Editorial
Dear Friends,
Nowadays it is very common to hear about sustainable development as a basis for directing the performance action of a company, institution or organization. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development (CMMAD the Organization of the United Nations - UN), the concept of sustainable development means meeting the current needs of the people, but without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
It is expected that measures covering the sustainability have some basis in its main pillars, but not cause any kind of pollution or irreparable harm to the environment, economic and financial feasibility has since its conception to its continuity, considering the ethnic and cultural diversity of each region to be socially accepted, etc. Thus, in the scope of work of Habitat for Humanity Brazil, working to make "a world where everyone and all have a decent place to live," consider the sustainable community development in all our projects and that idea is becoming increasingly strong and is evidenced in diverse ways.
In this edition of our digital bulletin, present some initiatives that Habitat is developing in Brazil and that demonstrate the concern of the organization in readjustment of its type of action, in view of internalization of that concept for the community, presenting protagonist increasingly and, furthermore, in the constant quest for sustainability of their own projects.
That is the first time that Habitat Brasil is using an alternative technology on its projects: the ecological brick, which demand different building process with respect to conventional brick and has several advantages, such as reducing cost and environmental impact of work. The project which aims to meet 32 families in need of decent housing in Guaruja city, central coast of São Paulo State, and may be a beginning of a new cycle in the organization.
See also examples of partnerships that go beyond building homes in Varjada community, as the alliance signed with CELPE to help residents to reduce their electricity spending and also the support of São Paulo Graded School to finance and mobilize volunteers for building tanks and a school in the community. Also in this issue, some news about performance of international volunteers in the new project in Horizonte, strategic meetings with religious and government leaders on South and Southeast, “Bordados que Brotam” on Brazil Talents and Best Practices Award CEF.
I take an opportunity to formalize an invitation for all to participate, in November 12,13 and 14, Recife (PE) into Seminar Best Practices on Social Production of Habitat in Brazil, which has as its main objective the strengthening and multiplication of initiatives of PSH (National Habitat Program)as a consolidate policy strategy to guarantee the rights to a decent housing.
Enjoy your reading and I see you on next edition!
Fraternally,
Ademar de Oliveira Marques
Executive Director
Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil |
|
Habitat for Humanity settle up partnerships for building decent, affordable and ecological houses in the city of Guarujá, in São Paulo State
 |
Pitangueiras Beach :: Photo by Municipality of Guaruja city |
Guarujá is a tourist city known as one of the most beautiful landscapes of the São Paulo coast. However, with the gradual increase of substandard housing in the region, the quality of life of many families and the own environment are increasingly at risk. Currently, the total housing deficit is 10,000 units.
More..
Agreement between CELPE and Habitat for Humanity Brazil helps inhabitants of Varjada community to reduce their expenses with electrical energy services
 |
Photo by Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil |
CELPE, the company responsible for electrical energy distribution in the whole State of Pernambuco, is developing several social projects on Varjada community. The performance of CELPE in the community is a result of an alliance established with Habitat for Humanity Brazil to promote the sustainable development of this rural community, by assisting every family living in the region, but prioritizing the ones that participates in the project.
More...
|
Habitat for Humanity meets with governmental and Church leaders in Brazil to negotiate partnerships
In February 2006, it was held in Porto Alegre the IX Assembly of the World Council of Churches. This meeting served as catalyst of projects in the south of the country, in particular, of the Lent Build (an initiative of Habitat for Humanity Brazil with important support of Habitat for Humanity International). This project stimulated the desire of many local and international leaders to become partners in the Habitat for Humanity projects in Brazil by means of the building of houses and of spaces for jobs and income generation.
More...
Project for Community Development in Brazilian Northeast aims to meet 41 families who survive on less than 1 minimum wage per month
 |
Photo by Marcelo Inácio de Sousa |
In the city of Horizonte, located in the state of Ceará, 40 km from the capital Fortaleza, 50 families who have family budget of about 1 minimum monthly wage are being met since the month of August for a project of community development that will help directly 231 people to win a place worthy to live.
More...
Project with Graded School involves high school students in volunteering activities
 |
Photo by Mr. David Hanna |
The idea of developing a social work with the students of the Graded School of São Paulo was born from the initiative of the Professor David Hanna, currently teaching History in High School classes of Graded School. His contact with Habitat began about 5 years ago, when he acted as a volunteer in projects of the organization during the time that he lived in Japan. Back to Brazil and already a Graded employee, Mr. Hanna started to emphasize that outstanding experience to the students and to other professors of the institution until finally invite Habitat for Humanity Brazil to perform an informative presentation about its ways of acting in the national territory.
More...
Seminar Best Practices of Social Production of Habitat in Brazil
It will be held on November 12, 13 and 14 in the auditorium of the Center of Applied Social Sciences of the University City of Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, the Seminar: Best Practices of Social Production of Habitat in Brazil .
More...
“Bordados que Brotam” is selected by Talents of Brazil and the Varjada Project is amongst the semifinalists of the Better Practices Award
 |
Photo by Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil |
The "Talentos do Brasil" (Talents of Brazil) is a project developed by the Ministry of the Agrarian Development in partnership with the Government Bank, Caixa Econômica Federal, and the Brazilian Service of Support to the Small-Sized Companies (SEBRAE). Servant with the objective of structuring embroiderer groups focused in business processes and self-management, the project intends to provide the strengthening of the local actors, contributing to the communities' sustainable development.
More...
|
Interact with us: send your views, comments, criticisms and suggestions by email to the address
noticias@habitatbrasil.org.br
and help us to create "A World where everyone has a decent place to live" (Global Vision - Habitat for Humanity). If you want to sign up for further information about Habitat around the world, click here. |
|
Habitat for Humanity Brazil develops a pilot project with the technology of ecological bricks
The conventional brick is the raw material primarily used for civil construction but little by littleit is becoming a dangerous threat for the environment. In times of awareness with the global warming, the size of the dump generated in a building site and, above all, the emission of greenhouse effect gases, generated by the brickworks when firing bricks, call the attention for the consequences of that production process often used in Brazil. Besides, to produce each 1,000 conventional bricks, it’s necessary about 12 trees or 170 liters of oil to supply the ovens. So, as more bricks, more smoke and, consequently, more emission of greenhouse effect gases.
Combining research and creativity, Francisco Casanova, the professor of the Civil Engineering Program of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who had already researched the soil-cement bricks in Europe, received incentives of Brazilian government of research and development programs to install the first factory of bricks of soil-cement of the country. With current capacity of about 3,000 bricks a day, the production is totally adapted to the peculiarities of the Brazilian soil. The project also had the support of the Municipality of Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro, where the factory is operating since 2004.
The soil-cement brick is popularly known as ecological brick and it became an option of raw material ecologically correct and sustainable. The ecological brick is named like this because in its production method there is no deforestation either coal or any other fuel burning that may harm the environment or pollute the air. The recipe is very simple: proportional parts (but no equal) of cement, soil, preferably the ones rich in sand and clay, and water. The ingredients are mixed in cement mixers or similar equipments and later pressed, when they acquire their final form. After 1 day protected of the sun, the bricks are wet and they stay one week resting until be tested at laboratory for, finally, they be liberated for the use in the buildings. For comparison effects, the brick conventional delay between 10 and 30 days to be ready, depending on humidity and climate.
The ecological brick dismissal any firing process, reduces the waste in the construction site and it can be produced (in less time) starting from the soil. So, poisonous residues will no more be thrown in the environment, what contributes to the preservation of the planet.
But there are more advantages of the ecological bricks use.
More...
|
|
