Over 80% of Brazil’s population between the ages of 19 and 32 own a mobile phone, many of whom are underprivileged with limited access to information regarding employment or educational opportunities, not to mention leisure activities.

Sensing this gap, Rede Jovem, a social program that promotes digital inclusion in poor communities, developed 0800 Rede Jovem, an initiative that helps spread information about leisure and growth opportunities in the surrounding areas of their communities. Among such opportunities advertised are places to practice sports free of charge (courts, schools, free lessons), employment opportunities, free cultural and artistic events (concerts, exhibits, movies and plays), and free services related to citizenship (issuing documents, medical checkups). The objective was to create a virtual network where young people are able to find and discover interesting initiatives that are happening in their neighborhood, primarily those that are free of cost.

Currently, over 500 young Brazilians living in favelas (slums), have enrolled in the program, receiving at least one message per day. The information sent to them is tailored to their location, guaranteeing that the opportunities shared with them are relevant.

Research conducted among those enrolled have shown promising results:

• 62% have used the information sent to them by the project
• 64% say they have passed on the information they have received to somebody else
• 93% find the information they receive to be useful.

In a country such as Brazil, where there is a large gap between ease of access to information between the rich and the poor, 0800 Rede Jovem has found a way to use technology to provide useful information and, consequently, to promote social inclusion.

0800 Rede Jovem

Contributed by Mandalah - PSFK’s partner in São Paulo

To gain further inspiration, why not attend PSFK Conference San Francisco on July 17?More details here: www.psfk.com/psfk-conference-san-francisco.

TopLine Transcripts:

LOURENÇO: Good morning. I’m the only one that would be talking about stuff going on outside the US. Granted this country moves the masses. A lot of what’s been happening in Brazil has tickled to this country, in the arts, sports, fashion. Focus is on Brazil, powerhouse of the region. It has continental dimensions, 4th largest country in the world. Hard to get a grasp of consumer behavior. 84% of this population is low income, make $2.80 a day. Researchers hardly go out to understand them. The northeast region is growing at 9% where there’s a strong concentration of poor. More stable macroenomic conditions, controlling inflation, giving the poor purchasing power never seen before. Brands are being challenged to add value added price. We pack our bags and live with these people in their natural habitats. Fifteen minute film we shot in Sao Paulo. Stress, insecurity, generalized chaos that plagues the continent’s capital city. (SHOWS FILM.) Let me introduce you to La Boca, a famous neighborhood in Buenos Aires – Nike saw brilliant opportunity for soccer. Enter La Boca – the breath that breathes soccer. Barrio Bontio – Beautiful Barrio: icons, advertising, history and art pertaining to soccer. Because a must see in every city guide, gave Nike more authority in creating soccer. Rio is the most beautiful city in the world, surrounding it is shantytowns. They’re huge, and there’s dozens. It’s where the drug trade is centralized. It’s no man’s land for tourists and police. The dream has become a drug lord or a soccer player. They come up with their own forms of artistic expression. Funk is one of those forms. Mixed with monotonous lyrics about sex and violence, danced by mix your booty – sent to Europe and other parts of the world. As a result of that phenomenon – the rear end is sacred to Brazilians – (look up Swartzenegger and Brazil). Brand Rio put out jeans with spandex, accentuates the curves. Gang pants are sent by word of mouth. Made it to the US and Europe over night, people are buying this new bizarre fashion statement. Like the sandals that the helper around the house wore. Sell for 30 Euros in Paris, in Brazil for $5. I encourage you to come down, even a pair of gang pants, feel free to get in touch.

The passengers will be able to use the bikes free of charge for 30 minutes and will pay a small fee should they keep it for longer. To have access to the bicycles, passengers will have to sign up to receive an integration card with the subway system. The goal is to encourage the use of bicycles, instead of trains, for short distances, therefore reducing the number of people on the trains.

More details regarding this initiative, such as the quantity of bicycles that will be available, the stations that will take part in the program, and the fee that will have to be paid if the bicycle is kept for more than half an hour, will be defined in May.

Schemes like this one are already taking place in cities such as Amsterdam and Paris. It will be interesting to see if it will work in a country such as Brazil, where petty theft is so rampant as a result of the unequal distribution of wealth. Infra-structure will also be an issue: although government statistics show that there are more than 60 million bicycles in the country (a ratio of one for every three inhabitants), the lack of cycling paths shows that bicycles are only used as a mode of transportation less than 3% of the time.

Contributed by PSFK’s Latin America representatives Mandalah.

Things are changing though. Informal networks have sprung up composed of a rag tag mix of technology. Criticism of the state is circulated through illegal internet connections and by a hand to hand web of flash drives.

There is hope that this movement will gain momentum and instigate real change for the better. It’s predicted that the 10,000 students at the University of Information Sciences will be key in opening channels of censored information.

The New York Times reports:

Last month, students at a prestigious computer science university videotaped an ugly confrontation they had with Ricardo Alarcón, the president of the National Assembly.

Mr. Alarcón seemed flummoxed when students grilled him on why they could not travel abroad, stay at hotels, earn better wages or use search engines like Google. The video spread like wildfire through Havana, passed from person to person, and seriously damaged Mr. Alarcón’s reputation in some circles.

…“This is going to get out of the government’s hands because the technology is moving so rapidly.”

Cyber-Rebels in Cuba Defy State’s Limits - New York Times

Within it’s walls, the space holds a variety of creative events, with the sole objective of enriching both cultural and artistic aspects of Buenos Aires and it’s community. Ciudad Cultural Konex offers a different and fresh way for people to interact: visitors can perhaps watch one of the several performances offered weekly (very different from what you can usually find in the well known theaters), watch Bollywood movies underneath the stars on a summer evening, or perhaps listen to twelve percussionists improvising new and enchanting sounds on any Monday night.

Perhaps the most interesting fact about Ciudad Cultural Konex is that it has been designed by young people, for young people. It’s creator and director, Andy Ovsejevich, is 27 years old and he works together with a team of approximately fifteen people and none of them are older that 30.

Ciudad Cultural Konex

-Contributed by Luciana Schnitman

The DOMA artists specialize mainly in graphics, illustration, art, animation and film; however, they now seem eager to conquer a sixth discipline: toy design. They launched their own line of exclusive creatures a while back, and they have kept their collection growing ever since.

This is not completely unexpected: DOMA has always shown a strong commitment towards innovation and experimentation.

According to their site:

Understanding the world as a big lab helps to detect the reaction to each action. We are living a special moment in history- this scenario calls for action. DOMA tries to interfere in all the information channels available. Working with the same elements as them with a bit of irony…thus sparking change in people’s perception; offering another point of view.

And indeed, a different point of view it is: among their dysfunctional family of toys you can find an “Astronaut Jesus” (who, as the DOMA team explains, is in the middle of his second visit to planet Earth), a family of tiny plastic creatures known as “Acid Sweties”, and a stuffed monster named “Bipo Capsule” who, as it’s name indicates, suffers from Bipolar disorder.

DOMA

-Contributed by Luciana Schnitman

The new brand will spearhead BMW’s attempt to boost growth following criticism that it is too focused on luxury gas-guzzlers. A spokesman said: “We are looking at what a new brand would involve; we are looking at quite different forms of transportation.”

BMW aims to embrace new car styles and technology in a strategic push to address the problems faced by the world’s expanding cities in dealing with emissions and congestion.

Independent