Celso Athayde

Celso Athayde is the Founder of the Central Union of Favelas (CUFA), a Brazilian non-profit organisation established 20 years ago to represent and promote the interests of people living in over five thousand favelas in Brazil, estimated at 17 million people and equivalent to approximately 8% of the population. Recognised both nationally and internationally in the fields of social assistance, sports and recreation and community develop-ment, CUFA promoted the unification of young people from favelas, mostly black youth, who sought means of expression through activities such as graffiti, DJ workshops, break, rap, audio-visual media, street basketball, and literature. Also founded by Celso Athayde, “Favela Holding” is a conglomeration of 23 companies whose goal is to develop the favelas and empowerment of their residents through fomenting entrepreneurship amongst these communities and promoting business and employment opportunities for favela residents.