“We are born activists in a macho world/where the white man wants to dominate our life/killing, raping and violating our lands/with the annatto in the eyes/we still march with the ancestral force guiding us.” From the emotional voice of the 19 -year -old indigenous university student Maria Alice de Melo Silva, who is a wheelchair, more than verses in regular projects and meetings with other young people she promotes in the Ibura neighborhood, outskirts of Recife.
This Friday (7), National Day of fighting indigenous peoples, the history of Alice, who is a student of occupational therapy at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), shows how the mobilization for the next can occur from a young age. Alice, born in the city of Pesqueira (PE), from the Xukuru do Oorubá ethnic group, is a young advisor to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and also a member of the reimaginating future: national network of teenage leaders.
UNICEF explains that this network aims to strengthen the participation and development of adolescents to identify opportunities for the promotion of social changes on priority topics on the rights agenda for this public. Already the youth council was created to promote direct dialogue as a mechanism of promotion of citizen participation.
Alice is recognized for her actions in the Ibura community when coordinating inclusion projects since adolescence. She says her goal is to help with new perspectives for vulnerable young people in the Recife community, which is marked with the stigma of being a violent place. “My proposal is to save lives from these young people. Show them that they can much more. ”
Cinema
In the second half of last year, the college student created the Cineclub Ibura project, in which films on human rights topics are shown, the fight against prejudice and favela culture. “After the movie, we have a round of debates among young people, as well as cultural show with the community’s own youth.”
Cineclube, which includes discussions about citizenship, operates at the Paulo Freire Community Center in the same neighborhood and is focused on more than 100 young people who participate in the project can showcase their talent in activities such as rhyme battles, dances, drawings and graffiti . Success made more people after week to look for Cineclub.
Alice understands that meetings serve for reflections on the diversity and culture it brings from its community of the city of Pesqueira, where it was born. “It is very important to bring the knowledge of our ancestors to the urban area as well. It is also necessary to work to break this prejudice in the city. I have taken this a lot to the periphery and shown to them as it is important to respect and understand, ”he points out.
The indigenous explains that the intention is to show youth the potentialities of art. “When we, with projects like Cineclub Ibura, can talk and show their arts, can make transformations.”
Rap
Alice’s path made a difference, and the indigenous, along with other young people, created the Collective Art in the favela, which already has at least 200 people. “The idea is to bring opportunity, for example, to the periphery MCs to record songs.”
One of these artists who saw life was transformed by the support of friend Alice was student Ramon Lira, known by the stage name of Kim, 18. “I produce hip hop culture, poetry and. We do duels between MCs, in which the artist stands out with the best knowledge of that theme. ”
In general, these themes include everyday difficulties, such as the scarcity of public policies and prejudice against those who live in the periphery. Young artists, with materials recorded in hand, seek sponsors, and this makes a difference to the boy who lost his job in a restaurant last year. Now Ramon expects to live on art and have money to take care of his first child, which is born in April. “We ask if people can contribute any value.”
He says that the responsibility of transforming the scenario must be credited to Alice’s ideas, who created the movement in the community. According to Ramon, Alice’s initiatives have been characterized by support for people so that “they do not deviate from the right way.” “She was able to make the culture strong in our neighborhood. We don’t want my mission here to be in vain. Hip Hop has entered my life to be able to transform. ”
Ramon witnesses that discussions from short films triggered reflections on LGBT theme, black culture and exploration in the professional field, for example. The debate entered the letters of raps on racism.
Accessibility
The effects of leg paralysis since the age of 10 do not demobilize the ideals of the university in occupational therapy. On the contrary, Alice understands that being a disabled person has made her aware of others who need support. “I have been struggling a lot for my rights, showing that we, even having disabilities, can work, study and dream.”
Currently, she lives alone and travels routes that add up to three hours in public transport. “In my debates with young people with disabilities, there are sometimes those who feel discouraged by the diagnosis. They think they can no longer build a life. I want to show them that they can, yes. ”
The college’s eyes shine when she says she wants to specialize in social occupational therapy. “I will always want to help my community. Today I am 19 years old. But I don’t want to get out of here. ”
