Human rights: build bridges and strengthen processes

Being invited by the Bridge 47, CIVICUS and supported by the Marist Solidarity Network (Brasil Centro-Sul), a 17-year-old Brazilian man, Gabriel Genivaldo dos Santos, from the Province Brasil Centro-Sul, participated in the International Civil Society Week – ICSW. The event took place from April 6 to 11, in Serbia.

Gabriel participated in the round table discussion on data, technology and global structures alongside Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the status of human rights defenders.

The theme of ICSW 2019 was "The Power of Union," and it brought together about 700 civil society leaders to build bridges and strengthen processes in the face of major global challenges. The participation of the young Marist can be watched in Portuguese from the time of 1:18 on the link http://bit.ly/2Z1tS2V.

In his speech Gabriel asked adults representatives of civil society organizations about the language used in the production of data on childhood and youth, "You are here to build bridges, to walk the streets, to climb stairs, but where are you looking at? What language are you using", in reference to the distances between the action of organizations and the peripheries.

He also called for organizations to work more closely and with young people, guaranteeing their right to participation. "It's not technology we need to connect and impact. Our bodies find many other ways to express themselves and gain the attention that should actually be a right […]. Our bodies and our arts scream. Can you see?", he asked.