonte, last year, about 200 residents were being evicted from their homes since the initial design was that the Lotus Street in Bethany neighborhood would no longer exist, due to a work for the 2014 World Cup. 9

Local residents complained to the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) of Minas Gerais that foreclosures were happening irregularly. In an interview to Exame magazine last year, the inhabitant of the street, Rosana Cristina Duarte , said that officials of the government arrived in the region in the morning, read a letter and gave less than 12 hours deadline to vacate all their respective homes. Moreover , many residents who were evicted were not compensated. The MPF was against the action of the city council, saying that families should have a minimum period of 30 days, counted from the intimation to be evicted. He added that expropriations can only happen through indemnification of residents.

Bankrupt state - According to the special reporter of the Human Rights Council of the UN, Raquel Rolnik , said to a news portal Terra in February, ‘’the urban legacy that the World Cup will leave is not significant. Some roads and infrastructure projects related to the displacements required for the event, such as BRT, new ways of connecting with stages and between airports and hotels and stadiums areas, are being made, but these were not the priorities of mobility. No other legacies of the urbanistic point of view that may be mentioned. Expected actions, such as depollution of Guanabara Bay and the improvement of the general sanitation of the city, were not realized. On the other hand, for the deployment of such infrastructure projects was necessary to remove settlements and communities that were in those places for decades without adequate alternative accommodation being offered. For

people directly affected, rather than a legacy, the World Cup leaves a burden.’’ Rachel also says that one of the most serious problems related to foreclosures is that the compensation paid by the State is inconsistent with the need, especially at a time when real estate market speculation has increased dramatically in the capitals of the country. In response to the UN report, the Brazilian Minister of Human Rights, Maria do Rosario, told Reuters that many expropriations took place in risk areas, which makes it clear that there was no attempt at forced removal of people. She further stated that “all the changes coming to favor works in terms of projects for the World Cup come to encourage these families in more adequate housing, which is synonymous of human rights in these communities.” In contrast to reports that were and still are published in different newspapers and portals about the expropriations, the website of the FIFA World Cup, which is owned by the Brazilian Federal Government, do not disclose the reality that plagues the communities located in the World Cup host cities. The government keeps covering his eyes to the violations that commits and pretending that people are not outraged by the various rights that are being taken in favor of the Brazilian Cup.

Popular reaction - This statement, however, has not calmed the spirits of Brazilian civil society. In 2011, many of the Popular Committees Cup were created - one in each of the 12 host cities, which is an open, horizontal and nonpartisan group for articulation and

resistance against impacts and human rights violations in the World Cup 2014. Among the activities of the committees are organizing protests against the mega event, public hearings as well as participation in discussions and seminars. In order to expose the human rights violations suffered by the population (in its majority, poor black and people who live in the suburbs) because of the World Cup, the Ancop, which is the association of all committees, launched the campaign # CopaPraQuem?. The initiative has several small images with texts about the mega event and has generated problems explained by the following note: “Today, inthe beggining of 2014, people wonder: but, World Cup To Who? The citizens in the country of football are not fools. Few are those who believe that the World Cup will bring any legacy for the population. What we see in the 12 host cities of the FIFA World Cup: evictions (forced removals) , violation of the rights of workers, legislation exception, destruction of what was public for the construction of a privatized city, the interests of big companies and corporations, increased juvenile sexual exploitation. Added to

all of this, though, the violent actions of state repression on the population and, what is worse, the lack of dialogue and sensitivity to the millions of outraged that take to the streets.” The criticisms made by the Popular Committees beyond the sphere of social movements and the affected population and also reach the planners. “We are facing a new territorial pact, redefined by ancient leaders, supported by fractions of the real estate and financial capital, and supported by the state bureaucracy,” said Orlando dos Santos Junior, Master and PhD in Urban Planning and a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). According to the professor, architect and urbanist Mariana Fix, in a lecture given in FFLCH ( Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Sciences Humans USP), currently the cities are being shaped according to a neoliberal project that prioritizes the commodification and privatization of urban space. This movement, however, was clearly enhanced with the designs for the reception of the World Cup in Brazil, which, on behalf of an advertisement for the competition on the world market has left thousands of families homeless.

Estadão

The demonstration World Cup

By Muriel Vieira

“The World Cup is approaching and there are alarming consequences for the country – so it is not surprising that more demonstrations occur. However, the people who go to the streets to fight for their rights are stereotyped as troublemaker, thug or even bandits.” July is approaching and brings with it one of the most prominent sporting events on the globe, the World Cup, and Brazil’s preparations are remarkable for what part of the population calls “the big party”. However, the Brazilian reality has come into disagreement with the joy of soccer when we talk about the World Cup - an event that has brought more harm than benefits to the country. Given the exorbitant deficit that Brazil has left to its population in the name 12

of the event, the people took the streets in new protests, seeking to draw attention to the difficulties faced. Such manifestations are harshly oppressed and criminalized by the police under the command of a government that “will fight against manifestations”, as stated by Governor Geraldo Alckmin. During the famous “Jornadas de Junho”, the wave of protests related to the increase in the price of the bus fare, the football event was already under

heavy criticism from the people - who claimed to prefer transportation, health care and quality education instead of FIFA’s event at all. The requests were ignored. New protests organized by the movement “Não vai ter Copa” and “Na Copa Vai ter Luta” have been occurring since the beginning of January, initially with few people and now, reaching two thousand protesters, according to the police, and the number grows in each new act. On the basis of these movements, there is the presence of several different movements, all united by the same goal - a fairer and more democratic country. However, some groups of supporters like the Black Blocs have been the main target of attacks by the mainstream media and the key to the criminalization of the movement as a whole. Given the more

aggressive demonstrations performed by these groups - for example, breaking windows of banks and department stores - and use of bombs and stones at the police force, mostly responding to the violent action of the police itself. A consensus has been built and instilled by the government, which puts not only these but all demonstrators, in the unfavorable position of bandits for the media. This image developed with the support of mainstream media intends to discourage protests by placing most of the population in disagreement, which obviously also draws the attention of the most troubling issues of the country – points that are being ignored in favor of the World Cup. Although the event is heavily criticized, just like FIFA is in each new requirement,

Agência Brasil

make Brazilians pay even more for the event, it is almost a consensus that the main problem is the abandonment of the causes of the country in favor of soccer and a huge event. As stated by a protester, arrested during the last demonstration on February 22, saying “I’m totally against the World Cup; I think that the country has no money for that. But what struck me about it is hearing a policeman, inside the bus, saying we had no ‘rights to such thing’. “ In addition to moral damages, the protesters have also had to deal with police violence during the demonstrations that have worsened with each new act. Recently, a troop specialized in martial arts was assembled and trained to act during the demonstrations , using shots of rubber bullet and tear gas – what’s commonly used. Recently, for an arbitrary military police choice, the young Fabricio Mendonça Chaves Fonseca Nunes Proteus, 22 years old, was shot with real bullets and died during one of the protests against the World Cup in São Paulo. With grueling numbers, the troops responsible for fighting against the protests have used force under the pretext of stopping the most violent groups and prevent the harm of public or private property. Among the more than 200 detainees and wounded only in the last outbreak, there were no aggressive members, masked or dressed in black characteristics of the groups that were targeted by police. By becoming aware

of the acts, FIFA said that is against the repression of the movements, and it has delegated the responsibility to give voice to the people while ending the work, still delayed. In a statement, the UN has positioned itself in a letter to Brazil stating concern over the strong oppression caused by the police and government since the first demonstrations of 2013. However, the Brazilian response was sent only on the first of February this year. In the letter, the international organization said the country is violating human rights by using force in an exaggerated manner, arresting protesters and not use their weapons correctly (referring to gas bombs thrown at restaurants , colleges), etc. Although the letter has been answered, none of the demands made by the agency were commented or fulfilled. In order to prevent any acts that put the event in “danger”, as the AntiTerrorism laws are being drafted and voted on, the clauses put on the agenda much more complete violation of freedom of expression than the protection of fans and players. Those who believe that the laws only apply to events, have made a terrible mistake. Any means of spread of ideas contrary to government event or “terrorism” are also considered prohibited. These measures show up as a possible means to contain the demonstrations relating not only to the World Cup , it will be valid even after the end of the event , but also to any movement capable of

opposing the government. Among famous players and football personalities , opinions are divided and are clearly divergent. The coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, former coach and current technical coordinator of the Brazilian national football team, told CBN radio on February 26 his harsh criticism of the organization of the World Cup, saying that Brazil lost the opportunity to prove to be a better country. Parreira also declared support for the demonstrations saying “The World Cup is not only the stadium, the fan does not live inside the stadium” and “There’s a lot wrong in Brazil”. In return, French player Zidane who criticized the World Cup in Brazil saying the country needed more hospitals rather than football, Ronaldo Nazario, former football player and current member

of the Board of Directors of the Local Organising Committee of the FIFA World Cup 2014 said that “you can’t make a World Cup with hospitals.” Along with it, the icon of Brazilian football, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele, asked for “awareness” to the protesters saying “Brazilian are not helping the party” and calling for an end to protests. Behind the scenes of the event, things are not quieter than the streets of Brazil. FIFA says that does not fear the protests, but is concerned that the works do not end on time, even though the country has had seven years to complete it. In a statement, Joseph Blatter - FIFA President - said that “Brazil has begun to prepare for the World Cup too late” and that “it is the country with more delays since I work at FIFA”. It is said which was perhaps the greatest strategic

i0.statig.com.br

blunder in the history of the institution and although investments have been enormous, there are six stadiums to be completed by the start of the event, out the other reforms remain. If what you see in stadiums was not expected by Blatter, just go to a clinic or public hospital to understand what led the people to the streets against the event. Medicines distributed by the Unified Health System (SUS) are not found, critical to the treatment of the poor, missing appliances, health and infrastructure, that these questions should be manutenidos by government funds not arriving - or diverted used for buildings Cup . The extremely poor , public education has lousy wages for teachers - some came out in protest in Rio de Janeiro and were harshly repressed by the government - and scrapped schools. In transportation, the efforts of the Free Pass Movement (MPL) in June kept the tickets priced at three reais (about a dollar and twenty-eight cents), however, trains and metros still always crowded. Just a quick search and not very deep in order to see the various national issues that call for much more attention than the World Cup, and the population

is entitled to claim this more careful look from the government. However, the country of football is not the country of human rights and justice. President Dilma Rousseff and Governor Geraldo Alckmin and the other rpresentants of the state have tried to hide the manifestations as crimes that must be punished, something that does not deserve international attention, and use all the force needed to make it happen. The Brazilian people learned what can and should be heard and these events will not be silenced. The consciousness that permeates mainly young people is that it is better be called a bandit than shut up and be a coward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brazil can not to be changed, but we will not be in the picture of cowards. Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s messing up are the politiciansâ&#x20AC;?, according to a protester.

www.cearaagora.com.br

#international

No rights, no World Cup By Priscila Bellini

Brazilian organizations were in Wasington DC, United States, to denounce the abuses committed by the Brazilian government during the demonstrations. Police violence was evident in the present cases in protests against the World Cup - but not only in the protests against the event, since that violence is now institutionalized. After all, what were the demands of the social movements that were in the Organization of American States, to denounce abuses? The full report of Conectas, one of the organizations which represented Brazilians who suffered with constant violations of the right to protest, reiterates some aspects that had barely been showed in the media: deaths in the protests, not only those against the FIFA World Cup. Luiz Felipe Aniceto de Almeida , who died in 2013 when he fell off an overpass after police crackdown in protest against the event, in Minas Gerais; Tasman Acioly Amaral, 72, hit by a car when he was runing away from police repression in Rio de Janeiro; Leoni Maria de Sena Fonseca, who suffered heart attack and arrhythmia because of tear gas launched by PM and died right after that. These are just a few names of the dead who were victims of police action - and completely ignored or quickly forgotten by the media. Brazil did not use the chance to put in debate the action of policemen in violent protests during the OAS meeting. Among the issues to which Brazil didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reply, there are twelve major.

1) End the imposition of limits or restrictions on public gatherings 2) Inform and publish any material (sound and image) captured by police 3) That no citizen is prevented from registering images in protests 4) Prohibit the use of firearms and limit the use of less-lethal weapons 5) That all military police are nominally identified 6) Provide technical training to policemen operating in demonstrations 7) Normative act with performance parameters for PM 8) New public safety system , based on human rights 9) Accountability of autonomous agents by the supervisory bodies 10) Take the arrested to the nearest police stations and ensure the presence of lawyers 11) Teenagers and children detainees must be brought to special units 12) Larger spheres of dialogue between government and civil society

Organizations:

- JustiĂ§a Global - Access to justice, human rights, public safety and against institutionalized violence.

- ComitĂŞs Populares (Portal Popular da Copa e das OlimpĂadas) - national and regional popular movement in the cities where the event will take place.

- Instituto dos Defensores dos Direitos Humanos - raising awareness about the human rights and free legal advice.

- Artigo 19 - fighting for the freedom of expression and information, denouncing the governments and organizations that act against it.

- Sindicato dos Jornalistas do Rio de Janeiro - fights for free journalism and against censorship.

#proseandpoetry

Simplest Joy The green sail and the sea The wind blows hope The flute gives us a song and a tiny body dances and a tiny body spins And moves itself like the wind In the tenderness of life In the happiness of this play

Sailor Heart Open mind, carefully listening to the melody I free my mind and follow my lodestar I sail through the vast sea with my keen ears listening to what the nighty wind comes to tell me The wind blows and take me to a place I once have been Where mytical creatures live in the lost land Enormous trees and giant flowers Splendid palaces and colorful paintings Things are infinite, all the flavours are one one single dream in the poems I write.

Caio Cartenum is a poet and artist. His work is exhibited in BibliASPA during the South American Festival of Arab Culture.

#photocontext

Black Blocs In each protest, the black blocs gain more importance and are showed in the mainstream media. In these photos, some moments of the demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro.

Gabriela Batista is a photographer and studies Journalism at PUC-SP

contexto