Rio 2016 holds discussion meeting with ‘alternative’ community media organisations
Guanabara Bay and job creation discussed as organising committee seeks open dialogue with wider society
Participants were shown a presentation about Guanabara Bay, during the event at the Rio 2016 headquarters (Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)
The Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games held a second discussion meeting with ‘alternative’ community media organisations on Tuesday (5 May), with a focus on Guanabara Bay and job creation. About 20 representatives of websites, publications and radio stations from across the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area took part in an event aimed at encouraging an open dialogue with all sections of society.
Following a general overview by Rio 2016 Executive Communications Director Mario Andrada, the situation at Guanabara Bay – which will host the sailing events during the Games – was presented by Tânia Braga, Rio 2016's Sustainability, Accessibility and Legacy Manager. She explained the problems that are being experienced in the area and outlined the measures being undertaken to remedy them.
“Regarding Guanabara Bay, this is already a legacy of Rio 2016: we have never spoken so much about the problem as we are now,” she said.
Braga then spoke about job creation, giving examples of the vacancies currently open in the organising committee, and said there will be 85,000 positions for outsourced staff during the Games. The visitors were invited to suggest which work opportunities created by the Games would be of most interest to their communities.
“The Games are a great story that we are going to tell and we want to do this in the same way as the alternative media do: with plain speaking, valuing dialogue, highlighting positive points and calling attention to those things that need to be improved,” said Andrada.
Afterwards, some of the particpants outlined the positive aspects of the meeting. “The cool thing about this event is that good ideas can arise from it, because it facilities a great exchange of experiences,” said William Vieira Melo, of the Web Agency, from Campo Grande in west Rio.
“I see this event as an opportunity to change the mentality of people in relation to big events, but this will only happen when they understand the meaning of the Games, the reasons why Rio is passing through all of this,” said Lucas Soares Pires, of the Amarévê digital media group, from Maré in the north of Rio.
