Phillip Wagner
Through founder and director Phillip Wagner, Rhythm of Hope in Brazil (ROHB) has established and maintains relationships with meritorious programs and initiatives serving socially excluded and impoverished youth in Brazil. Phillip began this work in 1996, six years before the founding of ROHB. Through a methodology he developed and we now employ - Constructive Social Facilitation - Phillip has connected volunteers from more than 40 countries with opportunities to help the less fortunate in Brazil and involved collaborators like Engineers without Borders in projects like clean water and sanitation infrastructure development. He has has developed strategic alliances with organizations like Instituto da Cultura Brasil, Itália, Europa (at www.icbie.com) in Salvador, has personally introduced activists like Michael Eric and Marcia Dyson to notable grassroots initiatives in Brazil, and is (with Mike Eiseman) developing a relationship with the Benedita da Silva International Foundation. Ms. Da Silva is Brazil's first black woman Senator. Through a third party introduction Phillip facilitated an infusion of human and financial resources supporting the courageous work of five young men in a one square kilometer favela (slum) where 43 children had been murdered over a six year period. In the past Phillip has provided or secured assistance for the BBC, European television and film documentary crews, and a US based youth press corps to generate awareness of social justice issues and culture in Brazil. Phillip is himself a journalist who has authored dozens of articles on Brazil. He has earned Masters Degrees in both Latin American & Caribbean Studies and in African American & African Diaspora Studies from Indiana University, and he maintains a personal website at http://www.iei.net/~pwagner/brazilhome.htm. In 2005 Phillip produced a video which features and appeals for support for meritorious grassroots initiatives in Bahia. Many of Phillip's articles and his video are available for viewing on this site. Email Phillip at E-mail Phillip
Michael Eiseman
During the internet gold rush of the 90's our President Michael Eiseman ran one of Latin America's top Interactive Ad Agencies planning campaigns for Sony, Marriott and UOL. In 2002 Michael decided to leave the internet ad business to do what he was really passionate about: travel. Deciding to put his travel experience to the test, Michael creating a unique tour company called VIP Brazil which plans customized cultural and luxury tours for travel agents and direct to consumers. Over the past six years his company expanded to include new divisions for "Honeymoons" and "Argentina" , thus changing its name to VIP Tour Group with offices in Atlanta, Miami, New York and Rio de Janeiro. Michael joined Phillip in his efforts of Constructive Social Facilitation by joining Rhythm of Hope as a board member and continues to organize the growth and focus of our NGO. Michael will be assisting Phillip in expanding ROH internationally as well as planning more fundraising events to help grassroots programs help to stabilize communities and in almost all of them improve the life chances of desperately poor children and, in some cases, adults. E-mail Michael
Igor Perriera
Igor is based in Sab Diego, California and is the Founder and Ceo of Acai Roots, a leading supplier of 100% natural acai (ah-SIGH-ee) pulp products, launched their latest acai innovations, PROX and AX3 delicious juice smoothies. The company's shelf stable smoothie line is the first in the world to combine the healthy benefits of the acai berry with natural plant sterols. Natural plant sterols are clinically proven to promote healthy cholesterol management (when already within normal range). Grown atop Amazon River palm trees, the acai berry is considered nature's No. 1 Superfood based on its great amount of antioxidants, healthy essential omegas, fibers and protein. Igor's family in Rio is also actively involved with ongoing social programs in Rio's largest favela called Rocinho. E-mail Igor
Conor O'Sullivan
Conor O´Sullivan hails from Cork in Ireland and first came to Brazil in 1984 as part of a year long trip around South America. Salvador, where he spent 4 months, was to prove to be his favorite city. He returned to Salvador on September 01, 1985 and has lived there since, originally working as an English teacher, then a tour guide and eventually opening an incoming tour company in 1989. In a city of such wealth of culture, traditions and natural beauty, he was moved by the city’s stark contrasts and the social reality for the less favored, where a wealth, and strength, of spirit shine stronger than the tropical sun. Where and whenever possible his company seeks to act as a bridge or facilitator between visiting travelers and local grass roots organizations. Recently introduced to the ROH fold by Michael Eiseman, he looks forward to collaborating with Philip and the extended ROH family in future projects in Salvador and Bahia E-mail Conor
Collaborators
Mirtha Oquendo - Communications Development Intern
New Collaborator Mirtha Oquendo in NYC is taking on blogosphere duties and PR to help us get more attention. She is already working on a ROH Google Earth Grant to get advertising credits, is reactivating the Rhythm of Hope MySpace page and has enlisted a PhotoShop specialist to help us prepare a submission (photo) on behalf of a favela artist in Salvador for an A Força da Rua graffiti guitar contest sponsored by a Brazil focused NGO founded by guitarist Jimmy Page and his Brazilian wife Jimena. E-mail Mirtha
Mireya Manigault
New collaborator Mireya Manigault of northern California had been traveling in Latin America and was already in Brazil when she learned about Rhythm of Hope. In us she found the opportunity she was looking for in international community service. Mireya wants to create forms of sustainable support for the poor, for programs we support and for ROH itself. She changed her travel plans ‘on the fly’ to be introduced to our work in Bahia and meet with Conor. And she plans to meet with Igor in the US. Mireya’s interest in creating sustainable opportunities is especially timely since Mirtha Oquendo is becoming involved with Eco-Africa. Eco-Africa is working to provide sustainable incomes for desperately poor women in Zimbabwe through sale in the US of crafts they produce. And Phillip is presently mentoring (next entry) a young man from Zimbabwe in our method of constructive social facilitation and will be providing him opportunities to study the work of programs we serve.
Elizabeth Caliva
Elizabeth is a civil engineer in San Diego, CA with a strong passion for Brazil. She got acquainted with ROH while scouting organizations to collaborate with for her company Voluntour Brazil. Her support of ROH has been in the 501(c)(3) incorporation process, startup, fundraising and awareness building for the organization. Elizabeth is also studying "capoiera", a form of "martial arts that includes music, acrobatics and light contact. E-mail Elizabeth
Celeste Chia
Celeste, who lives in Barcelona, joined ROH in the summer of 2007 to drive fundraising efforts in Spain and Europe. Her main focus is to procure corporate sponsorship for the various grassroots programs with which we collaborate. Celeste spent some time as a volunteer at the Institute of Culture Italy Brazil Europe (ICBIE), one of the ROH chosen programs, and continues to be highly involved in developing a restructuring plan and business plan. Celeste has dedicated a part of her business website www.celestinechia.com to the ROH cause, with the aim to inform and enhance awareness of the various constructive grassroots programs we strive to support. E-mail Celeste
Roy Zimmerman
The musician Roy Zimmerman was born in 1950 and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. After studies at Michigan State, in 1973 he moved to Rome, Italy, teaching high school music at the American Overseas School of Rome, performing in a Dixieland band in a nightclub, and studying music composition at both the Accademia Chigiana and the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Important festivals and concert venues in Italy have hosted his music, which has also been frequently broadcast by Italian National Radio, where he has also presented many live programs. Active as a critic and historian, he is currently finishing a book, The Motley Chorus: Music in American Society, an extensive chronological survey of all styles of music in the U.S. In 2003, he backed his long-time friend Pietro Gallina, who founded the Instituto de Cultura Brasil Itália Europa (ICBIE), helping the impoverished children in Salvador, Brazil. Since then, Zimmerman has directed ICBIE fundraising efforts in Rome, initiated the institute’s blog (http://icbie.net) and handled public relations and correspondence, including, since September 2007, the partnership with Phillip Wagner and Rhythm of Hope. E-mail Roy
Danielle Valim
Dani lives in Salvador and has been a long time friend of Vivian Caroline and Neguinho do Samba at Projeto Dida, and knows the work of Circo Picolino, since their beginning. Since the mid-1990s Dani has been working at the Justice of Work in Salvador, and is currently studying to become a lawyer at Jorge Amado University. E-mail Dani
Contributors
Corporate Donars
coming soon
Private Donars
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