Mayor Amilcar Huancahuari is trying to convert his native Peru to his…
Early Life 2 - In The Mayor's Footsteps - Brazil
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- Cataloging
- Transcript
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Every year, the Mina congregation in Sao Luis, Brazil, choose a child Emperor and Empress. Watching this year in the tropical heat is Mayor Amilcar Huancahuari. With the new Brazilian government emphasizing Early Child Development, Amilcar wants to know whether Latin America's richest country can follow the Mina example - or whether violence and poverty are still hindering children's chances of fulfilling their potential.
Outside Sao Luis, Amilcar finds the sons and daughters of shrimp fishermen learning ballet. In the hills beyond Fortaleza he learns how the playground can become a classroom. In the drug favelas of Rio, he sees the classroom turned into a playground for learning.
Mayor Amilcar also journeys to the Modernist capital, Brasilia, to discuss his trip with the Minister for Human Rights. Will he find enough exciting ideas to help the kids back home in Peru?
'It is mesmerizing to watch the Mayor as he interacts with the children and families in Brazil as his genuine interest in their stories is so clear. This video explains the connection between exposure to violence and brain development, with an appearance from Professor Jack Shonkoff of Harvard University. Throughout his travels in Brazil, the Mayor explores innovative approaches to education, learning and socialization. The video shows children at work and play, demonstrating the tactics that the Brazilian government and communities are using and that the Mayor finds so remarkable. Viewers will witness a juxtaposition of the joyful children who are revered and the effects of violence, poverty, and economic disparities.' Mary Jane Eisenhauer, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, Purdue University North Central
'These powerful films focus on the all too often ignored fact that growing up in poverty, with the high levels of domestic and community violence that often accompany it, can profoundly impact early development. Inspirational Mayor Amilcar Huancahuari of Peru takes us on a heartfelt journey looking at how violence affects young children in his country. Then, he explores groundbreaking programs designed to counteract the harm caused by the violence in the lives of poor children in Brazil that he hopes to bring back to Peru. Anyone who sees these deeply moving films will be more highly motivated and better equipped to promote political, economic and social justice for children, in their own communities and around the world.' Dr. Diane E. Levin, Professor of Education, Wheelock College, Author, Teaching Young Children in Violent Times
'Promoting Mayor Huancahuari's plans for a future where children have the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential, both DVDs are uplifting and very highly recommended, especially for public and school library DVD collections.' The Midwest Book Review
'The Mayor is a positive role model because of his unshakeable resolve to break the cycle of violence. His intent to shape public policy to create safe, loving, and nurturing environments for children is laudable. The DVD supports curriculum in family studies, policy studies, social work, and education. The documentary would be helpful to those with an interest in the provision of social services to children and families; it is particularly recommended viewing for those who are concerned about public policy with regard to children's rights and healthy development.' Wendy Highby, University of Northern Colorado, Educational Media Reviews Online
Citation
Main credits
Bradshaw, Steve (Director)
Bradshaw, Steve (Screenwriter)
Bradshaw, Steve (Narrator)
Burlamaqui, Luciana (Producer)
Other credits
Music, Audio Network; translator, Bia Carniero; camera, Ricardo Cabellos; editor, Sotira Kyriacou.
Distributor subjects
Anthropology; At-risk Youth; Brazil; Child Development; Child Labor; Conflict Resolution; Developing World; Early Childhood Development; Economics; Education; Ethics; Geography; Global Issues; Globalization; Health; Human Rights; Latin American Studies; Philosophy; Poverty; Psychology; Social Psychology; SociologyKeywords
Mayor Amilcar Huancahuari, Brazil, early childhood development, Mina, Sao Luis, child emperor and empress, Brazilian Government, Peru, hindering children's potential, Latin America, violence, poverty, children learning ballet, Guarapiranga,Fortaleza, drug favelas, Complexo da Mare, Yvonne Bezerra de Mello, Rio, Candelaria Church, Aracoiaba, playground as classroom, Dr. Evelyn Eisenstein, corticotrophin, Convention; on the Rights of the Child,; Brasilia, Afro-Catholicism, Bolsa Familia, Bolsa Escola,; "In The Mayor's Footsteps - Brazil"; Bullfrog Films
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- [speaking Spanish]
00:00:02:07 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: At our invitation,
Mayor Amilcar of Huamanga, Peru,
00:00:06:03 --:--:--:--
a fervent believer
in catching kids young,
00:00:09:07 --:--:--:--
has already traveled
across Peru,
00:00:11:28 --:--:--:--
from the Andes to the Amazon,
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seeing the effects on children
of poverty and violence.
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Now, to find some answers,
he journeys on to Brazil,
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Latin America's biggest
and richest country,
00:00:27:14 --:--:--:--
and to the seaport
of São Luis.
00:00:31:06 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Spanish]
00:00:32:27 --:--:--:--
- I have traveled
thousands of kilometers,
00:00:35:22 --:--:--:--
from the Pacific Ocean
to the Atlantic Ocean,
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to the other side
of South America
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to learn how they treat
their children here,
00:00:44:19 --:--:--:--
how children are perceived
in this society.
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I want to talk
to families here
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who might have
a different vision
00:00:50:28 --:--:--:--
of development,
sustainable human development,
00:00:54:02 --:--:--:--
one fair for all.
00:00:55:24 00:00:58:09
That's what I want to learn
in this country.
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[people talking
and drum beating]
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Bradshaw: The old city center
of São Luis,
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in the northeast of Brazil,
is a place of mystery.
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To Amilcar Huancahuari,
the visiting Mayor from Peru,
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it's like
a magical realist novel,
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colonial buildings
trapped in time.
00:02:03:16 00:02:07:14
And the Mayor has discovered
something even more amazing...
00:02:16:18 --:--:--:--
For São Luis still has
an Emperor and an Empress,
00:02:22:03 00:02:26:00
Amilcar attending a feast
in their honor.
00:02:27:23 --:--:--:--
Their Excellencies' ages?
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Christopher is 11
and Janaina 9.
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In the Liberdade neighborhood
close by,
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Amilcar had already learnt
00:02:55:05 --:--:--:--
how the Mina congregation
venerates children.
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He'd visited the home
of the Mina priest
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who helped select
this year's Emperor,
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Afro-Catholicism
regarding childhood as holy
00:03:08:04 --:--:--:--
and recognizing it's at risk.
00:03:11:24 --:--:--:--
- Look, this is
the Liberdade community.
00:03:14:14 --:--:--:--
The name of the community
is "freedom."
00:03:16:24 --:--:--:--
Today it's become a community
full of risks.
00:03:20:04 --:--:--:--
But we are uniting forces
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to take young people away
from crime and from drugs.
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Bradshaw: The Emperor
has no official role,
00:03:28:18 --:--:--:--
but that doesn't stop him
dreaming.
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- If you really were an Emperor,
what would you like to do?
00:03:35:08 00:03:37:13
- Help people.
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- [speaking Spanish]
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- By taking them
off the streets,
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by giving them a better life.
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Bradshaw: The Emperor
and Empress are on their way
00:03:55:16 --:--:--:--
to Sunday service
along with their subjects.
00:04:00:03 --:--:--:--
They're not the only Christians
00:04:01:14 --:--:--:--
to tap into ancient beliefs
in Brazil's northeast.
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Amilcar wants to know more.
00:04:08:00 00:04:14:05
What's the reality behind
this vision of childhood?
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- [speaking Spanish]
00:04:21:27 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: Amilcar had visited
the Empress at home.
00:04:25:21 --:--:--:--
He'd had a sneak preview
of that dress...
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- [speaking Spanish]
00:04:31:14 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
And of the Empress's manifesto.
00:04:34:12 --:--:--:--
- Hmm?
- [speaking Spanish]
00:04:37:15 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Portuguese]
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- Teach mothers
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that they should not
abandon their children,
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make them work,
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not hit them,
not mistreat them.
00:04:52:12 --:--:--:--
I think that it's because
when you hit them,
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the child learns that
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and does it
with their own children.
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Bradshaw:
It's not just religion
00:05:04:20 --:--:--:--
that's behind
Janaina's insights.
00:05:07:04 --:--:--:--
Her mother, Claudia,
is an anthropologist
00:05:09:19 --:--:--:--
who's worked
with the Brazilian government.
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She believes there's a lesson
in her own story.
00:05:15:10 --:--:--:--
- My family was very poor.
00:05:17:19 --:--:--:--
I went to study so that
I could have a better life.
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I did not try to steal.
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I had many friends who died
in the hands of the police,
00:05:25:12 --:--:--:--
died because they used drugs.
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Not me.
I wanted a different life.
00:05:30:04 --:--:--:--
So I want to show Janaina
where her family comes from.
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Does she have a better life
today than I did,
00:05:36:25 --:--:--:--
a more structured life?
00:05:38:23 00:05:40:17
She does.
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- Well, Claudia has explained
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that violence can indeed be
connected to poverty
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but not necessarily so.
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Violence interacts
with poverty.
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That is, you can be poor,
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but you can construct families
that are not violent.
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That depends
on how you work with the family,
00:05:56:04 00:06:00:05
how you educate a child
right from the earliest age.
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[drums beating]
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Bradshaw: The Emperor, Empress,
and their entourage
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arrive in church.
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It's the Festival
of the Holy Spirit,
00:06:13:20 00:06:16:06
and it's hot inside.
00:06:18:09 00:06:23:03
But these children are protected
from the heat on the streets.
00:06:28:02 --:--:--:--
- When a child
gets closer to the church,
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that child will find it easier
to stay away from things
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like drugs, like alcohol,
like stealing.
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Bradshaw: But staying away
from stealing isn't so easy.
00:06:42:05 --:--:--:--
- While we were
about to leave the church,
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the churchgoers were robbed
by armed men.
00:06:48:04 --:--:--:--
This is profoundly worrisome,
because the children
00:06:50:16 --:--:--:--
are not only exposed
to this situation,
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but they also live permanently
with acts of violence like this.
00:06:56:23 --:--:--:--
What can we expect from children
exposed permanently
00:06:59:28 00:07:02:21
to situations of violence?
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Bradshaw:
Two years ago,
00:07:06:00 --:--:--:--
we investigated Amilcar's fears
about children and violence.
00:07:10:16 --:--:--:--
For him, it's personal,
00:07:12:19 00:07:17:21
Huamanga racked by political
violence in the '80s.
00:07:20:09 --:--:--:--
We learned the Mayor's right--
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babies from loving, stimulating,
and peaceful homes
00:07:25:17 --:--:--:--
learning far earlier
than we once thought
00:07:27:29 --:--:--:--
but science showing
children's brains
00:07:30:07 --:--:--:--
are also uniquely vulnerable
to violence and neglect.
00:07:34:07 --:--:--:--
- There's no question,
no question at all
00:07:37:07 --:--:--:--
that we're learning
more and more
00:07:38:21 --:--:--:--
about how the early foundations
for learning
00:07:42:00 --:--:--:--
and physical and mental health
and behavioral regulation,
00:07:44:24 --:--:--:--
which includes the possibility
of violent behavior later on,
00:07:49:11 --:--:--:--
the foundations are built
in early childhood.
00:07:53:14 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Brazil says
00:07:54:20 --:--:--:--
early child development
is a priority.
00:07:57:09 --:--:--:--
Amilcar wants to know
if anything's already working
00:08:01:06 --:--:--:--
in a country where violence
can be endemic.
00:08:05:23 --:--:--:--
The fishing village
of Guarapiranga,
00:08:08:11 --:--:--:--
on the edge of São Luis:
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Amilcar's heard
of a remarkable experiment here.
00:08:15:12 --:--:--:--
Jacinte, mother of Christiane,
scrapes a living from the sea.
00:08:20:18 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Portuguese]
00:08:22:21 --:--:--:--
- Sometimes
we get enough to sell
00:08:24:21 --:--:--:--
so we can buy other food,
like the rice and beans.
00:08:27:10 --:--:--:--
But sometimes we have
to hustle a living someway,
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because just fishing
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is not enough
to support our family.
00:08:34:22 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Spanish]
00:08:36:06 00:08:37:22
- No.
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Bradshaw: Children here
attend the local state school.
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To Amilcar, these lessons
don't exactly look experimental.
00:08:48:20 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Portuguese]
00:08:53:18 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: But these kids
are not just learning by rote.
00:08:56:28 --:--:--:--
They're learning how to act out
their frustrations,
00:09:00:11 --:--:--:--
like the bus
that never turns up.
00:09:04:15 --:--:--:--
- They are going to do
00:09:06:05 --:--:--:--
a little theater sketch
about the bus,
00:09:08:11 00:09:13:12
the difficulty it has
reaching these communities.
00:09:15:23 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
It's become a ballet class,
00:09:18:06 --:--:--:--
an introduction
to a rich man's art form.
00:09:23:13 --:--:--:--
- They are very motivated.
00:09:25:06 --:--:--:--
They are really enthusiastic,
really excited.
00:09:27:21 00:09:31:01
It's all they talk about:
ballet, ballet, ballet.
00:09:33:25 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: These are the children
of fishermen,
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of security guards,
and of the unemployed:
00:09:40:20 00:09:44:11
elite art
for the socially excluded.
00:09:46:06 --:--:--:--
- What changes have you noticed
in your daughters
00:09:48:09 --:--:--:--
after they started ballet?
00:09:50:13 --:--:--:--
- If they don't
have an activity like this,
00:09:53:02 --:--:--:--
they can lose interest
in their studies,
00:09:55:13 --:--:--:--
get pregnant early,
even in adolescence.
00:09:58:08 --:--:--:--
So the ballet prevents that.
00:10:00:07 --:--:--:--
They start searching
for a better way
00:10:01:27 --:--:--:--
of spending their energy.
00:10:03:24 00:10:05:27
It helps them learn,
you understand?
00:10:08:24 --:--:--:--
- They are more confident.
00:10:10:08 00:10:12:16
Now they believe
in themselves more.
00:10:14:25 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: Amilcar believes
these ballet classes
00:10:17:14 00:10:21:07
hidden away in Guarapiranga
are a revolution.
00:10:25:12 --:--:--:--
- That activity they are doing
with the children
00:10:27:15 --:--:--:--
between 5 and 12 years old
is really something
00:10:30:13 --:--:--:--
that breaks with all the schemes
I've seen anywhere until now.
00:10:34:12 --:--:--:--
They are girls and boys that are
dedicating themselves to ballet,
00:10:37:17 --:--:--:--
an activity almost unknown
00:10:39:17 --:--:--:--
in a rural community
like this one, Guarapiranga.
00:10:43:19 --:--:--:--
What I've been able to see
00:10:45:00 --:--:--:--
is that these boys
and these girls are growing up
00:10:47:23 --:--:--:--
with a different way
of thinking.
00:10:49:09 00:10:52:08
They are growing up
with a different mentality.
00:10:55:10 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
São Luis--
00:10:57:07 --:--:--:--
child emperors, ghetto girls
turned government advisers,
00:11:01:16 --:--:--:--
child ballet.
00:11:02:26 --:--:--:--
Magic enough.
00:11:04:25 --:--:--:--
But time for realism.
00:11:08:29 --:--:--:--
- I think that the kids have
better opportunities here,
00:11:11:17 --:--:--:--
even though they live
in poverty.
00:11:13:13 --:--:--:--
They have more support,
00:11:14:24 --:--:--:--
but I still think
it's not enough.
00:11:18:23 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
What Amilcar really wants
00:11:20:08 --:--:--:--
to take back to the Andes:
00:11:22:06 --:--:--:--
a whole new approach
to learning.
00:11:25:08 --:--:--:--
So his Brazilian journey
now takes him
00:11:28:12 --:--:--:--
from São Luis to Fortaleza
00:11:34:03 00:11:39:28
and then inland to the hills
of Ceará state and Aracoiaba.
00:11:42:06 --:--:--:--
Amilcar's heard
00:11:43:16 --:--:--:--
Aracoiaba is doing
what he's trying to do in Peru
00:11:46:26 --:--:--:--
and start early.
00:11:48:25 --:--:--:--
The idea:
learn in the playground,
00:11:51:20 --:--:--:--
not just the classroom.
00:11:54:10 --:--:--:--
Girls learn about winning,
00:11:57:07 00:12:00:03
kids about concentrating...
00:12:04:08 --:--:--:--
And homemaking.
00:12:06:04 --:--:--:--
And they all still spend
the afternoon in class.
00:12:11:13 --:--:--:--
- If all this
wasn't here,
00:12:13:20 --:--:--:--
they'd be doing
something else,
00:12:15:02 --:--:--:--
like drinking and drugs,
legal and illegal.
00:12:18:17 --:--:--:--
And violence--
00:12:19:27 --:--:--:--
if it wasn't
for this play center,
00:12:21:25 --:--:--:--
there would be even more.
00:12:23:20 00:12:27:09
Bradshaw: It's not just about
keeping kids off the streets.
00:12:31:10 --:--:--:--
Chaos in the playpen?
00:12:33:06 --:--:--:--
Not really.
00:12:34:16 --:--:--:--
It's carefully designed
to encourage social values.
00:12:39:13 --:--:--:--
- This is not individual work.
00:12:41:29 --:--:--:--
They're generally in groups.
00:12:43:17 00:12:47:10
The idea is to improve
the socialization of the group.
00:12:49:03 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Beyond this oasis of play,
00:12:52:08 --:--:--:--
the reality of poverty.
00:12:56:23 --:--:--:--
[people singing]
00:12:57:24 00:13:00:08
[all speaking Spanish]
00:13:03:07 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Spanish]
00:13:08:04 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: The toys
have been bought here
00:13:10:00 --:--:--:--
by specially trained
play assistants.
00:13:12:25 00:13:17:12
Their job: to show children
and mothers how to play.
00:13:21:24 --:--:--:--
- Better coordination,
00:13:23:02 --:--:--:--
better perception of things.
00:13:25:04 --:--:--:--
They have learned
00:13:26:05 --:--:--:--
how to organize
themselves better
00:13:28:20 --:--:--:--
and interact with the toys.
00:13:30:23 00:13:34:08
They have really come on
a long way with this project.
00:13:38:08 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
But this is a poor town,
00:13:40:07 --:--:--:--
and funds are limited,
00:13:42:16 --:--:--:--
these play sessions
just 30 minutes a fortnight.
00:13:46:21 --:--:--:--
Then the toys are taken away.
00:13:49:09 --:--:--:--
- Of course,
in the beginning of the project,
00:13:51:11 --:--:--:--
she wanted to keep the toys.
00:13:53:07 --:--:--:--
But we can't.
00:13:54:07 --:--:--:--
We have to take them away.
00:13:56:09 --:--:--:--
We have to play
with other children too.
00:13:58:20 --:--:--:--
And we would say, "Another day,
when I come back to visit,
00:14:02:20 --:--:--:--
I'll bring the toys back."
00:14:04:20 --:--:--:--
Then in the beginning,
they cried,
00:14:06:23 --:--:--:--
and when we see something
like that,
00:14:08:16 --:--:--:--
it touches your heart,
00:14:10:04 --:--:--:--
because we have to take
the toy away.
00:14:12:05 --:--:--:--
The toy is not staying
in their homes, right?
00:14:15:10 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Amilcar's heard
00:14:16:18 --:--:--:--
the government
is helping poor families here
00:14:19:17 --:--:--:--
and right across Brazil
00:14:20:29 --:--:--:--
not with toys but cash.
00:14:24:00 --:--:--:--
To find out more,
he calls on a local family
00:14:26:19 --:--:--:--
he selects at random.
00:14:28:13 --:--:--:--
They're a little surprised
to receive a Mayor from Peru.
00:14:32:02 --:--:--:--
But Raimunda and Francisco,
most hospitable.
00:14:36:25 --:--:--:--
- How do you support
your family?
00:14:39:15 --:--:--:--
- We get assistance from--
amongst other things,
00:14:41:29 --:--:--:--
we get assistance
from Bolsa Escola, you know,
00:14:44:25 --:--:--:--
the Bolsa Familia.
00:14:46:17 --:--:--:--
- So tell me
about Bolsa Familia.
00:14:48:02 --:--:--:--
How does it work?
00:14:49:28 --:--:--:--
- Well, I receive 160 reals.
00:14:53:07 --:--:--:--
I used to receive 130.
00:14:55:11 --:--:--:--
Then there was an increase,
right?
00:14:57:11 00:15:00:15
It went up 30 to 160.
00:15:02:10 --:--:--:--
And then I can buy things
for lessons:
00:15:04:22 --:--:--:--
the school uniforms,
the notebooks, pencils.
00:15:08:27 00:15:12:12
And now we have to buy the shoes
and the uniform.
00:15:15:09 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
A son sleeping after school
00:15:17:11 --:--:--:--
and a teenage daughter
diagnosed by Amilcar,
00:15:20:15 --:--:--:--
who's a surgeon,
with a benign lump.
00:15:23:13 --:--:--:--
To help pay for basic needs,
00:15:25:27 --:--:--:--
the family get monthly
government cash handouts.
00:15:28:21 --:--:--:--
The nationwide scheme:
00:15:30:25 --:--:--:--
Bolsa Familia,
previously Bolsa Escola,
00:15:34:10 --:--:--:--
the government's main weapon
against child poverty.
00:15:37:16 --:--:--:--
One condition:
children go to school.
00:15:41:03 --:--:--:--
- We don't have anything
to sell
00:15:43:17 --:--:--:--
to pay for what we bought,
00:15:45:05 --:--:--:--
so we need to find exactly
the right amount of money.
00:15:48:04 --:--:--:--
It's really useful,
Holy Mary.
00:15:50:10 00:15:52:14
Thank God for the Bolsa Familia.
00:15:54:07 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Last stop in Aracoiaba:
00:15:56:13 --:--:--:--
the Mayor behind all this,
lawyer Marilene.
00:15:59:20 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Portuguese]
00:16:03:06 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Sundown on her ranch.
00:16:06:09 --:--:--:--
Two Mayors,
Peruvian and Brazilian,
00:16:08:25 --:--:--:--
with a common mission
00:16:10:03 00:16:12:28
to effect change
by starting young.
00:16:15:00 00:16:17:23
[both speaking Spanish]
00:16:19:13 --:--:--:--
- It's very good,
what you have done.
00:16:21:04 --:--:--:--
I have learned a lot
in your city.
00:16:22:23 --:--:--:--
There were things
that I hadn't seen
00:16:24:06 --:--:--:--
before I came here.
00:16:25:11 00:16:27:19
I saw them,
and I learned a lot.
00:16:30:13 --:--:--:--
So I will copy
much of what you have done.
00:16:32:13 --:--:--:--
I will copy it in Peru.
00:16:33:27 --:--:--:--
- I will go there too
and copy what you are doing.
00:16:37:10 --:--:--:--
- I'll invite you
so that you can go there
00:16:39:04 --:--:--:--
and see what we are doing too.
00:16:41:07 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
From the hills around Fortaleza
00:16:43:08 00:16:46:08
to the drug favelas
of Rio de Janeiro.
00:16:53:11 --:--:--:--
Rio is preparing
for the Olympics
00:16:55:20 --:--:--:--
and for the football World Cup.
00:16:57:27 --:--:--:--
But swathes
of this beautiful city
00:17:00:21 00:17:02:21
are still lawless.
00:17:05:04 --:--:--:--
Amilcar wants to visit
the Candelária Church.
00:17:10:01 --:--:--:--
In 1993, eight street children
were shot dead here
00:17:14:01 00:17:16:02
by renegade police.
00:17:22:08 --:--:--:--
- Visiting the Candelária Church
caused a deep pain in my soul.
00:17:26:24 --:--:--:--
Imagine that those
innocent children--
00:17:29:18 --:--:--:--
victims of violence,
00:17:30:26 --:--:--:--
abandoned by society
and their families--
00:17:33:15 --:--:--:--
were also victims of the forces
of order, of the police.
00:17:37:06 --:--:--:--
In their hands,
they got nothing but death--
00:17:40:17 --:--:--:--
an absurd death,
an innocent death.
00:17:43:28 00:17:46:12
That should never happen again.
00:17:57:24 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
In the north of Rio,
00:17:59:02 --:--:--:--
over 100,000 people live
in the Complexo da Maré favela.
00:18:04:08 --:--:--:--
Kids here are quick to say
why they can be slow to learn.
00:18:09:08 --:--:--:--
- The main difficulty
for children
00:18:12:13 --:--:--:--
is the drug traffic
in the favela.
00:18:15:02 --:--:--:--
It stops us learning properly,
00:18:17:11 --:--:--:--
because it's like this:
you go out in the street,
00:18:20:23 --:--:--:--
and you run the risk
of getting shot at any moment.
00:18:25:24 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Yvonne Bezerra de Mello
00:18:28:05 --:--:--:--
was so moved
by the Candelária massacre,
00:18:30:20 --:--:--:--
she devoted herself
to helping street kids here.
00:18:33:24 --:--:--:--
She's started a new kind
of schooling,
00:18:36:06 --:--:--:--
bringing the playground
into the classroom,
00:18:39:03 --:--:--:--
as Amilcar's about to discover.
00:18:41:28 00:18:44:02
- Okay?
So let's go.
00:18:45:08 --:--:--:--
[speaking Portuguese]
00:18:48:28 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
In this history class,
00:18:50:12 --:--:--:--
the first 15 minutes:
warming up.
00:18:53:10 --:--:--:--
[children reciting in unison]
00:18:56:09 00:18:59:29
Talk first, write later.
00:19:02:19 --:--:--:--
- The kids
have to learn orally first.
00:19:05:06 --:--:--:--
They have to understand.
00:19:07:00 --:--:--:--
- How much time do they have
for this, for oral learning?
00:19:10:12 --:--:--:--
- For oral learning,
maybe 35 to 40 minutes.
00:19:14:03 --:--:--:--
This is a history class,
so the teacher,
00:19:16:10 --:--:--:--
in the first 15 minutes,
will only do oral learning.
00:19:19:23 --:--:--:--
[upbeat music playing
and children singing]
00:19:23:19 00:19:27:25
Bradshaw: Ballet here too--
Brazilian ballet, capoeira.
00:19:32:25 --:--:--:--
- Singing history,
00:19:34:14 --:--:--:--
because it's the best way
to remember things.
00:19:38:05 00:19:40:06
[children singing]
00:19:48:04 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: Mental exercises too,
memorizing numbers...
00:19:51:20 00:19:54:20
[all speaking Portuguese]
00:20:09:16 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
And learning to lead.
00:20:12:22 --:--:--:--
- Once a month,
the children are the teachers.
00:20:16:25 --:--:--:--
all:
Two, three, four, five.
00:20:18:21 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Portuguese]
00:20:20:09 --:--:--:--
[all counting in Japanese]
00:20:23:17 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Once they're warmed up,
00:20:26:07 --:--:--:--
they're ready to write.
00:20:27:27 --:--:--:--
But there's a reminder
00:20:29:11 --:--:--:--
of why Yvonne believes
a new approach is needed:
00:20:33:12 --:--:--:--
children still the victims
of violence--
00:20:37:05 --:--:--:--
in this case, quite random.
00:20:40:25 --:--:--:--
- I got shot.
00:20:42:29 --:--:--:--
- You got shot?
00:20:44:10 --:--:--:--
And how? What were you doing?
Where were you?
00:20:47:10 --:--:--:--
- I was at home,
on the balcony.
00:20:49:21 --:--:--:--
I thought
I was going to die.
00:20:51:27 00:20:53:28
It's hurt a lot,
and it stings.
00:20:55:29 00:20:58:29
- [speaking Spanish]
00:21:01:10 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Yvonne's ideas
00:21:02:23 --:--:--:--
for a more active
participatory child education
00:21:06:11 --:--:--:--
are influencing
many schools in Rio.
00:21:09:09 --:--:--:--
She says they're grounded
in the scientific discoveries
00:21:12:11 --:--:--:--
that inspired
Amilcar's journey.
00:21:15:28 --:--:--:--
- When a child
is under stress,
00:21:17:27 --:--:--:--
their cognitive capacity
to think declines.
00:21:21:17 --:--:--:--
This is proved
by neuroscience.
00:21:24:07 --:--:--:--
All scientists know it.
00:21:26:19 --:--:--:--
So I believe
governments who know this
00:21:29:15 --:--:--:--
have to take charge and change
the children's schooling.
00:21:32:15 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Spanish]
00:21:33:21 --:--:--:--
- Yes, change the old system,
00:21:35:17 --:--:--:--
because it excludes
these children.
00:21:37:23 --:--:--:--
Just like you do,
like you do.
00:21:40:13 --:--:--:--
[both speaking Spanish]
00:21:43:00 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: Is Yvonne's enthusiasm
really justified
00:21:45:11 --:--:--:--
by the scientific evidence?
00:21:47:16 --:--:--:--
In the hills
of Rio's Santa Teresa,
00:21:50:08 --:--:--:--
where Amilcar's staying,
he's about to meet
00:21:52:12 --:--:--:--
Yvonne's adviser,
Dr. Evelyn Eisenstein.
00:21:55:26 --:--:--:--
She believes
in new teaching methods
00:21:58:12 --:--:--:--
that counteract the effects
of stress and violence,
00:22:01:29 --:--:--:--
which can otherwise
physically alter
00:22:04:08 --:--:--:--
the way young brains work.
00:22:07:10 --:--:--:--
- [speaking Portuguese]
00:22:10:16 --:--:--:--
- Children
are not mini-adults.
00:22:12:24 --:--:--:--
Their brains are developing
all the time,
00:22:15:29 --:--:--:--
and the synapses are forming.
00:22:18:09 --:--:--:--
And we have several hormones
that are doing their work,
00:22:22:03 --:--:--:--
mainly what we call
corticotrophin.
00:22:27:04 --:--:--:--
So when a child experiences fear
or is scared
00:22:31:20 --:--:--:--
or feels hungry,
the child reacts,
00:22:35:09 --:--:--:--
producing various hormones
00:22:37:13 --:--:--:--
that will alter
the brain structure.
00:22:40:21 --:--:--:--
And then there will be
repercussions
00:22:43:05 --:--:--:--
for the rest of the lives
of these children.
00:22:47:23 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
What Amilcar wants to know:
00:22:49:24 --:--:--:--
why the need to start young
isn't more of a public issue.
00:22:55:07 --:--:--:--
- Maybe because the children
don't vote.
00:22:57:13 --:--:--:--
I don't know.
00:22:58:14 --:--:--:--
But it is important
00:22:59:25 --:--:--:--
that we now have these movements
toward social rights.
00:23:03:24 --:--:--:--
It's important that governments
have the political will.
00:23:07:19 --:--:--:--
We already have the Convention
on the Rights of the Child
00:23:10:23 --:--:--:--
for more than 20 years.
00:23:12:26 --:--:--:--
These rights have to be
transformed into public policy.
00:23:17:26 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: From Rio,
Amilcar flies to Brasília,
00:23:21:12 --:--:--:--
the capital,
where public policy is made.
00:23:26:06 --:--:--:--
Its modernist buildings
represent
00:23:28:09 --:--:--:--
a powerful centralist
state tradition in Brazil.
00:23:32:21 --:--:--:--
Brazil's government
has included kindergartens
00:23:35:25 --:--:--:--
and fighting child labor
in its antipoverty program.
00:23:39:28 00:23:43:15
Amilcar wants to know,
are there enough resources?
00:23:47:24 --:--:--:--
The new human rights minister
00:23:49:20 --:--:--:--
did her thesis
on children and violence.
00:23:53:08 00:23:56:08
- [speaking Portuguese]
00:23:59:11 --:--:--:--
- It is still very hard
00:24:01:03 --:--:--:--
to present finalized numbers
and price quotes,
00:24:04:25 --:--:--:--
but we know that today we have
around 20 million children
00:24:08:27 --:--:--:--
between zero and six years old,
00:24:12:29 00:24:16:24
and we know most of them
are among the poorer families.
00:24:19:16 --:--:--:--
So all the policies that are
focused on assisting the poorest
00:24:24:08 00:24:28:06
have to be designed primarily
for the care of the child.
00:24:35:05 --:--:--:--
- What has impressed me the most
in this visit to Brazil
00:24:37:21 --:--:--:--
is that, yes, there are
experiences and models
00:24:40:13 --:--:--:--
that can work
for the children.
00:24:42:04 --:--:--:--
You can rescue a child
that has been violated,
00:24:45:07 --:--:--:--
that has been the victim
of mistreatment.
00:24:47:11 --:--:--:--
There is a way of doing it
that works.
00:24:50:02 --:--:--:--
And this will enable me to do it
in my home,
00:24:52:20 --:--:--:--
in Huamanga in Ayacucho.
00:24:54:16 --:--:--:--
We can find a way
to rescue the children
00:24:56:25 --:--:--:--
who have been victims of social,
political, and family violence
00:25:00:19 --:--:--:--
and give them opportunities
for their development,
00:25:03:10 --:--:--:--
give them opportunities
for their full growth.
00:25:06:00 --:--:--:--
Without a doubt,
this job
00:25:08:07 00:25:10:26
is a task we will begin
in Ayacucho.
00:25:15:02 --:--:--:--
[upbeat band music]
00:25:18:17 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw:
Back in São Luis,
00:25:20:06 00:25:24:15
Christopher and Janaina prepare
to hand over their crowns...
00:25:28:19 00:25:33:00
Next year's Emperor and Empress
already chosen.
00:25:35:12 --:--:--:--
There's a lot to be done
00:25:36:23 --:--:--:--
to make the reality in Brazil
match the Mina ideal.
00:25:41:00 --:--:--:--
But as he takes his leave,
00:25:42:12 --:--:--:--
the Mayor from Peru
wishes them well.
00:25:45:29 --:--:--:--
- To the child Empress
and the child Emperor,
00:25:48:16 --:--:--:--
I want to wish
00:25:49:27 --:--:--:--
that this love that they
have been given lasts forever
00:25:52:23 --:--:--:--
and that somehow they can learn
and give this love
00:25:55:21 --:--:--:--
to the children of their people,
of Brazil,
00:25:58:08 00:26:00:03
and of the whole world.
00:26:04:13 00:26:06:02
[cheers and applause]
00:26:13:12 --:--:--:--
Bradshaw: To find out more
about early child development
00:26:15:21 --:--:--:--
in Latin America and globally,
00:26:17:19 00:26:21:28
visit our website:
tve.org/lifeonline.
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 26 minutes
Date: 2011
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 7-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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