Project gives voice to vulnerable teenagers during the pandemic

A partnership between UNICEF, Fundação Abertis and Arteris (Aberje’s associated) helps young people from Grajaú and Jardim Ângela, in São Paulo, and from the north area of Rio de Janeiro, on discussing the challenges of Covid-19. The program is called Geração que Move (Generation that moves). The idea is to make teenagers share their yearnings, concerns, inspirations, and motivations in search of alternatives in adverse moments, such as facing the current pandemic.

Geração que Move will promote on-line discussions with 30 young people – ten from São Paulo and 20 from Rio de Janeiro – who will act as content producers in their communities to portray their realities.  The main themes will be fake news, prevention, discrimination, social inequality, and access to health services, education, protection, culture, sports, and leisure.

After this social distancing time, the project will move to the face-to-face phase, with the participation of young people in thematic workshops on human rights, adolescence and youth, safe and equal mobility, gender, race and class inequalities, social entrepreneurship and design thinking. The ideas will be presented to public managers to improve public policies.

“Our priority is to contribute to road safety for all groups, especially the most vulnerable, such as children and young people,” says Georgina Flamme, director of the Abertis Foundation.

For Andre Dorf, president of Arteris, the project is crucial for the social development of regions with a high vulnerability index. “In this project, we work together with local communities to stimulate innovation and the role of young people to solve the challenges imposed by the pandemic and beyond,” he said.

“Promoting the discussion on the right to the city and public policies among young people is extremely important to address existing inequalities,” said Luciana Phebo, coordinator for the Southeast Region at UNICEF Brazil.