Mission Statement: The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's waves, oceans and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.
Estrada do Itajuru, 755 -- Casa 5
Itanhanga - CEP 22641-190
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Phone/fax: ++ 55 21 492 1606
E-mail: guil@ax.apc.org
Web site: www.surfrider.org/brasil
Formed: 1995
Membership Cost: Anything is greatly appreciated
Chapters: 2
Executive Director: Guil Araujo
From the Beach: donations, 99%; sales, 1%
To the Beach: programs, 30%; administration, 70% (It should be noted that SF Brazil had less than $15,000 to work with last year.)
Roots | Past Victories | Present Battles
Roots
The original inspiration for Surfrider Brazil came about in 1992 when Brazilian surfer Doctor Goelsteiman saw the need for an environmental organization that could deal with the ongoing problems with water and beach quality. Dr. Goelsteiman went and asked each big surf company for $20,000 to get the group up and running. And they said, "Yeah, right."
The idea was thusly shelved for a few years until Rosaldo Cavalcanti and a few cohorts went to the United States and met with Pierce Flynn in 1995 to discuss the possibilities. They realized that they didn't really need bucketloads of cash to start, as long as they had the vision and a few folks who were committed and driven.
Enter Guil Araujo, who had just finished a master's degree in environmental management and was in Australia hanging out and working with Greg Howell, executive director of Surfrider Oz. Cavalcanti knew that committed and driven were Araujo's middle names and invited him to come back to Brazil to be the newly anointed executive director. "After I came back from Australia, I put myself on a mission. And then I start to do the work," Araujo says.
And because Brazil is a developing country that has no real history of grassroots activism, a bureaucratic government and all the environmental problems of a developing nation, Araujo's work was cut out for him. It took him a year just to do the paperwork to start Surfrider. And then came the real challenge: getting money from the surf industry.
"The surf industry in Brazil wanted to see some work done before they started to help. But if you don't have the money to do the things, it's a catch 22," Araujo says. Fortunately, the tax laws governing environmental organizations are different in Brazil than the states. Surfrider Brazil is allowed to sell its products (T-shirts, etc.) in surf shops, and that's where most of its money comes from. But Araujo is still surprised: "I really don't understand why they don't use an environmental thing as a component of marketing," he says of surf companies.
But despite all the logistical struggles, Araujo has let his actions speak for themselves. In 1997, he streamlined the Board of Directors so they could be more effective in garnering funds from the surf industry. Promptly, four surf companies in San Paulo gave him sponsorship. He got Surfrider into trade shows and on television. He organized beach cleanups and water testing around Rio.
Five years into the struggle, the Brazilian Surfrider chapter is, thanks to visionaries such as Guil Araujo, finally opening the eyes of its fellow countrymen.
Past Victories
(1999) Raised awareness about sewage outfall structures.
Ipanema had a 2- to 3-million liter/day spill that SF Brazil protested and petitioned; the events were covered in Rio newspapers.
(1999) Produced a Public Service Announcement about ways to protect the ocean.
The cartoon PSA was played on a major sports network in Brazil and seen by millions of people.
(2000) Protested outdated oil pipelines.
After an oil leakage in Guanabara Bay, SF Brazil worked to help clean the animals affected by the spill and met with the oil company responsible.
(2000) Helped organize Embrace of Lagoa to protest environmental disaster.
A raw sewage spill killed 130 tons of fish in Lagoa Bay; SF Brazil helped organize protest and coordinated media attention.
Present Battles
Garner funding through product sales
As the tax laws are different in Brazil than the United States, it is able and willing to make Surfrider products -- clothes, etc -- to sell at surf shops.
Work out a comprehensive environmental management plan for surfing contests
Araujo has already started this with the ISA and some WQS events; he wants to extend the program out to include all contests, amateur and pro.
Increase staff through universities
Araujo wants to begin an internship program, where students get credit for working for Surfrider.
Bring Respect the Beach to Rio schools
Araujo wants to bring the United States-started educational program to public schools in Brazil's most visible city. --Marcus Sanders
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