Peace Factories Build a Scenario of Opportunities for Young People in Social Vulnerability

Promoting youth protagonism is one of the main objectives of the Peace Factories, citizenship and security complexes integrated into the Territories for Peace Program (TerPaz), implemented by the Government of Pará. Various courses and workshops are offered, free of charge and permanently, to young people in situations of social vulnerability, in addition to sports, artistic, and professional qualification activities, to promote social inclusion, reduce violence, improve quality of life, and generate opportunities in the job market.

This is the case of 17-year-old student Maria Oliveira. She lives in Jurunas and has taken several courses offered at the Peace Factory in her neighborhood. Her favorite was the Gastronomy module. After completing the baking course, Maria is now focused on her studies for the Enem.

"The last gastronomy module was baking, and it has been good because it helps me at home, helps me gain autonomy, and take care of hygiene. I am also doing the pre-Enem. It has awakened a greater interest in my studies and given me hope that I will pass," she comments.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Juan Luiz saw the opportunity to develop his sports side at the Peace Factory in Bengui, the neighborhood where he lives. Since its inauguration three years ago, he has been playing volleyball. "The Factory is very important for those who live in the periphery. I have been coming here since it opened, and it has helped me a lot in my development," he reports.

Data from the Coordination and Institutional Relations Center of the State Secretariat for Citizenship Coordination (Seac) indicate that, in 2024, about 55% of the average audience of the Peace Factories were people between 15 and 29 years old.

"The Peace Factories are places of hope, inclusion, and future building. Facilities that offer concrete opportunities for our young people to discover and exercise their protagonism, through belonging and tools to develop talents and actively participate in building fairer communities with opportunities," emphasizes Elieth Braga, head of the State Secretariat for Citizenship Coordination (Seac).

Training – More than 8,000 young people have been certified in the last two years by the ParáPaz Foundation, which works directly in the UsiPaz by offering courses, workshops, and projects aimed at the citizenship and professional training of adolescents and young people. Among the initiatives are the "Leadership Training School for Youth" project and the "Administrative Practices" course, which offers internships within the complex.

“The presence of 'ParáPaz' in the Factories is strategic so that we can act directly with the youth in the territories that need it most. With courses and activities that develop professional, emotional, and social skills, we are taking adolescents out of vulnerable contexts and placing them in safe, creative, and constructive environments,” informs Alberto Teixeira, president of the Foundation.

A student of the Administrative Assistant course at the Peace Factory in Bengui, in Belém, the self-employed Claudiane Luz, 28 years old, assures that the qualification promotes the transformation of young people. “The course is making me see possibilities that will make a big difference for me in the job market, and will help me grow in the aesthetics field, as an even more qualified and prepared professional,” says Claudiane Luz.

Education – In March, the State Secretariat of Education (Seduc) carried out 23 teaching activities in the seven Peace Factories in the Metropolitan Region of Belém, through strategic actions organized into five areas of action: Basic Education, Early Childhood Education, Languages, Arts and Culture, and Sports.
The School Reinforcement programs and the Specific Pre-Enem classes, which reinforce students' preparation for the National High School Exam (Enem), are highlights in the State's investments in education for young people in the Factories.

Teacher Débora Ferreira, who works in the Guamá, Jurunas/Condor, and Terra Firme Factories, reinforces the importance of the initiatives. “It is a challenge to teach Portuguese Language and Writing to young people. We focus on the process of building a repertoire of linguistic, historical, economic, geopolitical, cultural, literary, and cinematic knowledge, so that they develop quality texts and perform well on the objective test. The students' experiences dialogue and contribute to this process of building knowledge, dreams, and changes in their respective realities,” emphasizes the teacher.

Sports – Approximately one thousand student-athletes, aged 7 and up, are served in the Factories, through the State Secretariat of Sports and Leisure (Seel), in the morning and afternoon shifts, in volleyball, basketball, futsal, beach soccer, beach volleyball, judo, boxing, jiu-jitsu, karate, swimming, water aerobics, ballet, contemporary dances, rhythms, stretching, and functional training.

“Sports activities not only encourage a healthy lifestyle but also strengthen the inclusive and safe space for the development of social and sports skills. Sports are a fundamental tool to take young people off the streets. The Factories are extremely important instruments,” assures Seel head, Cássio Andrade.

Citizen Network - Currently, 12 Factories are fully operational in Belém (Jurunas/Condor, Guamá, Terra Firme, Bengui, and Cabanagem), and in the municipalities of Ananindeua, Marituba, and Castanhal, in the Metropolitan Region; Abaetetuba, in the Lower Tocantins, and Marabá, Parauapebas, and Canaã dos Carajás, in southeastern Pará.

Another 25 complexes are under construction. Only in 2025, the State has already delivered Peace Factories in Castanhal, Marabá, and Abaetetuba, directly benefiting more than 616,000 people. The next expected delivery is the UsiPaz in the municipality of Benevides, also in the Metropolitan Region.