Gender violence reflects throughout the whole of society. In the United States—where, on average, a woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds, according to the Amnesty International Report “It’s in our hands: Stop violence against women”, 2004—gender violence costs the country immensely: 5 to 10 billion dollars a year.

According to figures disclosed by the World Bank (IBRD) and by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), domestic violence is responsible for one in every five absences of women from work. It is also among the main causes of disability and death of women in their productive years.

Transforming for the better

Since 1986, the Legion of Good Will of the USA has been developing its humanitarian work in the States of New York, where it has a representative office to the United Nations, and New Jersey, through a community center in Newark. Its solidary actions are carried out by means of its socio-assistance programs, including projects that prioritize health care and in the area of education. The work has contributed to improving significantly the quality of life of low-income families and individuals.

The pedagogical proposal of the LBV, formed by the Pedagogy of Affection (for children up to the age 10) and the Ecumenical Citizen Pedagogy (for children 11 years and older) is widely spread in the country. It is applied in classrooms thanks to the teachers who use the Organization’s innovative educational line, created by educator Paiva Netto, which combines the transmission of universal values to intellectual development. Thus, students learn to be the protagonists of a social model in which respect and love towards fellow beings are the basis of human relations.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations on December 10, 1948 establishes in Article 1 that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” This precept is the indispensable condition for social harmony. However, much still needs to be done for the awareness and experience of such values.

Considered to be a serious violation of human rights, violence against women causes enormous losses in society, besides representing an obstacle to a country’s development. What happens in Bolivia is no different from the situation in other parts of the world. The Center for Women’s Information and Development (CIDEM) informs that seven out of ten Bolivian women have already been victims of mistreatment, included here the many forms of violence against women that exist: physical, sexual, psychological, and economic.

Despite the passing of important laws for combatting violence and gender inequality in the country, there is still a long way to go before all types of conduct that offend the integrity, bodily health, or dignity of women are finally eliminated. Illiteracy and the lack of technical and professional training are examples of the problems faced by the Bolivian society, above all by women.

The Legion of Good Will of Bolivia started its socio-educational work in 1986, the year the Organization opened a day care center for children in vulnerable situations in the capital city of La Paz. It soon faced the urgent need to support hundreds of families living in poverty, many of them without any access to basic education or job opportunities.

In order to transform for the better the lives of countless families in these communities, the LBV expanded its work with the inauguration in 1994 of the Jesus Nursery School, assisting children from 2 to 5 years old. The parents, meanwhile, are offered vocational courses and literacy classes by the Technical Training Center and Literacy Center, respectively.

Children, young people, and adults also benefit from the Legion of Good Will’s socio-educational programs, the highlights of which are Education in Action; Oral Hygiene: Clean Teeth, Healthy Children; and the LBV’s Permanent Christmas — Jesus, Our Daily Bread! campaign.

Leilla Tonin

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations on December 10, 1948 establishes in Article 1 that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” This precept is the indispensable condition for social harmony. However, much still needs to be done for the awareness and experience of such values.

Considered to be a serious violation of human rights, violence against women causes enormous losses in society, besides representing an obstacle to a country’s development. What happens in Bolivia is no different from the situation in other parts of the world. The Center for Women’s Information and Development (CIDEM) informs that seven out of ten Bolivian women have already been victims of mistreatment, included here the many forms of violence against women that exist: physical, sexual, psychological, and economic.

Despite the passing of important laws for combatting violence and gender inequality in the country, there is still a long way to go before all types of conduct that offend the integrity, bodily health, or dignity of women are finally eliminated. Illiteracy and the lack of technical and professional training are examples of the problems faced by the Bolivian society, above all by women.

The Legion of Good Will of Bolivia started its socio-educational work in 1986, the year the Organization opened a day care center for children in vulnerable situations in the capital city of La Paz. It soon faced the urgent need to support hundreds of families living in poverty, many of them without any access to basic education or job opportunities.

In order to transform for the better the lives of countless families in these communities, the LBV expanded its work with the inauguration in 1994 of the Jesus Nursery School, assisting children from 2 to 5 years old. The parents, meanwhile, are offered vocational courses and literacy classes by the Technical Training Center and Literacy Center, respectively.

Children, young people, and adults also benefit from the Legion of Good Will’s socio-educational programs, the highlights of which are Education in Action; Oral Hygiene: Clean Teeth, Healthy Children; and the LBV’s Permanent Christmas — Jesus, Our Daily Bread! campaign.

Leilla Tonin

Nathália Valério

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — From October 7 to 11 students from the José de Paiva Netto Educational Center and pregnant women assisted by the Baby Citizen program, undertaken by the Legion of Good Will (LBV), took part in the Health and Children’s Citizenship Task Force.  The initiative was coordinated by renowned dental surgeon Ariel Apelbaum and by the doctor in preventive dentistry and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Sonia Groisman.

Those assisted attended various educational talks regarding how the teeth should be brushed. The specialists pointed out the consequences of having poor oral hygiene, which could affect other areas of the body, causing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

In addition to offering material support and guidance on the care for the well-being and health of the mother-to-be and her soon-to-be-born child, the Baby-Citizen program contributes to strengthening affection and family ties. “I learned a lot from these activities. I didn’t know that what I ate could influence my son’s teeth, even while he’s still in my womb,” Maria Helena da Costa, future mother, told the Super Good Will Communications Network*.

Nathália Valério

“We’re carrying out a long term pioneering work by investigating and trying to conceive a project so that children don’t need a tooth restoration at all. We offer them prevention so they can have a pretty and healthy smile,” said Dr. Ariel Apelbaum.

The renowned dental surgeon also commented on how pleased he was to collaborate with the work of the Legion of Good Will: “I’m flattered to help the LBV, and to work with these children and see their smiles and all that you’ve done for them. This increases my love not only for the LBV, but for all the work you develop not only in Rio de Janeiro but all over Brazil.”

The renowned dental surgeon also commented on how pleased he was to collaborate with the work of the Legion of Good Will: “I’m flattered to help the LBV, and to work with these children and see their smiles and all that you’ve done for them. This increases my love not only for the LBV, but for all the work you develop not only in Rio de Janeiro but all over Brazil.”

Help the LBV transform the lives of hundreds of families for the better. Donate now: www.legionofgoodwill.org. In Rio de Janeiro, the Legion of Good Will’s José de Paiva Netto Educational Center is located at Av. Dom Hélder Câmara, 3059, Del Castilho. For further information, call: (+5521) 3297-7100.

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* Super Good Will Communications Network — the term refers to the vehicles of communication 100% Jesus, whose purpose is to propagate the fraternal ideals of Ecumenism without restrictions: Super Good Will Radio Network, Good Will TV (SKY channel 20), Education and Future Television Network – Re-educate, Good Will Portal and publications of Ecumenical Spirituality.

Version: Rob Dinham
Revision: Felipe Duarte and Rosana Bertolin

Knowing how to enjoy your free time when you reach old age is a challenge. Leisure activities in this period require specialized guidance. According to Occupational Therapy graduate students of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), old people in Brazil spend 26% of their day in leisure activities. Despite the fact that it is common at this age to spend free time idly, a more active leisure, such as being involved with occupational therapy activities, may result in greater benefits. Among such activities the study suggests handicrafts, dancing, conversation circles, and reading.

Active leisure in the third age may awaken the potential of the elderly to creative and social aspects, promote periods of socialization, lead to the sharing of experiences, and encourage communication and the learning of new skills and interests. All this enables them to have a more satisfactory life and with better quality.

PROMOTING A HEALTHIER THIRD AGE

The Legion of Good Will (LBV) values the elderly. It treats their life stories with consideration and identifies opportunities for them to be able to live a third age in a healthy and happy way. In its Homes for the Elderly (in the Brazilian cities of Volta Redonda, Teófilo Otoni, and Uberlândia), the Organization offers all the support and care that seniors need, guaranteeing they have a balanced and tasty diet, regular physical activities according to their individual needs, a leisure area where they can even have contact with nature, and medical and social care. The LBV welcomes the elderly without references and/or who have been pushed out of their family circle.

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Moreover, in its Social Service Centers the LBV also has programs directed at the third age, like the Learning and Interaction program, which develops activities that respect and value their experiences, offering them a healthy environment for dialogue, for strengthening their citizenship, and guaranteeing their rights. The young people of the third age take part in educational talks, go on cultural and leisure outings, and undertake activities that promote knowledge and get them out of their routine.

“We feel at home in the LBV. We forget our problems, they become smaller. Before I used to just lie around, feeling depressed. Then I started coming here and I liked it a lot. Today I feel happy. I’m calmer and on the days I come here I’m very happy, because I know that I’m going to have a great day,” said Luci de Araújo. 

All the activities are planned by the program coordinators with the aim of solving the challenges faced by each participant. And the feedback has been positive. “We take a lot of advantage of the meetings. They’re very friendly people. The LBV is the best. My life has already changed. My depression, stress, tiredness, and unhelpful thoughts have disappeared. Today, things have improved a lot. It’s just happiness,” said Rosa Helena Ribeiro.

Help the LBV expand its work! Click here and make your donation. 

Version: Rob Dinham 
Revision: Rosana Bertolin

Born in the interior of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, Maria José da Silva abandoned her professional plans and studies early, in order to dedicate herself to domestic chores and to her marriage. She got married at a young age, which was common at that time, and had to bear the responsibilities of being a mother and taking care of the house.

She took care of the housework and struggled to maintain her marriage, which broke down due to the constant aggressive behavior of her husband. Afraid to see her family fall apart, she did not report her partner’s abuses. The couple’s seven kids, however, did not put up with the pain their mother was going through. Maria José decided then to separate from her husband. 

“I cried a lot because of the separation. I thought a lot about my children, how they would grow up without a father. I cried just thinking of how I would raise my seven kids,” she remembers. Despite the suffering, the housewife does not hold any grudges against her ex-husband. “I forgave him, of course. I think forgiveness means everything. Those who forgive someone will also be forgiven,” she affirms. 

Recently divorced and having to raise seven children, she did not hesitate to ask for help and found support next to her house. “I started washing my neighbor’s clothes and she gave milk to my little one and food for my other children.” Nevertheless, the difficulties still knocked on Maria José’s door. Such problems made the older children drop out of school and help their mother provide for the family. 

With a cart, they walked around the city at dawn in search of food and clothing. “They would collect everything they saw in the garbage and bring it home. I would wait for them to arrive for us to eat breakfast, which was the food they brought from the trash,” she tells. In emergency cases, Maria still counted on the financial help from her ex-husband. 

When he passed away, Maria José had to take on all the responsibilities for good. Sadly, one day, she walked by Rua dos Coelhos when she saw the Legion of Good Will’s Social Service Center. In the Organization, she found reasons to smile again. From the assistance she received, her life was transformed for the better. Currently, she participates in the LBV’s Learning and Interactionprogram and in activities that respect and value her experiences. At the LBV’s Social Service Center she found a healthy environment for dialogue, strengthening her citizenship, and ensuring her rights. 

The service provided by the Organization counts on the help of a skilled multidisciplinary team, which renders the necessary care and support to those assisted according to the difficulties observed by them. “At the LBV I found peace and tranquility. Sometimes I left home with great sadness, but arriving here I received (…) happiness and love from the people,” she points out. 
 

The senior citizens go on cultural and leisure trips and participate in activities that broaden their knowledge and bring change to their routine. They also receive instructive lectures on issues that involve everyday situations, such as women’s rights.

Even when faced with adversities, Maria José da Silva never lost hope, having the conviction that her life could be better. “At the LBV people hug us and transmit joy to us. It feels really good to receive the attention and affection from a person. Thank you very much! May God bless every person that helps the LBV and illuminate the path of those who work here, especially [the President of the LBV] Paiva Netto,” she concludes. 

In Recife, Brazil, the Legion of Good Will’s Social Service Center is located at Rua dos Coelhos, 219 — Boa Vista. For further information, call: (+5581) 3413-8600.



Version: Amanda Vieira
Revision: Felipe Duarte

The Internet enables contact between people from different parts of the world by means of globalization. In Brazil alone, more than 46 million people have profiles on social networking websites, which is the equivalent of 86% of all active Internet users during the period of the survey carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics (IBOPE). According to Intel, every minute 277,000 people login to Facebook, while on Twitter 320 new accounts are created; and these numbers are likely to increase more and more each day.

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Preventive measures against exposure—such as the posting of photos and places where you are—must be taken constantly. Would you distribute, for example, flyers on the street containing your personal information and photos of you and your family? Imagine, then, that the Internet not only reaches a neighborhood but the whole world. Are we thinking about what we really want to make public?    

Unfortunately, there are many accounts of people who have been victims of financial fraud after disclosing personal information, which makes them the targets of criminal acts. “What we have to do is change our behavior on the Internet and get rid of that idea that the Internet is a lawless land and a land of anonymity. (...) The laws that apply outside the Internet also apply on the Internet, and that’s what people need to bear in mind,” said the psychologist and Director of Prevention and Services of SaferNet Brasil, Rodrigo Nejm, during the 7^th International Education Congress of the Legion of Good Will (LBV), which took place in 2009*¹. 

Among the various examples mentioned in his lecture, Rodrigo Nejm focused on pedophilia, cybercrimes, online enticement, cyberbullying, and others that are in the public arena and used for abusive practices, all of which are subject to legal punishment. For this reason, on the occasion he also emphasized the importance of using the global computer network for spreading information that is useful to society. “People can never be sure who’s on the other side of an e-mail or chat room. Personal photos shouldn’t be posted on the street and, in the same way, they can’t be posted on the Internet indiscriminately. We have to think carefully about what type of information we put on the Internet. We can’t put our address, telephone number, or family surname because this allows any person in the world to find our address, for example,” warned the speaker. 

Still regarding Internet security, below are some other useful tips:

— Be polite in the way you communicate. There must be respect in any space and for any person, even for those we do not know;

— Avoid recording passwords and logins on the computer in order not to facilitate theft;

— Be careful when downloading files: they may contain a virus, improper material, or be illegal. Anti-virus programs and filters can help protect your computer;

— Never allow websites to install programs on your computer and do not download anything that you do not know exactly what it is and where it comes from;

— Seek providers and services that offer internet safety resources that are ethical and responsible.

COMMUNICATE GOOD THINGS ONLINE

There are many people that use the social media to promote good actions and find new friends and groups willing to exchange professional experiences, promote solidarity, and share knowledge in favor of the development of their communities. In an interview to the Solidarity Society*² program on Boa Vontade TV (channel 20 on SKY cable TV), Brazilian Specialist and Master in Electronic Law and the Internet, Juliana Abrusio, highlighted: “We shouldn’t have a pessimistic or tragic view of the Internet, even with its risks. From the outset, it has offered us a lot of benefits in terms of education and citizenship, as well as in bringing people together. So it can be used in various positive ways. We just need to have good intentions.”

Social networks have become important tools not only for the transmission of knowledge and culture, but also solidarity. We can use them for disseminating thoughts and words of peace and comfort, thereby multiplying values that do good for people. A good example to be followed is that of the young Luana Santos, who commented on the posture she adopts on the Internet to the Good Will Portal: “I usually login to Facebook four times a day. I always try and post phrases of peace and reflection, and quotes that raise people’s self-esteem and leave them in good spirits. I also recommend events that promote culture and publish photos of the great places I’ve visited as suggestions for trips.”

In his book Sabedoria de Vida, writer and educator Paiva Netto stresses: “Technology overcomes barriers. But it is essential that Solidarity develops ahead of it in order to illuminate its path.”

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*¹ The 7^th International Education Congress of the LBV was held in São Paulo (Brazil) on June 29, 30 and July 1, 2009. The event welcomed educators, professionals from the educational area, politicians, and members of civil society, who debated the theme “Education: a view beyond the intellect”, contributing with ideas and good practices on how to promote quality education.

*² The Solidarity Society program is broadcast by Boa Vontade TV (channel 20 on SKY cable TV) from Monday through Friday at 3:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m., and 10:30 p.m.; and on Sundays at 7:30 a.m. and 10:00p.m. (BRT). You can watch it online via the Good Will Portal by accessing www.boavontade.com/english.

 

Version: Rob Dinham
Revision: Felipe Duarte

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 5% of the population of any country has some type of intellectual disability. Among the most familiar is Down Syndrome. In Brazil there are nearly 300,000 people with the syndrome, according to the Brazilian Federation of Associations of Down Syndrome. Many of them work, study, date, and lead a full social life. Such is the case of actors Ariel Goldenberg, Rita Pook, and Breno Viola, the protagonists of the movie Colegas, [Buddies] by screenwriter and director Marcelo Galvão.

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Learn more about the subject in the article “Down Syndrome” by journalist Paiva Netto 

In July 2013, a special screening of the movie “Buddies” occurred during the 6^th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the UN headquarters in New York. Organized by UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund) and by the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations, the event brought together, from 17 to 19 July, official delegations and civil society representatives. 

Every year, the countries that ratified the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities participate in this meeting. 

THE MOVIE

Vivian R. Ferreira

In an interview given to the program Sociedade Solidária* on Boa Vontade TV (channel 20 on SKY cable TV), the filmmaker talked about the experience of directing young actors with Down. “I wrote a movie that doesn’t talk about the disability Down Syndrome, but about dreams. Everybody dreams. Everybody wants to pursue their dreams. So this is both an inspiring movie and a comedy. It’s a movie that’s uplifting,” he said. Galvão remembers that the idea for the movie came up because of an uncle of his who has this syndrome. “I spent a large part of my childhood with him and they were magic moments for me. (...) He had a huge heart. He was a funny guy and he believed that everything was possible. So this positive attitude, this uplifting attitude, was what I wanted to give to the movie.”

“Buddies” tells the story of Stallone, Aninha, and Márcio—played by Ariel, Rita, and Breno—, three great friends who live together in an institute for people with Down Syndrome. One day, inspired by the movies they had seen in the video library of the place where they lived, especially Thelma & Louise (1991), they decide to run away so that each one can fulfill their dream. So they steal the gardener’s (Lima Duarte) car and escape. The press and the police go after the threesome, who are determined to live great adventures in search of their own dreams.

For the director, the first five minutes of this film show that it is possible to make good movies while having actors who are kids with this syndrome or any other disability. “You forget they have Down Syndrome. You get into the adventure, cheer, cry, and laugh with them, but with them as actors, as movie characters, not as three kids with Down Syndrome.”

Director Marcelo Galvão is already planning his new work, which he is going to call “Cadeirantes” [Portuguese for people in wheelchairs]: “A movie that’s three times bigger than ‘Buddies’. A project totally about social inclusion.” For discussion, the producer imagined a city full of people in wheelchairs, where all the local inhabitants go around in wheelchairs and only one can walk. This person is the “disabled” one in that place. He suffers prejudice and other types of discrimination. “It’s an inversion of the way we see society today.”

“I was going through a very bad phase. I was having many disagreements with my son and with employees in my company, until one night, I switched the radio on and I started to hear Mr. José de Paiva Netto preaching... I started listening to him and it was as if he was speaking directly to me. It was as if he was giving me advice, like a father gives advice to his daughter. From then on I started listening to the radio every night and paying attention to his preaching. Then I began to tune in during the whole day. I also put a radio in my company and my life began to improve; things started clearing up. I stopped fighting with my son and the difficulties in the company were solved. (...) Today we have peace in our home. Thank you very much!”. 
Neuza Neres — Salvador, Bahia (Brazil).

“God is Present! My name is Alzani Santos Batista from Porto Alegre. I would like to talk about what changed in my life from the moment I found out about the Super Good Will Radio Network. This marvelous network brings Love, hope and also harmony into our homes. The house that tunes to the Super Good Will Network is a house in harmony, because with this tuning comes the Love of Christ. (...) I have been through some hard times before getting to know this Network. So much so that I got to know it on a very dark night in my life. I wanted to commit suicide but I had the intuition to tune in... I just wanted to switch the radio on, because I didn’t even know about the Good Will Network. I felt that intuition to switch it on. I was in so much agony. I didn’t know what to do. And a voice told me to switch the radio on. I found that was really strange, because I thought to myself: what is the purpose of listening to music, if all I really want to do is die? But that intuition that made me switch the radio on was so strong. A coincidence? Brother Paiva says that coincidence doesn’t exist, doesn’t he? So, it was no coincidence; someone tuned in to the Good Will Radio for me. And from that early morning on my life changed. It changed forever!

“Today I’m a happy person. I’m someone who can cope with my problems with my head held high. Do they exist?! Yes, they do! But with every problem that appears in my life I become more mature, because now I know how to discern things. At the time, let’s say, it was real Hell for me... today it no longer is. And how do I know this?! Through this marvelous radio that Jesus placed here on Earth to save many people. I’m certain that many people have already been saved and will be saved by these media that include radio, TV and the Internet. (...) I thank Brother Paiva, this beloved friend, very much, because for me, he’s a great friend in my life; a friend who came to teach me how to live. Today, I know how to live a lot better, much better than I lived before. Jesus does not abandon us. I learned this through this radio, this marvelous station, which lifts me up day and night, 24 hours a day.” 
Alzani Santos Batista — Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).

“I live in a village called Mysen, southeast of Oslo, Norway’s capital. I’m very interested in radio. I like to listen to the radio stations from Latin America. Over the last few nights I’ve been tuning in to Super Rádio Brasil, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on medium wave, frequency 940 kHz. I’m writing to tell you that the radio signal can be heard here in Norway, 8,500 km away. I was lucky to tune in to ZYJ453, Rádio Brasil. Please accept my warmest greetings. Peace and Love.” 
Tore B Vik — Myson, Norway.

On March 4, 1949, journalist, radio broadcaster and poet Alziro Zarur (1914-1979) pioneered in the medium of radio with the program Hour of Good Will. In those days, the Brazilian social activist already defended the cause of Ecumenism without frontiers and the brotherhood of men and women regardless of their beliefs, as he was the great proclaimer of Total Ecumenism in the world, a thesis he upheld from childhood when he launched his Crusade of Brotherly Religions, a forethought of inter-religious relationships. 

From the microphones of Radio Globo, in Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil, came messages of comfort to the sick of body and Soul carried on words of Faith, Hope and Solidarity. Created in the golden period of radio in Brazil, the Hour of Good Will program surprised the radio industry of the time and soon reached national repercussion, consolidating one of the tasks that the founder of radio in Brazil, Roquete Pinto (1884-1954), envisioned for the media: its social function. 

One of the main peculiarities noticed by millions of faithful listeners of the program was the fact that Christmas carols were continuously played in the background regardless of the day of the year, having as foundation the solidary spirit of the Permanent Christmas of Jesus, for "the hunger of people is a daily occurrence”, as Zarur used to say during his broadcastings.

LBV’s first steps were at ABI

It was in the Board of Directors’ office at the Brazilian Press Association (ABI), in the months of October, November and December 1949 that journalist Alziro Zarur conducted the preparatory meetings for the future appearance of the Legion of Good Will, an Organization that soon after its foundation - on the following January 1st, on the World Day of Peace - took its first steps replete of freedom and universalism, ideals that have inspired the House of the Journalist. The first public meeting of the Legion of Good Will headed by Zarur, on January 7, 1950, took place exactly in ABI’s Council Hall and was supported by its partners, directors and the President of the House at the time, famous journalist Herbert Moses (1884-1972).

Currently, the LBV is presided by the also radio broadcaster, journalist, writer and composer José de Paiva Netto, and is considered one of the largest Third Sector organizations in the field of education and promotion of human and social issues. It has consolidated itself in Brazil and in the world as an example of serious and efficient care towards the needs of all of those who live in situations of social risk.

The early days of the LBV, by Chico Anysio 

Clayton Ferreira

In those bygone days in 1950, the legionnaire cause was already meriting the support of personalities from different social segments such as, for instance, acclaimed comedian Chico Anysio. In an interview to the TV show Brasil Democrático, of Rede Mundial de Televisão (World Television Network), the comedian commented the following: "I am also a part of the very select group of people to whom Alziro Zarur spoke about the Legion of Good Will for the first time. At the time I was a radio-actor at Mayrink Veiga, and had already left Guanabara. Our radio-theater director was Zarur. On that day we had to rehearse the day’s chapter of the radio novel; it must have been around six thirty when he arrived, saying that he had received a divine message. He was shaking all over and was very nervous, unable to conduct the rehearsing. So, Urbano Lóis took over the task. And we all understood Zarur (...). From then on he was a transformed person. So I was the first to know this. He dropped everything. He was no longer the director of radio plays. He made a radio program called Hour of Good Will, aired at six in the evening. (...)He created the Legion of Good Will (1/1/1950). It was Zarur’s Soup, the Soup of the Poor. After that, the beggars of Rio de Janeiro were no longer hungry, because the soup he distributed satisfied the hunger of all. I know of the seriousness of this act, it was never a means to earn money, or to lead anybody on. I make donations to the LBV, I have done so repeatedly. (...)”.

On that occasion, Chico was also interviewed by the Super Good Will Radio Network and made it a point to highlight the work of the Organization’s leader: "(...) Paiva Netto is an important person because he faithfully kept to the dictates of Zarur, who was a very serious man. So is Paiva Netto, without hurting anyone, without shocking or injuring anyone. The Legion of Good Will grew amazingly with Paiva Netto, it’s unbelievable, it has spread throughout the world! He was brilliant and lent a great deal of visibility to the Organization. Their work with the elderly and with children, with everything for that matter! I support the LBV whenever I can because I think the work they do is a very important one”. 

A work that encourages the world

The Legion of Good Will works in partnership with the diverse sectors of society (governments, socially and environmentally responsible companies, international organisms, schools, community associations and other civil society organizations), in a way that opportunities may be provided so that every citizen may collaborate towards the progress of his/her community and, consequently, of his/her nation.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

Since 1994, the LBV has been working in partnership with the United Nations (UN), being associated with the Department of Public Information (DPI). In 1999, it became the first organization of the Brazilian civil society to obtain general consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and in 2000, it became part of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO), in Vienna, Austria.

One of the most important global challenges signed in 2000, during the Millennium Summit, known as the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), brought together 191 member countries for the definition of a set of goals to be achieved by 2015 to improve the quality of life of Humanity and seek the sustainability of our globe. The LBV has broadly supported this worldwide campaign by means of its social and educational actions during these 60 years and by the articulation of other social actors, promoting meetings and disseminating information in dozens of cities in Brazil, Latin America and Europe.

From such activities, the Solidary Society Network was created and has contributed regionally towards greater actions for sustainable and integrated development with the multistakeholders.

In addition to the role of mobilizing civil society around the Millennium Development Goals, since 2006 the LBV serves at UN headquarters, in New York, as founder member of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, a committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO). The objective is to contribute to an open and practical debate about the importance of Spirituality in global development, a cause defended by the Legion of Good Will since its origins, in the decade of 1940. Hence, several seminars and events in the UN headquarters have attracted the attention of world authorities to this matter of great value.