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SOCIAL CONTEXT |
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Casa de Passagem is
located in north-east Brazil, a country of
Latin America, with continental dimensions.
It possesss a population of about 170 million
inhabitants, distributed in an area of eight
million kilometers squared, in five regions,
26 states, where 51% of this population are
composed of women, 82% live in the urban zone,
and 30% have between 0 and 14 years of age,
according to Census 2000 - Brazilian Institute
of Geography Statistics (IBGE).
According to Human
Development Report of 2005, made for the United
Nations, the Index of Human Development (IDH)
Brazil is at 0,792, coming close to 0,8 (considered
to be a high level). Brazil takes 63rd place
in world-wide ranking of quality of life.
However, although Brazil has the 15th largest
economies in the world, the country presents
high levels of social inequality and of income
concentration. The richest 10% possess 46.9%
of the national income and the poorest 10%
occupy 6th place on the world misery ranking
list, in accordance with the PNUD.
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| The social inequality
in Brazil has catastrophic consequences,
that are externalized in the bad housing
conditions of most of the Brazilian population.
The slum quarters, which are composed of
sub-normal habitation, pass more and more
frequently to be part of the urban scene,
with very small rooms, without basic sanitation
and built of cardboard, wood and zinc. These
zones have high indices of illiteracy. Violence
occurs inside of the family and in the streets,
causing adolescents and youths to kill each
other,
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as if they
were in a civil war, without having a revolutionary
cause. Drug trafficking affects millions of children
and adolescents. Drug dealers make them hostages of
organised crime and use them in war tactics in the main
Brazilian capitals. Sexual exploitation affects more
than 100 thousand girls, according to Unicef. Unemployment
pushes children to idleness, marginality and sexual
exploitation.
In this context of social violence, the children, adolescents,
and youths in risky situations are highly vulnerable.
Thus making Casa De Passagem´s work relevant and
necessary. |
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Fote:
Mapas do IBGE |
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