Imagine growing up and being raised up with violence constantly lurking behind you. Police roaming the streets 24/7, with deadly guns strapped to their belts. Police are normally seen as ‘protection’, but sometimes the police are seen as a danger. Living in a town which is always violent, it implies that the violence will increase making the area even more dangerous than it already is. Innocent victims can get caught between this conflict as some may not be aware of what is going on outside their homes. According to the National Center for Children Exposed To Violence, current studies show that more than 33% of children are direct victims of violence and more than 75% are reported being exposed to community violence. Of the 7 billion people in the world, there are millions living in violent environments, and some are even victims of violence. In Brazil, there are many favelas (slums) that are considered to be the most violent of all. A civil war between the police and drug cartels is the root of this problem. Hundreds of children, with violated rights, are growing up with violence as a routine, deprived of peace and proper facilities. Successfully, there is one individual who has heard the voices of the children. Mayra, a 15-year-old girl from Rio De Janeiro, is working towards helping the children in her hometown who have been exposed to cruelty. After growing up in one of the most disturbed favelas in the country, Mayra Avellar Neves was awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize for her heroic actions and successful battle against extreme violence. By using her dangerous childhood as a drive, Mayra was inspired to improve the lives of other children by persuading the drug cartels and police to lay down their weapons and to enhance their favela’s facilities.
After growing up in one of the most violent favelas of Brazil, Mayra makes a difference by persuading the police and drug cartels to cease fire. Due to the fact Mayra was raised in a dangerous society, she did not want others to experience the pain she had. As a result, she organized campaigns and protests to express her concern and opinion about her favela’s environment. “At 15 years old, Mayra mobilised hundreds of children and youths to take part in a protest march, demanding that the police cease their patrols during school hours” (Children’s Peace Prize). A civil war had eventually broken out between the drug cartels and the police in Mayra’s favela. This event has caused her favela to have a reputation of struggling and as one of the most dangerous favelas in Brazil. Mayra’s favela was always being swarmed by police and ongoing violence, which eliminated the education for the children of the favela. Because Mayra knew how serious this war was going to be, she decided to take matters into her own hands. By organizing a protest and by appealing to a younger crowd as participants, Mayra was not only making a difference by persuading the police to cease fire, but she also made the decision for the future of her favela. Although Mayra knew that taking on this challenge was a risk, she could only hope for the best outcome possible. “This took great courage...As a result of this action, the police agreed to the demands, and children started coming back to school again – a great achievement...” (Children’s Peace Prize). Provided that Mayra’s favela is known as one of the most violent ones in Brazil, police are constantly patrolling the school which hindered the children’s education. With police stomping up and down hallways, classes are disrupted and students are not able to pay attention to their lessons. Children were eventually not allowed to attend school as police with guns by their side is seen as danger. Even though Mayra knew that standing up to the police was going to take an immense amount of courage, she stood still and powered through it. As a successful outcome, the police caved in to her appeal which shows how Mayra improved the future for her favela.
By taking risks like standing up to high authorities, Mayra was inspired to not only help herself, but to also help others like her as well by enhancing facilities in her favela. Mayra is a very generous person and she knew there were others like her, with a violent and dangerous experience of growing up. Mayra realized that she could help herself and others by organising an event that could benefit others too. “Last year she organised another march, this time appealing to everybody in the favela and elsewhere to stand up for the fundamental rights of slum dwellers” (Children’s Peace Prize). A majority of the population of Mayra’s favela did not have the rights they may have deserved. By organising a protest march, Mayra was standing up for the rights of her fellow peers as well, she did not just think of herself. Specifically, Mayra was standing up for the enhancement of her favela’s facilities, which can also be thought of as standing up for the population’s rights for the best facilities they can have. Even though Mayra has taken the chance of expressing her opinion, not everything is possible as her favela is still violent and her local facilities remained regressive. “However, Mayra’s fight goes on, as life in the favela’s remains extremely dangerous and the local facilities are poor.” (Children’s Peace Prize). Mayra exemplifies peace as she keeps trying to make the favela better. She fought for what she thought was right, which was keeping the children in the slums safe. Due to Mayra’s fight still being continuous, it shows that the fight against poverty can never be solved immediately.
To this day, Mayra is still continuing her hope of improving the lives of many in her hometown because she understands what those children are experiencing. She knows about the dangerous living conditions and the lack of good facilities for these children. By persuading the police and the drug cartels to cease-fire, Mayra is insuring a good education for the children, and by fighting for the facilities they deserve, she is also insuring a good and healthy future for these children. It was because of her heroic and daring actions, that she was awarded the Children’s International Peace Prize in 2008. Mayra is an inspiration to children living in violent surroundings, and hopes to inspire others to follow in her footsteps. No one’s rights should be violated, and Mayra has decided to not fight for herself, but for others as well.
