Instituto Ilhas do Brasil (Institute of Brazilian Islands) centres around the participation of traditional communities in local and regional socio-economic development, using a variety of communication approaches to facilitate this. Young people living in the insular regions of the country are guided in coordinating activities related to the conservation of natural resources and ecotourism. The idea here is that generating income from these types of initiatives can foster a sense of responsibility amongst these youth, as well as making it possible and appealing to remain in their hometown.

Partnership is a strategy being used to foster this involvement. Organisers hold meetings, lectures, and courses as part of a process of establishing ties with groups such as the Associação local de Pescadores (Fishermen's Local Association), Associação de moradores do Pântano do Sul (Association of Pantano do Sul's Dwellers), Instituto Sea shepherd (Sea Shepherd Institute), and other associations from the tertiary sector. The organisation's work also engages other members of the community, such as artisans, merchants, and students from public schools. For instance, reaching school children who live in coastal areas is a key programme approach to sparking dialogue about the future of fishing communities and engaging children and parents in stewarding a future for small-scale fisher-people. Volunteers throughout the state hold school programmes each fortnight, helping young students see the role their communities play in maintaining fish populations while providing fish for consumption.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is one tool being used to spread information about these communities and collaborations to the tourists and occasional visitors to the region. Click here to access the Instituto Ilhas do Brasil website. A number of projects are outlined on this website, such as the Universidade Livre e Comunitária sobre os Saberes da Vida, da Terra e do Mar. The objective here is to recognise and cultivate the value the knowledge of local communities - even if this knowledge does not cohere with acknowledged definitions of technical knowledge or government politics. Organisers seek to bring together different groups who live in the islands, such as small farmers, fisher-people, lace and embroidery artisans, storytellers, and musicians. The community's young people act as agents to support the concept of common welfare. These young people then are guided in creating projects (which feature community participation as a key strategy) that are designed to generate income, conserve natural resources, communicate the value local culture, and equip youth with professional skills. A library with information that is related to the community's interests features resources exploring technical/scientific approaches such as sustainable tourism, local cuisine, natural recourse management, conservation of the islands, and environmental legislation.

Similarly, Projeto Estrelas do Mar is designed to provide - in a participative way - youth with the capacity to construct a new identity in the traditional fishermen's community of Pantanal do sul, Santa Catarina. Inaugurated in November of 2005, the project began with the creation of a space for young people to learn, exchange ideas, and brainstorm about future plans such as implementing recreational activities that generate revenue for youth. The group that was created throughout this process is called "Developing Space for Young Socio Environmental Entrepreneurs". Organisers describe the strategy used to create this group as follows: "based on experimentation and playfulness they are stimulated to think with other perspectives and then look for self-knowledge and understand the value of their space in their own environment." Linking experiences that are of interest to them through workshops, seminars, and lectures is a meant to encourage participants to continue their education informally and/or through citizenship (even if it is not within a structured educational context). To reflect on the impact that young participants had with the activities involving tourists they had implemented, Instituto Ilhas do Brasil carried out a monthly evaluation by providing tourists with a written assessment sheet.

Environment, Youth, Natural Resource Management.

Organisers explain that, "[f]rom fishermen, natives of the land's communities or 'Quilombolas' as they are called, it is only through the appraisal of such communities' knowledge and rescue of their political, historical, cultural, economical, and environmental values that we could truly build with legitimacy a new model of coastal governance in our country. The impact of our actions can already be observed in the communities in which we work, mainly in the involvement of youths in the process of finding alternatives of inclusion and access of continuing information. With no shadow of doubt, the most significant impacts will be seen by future generations. It is for those who are not here yet, that our efforts are targeted to, so that they will be able to live in a country in which the sea's resources are used in an environmentally sustainable [and socially just] way."

Alexandre Só de Castro, the man who launched this initiative, was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2005. Please click here to learn more about how and why he was inspired.