Photo exhibition presents new perspectives on the daily lives of Brazilian prisons
Photo by E.R.S, 35 years old

Porto Alegre, 29 November 2013 - A photography exhibition revealing the daily life of prisons in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre through the eyes of prisoners and employees will be launched on Sunday, December 1st, to commemorate World AIDS Day. The activity is an initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Department of Brazil's Ministry of Health, with support from the European Union Delegation in Brazil.

The exhibition will display the result of two photography workshops held in August with 17 inmates and 18 professionals from Madre Pelletier Female Prison and Porto Alegre's Central Prison. Overall, over 100 images that depict the daily life of the two prisons, produced during the workshops by people who live this reality every day, will be displayed together with accounts from the participants.

Photo by J.F.R, 22 years old

The activities are part of a new project of the UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil, which aims to develop a methodology for raising awareness and building capacity on human rights in prisons. The idea is to use images that depict everyday situations of vulnerability related to the promotion and/or violation of human rights in prisons in order to promote a discussion on the subject, focusing on gender, violence and health issues, specifically the prevention of AIDS, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis.

The exhibition will be open to visitors on Sunday (01/12) from 9am, at theUsina do Gasômetro in Porto Alegre. Next week it will be open at Praça Quinze de Novembro, nearby Porto Alegre's Central Market, from Tuesday to Saturday.

Photo by E.R.S, 35 years old

Within the Ministry of Health, the workshops are supported by the STD, AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Department, the National Program for Tuberculosis Control and the Technical Area of ​​Health in the Prison System. The initiative also has a partnership with the Center for Professional Education of SENAC/RS, SUSEPE and the Municipal Program on STD/AIDS. This activity is also part of the United Nations Integrated Plan to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the city of Porto Alegre - AIDS Tchê.

 

 

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is celebrated every year around the world on December 1st since 1988. It has become one of the most recognized international days to raise awareness about health issues, as well as a key opportunity to commemorate those who have passed away and celebrate achievements, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

From the beginning of the epidemic in 1980 until June 2012, Brazil has had 656,701 reported cases of AIDS, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin of the STD, AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Department of the Ministry of Health. In 2011, 38,776 cases were reported and the incidence rate of AIDS in Brazil was of 20.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

 

Entry to the photography exhibition is free.

December 1st, from 9am, at Usina do Gasômetro - Porto Alegre, Brazil

From 3rd to 7 December, from 10am, at Praça Quinze de Novembro - Porto Alegre, Brazil

Press Contact:

Ana Paula Canestrelli

Communications Assistant - UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil

anapaula.canestrelli@unodc.org

Tel: (+55 61) 3204-7206 / Cel: (+55 61) 8143-4652

 

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