Youth walk: Exploring Rio cultural diversity in SAARA

With a view to allow young participants to fully understand and appreciate the cultural diversity of Brazil, the UNAOC is partnering with the Abraham Path Initiative and SAARA to organize a Youth Walk in the most culturally and religiously diverse neighborhood of Rio, on May 26. Interactions with the local population, short engagement projects and reflections on this local diversity will be part of this Youth Walk.
Media are invited to cover this Youth Walk.


The UNAOC Youth Program is teaming up with the Abraham Path Initiative and a local NGO to offer young Forum participants an immersion in the most culturally and religiously diverse neighborhood in Rio. SAARA is popular area located in downtown Rio de Janeiro. As SAARA is close to the port, this area served as a first home for a large number of Syrian, Lebanese, Jewish, Greek, Turk, Spanish, Portuguese and Argentine migrants coming to Brazil by the end of 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of these migrants were escaping the First World War and found in Brazil a country of peace, with perspectives for a better future. More recently, migrants from Asian countries such as Japan and China joined the peaceful mix of people living in SAARA, nowadays called the small Brazilian United Nations.

Around 120 youth from all over the world will come to the Rio to contribute their own unique experience, expertise and thoughts on the various themes to be discussed during the Third Annual Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations. Before doing so, the young participants will take part in a Youth Event on May 27 as well as this Cultural Walk in the SAARA neighborhood during the afternoon of May 26.

With a view to allow young participants to fully understand and appreciate the cultural diversity of Brazil, the UNAOC is partnering with the Brazilian chapter of the Abraham Path Initiative (see http://www.abrahampath.org/flash/index.html) and a community-based NGO from the SAARA neighborhood to organize this Cultural Youth Walk. Interactions with the local population, short engagement projects and reflections on this local diversity will be part of this event also covered by the media, including Canal Futura.

Anna Urombi, UNAOC intern from Sweden and Louise Perez, a citizen of Brazil and former intern at the UNAOC are working together with the Brazilian chapter of the Abraham Path Initiative and the local NGO to make this Youth Cultural Walk a success and unique experience for young participants to the Rio Forum.

This event requires special registration. Please contact Isabelle Legare for more information

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