>>>I think Brazil has its own problems. Nathaniel was there over spring break. He told us a really scary story about his group making a visit to a community center in the City of God. One of those "we'd never have allowed this if we'd known in advance" stories--it included drug lords and machine guns.
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>>The oscar nominated "City of god" show in details his history.. Nice movie.. Important to understand how grown that big social contrast... Rio de Janiero one of the most beautiful cities in the world it is home for many brazilian milionaries and stage for a worse war than Iraq.. A invisible one.. Almost Full controlable for mídia..
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>>Here in my city we don't have so scared situation.. We can see families in total state of poverty.. But, no declared war..
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>I know that what he saw in one small section of Rio doesn't reflect all of Brazil any more than visiting one scary part of New York or Philadelphia would tell you all about the US.
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>Also, while he found the experience frightening, he also found it valuable and felt that what he and his singing group had done there might leave a positive impact.
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I am quite surprised Nathaniel's group was booked there in the first place. The movie was not a blockbuster but it got plenty of publicity. None of the organizers knew? They should have IMO. There is a certain level of responsibility when you take other people's kids to a foreign country. (And that's not a dig at Brazil; as Claudio says, we have areas just as bad, and where organizers would be equally negligent taking a group).