In a huge international advance into the Brazilian sport market and one that provides a range of ideas for groups looking to follow a similar path, the Barcelona Football Club Foundation, the US National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have joined with the City of Rio de Janeiro in a partnership set to benefit an estimated 140,000 children and youth.
Aimed at promoting social transformation through sports, the “Alliance for Sport and Development” seeks to improve the lives of underprivileged children and youth in Rio de Janeiro through the strengthening of 18 ‘Vilas Olimpicas’ in the city. The initiative will draw experiences from best practices by utilising sports as a vehicle to improve the lives of children in need and promote physical activities for conflict resolution, violence prevention, education, and health, among others.
Vice Mayor Carlos Alberto Muniz commented that "the program of the Olympic villages developed by the Municipality will have a prominent role in the municipality’s overall policy of inclusion,” adding that “the arrival of diverse and knowledgeable partners consolidates the Olympic Village as the centre of the political legacy that we have to develop.”
IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno Said they have helped train thousands of youths in their sports for development programs and have seen how sports can help a community develop in an integral way.
Interestingly, the initiative includes other smaller partners such as the Government of Korea and is aligned with long term efforts in the Favelas by the city and state of Rio de Janeiro together with the IDB.