I read "culture is our weapon" on the flight back home from Rio (didn't get much sleep, unfortunately). The book follows the activities of a Rio based NGO called afroreggae. AfroReggae operates in some of the favelas and uses music to lure people away from the drugtrade. They organise concerts, teach classes and mediate in conflicts between the three main gangs.
The publicity they generate with their work - from the concerts and the news coverage of results in the favelas - is used or rather "resold" to a number of corporations in the form of airtime, etc etc. In addition to the money they generate from the concerts and the music sold, this means that are basically self-sufficient when it comes to funding.
Rio is a strange place: the beauty of the beaches as well as the city, the favelas next to high-income neighbourhoods, and the presence of extremely violent crime. It is weird, I've visited more developing countries, between to more places where there is a big divide between rich poor. Why though, are certain places plagued by violent crime, whilst others aren't? The presence of the drugtrade seems to be a part of it. I also agree with Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto that absence of property rights is a large piece of the puzzle. Without these the favelas and its residents live outside the legal system.
The book gives a good insight into favela life as well as the work of the NGO. AfroReggae was also featured in a documentary called favela rising, take a look at the trailer below.
Location:Schiphol,The Netherlands
