5) Description of initiative: In Brasil, violence is one of the most important issues in the national agenda. Amongst several questions around this issue there are systemic violations of the rights of teens under the responsibility of the State in consequence of the legal infractions they have incurred in.

It is in this context that AMAR was born as sign of the indignation felt by mothers of teens imprisoned at the FEBEM (State Foundation for the well being of the teenager) in consequence of the treatment those teenagers were given at the institution. FEBEM aims at children and teenagers from 12 to 18 years old.

AMAR’s main objective is to increase the probability of a successful re-integration of a young person into society and to reduce probability of fall backs into crime. Currently, AMAR has two headquarters: one in downtown Sao Paulo, close to the Square of the Republic, and a second one in the surroundings of the big city, where violence levels are the highest.

The direct beneficiaries of AMAR projects are young people with freedom constraints or assisted freedom, as well as their relatives, supported by individual psychological sessions supplied by the entity and collective sessions. AMAR also acts in advance, supplying activities that involve the whole community of Cidade Tiradentes through its library, toys rooms and other spaces that gather the community.

The activities lead to a decrease in the levels of come back to violence, as well as they lead to peaceful conflict resolution because they require, through the visits to the units, the respect for the right of the teenager.

6) Description of innovation: AMAR’s innovative aspects are perceptible in the association’s contents and objectives. It is the first association of mothers with the objective of monitoring government policies aiming at protecting the human rights of the teenagers under arrest. In a context of violence and governmental decline of responsibility, these mothers and relatives of teenagers have started getting organized in order to claim the rights of their sons to the public authorities. Despite the challenges concerning financial sustainability, AMAR has inspired, with its pioneering and well-succeeded acts, the creation of similar foundations in eleven different Brazilian cities.

7) Delivery model: AMAR’s methodology is based in the interdisciplinary efforts of family and community. Activities are developed through the following types of initiatives: i) visits to FEBEM units in order to check the real conditions imprisoned people live in; ii) support to the family via psychologists and sociologists; iii) legal assistance to the families and to the imprisoned people; iv) intervention to the Department of Infancy and Youth (DEIJ), Prosecuting Counsel and the Ministry of Education in order to increase the pressure on the authorities to respect the rights of children and teenagers.

8) Key operational partnerships: In 2002, AMAR signed the first agreement with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). The association has gained a professional team that guarantees the psychological sessions to the families and to the teenagers, as well as the mobilization of mothers as social leaders. This partnership has allowed other agreements with other institutions: OAB (College of Lawyers of Brazil), Tutors Council, Iianud (UN Latin American Institute for the prevention of crime and treatment of the criminal) and the Foundation Abrinq for the Rights of Children and Teenagers. In 2003, the prevention works and social re-integration started in the location made available by Cohab in the community of Cidade Tiradentes. In 2004, the partnership with Conectas Human Rights was strengthened through initiatives such as legal assistance to the families.

9) Financial model: AMAR acts directly with people with low resources, namely teenagers in risky situations who are visited in the units where they live imprisoned. AMAR also has programs that help mothers, generally with low income, to generate income. The President lives in the surroundings of Sao Paulo where the association also has one of its offices. This fact enables this approach.

For example, in Cidade Tiradentes, a poor neighborhood in the city of Sao Paulo, we develop recreational activities with the population in order to prevent crime and incentive social inclusion. Amongst these activities, we would like to name capoeira, karate, additional school classes and the toys room.

          • Costs as percentage of income: -

          • Financing: Sustainable/profitable? AMAR does not generate income. Its financing is guaranteed by institutional partnerships and specific programs. Thus, AMAR essentially depends on the approval of projects and partnerships aiming at expanding its activity. However, the association is constantly worried about its long-term sustainability and that explains the importance we attach to prices and projects aiming at recognizing our work and at supporting it expansion.

10) Effectiveness

          • Project outcomes: So far, there are three main results of the project: 1) Through AMAR, the level of relapsing has considerably reduced among teenagers in FEBEM (around 7% amongst people assisted by AMAR versus 20% in the others) 2) The partnership celebrated between AMAR and the Program for Justice of Conectas Human Rights has given more visibility to practices of torture at FEBEM and their judicial consequences in terms of identification of responsibilities and compensation of victims. 3) In 2004, when AMAR realized that the situation lived by teenagers at FEBEM was similar to other lived in other states, created a national network. Currently, AMAR is in the following states: Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Piauí and Porto Alegre. In the following months, AMAR will expand to Pernambuco, Salvador, Sergipe, Rio Grande do Norte and Acre. During its existence, AMAR has reached several accomplishments. AMAR has gained recognition as a political actor in the fight for children’s and teenagers’ rights and has conquered progressively more political more for debate and decision.

          • Number of clients in past year: AMAR has recently developed several activities. In the location Cidade Tiradentesm AMAR has assisted 133 children in social and recreational activities that aim at preventing crime and fostering social inclusion. On the top of that, there have been 460 cases of psychological and social intervention; one public event every week since June 2003 (this strategy has been replaced in 2004 by two large scale public events); six public campaigns for the rights of children and teenagers in partnership with other entities; and the judicial cases mentioned above in partnership with Conectas Human Rights. Over the last year, directly and indirectly, AMAR has attended 1500 teenagers in risk.

11) Scaling up strategy

          • Stage of the initiative: Scaling Up stage.

          • Expansion plan: The main objectives for the next three years are: i) Mobilization and identification of mothers as well as education of families about the importance of families involvement before, during and after imprisonment of the children; ii) Follow and support AMAR’s expansion process nationwide; iii) Guarantee the judicial assistance of teenagers integrated in the project, through establishment of partnerships.

12) Origin of the initiative: AMAR was founded by a group of 32 mothers indignant by tortures suffered by their children imprisoned at FEBEM in those times. Today, AMAR has several collaborators and partners with whom develops its activities. The President of AMAR since 1999 is Conceição Paganele, 49 years old, mother of six, one of those formerly imprisoned at FEBEM. Conceição Pabanele was born in a rural area of the municipality of Conde, State of Bahia, and now lives in a residential agglomerate of Cidade Tiradentes (Sao Paulo) – a neighborhood with 190 thousand inhabitants that ranks fourth in the list of social exclusion in Sao Paulo. Conceição is a widow since she was 29 and has raised her children by herself with an allowance of less than two minimum wages (US$ 100). In order to increase the household income, she has worked as cleaning lady and paper collector. She started working when she was 12 teaching children and adults how to read in a rural school. In 2001, AMAR was awarded with the National Price for Human Rights and in 2003, Conceição Paganele was awarded with the National Price for Human Rights. Nowadays, Conceição Paganele is a fellow of Ashoka.

Contact Information:
Maria da Conceição  Andrade Paganele Santos
Ashoka Fellow
Presidente
AMAR – Associação de Mães e Amigos da Criança e do Adolescente em Risco
(ONG)
Brazil
Website: http://amar.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal