Acão Harmonia Brasil - Contact Desired

Want to help people through aikido and have a really good time? Read on.

Acão Harmonia Brasil (Harmony in Action Brazil) teaches aikido to children in the favela slums of São Paulo. The results have been outstanding with students having fun, learning lots and receiving great benefit in their lives as a result. The leader of one group that AHB works with stated, “Aikido has become as essential to them children as food and school.” Aikido teaches them calmness, gentleness, confidence, self discipline and an alternative to the endemic violent conflicts of their world. Jose Bueno AHB Founder says simply, “We make a space where they can be kids.” There is also a “rub off” effect on the community as a whole.

Acão Harmonia has recently expanded and now shows aikido and aiki-principles in schools, at numerous demonstrations, and the kids even help out the country’s top executives at consultancy courses — a radical notion in country with a large wealth gap. An American company has been moved to make a documentary of the program, and AHB has appeared on Brazilian national TV.

A team of local yudansha volunteers is the projects core — and with the aid of Aiki Extensions the first volunteer from the UK has just completing a six month stay. This has added to the much to the program as he has been able to work full time and bring a wider view for the children who live in enclosed world with limited options. Two Australian volunteers will arrive soon in his place.

Acão Harmonia is looking to connect with dojos and aikidoka abroad that are interested in this work. Dojos could receive Jose Bueno as a workshop leader; sponsor a kids program or a start a letter writing exchange with their own kid’s class (we have already done this with friends in Israel).

We are also seeking future volunteers for mutual benefit, starting in six months time when the Australians depart. So what’s the deal?

Who We Want:

Enthusiastic dan grades or 1st kyus with:
Experience with children — reference and police check required
Experience of traveling and preferably living abroad
Willingness to get up early and work hard
Willingness to learn some Portuguese and about Brazilian culture

What Acão Harmonia Offers:

Fun, satisfying work with wonderful children
Accommodation in basic, but clean and safe, dojo
As much aikido as you choose, Aikikai 4th dan instruction (other associations welcome)
Basic food wage and help in finding English work in companies to supplement
Information and support pre, during and post placement
Opportunities to travel to other parts of Brazil (all flights up to volunteer)
“An amazing and life changing experience” — Mark Walsh, 1st Aiki Corps Volunteer

NB: AHB Director Jose Bueno will also be traveling to Europe in February for the UK Aiki Extensions event (24-25th) and to meet interested Sensei in a number of other European countries. He speaks fluent Portuguese, French and English, and conversational Italian and Japanese — so we are particularly keen to hear from aikidoka who speak one of these languages — translations to follow.

Contacts:

Jose Bueno Sensei: contato@acaoharmonia.org.br; Everton Dias (International coordinator): everton.dias@gmail.com; Mark Walsh (first volunteer from UK): eyekeymark@hotmail.com.

February 14^th, 2007 (add comment)