Dossier: World Cup for whom? World Cup for what?

Demonstration in São Paulo end of March 2014

Hosting the FIFA World Cup focuses the world's attention on the host country and lends the promise of economic and social gains, all enveloped in a charged atmosphere of football emotion. But for the first time in history, a multitude of questions are being raised about the real meaning of an international mega-event for the host population. Reflecting on these issues and the much discussed question in Brazil of "Cup for whom?," the Heinrich Böll Foundation and invited journalists and specialists have put their analyses together in this dossier. News items, articles, maps, photos, and videos show how the actions of FIFA, governments, and sponsors are increasingly commercializing public spaces in Brazil, using the justification that Brazilians will reap future benefits for hosting the World Cup.

Some articles show that Brazil will host the most expensive World Cup of all time. Around 85 percent of the expenses will be funded with public money, which is in stark contrast to what former President Lula da Silva asserted when he promised that everything would be "footed" by private investors. The World Cup preparations have also affected the critical Brazilian housing issue. Many of the large projects linked to urban mobility remain unfinished and have resulted in the transfer of 200,000 people, according to data from Ancop (National Coordination of the Cup Popular Committees). The courts and the growing militarization of police units, which see protesting as a crime, are also documented in articles, in addition to essays that analyze the investments made in mega-events as being an essential part of the country's current development model.

This web dossier was designed for an international public, since it is already available online in German and Portuguese. The Brazil office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation believes that these analyses add relevant data regarding the guarantee of people's rights as well as offer reflections for those looking for critical perspectives about the realities on the ground.

Video

"Das Erbe der WM tragen wir: Die Geschichte von Elisângela" / O Legado Somos Nós - Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil

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In January 2011, Elisângela Sena, resident of Pavão-Pavãozinho hillside in Rio de Janeiro, had her house demolished. The mini documentary "We Are the Legacy: Elisângela’s Story," by Comitê Popular, shows another case of a mandatory transfer of a resident tied to the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. With no financial compensation or resettlement payment, Elisângela lost her job and the possibility to live close to her daughter.

Veja como o Brasil se prepara para a Copa - ForcedEvictions

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The animation "Look at how Brazil prepares for the Cup," from the North American NGO Witness, is part of a campaign against the mandatory transfer of communities and takes a critical look at how the governments and the entrepreneurs disrespect people's right to housing.

More videos with interviews and reports on Witness' Forced-Evictions channel.

Will you go to the World Cup?

The video "No, I’m not going to the World Cup" by Carla Dauden, a 23-year-old Brazilian woman who lives in Los Angeles (California), is extremely popular on the internet, having received four million hits. The video questions the Cup's legacy, the excessive expenses on infrastructure, the mandatory population transfers, the substandard health system, and police brutality.

No, I'm not going to the world cup. - Carla Dauden

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When the large demonstrations happened in June 2013, Carla uploaded a new video with the title: "Yes, you can still go to the World Cup – if...". In this second video, Carla continues her criticism while making numerous proposals on how to do better. She is conditioning going to Brazil with questions about the FIFA and the Brazilian government.

YouTube Video

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