UDRUGA AMAZONAS

description of organisation

Udruga Amazonas was registered in 2004 to promote interculturalism and healthy lifestyles through various aspects of Brazilian culture and the art of capoeira using it as a means to encourage Multiculturalism, development of creative and social potential of children, youth and adults, as well as improving the quality of life of individuals and society as a whole.
A big focus in our work we are giving to youth with fewer opportunities as well as developing social programmes where we use capoeira as a psychosocial tool.

Amazonas is currently working on the following fields:
*Sport programs
Some of our regular programs are school of capoeira, school of Fluid balance and afro - Brazilian dance lessons.
Capoeira is an African-Brazilian skill that represents the dialogue of the movement, a play of paradigm; There is a rhythm and positive energy that creates a skill that develops the whole body and removes the difference between sex, age and race. Capoeira Amazonas is the first Croatian capoeira school, and our attendants and all ages - children, young and adults.
Fluid balance is a program that combines different techniques of movement and physical expression. The elements of acrobatic, contemporary dance, capoeira, theater, circus, gymnastics, cascading and contractor's develop control and balance of body in dense positions and transitions. The supplement to this program is Hand Balancing, a program that explores different approaches to balance.
Afro - Brazilian dance is combination of the contemporary dance afro Brazilian dances.
*Social programs
"Tribo Moderna" is a program in which we are working with kids and young people who have behavioral problems, who cannot control their emotions and who feel excluded from society. Due to the variety of elements and an emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity and lack of competition it allows each individual to realize their potential through the aspects that fits them best.
"Uključi s(V)e!" is a project for youngsters with fewer opportunities from social background which aim is to include them in the society trough the volunteering with other youngsters in various projects like media team, sport and cultural projects, team of festival of Brazilian culture - Brazilactica etc.
*Projects for youngsters
Amazonas Club at Kosirnikova Street (64) is the "living room" of the members of the association. It is a place for socializing, different
different workshops, education, language courses and cultural and social evenings.
Brazilactica is a Brazilian culture festival held every year in Zagreb, featuring a series of workshops, lectures, performances, themed evenings and film projections dedicated to Brazilian culture with guests from Brazil.
Erasmus+ program - we have organised one training course, one youth exchange and we already finished three EVS projects. The main objective of our first TC "Capoeira as a tool in working with young people with fewer opportunities" (2013.) was to improve the competence of the participants and strengthen the capacity of capoeira as a tool working with young people with fewer opportunities. In April 2015. we had an youth exchange "Play different, play Capoeira" as an upgrade to previous training.
From May 2015. till August 2015. we had first Capoeira EVS. It included two volunteers - Ana Caetano, from Portugal and Edita Titan form Slovenia. After it, we had long term EVS, from October 2015. till August 2016. In this, Capoeira for Solidary Society, we hosted two volunteers, Else Collins from Spain and Tania Cabral from Portugal. In our third EVS "International spirit in local capoeira communities" we hosted two volunteers, Elif Valeriya Sanli from Turkey and Martyna Pyl from Poland.

On the international level, from the beginning we have many associates that are visiting our events in Croatia, hosting our members on their events and some of them are now partners on our Erasmus+ projects. Some of them are: Capoeira Slovenija, Coracao de capoeira Czech republic, Bracos Fortes Hungary, Capoeira Oxumare Slovakia, Capoeira asocijacija Srbije, Uniao capoeira Germany, Capoeira Ligando mundos Germany, ACDP capoeira Hungary and Spain, Uniao capoeira Portugal, Capoeira Filhos de Angola France, Meia Lua Inteira Austria, Tradicao Baiana Slovenia, Capoeira Senzala Srbija and many more.

Last five years, more intense, we dedicated to finding financial support through public tenders of Government bodies, companies and foundations, and in year 2016 we provided funds for specific projects from: City of Zagreb, City of Zaprešić, Ministry of education, Ministry of social justice, the company PBZ Card , Agency for mobility and EU programs.

In addition to the regular programs that include sports, dancing, entertainment, music and culture, today we stand behind more then 180 public appearances and performances, more than 80 national and international workshops and meetings, festivals, theater plays and two published author and music CDs.

Volunteering project