The Caravana da Comunicação e Juventude[1] Project

The Caravana de Comunicação e Juventude Is the result of a partnership between organisations, social movementsand public authorities in some of the municipalities in the Northeastern Region that will develop itself during the course of a 2,200 km journey fromRecife/PE to Belém/PA, where the World Social Forum is to take place. The keyobjective is to contribute to the democratisation of communications, placingbefore the public the content, view points and questions of the youth in theNortheast of Brazil. The Caravana is composed of 275 workingclass youth and educators (16 to 29 years of age) from the States of Ceará,Bahia, Rio Grandedo Norte, Piauí and Pernambuco.   Among the principal results the Project envisages is the mobilisation of about2,000 youth, through the holding of four cultural and educational mutualexchange encounters during the course of the Caravana, in various Northeastern municipalities, as well as aqualified participation in the WSF. There will be educative activities, such as: video productions, the creation ofblogs, video and photo exhibitions, round-table talks, cultural events,seminars and around 50 workshops in various languages on the issues ofcommunications and youth. During the Forum the Caravana also aims at putting before the public the outlooks, thequestioning, the desires, the dissatisfactions and dreams of the Northeasternyouth.   The key impact that is expected from the Project is that the mutual exchangeexperience furnished by the Caravana willhave a positive influence on the educative work of the young people, subjectswith rights and protagonists, and contribute to increasing the latter’s skillsin organising, mobilising and presenting proposals, as well as participatingand intervening in public offices in their efforts to improve the livingstandards of their communities.  Youth and Communications Caravan      Become an Honorary Member of the Caravana , and contribute to making the Northeastern reality visible, with a view to a better world. We will publish all the names of the honorary members on our website and send each honorary member a copy of the documentary that will be made during the Caravana. You become an honorary member of the Caravana by contributing at least R$ 50 in Brazil, or Euro 20 in Europe. OBJECTIVES: To provide opportunities for formation and exchange of know-how, practices and experiences in communication, art, culture and popular education among young people, they and their communities, the youth from the Northeast and those from the cities where the social, political and cultural exchanges will take place, culminating in their participation in the World Social Forum in Belem.         1. To hold the Youth and Communication Motorcade with 275 people, among young people from the peripheries of the metropolitan regions of Recife, Fortaleza and Natal, Salvador,  rural youth, teachers and technicians from the organisations that make up the Project, over a eighteen day period.       2. To strengthen the mobilisation and co-ordination of the organisations and social movements that are working with communication and youth in the Northeast.       3. To contribute to the development of youth leadership among the working class.       4. To take to the 2009 WSF young people from the working classes and the production of the issues dealt with during the Motorcade.       5. To bring the WSF debate and listen to the youth and the communities, their complaints, dissatisfactions, desires and hopes.       6. To mobilise the rural and urban youth and their communities’ potential for hopa and struggle in social and political participation.       7. To integrate the youth into thinking and building ways and solutions for the problems of Brazil based on their proposals and stand points as leaders and subjects of rights.       8. To open the people’s eyes to the reality of Brazil and the world, denouncing exclusion, injustice and poverty. EXPECTED RESULTS: 1. The Motorcade to have covered dozens of municipalities and held four mutual exchange sessions during the course and one at the WSF, reaching a total of 2,000 youth with its themes.   2. Communication content produced by the youth that took part in the Motorcade. 3. Educative mutual exchange meetings held between youth from rural and urban areas, stimulating and giving potential to youth leadership and organisation among the working classes. 4. A greater social, political and geographical awareness created regarding the North and Northeastern Regions, where the Motorcade plans to traverse. 5. To have mobilised 100 organisations and social movements around the youth and communication theme. 6. Youth have held 50 workshops, debates and presentations through various language expressions related to the themes of communication and youth, with different approaches, in five municipalities and at the World Social Forum. 7. Exchange of experiences between the various groups, cities and projects, deepening knowledge on their cultures, organisations and methodologies.   8. The realities of the youth from the peripheries on the agenda for the WSF, expressed in the various communication languages.   ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGIES: The methodology of the works to be developed in the Motorcade will be founded on popular education and within the following dimensions: Seeing and Feeling – To listen to the youth, the communities, to get to know their reality, identify their complaints, dissatisfactions, problems and hopes; Analysing and Reflecting – To help the youth and their communities to understand, reflect on and analyse the causes of their problems; Acting and Proposing – To construct the ways and the solutions, to point out pathways to constructing another Brazil and another World; Celebrating and Communicating – To celebrate, entertain and communicating life, the creative potential and power of youth, of their communities, their conquests and their civil rights.   Since we are dealing with a motorcade where the common denominator is young people, their desires and collective action, the dimensions are opportunities for exercising leadership with the view to construct another possible world.   Thanks to Michael Mc Laughlin for the translation