After seeing 21 people killed by Brazilian police, Maria Helena Moreira Alves was inspired to make a difference in the crime situation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Alves, a Brazilian activist, became a member of Viva Rio, an organization she said was designed to do what the government wasn’t doing. While visiting NIU last Thursday, Alves spoke to students at the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies about what Viva Rio has done in Rio de Janeiro.

Viva Rio is a not-for-profit, philanthropic civil association of a social and cultural character, Alves said. Its objective is to create a positive image of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, both within the country and abroad.

In 1993, amidst political tensions, economic losses and social crises, Rio de Janeiro’s population was shaken by a series of kidnappings, the murder of eight children in front of the Candelaria church and the murder of 21 people in the Vigario Geral favela, Alves said.

In response to these events, residents organized a city-wide demonstration for peace. At noon on Dec. 17 of that same year, thousands of people dressed in white and paused for two minutes in a silent call for peace, Alves said.

On that day, Viva Rio was created to stimulate individuals, associations and companies to build a more democratic society.

Since then, Viva Rio has organized peace campaigns and social projects with widespread support of Rio de Janeiro’s residents, Alves said. Many projects are directed at the youth, who are most vulnerable to violence and social risks, she said.

Viva Rio works with local organizations in about 350 low-income neighborhoods to overcome violence and social exclusion throughout Rio de Janeiro, Alves said.

Some of Viva Rio’s projects include Children’s Hope Space, Citizen Police Practice Improvement Course, Fight for Peace, Generating Peace, Help Brazil and many others, Alves said.

Alves said the program will be available to other countries as a model to deal with social issues. Also, there is an internship program in which students in the United States can receive college credit by working with Viva Rio. The internship tries to match theory and practice, Alves said.

Jennifer Truschka, a post-graduate political science student, said the program is important and applicable, even in ghettos in the Chicago area. American activists can use the Brazilian program as an example to do the same idea, she said.

Jan Woodhouse, an NIU faculty associate and doctoral candidate, said students should be more involved in social activities like coming to events like this on campus instead of downloading music online.

For more information about Viva Rio, visit www.vivario.org.br/english.