Who could hate something as amazing as the world cup...? Brazil could.

        I can say without a doubt that sport has had an impact on all of our lives. Weather it comes from personally participating in sport of simply watching, sports have affected us all. Sports have the ability fo affect our health by giving us the means to participate in physical activity. Sports also develope our emotional and mental strength by teaching us to handle the ups and downs that come with participating in, or simply being a fan. The importance of sports is clearly shown by the fact that UNESCO has officially named the right to sports as a fundamenal right for all humans. On a larger scale sports can be used as a means for economic growth by providing jobs for those who build, own, and maintain sporting facilities, the many jobs that come from broadcasting events and the billions of dollars that are collected yearly from sport related revenue. However, when we look a little deeper into the history of sport we find that it has played a role in maintaining societies which goes further than simply producing money and maintaining personal fitness.

        In Amuse's paper "The promotion of peace and international understanding through sport", Amuse explains how sports can be related to the building of peaceful relations within nations, between individuals and entire countries. However, for sports to play this role he argues that the following four social realities must exist:

1) Providing security

2) building the socio- economic foundations for long term peace

3) establishing the political framework for long term peace

4) fostering reconciliation, healing and justice

        Amuse shows how without these four realities sports no longer are able to unite the masses, but rather hinder the creation of a peaceful and united society, which can be seen in the current situationoccurring here in Brazil involving the World Cup.

        When if comes to the first required reality; providing security, we can all think of many horror stories or list numerous warnings we've received from others when discussing Brazil. The World Fact Book rates Brazil as the 148th most dangerous country out of their 225 countries rated. Although this may seem like a mediocre rating, when we take into account the fact that on average 6.54 citizens out of every thousand will be murdered yearly, the dangers which exist in Brazil can be quantified. But stats aside, my own personal experience here in Brazil has exemplified how Brazil does not provide all it's citizens with the luxury of living a life free of danger. As explained in my previous blog last weekend we took part in a volunteer project playing soccer with the children in Villa Torres, one of the favelas here in Curitiba. After a day filled with many laughs and frivalous play we were horrified by an email the next morning which stated that a drive by shooting had occurred in Villa Torres which left 4 injurded and 2 dead. This example shows why many people are not supporting the World Cup, but rather using it as a stage to fight for their basic need for security.

         When it comes to building long term peace through socio-economic foundations, Brazil has also fallen short in some aspects. Here, in Brazil there is a substancial divide between the rich and the poor which extends into all aspects of life, including education. As stated by the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development, Brazil has an exceptionally high illiteracy level of 10.2% which, is a result of their education system that favors those with money, and neglects those without. From the moment a child enters school their attainable standards for their future is practically decided, depending on whether they will enter a private or public school. For those who do not have the money to enter private school they will receive an education that is sub-par in comparison to the education a child would receive in a private school. This difference in education is perpetuated throughout their life resulting in public school students not gaining the required skills to succeed at a university level. This lower level of education given to those who cannot afford private school then propogates the cycle of poverty since they will not be able to obtain high paying jobs. Because of the disperity between the rich and the poor the two groups often clash, based of different itnerest, disrupting the needed foundation for the promotion of long-term peace based on socio-economic reasons.

Irony of the economic divide

       The World Cup taking place in Brazil has also highlighted the disagreements between the desires of millions of Brazilian citizens and that of Brazi's political body. Many of the riots which have occurred here in Brazil are based on the need for the provision of basic needs to the citizens rather than spending over 11 million dollars to create an image of Brazil that the rest of the world wants to see. There have been riots calling for better public transportation, education, health care and overall security. However, the government, under the influence of FIFA, has prioritized creating a "FIFA standard" experience for all those who are coming to take part in the world cup. Feeling unheard by their government many citizens have turned to violence in order to get their point across - they do not care for the creation of "FIFA standard" stadiums, but rather call for the overall creation of a "FIFA standard" of living. A couple weeks ago the need for an increase in the standard of living for the poor was exemplifed to me by one of my taxi drivers. As we were driving through a favela in Rio he bluntly stated that he'd " rather be in hell, because it's better than this place".

example of Brazilian Favel

         As shown by the previous three points, Brazil is far from achieving Amuse's fourth required reality of fostering reconsiliation, healing and justice. As such the world cup has been met with a high degree of distain. It is not hard to see why citizens are upset that Brazil has decided to ignore the cries for basic needs in order to create an enjoyable experience for the fans who will be visiting Brazil for a couple weeks then leaving. When citizens are forced to live day to day in fear for their lives, it is understandable why so many Brazilians have decided to protest against the World Cup, and view it as a social injustice rather then support it.

Call for FIFA Standard of living

        Through the short comings in the four required realities as stated by Amuse, it can be seen why the World Cup has not been met with adoration by all those who originally supported it, namely the citizens or Brazil, and it makes me feel foolish. When I first planned on coming to Brazil for the World Cup I did not understand why so many Brazilians were fighting against it. I even did my first presentation naively on the ability of sports to unite the world, and how I though this would occur through the use of the World CUp here in Brazil. However, like many other visitors from around the world I actively chose to neglect the social situation of the people in Brazil. Instead of looking into the ways in which the World Cup could harm those who were hosting it, I foolishly assumed it was an honour void of negative effects. At the end of the day, my opinion of the World Cup being held here in Brazil has changed. I no longer see it as a stage for Brazil to create a new image of themselves through hosting this sporting event, but rather hope that it can be used as a stage to exemplify the need for social change here in Brazil.

Volunteerism: A Potential Trojan Horse for the Locals We Aim to Help

Volunteerism: A Potential Trojan Horse for the Locals We Aim to Help

After deciding to delve into the world of voluntourism I quickly noticed one overriding fact; the majority of academic journals I came across focused on the positive effects that voluntourism had on those travelling, rather than the positive effect these individuals were having on those they had set out to help. With this in mind I started to reflect on my past experiences with voluntourism. Two years ago I travelled to South Africa for the soul purpose of volunteering. I spent two weeks working at a Cheetah rehabilitation centre, and two additional weeks volunteering at a kid’s sports development program on the outskirts of Cape Town. Along with these programs I collected and donated over 400 pounds of used soccer equipment while traveling around South Africa. More recently, this May I worked with a friend who lives in Paraguay to organize the donation of over 100 pounds of soccer equipment to the children of an underprivileged township on the fringe of Asuncion. And most recently spent the day with the children of a favela here in Curitiba donating soccer equipment once again. Needless to say, I have fallen into the trap of voluntourism. And like millions of others I have neglected to focus on the effect that my trips have had on the communities that I have volunteered in, but rather focused on how they have affected me. With eyes newly opened to the possible effects of voluntourism (volunteerism) I feel it necessary to look back and reflect on the whole story of my trips, since the opinion of the volunteer only represents half the story. 

donating soccer equipment on the streets of South Africa

Donating used soccer boots to a school in Johannesburg

Volunteering at a cheetah rehabilitation centre

Volunteering at Cheer for Peace in Curitiba

Although not a new phenomena, Voluntourism has expanded exponentially since 1990 with more the 1.6 million travellers a year defining their vacations as having a volunteer component. With this rising popularity researchers have been compelled to examine why so many individuals are willing to spend money to benefit others. Joseph E. Casey a research psychologist explains his take on the situation within his journal “A personal Journey in Volunteerism”. Casey states that volunteering allows people to “acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, hone existing skills, advance ones career, and make new acquaintances”. Casey then furthers his argument by explaining the more complex needs that volunteerism fills. He discusses how in the western world those of us who are successful owe it partly to the hard work of others who have helped us along the way, and with so many others helping us it is almost impossible to repay them all. This is where volunteerism comes into play. Casey states that volunteerism is a means for western professionals to gain the “satisfaction of paying back [those who have helped them] with [their] readily available and highly regarded currency of expertise”.

Casey’s understanding of why people engage in volunteerism is not far from how other researchers explain its popularity. And it is this understanding that is so harmful. Daniel A. Guttentag’s journal “The possible negative effects of volunteer tourism” discusses the many ways that research into voluntourism has overlooked the destructive effects that come with it. Throughout his paper Guttentag outlines 4 main negative effects all of which stem back to the westerners heightened perspective of themselves as being able to save the lives of those less fortunate simply because they are Westerners, or “professionals” in one aspect of life.

The first possible negative effect discussed by Guttentag is the chance of neglecting the ideals of the locals. Since many volunteerism projects are put on by private companies they rely on the income that comes from the paying voluntourists. This can become detrimental when the tourists wants do not coincide with what is best for the local community. The second chance for harm comes when unskilled workers volunteer in positions that they are not qualified for, which may cause “a hindering of work progress and the completion of unsatisfactory work” (Guttentag). The third issue discussed is the decrease in a need for paid local labour jobs and an increase in the dependency of locals.  Next Guttentag explores the issues related to “othering” the locals. This stems from the use of the locals as a group by which we can juxtapose ourselves to make affirming conclusions about our own culture. Finally the problems associated with culture change are discussed, which results from the fact that many volunteer programs connect wealthy travellers with poorer regions. By doing so the local regions are exposed to a way of life that is often out of reach, initiating a longing for a lifestyle that is unfeasible.

With a new understanding for the potential dangers of volunteerism, my reflection on past trips has become tainted, as I now see the potential flaws in the structure of organizations I have participated in. In regards to neglecting the ideals of the locals, I can say without a doubt that my time spent working at a Cheetah Rehabilitation centre in South Africa did not fall in line with the immediate needs of the locals but rather was based on fulfilling an experience that many voluntourists (myself included) desired. And to further the harm done, my lack of experience with large cats caused my time spent there to be more hindering than beneficial. In comparison, the many child sports programs I’ve taken part in, including the one put on by Footlball for Kids Foundation this past Sunday have allowed me to have a more productive role due to my “expertise” in the sport of football. Unlike my lack of knowledge with large cats I can say I have a decent knowledge and ability to play football, which has been a gateway to forming true mutually positive relationships with the many kids I’ve encountered. Regardless of whether it’s been in the townships of South Africa, a fringe town of Paraguay’s capital Asuncion, or the favelas of Brazil one thing stands true, football is still the same game I’ve grown to love. Despite your location fancy foot work will always be admired, a nutmeg (caneta) will always bring laughter, and juggling a ball will always bring out tricks that will be celebrated  by all. Through the use of football I was not only able to act as an expert, but I was also able to avoid othering of the locals.

Lack of expertise with Large Cats

Playing soccer in Paraguay with the locals

When comparing this Sunday to past trips I can say that the program had put in important measures to ensure that the division between the volunteers and local children was limited. This was done by providing activities that were mutually enjoyable. The first means of integration that I noticed was the sharing of food. Rather than providing different meals for volunteers and the children there was one meal provided for all to share. This instantly created a commonality between what could have been seen as “us” the volunteers, and the “others” and allowed for the formation of bonding to start. However, more importantly the use of sports is what blurred away any lines of division. Through the use of football as a full day activity we were able to relate to the children as fellow footballers, rather than view them as objects of pity due to their under privileged situation.

The two areas where I felt there was room for improvement came in potentially encouraging dependency on volunteers and encouraging culture change.

During my stay here in Curitiba the most shocking information I’ve received came from a fellow classmate who lives here in Curitiba. She stated that our donations made in Curitiba would go unappreciated since it is a very common practice here to donate to the poor. She also hinted to the harm it did by explaining that the people in many of the favelas have come to expect these donations rather than work to further their own lives. However, during my time in Vila Torres I did not catch on to many hints that this was true. Most of the children did not have shoes but rather wore old worn out sandals. Their clothes were by no means clean but rather were decorated with stains. Based on these observations I found it hard to believe that these kids often came into contact with donations. However, this could be my own ignorance and desire to believe that I have done something good that blinds me to these facts.

Finally the concept of culture change, is where I believe that we may have caused more harm than done good. On the positive side I believe that by giving out a single type of jersey to all the kids we created a sense of uniformity, which did not initiate jealousy between the children. However, the donation of the football boots to only a few of the children is where I feel we may have caused harm. By giving out pairs of boots to only some of the children we have created division between those who have and those who do not, and as explained to us by a local volunteer, these are the types of goods that these children long for but, are often unrealistic desires. By donating boots to some of the children we have made these desires a reality for some, but also increased the pressure on others to adapt to new social standards, which they may never be able to achieve.

When reflecting on the project our class took part in this past Sunday I can feel both ashamed by the flaws of our actions and proud of the overall way that the event played out. Although we could have put in more effect to insure that we didn’t impose culture change on the group by putting more thought into our donations, I have a positive feeling towards the work we did, mainly because of the attitude I approached our volunteer efforts with. I did not attend the event put on by Football for Kids Foundation with the intention of changing the lives of the children of the favela but rather as a chance to learn from the children and form positive relations with them, which, I believed was fundamental for helping to avoid harming the local community in the ways outlined by Guttentag.  

At the end of the day there is no way I can be sure how my involvement with foreign communities has affected them. As much as I’d love to believe that I have done enough to positively impact the life of a child, it is egocentric to believe so. And as such it is only fair for me to send out a genuine thank you. Thank-you to all the communities that have welcomed me into their homes and allowed me to form sincere friendships. Thank-you for teaching me to change my perspective on life, you have made me a better person today than I could have ever dreamed of being.

Football : Brazil’s Opium of the People

Over the past week my knowledge of the soccer industry in Brazil has grown exponentially. We have had the opportunity to listen to and question some important personnel in two of the three major football clubs here in Curitiba; Atletico Paranense, and Coritiba. Although these interactions have been very educational they have left me with a strongly negative outlook on the way soccer is structured in Brazil. Both clubs boast Brazil’s success on a world stage, with Brazil being the owner of 5 world cup titles, higher than any other country. They also describe Brazil as the most successful breeding ground for the world’s finest players. As impressive as these stats are, my resentment towards these clubs comes from the socially imperialistic tone that the larger Brazilian football clubs exude which mirrors the historical situation of neighbouring South American countries.

The imperialistic implications of football stem from one fact, in South America football was originally a sport of the Angliophillic white man. Acting as a parallel to football in Brazil, David Wood’s paper “A study of Soccer in Peru” outlines the use of football in Peru as an imperialistic tactic, to insure the integration of the lower class into society under the rules of the upper class. Wood describes the first integration of the lower class into football as a means to teach them ideals such as teamwork, dedication, understanding of ones role in a group, and a good work ethic all of which were traits the elite class believed to be necessary for the upcoming industrialization of the country.

The second imperialistic move in Peru came when a revolutionary realization was made. The lower class possessed a real talent for football, one which if handled correctly could be exploited. It’s argued that the advantageous edge that many South American’s have in the football world is due to their dance culture, which incorporates, fast footwork and quick hip movement, all of which can be transferred onto the football pitch. Regardless of where it came from one fact stood true large European owned clubs could benefit from incorporating this new talent, and under the façade of a push for social inclusion, in the mid-20^th century, lower class footballers were finally incorporated into national clubs.

Now turning back to the current situation in Brazil we can see that history has a tendency to repeat itself, and the use of football within current Brazilian culture reflects that of Peru. In order to understand the social injustices acted out by the Brazilian clubs we must first have a general understanding of the current situation here in Brazil. The 2011 census revealed that the majority of Brazilian citizens (53%) are of black or mixed race. However this portion of the population still remains underrepresented in the economic world, with only 16% of the richest 1% of Brazilians being of a race other than European (Edgerton, Panja 2014). The removal of the majority non-European class from the economic nobility shows that Brazil is still a country controlled by the European elite. As such, society functions around benefitting the elite class at the expense of the poor, a concept which flows into all aspects of society, including football mainly through the large clubs.

I was first exposed to the imperialistic setup of Brazilian Football clubs while learning about their youth development programs. In both Atletico and Coritiba I began to notice a remarkable lack of concern for the wellbeing of their youth athletes as anything more than commodities being primed for sale. In a country where the gap between the rich and the poor is insurmountable many children view football as their only hope for a better life, and both clubs passed themselves off as the saviours of the underprivileged youth. Originally blinded by their expressed commitment to saving the children of Brazil, through the sport which I have grown up loving, I lapped up their propaganda naively. However as they continued to explain their youth development programs the visage of a commitment to social responsibility quickly shattered and began to mirror the need for new talent which was experienced in Peru during the mid-20^th century.

As exemplified by Atletico the current practice is for clubs to remove children from their homes around the age of 14 and bring them to their club’s training facility. Although the club claims to provide these children with an education, mentorship on how to be a successful member of society and, top of the line football training, when questioned further only one of these promises appears to hold true. Atletico outright admits that education comes second to a child’s potential football career. Although this may seem reasonable at a professional level, we must remember that these are children as young as 14, and with less than 2% of the athletes admitted into the training program making it the professional level the dream of making it as a footballer is far from a reality for most. In regards to creating functional members of society, after drooped by the club many of these children are left unprepared and under educated about the real world and as a result find themselves lost in a world of drugs and homelessness. This treatment of young athletes brought me to realize that these clubs had little personal ties to these children who they claimed to be saving from poverty, but instead saw them as bargaining chips that if properly sculpted could bring them the riches they so desperately sought after.

When comparing the current situation in Brazil to that of Peru I see direct similarities. Just as football was first implemented in Peru as a form of Imperialism aimed at teaching morals to the lower class to benefit the wealthy, so too is the current situation in Brazilian culture. However, rather than priming the lower class for an economic revolution as Peru did, Brazil is focusing on creating a fragile and easily controllable lower class. By teaching young players to focus on their football career rather than attaining a sufficient education, Brazilian football clubs are destroying the foundation needed by the lower class to better themselves, then swooping in as the saviours in order to benefit themselves. With little education young members of the lower class have no other means of obtaining the social goals of wealth and success which is measured based on the elite class’s standards. As such they are forced to buy into the large soccer clubs marketing, which promises the only opportunity for a chance at these social goal, and thus providing the large football clubs with a cheap and easily obtainable pool of talent.

Put shortly, Da Silva exposes the truth of how soccer has been used as an imperialistic control method in Brazil. Silva states that at a 2013 confederations cup final between Brazil and Spain “the only black faces were among the players on the field and the cleaners in the bathroom”. This fact exhibits the distention of realities between the dreams of the local youth and the actualities of football here in Brazil. Silva shows how Brazilian football is really the opium of the people here in Brazil. It acts as a social smokescreen by creating the illusion of social equality, when really the entire football organization is based on using the lower class as a means for accumulation of wealth for the elite.