Megaeventos

The Last Word: Mr Blatter, the party’s over

Published in Wednesday June 26th, 2013 In In the media

Empty rhetoric, regurgitated by grandees such as Sepp Blatter, has been rejected by those who want schools and hospitals rather than bread and circuses.

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Housing evictions, social services cited in broadening Brazil protests

Published in Tuesday June 25th, 2013

As the protests in Brazil continue, one of the primary issues that has emerged is the vast sums of money and resources the government is allocating for several high profile sporting events. Demonstrators say that vital services, like healthcare, education and transportation remain underfunded while Brazil is on pace to spend up to $40 billion dollars on the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament.

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Istanbulites to IOC: “Don’t Select Our City”

Published in Tuesday June 25th, 2013 In Social movement news

This is a call from two human rights organizations, Urban Movements Istanbul / HIC (Habitat International Coalition) and People’s Houses on behalf the citizens of Istanbul from all ages, social and political backgrounds, associations, ideologies and beliefs. The ideals of Olympic Games rest on excellence, respect and friendship, with respect for development, peace and the environment. We are sending you reports of international NGOs and organizations and some of the hundreds of videos documenting the disproportionate use of force by the police. This is material evidence of the brutality with which the government violates the ideals of the Olympics.

Brazil is saying what we could not: we don’t want these costly extravaganzas

Published in Friday June 21st, 2013 In In the media

Brazil has been bamboozled into blowing $13bn on next year’s football World Cup, and then on a similar sum to be later extorted by the International Olympic Committee to host the 2016 Games. Brazil’s leftwing leader, Dilma Rousseff, was bequeathed the games by her predecessor, Lula da Silva. She has desperately tried to side with the protesters, but she is trapped by the oligarchs of Fifa and the IOC.

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Brazil’s Poor Pay World Cup Penalty

Published in Wednesday June 19th, 2013 In In the media

On June 15, the opening day of the Confederations Cup in Brazil — a warmup to the World Cup — thousands protested across the country against the amount of money being spent to host these mega-events. With signs that said “We don’t need the World Cup” and “We need money for hospitals and education”, protesters were sprayed with tear gas and dispersed with rubber bullets before the opening match in Brasilia. At least 39 were injured and 30 were arrested. Inside the stadium, president Dilma Roussef was booed as she inaugurated the Brazil-Japan match. Today, June 17, there are protests going on all over the country.

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Brazil protests take to the pitch as People’s Cup highlights evictions

Published in Wednesday June 19th, 2013 In In the media

Physically, it’s only a few kilometres away from the Maracanã stadium, but in symbolism, the People’s Cup could not be much further removed from the mega sporting events now being staged in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities.

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No, I’m not going to the world cup.

Published in Tuesday June 18th, 2013

Video made by Carla Dauden about the 2014 World Soccer Cup and its impacts in Brazil. Shot by Anel Zilic.

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Brazil: championing football… but what about housing rights?

Published in Friday June 14th, 2013

Just as the world will be watching the football champion, the international human rights community will also be watching how well the housing rights of all are protected in these coming weeks and years.

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As Brazil Marks One-Year Countdown to 2014 World Cup, Thousands Cope with Forced Evictions

Published in Thursday June 13th, 2013 In Mobilisation and agenda

170,000 Brazilians are at risk of losing—or have already lost—their homes in forced evictions tied to preparations for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. While mega-events such as the World Cup are a driver of forced evictions, the phenomenon is not limited to Brazil or to major sporting events: an estimated 15 million people across the globe are forcibly uprooted from their homes each year as a result of on-going physical abuse, threats and intimidation and often without consultation and compensation.

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Will Brazil be left counting the cost of hosting the World Cup and Olympics?

Published in Thursday June 13th, 2013 In In the media

BRIC countries have tried to use these mega-events to boost development by accelerating investments in infrastructure and lifting services, governance and local business to international standards. However, the cost to the public purse and the communities affected can be enormous, prompting criticism that the money would be better spent at grassroots level, on improving health and education, rather than on awarding prestige projects to construction companies.

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