Rede Jovem de Cidadania/Youth Citizenship Network

The main purpose of the program is to help young people from underprivileged areas in Belo Horizonte to represent themselves and create new images, perspectives and models that may facilitate processes of change in their lives and the life of their communities. Young people involved in the Rede Jovem de Cidadania (Youth Citizenship Network; henceforth RJC) do not normally have a voice or presence in Brazil’s mainstream media, where they are usually depicted stereotypically, with an emphasis on their poverty and on the violence of their environment. Through training and the promotion of public access media, the RJC provides them with an opportunity to construct a positive image, altering how society views them and how they view themselves. It also encourages them to view the mainstream media critically, and to appropriate media tools to make their own media. Youngsters who become RJC’s correspondents develop simultaneously a set of skills and their critical awareness, and take part in all aspects and stages of media production. They are directly involved in culture and citizenship projects in their communities, and therefore act as replicators, linking the RJC with other groups (numbering more than 300 groups and community networks nowadays). The network’s coverage is intrinsically linked to the everyday priorities of these young people and their communities. The content produced includes information about cultural activities and groups in Belo Horizonte, including tips on how young people can get involved in these circuits; formal and informal educational opportunities; social projects; opportunities relating to professional qualifications and employment; and rights and health issues. Through the network, the correspondents are able to present their way of life and their points-of-view to the whole of Belo Horizonte, and in particular, to other young people in the city. Throughout the years the project has involved directly more than ten thousand teenagers and its results have reached hundreds of thousands via the newspapers, newsletters, webzines, radio programs and a TV program broadcasted weekly on the state of Minas Gerais’ public TV station.