{"id":290524,"date":"2021-03-26T13:44:52","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T16:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=290524"},"modified":"2021-04-14T16:23:33","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T19:23:33","slug":"arab-brazilian-chamber-launches-new-solidarity-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/arab-brazilian-chamber-launches-new-solidarity-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Arab Brazilian Chamber launches new solidarity campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce<\/strong> (ABCC) launched on Thursday, 25, a new solidarity campaign to join efforts against the problems ushered in by the novel coronavirus pandemic. This time, the campaign aims at fighting hunger, an issue that ravages entire families and has worsened during the COVID-19 crisis. The entity created an exclusive Pix key for those willing to cooperate with the campaign: campanha@ccab.org.br<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The campaign was launched during the webinar organized by the institution and the Arab House in celebration of the Arab Community Day in Brazil, an pointed out the efforts to fight the effects of the crisis ushered in by the COVID-19. \u201cThe pandemic is around for over an year and, although Brazilians are a very resilient people, many have reached a very critical situation and are starving. The ABCC can\u2019t stand idly by this situation and has launched another fundraising campaign, explained ABCC director Claudia Yazigi Haddad (pictured above<\/em>) during the online event.<\/p>\n

In the first phase of the campaign, the funds raised will be allocated to communities such as Brasil\u00e2ndia and Cabor\u00e9. The ABCC is also a partner at the Cidade Solid\u00e1ria [Solidary City] campaign organized by the government of the city of S\u00e3o Paulo. \u201cWe\u2019re now launching a new campaign associated with Cidade Soldi\u00e1ria to raise food baskets. We\u2019re encouraging the Arab Brazilian community to join us,\u201d said ABCC president Rubens Hannun.<\/p>\n

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The webinar also brought together Arabs, descendants and Brazilians that live with this community.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before the pandemic, severe food insecurity reached the homes of 10.3 million Brazilians from 2017 to 2018, according to statistics agency IBGE. The fear now is that, with the spread of the pandemic and the food inflation, more people are exposed to the issue. \u201cAt the beginning of the pandemic, we distributed hospital supplies and facemasks. But now we felt the need to raise food items to alleviate the hunger many families are going through,\u201d Haddad pointed out.<\/p>\n

Haddad, who\u2019s also part of the institution\u2019s women\u2019s committee WAHI \u2013 Woman Who Inspire points out the importance that the Arab community continue to collaborate with social responsibility. \u201cThe Arab women have a great history in Brazil with assistance work. For more than one hundred years, we\u2019ve created hospitals, nurseries, and nursing homes. Now I ask you to help again and embrace this campaign,\u201d she pointed out. WAHI supports the campaign.<\/p>\n

Previous campaigns<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is not the first campaign the ABCC has supported since the pandemic started. In partnership with other Brazilian and Arab entities, the institution raised masks and hospital supplies that were donated throughout 2020. \u201cThe Arab Community in Brazil has joined efforts for solidarity in several moments in 2020, which was a very difficult year,\u201d said ABCC communication coordinator Marina Sarruf.<\/p>\n

ABCC Marketing vice president Riad Younes also pointed out the institution\u2019s efforts in protecting its personnel. \u201cWe track coronavirus symptoms in everyone that needs to come to the ABCC. We\u2019ve done over 6,000 checks and, until now, no employee has been infected with the disease inside the Chamber,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n

Embracing Beirut<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020 an Arab country, Lebanon, suffered from port blast in its capital, Beirut. To support the Lebanese, Arab and non-Arab entities in Brazil came together. Among the actions for Lebnaon, S\u00e3o Paulo for Beirute managed to raise 30 tonnes of donations and was coordinated by S\u00e3o Paulo’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. \u201cThe humanitarian campaign was a response from the city that\u2019s proud to be one of the largest Lebanese cities outside Lebanon to the Beirut Port explosions. In S\u00e3o Paulo, this mobilization was immediate,\u201d said S\u00e3o Paulo Turismo director-president Luiz \u00c1lvaro Salles Aguiar de Menezes, who was then secretary of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n

Another action that marked the moment was organized by the Consulate General of Lebanon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The institute joined broadcaster TV Cultura to create the TV special Um Abra\u00e7o em Beirute<\/em> (Embracing Beirut) which featured Brazilian singers and the Beirut Symphonic Orchestra in a concert for Lebanon. The show aired and, with the support of the ABCC, donations were raised. Together with other entities associated with the colony, the ABCC called on the community to contribute, and a large volume of donations were sent to Lebanon with the support of the federal government and the Red Cross.<\/p>\n

ABCC administrative vice president Mohamad Mourad believes the action showed the union between Arabs and Brazilians. \u201cIn a few hours, we managed to raise a huge amount, which was sent to Lebanon\u2019s Red Cross. This wasn\u2019t the first time an Arab country fell on hard times and certainly won\u2019t be the last, but we have never joined efforts so rapidly, spontaneously and compassionately. I hope we\u2019re always ready to lend a helping hand to our Arab brothers and sisters wherever they are, whether they are in North Africa, the Gulf or the Levant,\u201d finished Mourad.<\/p>\n

The online event on the Arab Community Day was supported by TV Cultura and Bandeirantes, which was greatly appreciated by the ABCC.<\/p>\n

Read on about the Arab Community Day event:<\/em><\/p>\n

Arabs have influenced life stories of Brazilian people<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full webinar on YouTube:<\/em><\/p>\n