GSA 2025 Report

Guerreiros Sem Armas 2025

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

InstitutoElos.org

Guerreiros Sem Armas 2025

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Table of contents Introduction What is Guerreiros Sem Armas The Elos Methodology The GSA Ecosystem The GSA Learning Journey The impacts of GSA GSA 2025 in numbers Acknowledgements

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Guerreiros Sem Armas 2025

Introduction

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Introduction

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This is not just a report. It is an invitation.

An invitation to discover the impact of Guerreiros Sem Armas on people, territories, and systems.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Context

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We live in a time of wounded relations, apathy, and polarization. It is easier to create enemies than to dream collectively.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Why it exists

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Guerreiros Sem Armas exists to prove the opposite: that the strength of a collective dream can cross crises and open real paths for change.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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What is it?

What is Guerreiros Sem Armas?

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What it is

A training program that has been driving transformation for 26 years.

Guerreiros Sem Armas (GSA) is the most comprehensive training program of Instituto Elos, which, for 26 years, has demonstrated that transformation is not utopia, it is methodology.

GSA is an experience that unfolds over approximately 12 months, with four modules totaling more than 500 hours, including classes, talks, exercises, and facilitated activities that integrate theory and practice. The program is divided into 150 hours online and 28 days of in-person immersion in Santos, SP. Throughout the journey, shaped by shared living and collective action, GSA awakens, in participants, the energy to transform realities and, through the Elos Methodology, provides consistent tools to make this transformation tangible. This impact resonates not only during the training itself, but also before and after it, influencing communities, initiatives, and territories where each GSA participant takes action.

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The Essence

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“When we stop creating the enemy, the need for weapons ceases.

On the warrior’s path, it is up to you to discern what was woven by divine threads and what was woven by human threads. When you begin to discern this, you become a Txucarramãe, a warrior without weapons. For the threads woven by the human hand form pieces brought to life by their spirit. That hand generates all kinds of creation. Many things become part of you as a way to defend yourself from the external world, generated by your own hand and by your thinking. When you discover what you have made of your life and how your dance unfolds in the world, you gradually let go of weapons, which are creations made to destroy other creations. Suddenly, one discovers that when we stop creating the enemy, the need for weapons ceases.”

- Kaká Werá

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GSA in numbers

Trained participants (GSAs)

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721

Over the course of 16 editions, GSA has trained 720 participants from around the world. Diversity is a central pillar of the program: we seek to build groups that reflect a wide range of life experiences, contexts, and realities.

We believe that it is precisely in encounters with difference that learning flourishes most strongly, expanding horizons and revealing that we can go far beyond what we once believed possible.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Countries represented

57

South Africa, Germany, Angola, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo, South Korea, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Egypt, El Salvador, Slovenia, Spain, United States, France, Ghana, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Netherlands, India, England (UK), Italy, Liechtenstein, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Wales (UK), Panama, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Kenya, Czech Republic, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Benefited locations

1.475

In addition to the 33 partner communities of the GSA program in the Santos Region, which opened their doors to host learning and development through the lived experience of the Elos Methodology, each participant becomes an agent of social transformation and carries this learning into their own reality, applying the methodology and generating positive impacts across diverse contexts and locations around the world.

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The Elos Methodology

The Elos Methodology

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Elos Methodology: a social technology for transformation

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At the heart of GSA is the teaching and application of the Elos Methodology, a social technology for transformation across diverse contexts.

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A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Pillars of transformation

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The three fundamental pillars of the Elos Methodology

Potential

Belonging

Agency

To recognize, awaken, and strengthen what already exists at its best in each person, group, and territory, transforming talents and resources into visible and active potential.

To recover memories, stories, and identities that connect each person to their community, their territory, and their personal values. It is this emotional bond that awakens the sense that we are not alone and inspires collective action in pursuit of a better future.

To promote people’s active and effective participation in transformation, going beyond solidarity. It involves inspiring individuals, motivating collectively, and leaving a lasting legacy.

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The Guerreiros Sem Armas program

The GSA Ecosystem

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Expanding reach

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To truly transform, we need everyone.

That is why we expanded the GSA Ecosystem.

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The GSA Ecosystem

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Expansion of diversity and impact Alongside GSA, the program Elos na Liderança (Elos in Leadership) was created in 2009 and Geração GSA (Generation GSA) in 2023.

Together, they form the GSA Ecosystem, structured to awaken Potential, Belonging, and Agency across different audiences.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Geração GSA

Elos na Liderança

A hybrid experience, with online sessions and an eight-day in-person immersion for teenagers ages 14 to 17, promoting self-awareness, healthy relationships, connection with nature, and social impact.

An intensive five-day in-person training for leaders in companies and organizations, focused on collaborative practices and action in territories.

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Geração GSA in numbers

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Geração GSA in numbers

Teenagers who graduated from the program

75

Since 2023, Geração GSA has trained 75 teenagers across three editions of the program.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Brazilian states represented

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States of Bahia, Federal District, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo.

Countries represented

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South Africa, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.

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The GSA Ecosystem

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Geração GSA in 2025 A hybrid experience, with online sessions and an eight-day in-person immersion for teenagers ages 14 to 17, promoting self-awareness, healthy relationships, connection with nature, and social impact.

The program consists of 98 hours – 8 hours online and 90 hours in-person during 8 days of immersion.

Teenagers ages 14 to 17 Countries represented Black participants (Brown and Black, as defined in Brazil) Transgender participants Neurodiverse participant

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Testimonials

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Voices of those who experienced the Geração GSA program in 2025 “The program itself greatly helped with the issue of cellphone use. Most of the time, teenagers can’t go without looking at a screen, and during the immersion there were many moments when we didn’t miss it at all.”

“It helped me see myself more clearly, recognize my values, and understand who deserves my attention and my energy. It changed my life and the way I see life.”

“I learned that I can be myself without fear of judgment. I also learned that I am strong, that I deserve care from others, and that I am important.”

Geração GSA 2025 participant

Geração GSA 2025 participant

Geração GSA 2025 participant

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Elos na Liderança in numbers

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Elos na Liderança in numbers

People trained

180

Since 2009, Elos na Liderança has trained 180 people throughout 10 editions of the program.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Organizations represented

100

Including: Bertha Foundation, Edge, Fundação Renova, Natura, Honda, City Hall of Cubatão, City Hall of Santos, City Hall of São Vicente, City Hall of Contagem (MG), Rumo, and Sabesp.

Program editions

10

2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025.

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The GSA Ecosystem

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Elos na Liderança in 2025 Elos na Liderança is a program for those facing organizational challenges and seeking more effective, human, and collective leadership with teams, across departments, or alongside stakeholders.

It takes place in parallel with GSA, with interactions between groups that enable exchange with international leaders, the sharing of challenges, and the co-creation of creative solutions to bring community visions into action.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Leaders Organizations represented Cities represented States represented

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Testimonials

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Voices of those who experienced the Elos na Liderança program in 2025 “I think about teamwork, working as a group, people coming together in a single process, children participating, people, communities, companies. Everyone together. The result was very positive.

I intend to take this sense of integration to where I work.”

Diego Lopes, Sustainability Coordinator at Rumo Logística

“It should be mandatory for every HR professional, leaders, and company managers to go through a process like this, because it helps you understand your place in the world. You have the opportunity to look at your work from a different perspective, one that can be far more meaningful and impactful.”

“What surprised me the most was this: learning to look at ourselves, to access feelings we are not used to dealing with or even noticing in the rush of everyday life and work.”

Vanessa Saraiva, Senior ESG Analyst at EDGE

Lua Barros, founder of Rede Amparo

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The GSA Program

The GSA Learning Journey

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The GSA Learning Journey

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The GSA learning journey in three stages Pre-immersion

Immersion

Expansion

The Pre-immersion begins with the selection process, when each participant connects with their purpose and takes action within their own context, testing ideas and sparking rapid transformations. It is a time to learn and relearn by doing, deepen self-awareness, and mobilize networks around a cause. Along this path, each person discovers new possibilities through an abundance mindset and strengthens a culture of trust, cooperation, and win-win relationships.

The GSA Immersion is a true workshop of the world, where participants live together and exchange experiences with people from different contexts and realities, coming from various parts of the globe. In this diversity-rich environment, they have the opportunity to experience the Elos Methodology in practice, applying it in partner territories of Instituto Elos, in the construction and strengthening of the group, and by learning about cases of the Elos Methodology in action, while seeking and co-creating solutions to real problems in challenging contexts. All of this is grounded in strengthening potential, belonging, and protagonism, which are the foundations for transforming territories and also oneself.

After the immersion, most participants report a true turning point. Back in their own contexts, they return equipped with tools, practices, and experiences that strengthen the confidence that effective transformation is possible anywhere. In this Expansion stage, each participant is challenged to envision and carry out their own project, strengthening a cause they believe in and driving social transformation through their direct action.

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The GSA Learning Journey

Pre-immersion The journey begins long before the in-person gathering.

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Yes Path 21 hours / online.

The first part of the GSA Journey is the Yes Path where participants take real action. They collaborate on real challenges, respond creatively to proposed tasks, and build, in community and in the real world, while sharing results on an online platform. It is not just a selection process; it is an invitation to take action, innovate, and transform even before arriving at the GSA immersion experience.

Abundance Game 21 hours / online.

Next comes Abundance Game, a fundraising module that empowers participants to mobilize support to finance their own journey. It is not “passive funding,” but a collective practice that teaches how to see abundance where many see scarcity.

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The GSA Learning Journey

Immersion During the GSA Immersion, transformation moves off the page and takes shape.

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GSA Immersion 28 days / format: in-person For 28 days, in Santos and in partner territories located in the Santos Region, participants from different cultures, histories, and backgrounds engage in an intense shared experience, sharing accommodations, achievements, and building deep community bonds.

This experience is not only about living together, it is action with purpose. Participants work hands-on in local communities, side by side with residents. Not to impose ready-made solutions, but to co-create dreams and transform realities through empathy, listening, and abundance.

Each experience is a concrete practice of the Elos Methodology. These are practices that reveal and strengthen the pillars of transformation: seeing abundance, building affection, dreaming and acting collectively, caring, celebrating, and expanding together.

This intercultural experience, with participants from different nationalities, amplifies empathic leadership potential and strengthens both emotional and collective agency.

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The GSA Learning Journey

Expansion

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Expansion Path 108 hours / format: online A moment dedicated to strengthening participants’ action in building the world we collectively envision.

The journey doesn't end when the immersion is over.

What is experienced there spreads into communities, organizations, and systems.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

This space offers support to maintain connection, deepen learning, share experiences, and gain momentum to act in the world. Through collective and individual meetings, participants receive support in integrating learning and implementing initiatives and projects.

At this stage of the journey, participants also become part of an exclusive network with people from other editions of the program, encouraging the exchange of experiences and strengthening global transformation through the power of the GSA Network.

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Impact

The impacts of GSA

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Impact

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The impact of GSA happens on three levels Personal

Territorial

Systemic

In GSA, transformation begins within each person.

Throughout the journey, participants are challenged to look at their talents, recognize their potential, and discover new ways of relating to others and to the world.

The heart of the GSA journey is community immersion. In 2025, it unfolded in the territories of Vila Natal and Vila Esperança, in Cubatão.

GSA forms a global network of warriors whose impact continues to resonate in public policies, companies, and territories years later.

It all begins with community gatherings and projects that bring dreams to life. Then, over three days of collective action, these dreams take shape, leaving visible marks like painted walls, revitalized public spaces, and newly planted trees, as well as invisible ones: strengthened bonds, renewed trust, and new dreams already in motion.

Each GSA graduate, in their own way, remains in motion, developing their own projects across different countries and carrying with them the practice of listening and collective action learned through the Elos Methodology.

It is an intense process of self-awareness that strengthens confidence, broadens future perspectives, and awakens the courage to act. Each warrior leaves the program with the certainty that they can be agents of real change, in any context.

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Impact

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Personal Impact

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Personal Impact

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“The Elos Methodology is simple and powerful: looking to what we already have at our best, joining forces with the community and transforming dreams into reality through collaboration. It is about acting with affection, beauty, and the participation of everyone.”

Liliane Santos The strength of riverine youth

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Liliane Santos, 23, is a riverine youth from Terra do Meio in Pará, Brazil, a community communicator and a leader among Amazonian youth. Founder of the Olhos do Xingu collective, she works in defense of the forest, the appreciation of ancestral knowledge, and the fight for climate justice.

At GSA (Guerreiros Sem Armas), she discovered new ways of social transformation grounded in listening, care, and collective action. She represents her community at COP30, bringing the voices of women and youth from the Amazon and building bridges between territories and international spaces.

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Personal Impact

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“The downside of people from my generation is that we want everything right away. I wish us all more courage to follow our dreams and the consistency to see things through.”

Léo Santos From Vila dos Criadores to the world

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Léo grew up between Vila dos Criadores, in Santos, and Vila dos Pescadores, in Cubatão. A shy teenager, he spent hours at home, distant from the streets and the people around him. He felt invisible, with few perspectives for the future.

It was through Elos’ educational programs Conexão Elos and Geração GSA that he found something he had never experienced before: listening, care, and belonging. While participating in these programs, his shyness turned into courage. He began to speak up, connect, and believe that he had something to offer.

The impact was immediate. Shortly afterward, Léo decided to learn English on his own and applied for a position on a cruise ship. He was accepted. He traveled the world, broadened his horizons, and returned with a new desire: to inspire other young people to believe that transformation is possible.

Today, Léo is an active change agent. He took part in GSA 2025, continues to work in community projects, and has become a reference for his generation. His story shows that when we strengthen bonds and create belonging and trust, we offer young people more than opportunities: we offer a future.

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Personal Impact

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“It is an expectation of self-care and care for all of us, of working together, collaborating, seeking knowledge and new strategies so I can take this back to my community, offer greater care, and continue learning.”

Adalgisa Uacunzo

Adalgisa Uacunzo (27), from Angola, is dedicated to gender equality and the protection of women’s sexual and reproductive rights. From a young age, she has worked to support girls in recognizing their values, protecting themselves, and strengthening one another. She is also a trainer in communication and public speaking techniques, helping people unlock their potential and overcome shyness.

Driven by her own life experience, Adalgisa believes that transformation is possible even in the face of social and cultural challenges. Her dream is a world without discrimination, prejudice, or racism, where men and women have equal opportunities and where respect and love are the foundation of relationships.

Empowering girls and women

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Personal Impact

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“The special part of this for me is that we come from so many different places around the world, and that we are not only able to say that, but to experience what it is like to live together, allowing people to transform work by working together.”

Fiona Hawes Connecting people, peoples, and territories

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Fiona Hawes (30), from Germany, works at the intersection of social justice, creativity, and community connection.

Co-founder of Migrantour Utrecht, she developed walking tours that address migration, colonialism, and privilege, fostering civic encounters and dialogue. She has also worked as a youth pedagogue, supporting children in creating a youth parliament to transform their territories through art and gardening, and has been involved in community initiatives focused on social and ecological transformation.

She sees her cause as a mosaic of experiences and encounters, always focused on creating spaces of belonging and listening. Her dream is to build a world where humans recognize themselves as part of nature, where cooperation replaces competition, and where all voices — human and non-human — are respected and heard.

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Personal Impact

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“It’s really good to be here and see how Elos develops this wonderful methodology of building things, making things happen, making dreams come true, involving people and their dreams in a very fast, effective, and human way.”

Fábio Salim From innovation to social impact

Fábio Salim (44), from Brazil but living in the United States, has around 20 years of experience in leadership roles across the technology sector in different parts of the world.

He has held and continues to hold positions as an executive — currently CEO of a technology company in New York, USA — as well as consultant, advisor, and mentor. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a degree in Economics from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil.

In recent years, Fábio has increasingly directed his trajectory and energy toward social impact initiatives. He works as an entrepreneurship mentor with Endeavor and

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Techstars and participates in and coordinates projects related to mental health initiatives as part of the Zendo Project and the Fireside Project in the United States. He also serves as an advisor to the Impact Public Service Fund, which promotes more constructive dialogue amid polarization.

His dream is to contribute to the regeneration of dialogue and bonds — individual, collective, and with the world — and thus create spaces of belonging and agency where different voices can be heard and generate real impact.

This purpose is what led him to participate in GSA.

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Testimonials

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Voices of those who experienced GSA 2025

“We learned how to show care in practice.”

Carol Amaral, GSA from Brazil

“It was very moving to realize how the simple act of sharing dreams can bring people closer together.”

Keshia, GSA from Colombia

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

“Alone we can’t do much, but together we can do whatever we want.”

Seu Ceará, community leader from Vila Natal

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Impact

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Territorial impact

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Territorial impact

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“I had never seen an NGO come here and say they were going to do things with us. Especially not in just three days.”

- Miriam, resident of Vila Esperança

Vila Esperança The awakening of potential and collective responsibility

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Vila Esperança is the most populous neighborhood in Cubatão, with around 19,000 residents — more than 17% of the city’s population. Formed through irregular settlements over recent decades, largely in areas of mangrove ecosystem, it comprises a large number of precarious homes, many of them built on stilts.

Disorderly occupation has led to longstanding infrastructure challenges, such as lack of sanitation, regular electricity, drainage, paving, and property titles. Today, the neighborhood is the focus of urbanization projects, including infrastructure works and the Bruno Covas Housing Complex for the resettlement of families at risk and the future Perimetral Avenue.

Despite these advances, a significant portion of the population still faces housing precarity and a lack of basic services. Local commerce is active, but schools and health units are mainly concentrated in the neighboring Vila Natal.

As a result, Vila Esperança stands out as a territory of high population density, structural shortages, and central importance in debates on urbanization and social inclusion in Cubatão.

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Territorial Impact

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The application of the Elos Methodology in Vila Esperança

People participated in the Talent Show

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A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Collective dreams identified

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People participated in the Project Meeting

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Territorial Impact

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Physical transformation: Before + After

Before the GSA 2025 Collective Action

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After the GSA 2025 Collective Action

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Territorial Impact

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Collective dreams realized

Installation of a playground with swings, a climbing structure, and a slide

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Signs and wayfinding for community spaces

Construction of a leisure area – the community square

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Territorial Impact

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Physical transformation: Before + After

Before the GSA 2025 Collective Action

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After the GSA 2025 Collective Action: 22 truckloads of waste removed

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Territorial Impact

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Collective dreams realized

Neighborhood clean-up: 22 truckloads of waste removed

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Neighborhood clean-up with active participation from residents

Game tables, suspended trash bins, and fences built

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Territorial Impact

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Collective dreams realized

Street sign for Rua da Bênção and walls painted by local artists

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Tree and seedling planting

Installation of lighting in community gathering areas

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Territorial Impact

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“Alone we can’t do much, but together we can do whatever we want.”

– Seu Ceará, community leader from Vila Natal

Vila Natal Legacy of transformation and collective achievements

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Vila Natal in Cubatão (SP), is one of the most traditional neighborhoods in the Santos Region, marked by resilience and the struggle of its residents for basic rights. Formed in the 1970s, it welcomed families relocated from risk areas and consolidated in the 1980s, initially through spontaneous occupations.

With around 31 streets and Parque Cotia-Pará as a key leisure reference, Vila Natal is a symbol of the struggle for decent housing, solidarity, and the collective strength that shape the history and identity of Cubatão.

Over time, the community secured infrastructure, healthcare, transportation, and education through grassroots organization, with strong agency of women and social movements. Today, it is a residential neighborhood with local commerce, schools, churches, and public services, although it still faces challenges related to health, safety, mobility, and culture.

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Territorial Impact

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The application of the Elos Methodology in Vila Natal

People present at the Talent Show

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A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Collective dreams identified

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People participated in the Project Meeting

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A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Territorial Impact

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Physical transformation: Before + After

Before the GSA 2025 Collective Action

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

After the GSA 2025 Collective Action

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Territorial Impact

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Collective dreams realized

Creation of shaded community gathering spaces

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Wooden benches

Painting of colorful sidewalks

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Territorial Impact

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Collective dreams realized

Planting of trees and a community garden

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Recreational areas with gardens and planting

Muralism

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GSA reignites the flame

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The miracle of GSA is not esoteric: it is practical. It reignites the flame that already exists in each person.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

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Impact

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Systemic impact

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Systemic impact

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The collective work did not stop there. With the organized strength of the community, a rare achievement for the time was reached: securing Federal Government funding to build a Cultural Center in the heart of the neighborhood.

In 2002, when the Grupo Régua e Compasso from Santo André, organized by Escola Criativa Olodum, performed at the Dike, the idea began to gain traction. The youth in the community were captivated by the possibility of engaging with art and culture.

Vila Gilda Dike From the daycare to the arts: when the first collective dream sparks a cultural revolution

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

In 1999, the first edition of Guerreiros Sem Armas reached the Vila Gilda Dike in Santos, São Paulo. The territory, known for its stilt houses over mangroves, carried stories of struggle and resistance — and it was there that the first major collective dream was born: a daycare center.

During a collective hands-on action, the community and GSA participants built an improvised daycare on stilts. This marked the beginning of a partnership that would grow over the next few years. Soon after, the community approached Instituto Elos to design and construct, together, a more structured daycare capable of better accommodating the children.

In November of that year, the Projeto Arte no Dique was born, a partnership between Instituto Elos, the Cultural Group Olodum from Bahia, and the Sociedade de Melhoramentos da Vila Gilda (Cultural Center). Today, the project is responsible for after-school programs in all municipal schools in Santos, training young people from the community who now teach art in neighborhoods across the city.

The story of Vila Gilda shows how a first step can trigger a journey of transformation: from caring for childhood to strengthening culture, always guided by the community’s power and the dream of a more dignified future.

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Systemic impact

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“When it all started back then, we only had dreams and the desire to transform.

Seeing that all of this happened more than 10 years later, and that the will to dream together resulted in this, is truly moving.”

– Dona Vilma, Coordinator of the Bons Frutos Garden

Jardim São Manoel From dream to harvest: the garden that brought the community together, generated income, and inspired the country

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Over ten years ago, in Jardim São Manoel, Santos, the community became the driving force behind a collective dream. In 2014, during the GSA program, the region hosted the project meeting, where residents sat down to share their desires and ideas to transform the neighborhood. It was in this inspiring and emotional gathering that the idea of a community garden was born — a small cultivated space at the back of the community center, also built following the Elos Methodology.

With each collective hands-on action, the community discovered its strength. Self-management, composting, and projects like Óleo Noel and the Therapeutic Garden emerged. The land, once abandoned, began to flourish.

Today, the Horta Bons Frutos (Good Fruit Community Garden) occupies a new space, removes tons of waste from the environment, ensures food security for dozens of families, and generates income, belonging, and a sense of future. More than producing food, it produces social transformation.

In 2025, the collective effort was recognized nationwide: Horta Bons Frutos won the first edition of the National Urban Agriculture Award from the Federal Government.

This recognition symbolizes something greater: when the community takes the lead, it transforms the territory and inspires the entire country.

With support from Instituto Elos, the garden grew and became much more than a cultivation space: it turned into a place for gatherings, affection, and collective work.

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Systemic impact

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“I looked around our village and thought, ‘we won’t be able to change.’ But after a conversation with Rodrigo, I realized what we have already achieved and that we are capable of continuing to build an environment of harmony and peace.”

Pará Yvoty Ancestral wisdom and new tools: Indigenous strength in collective transformation

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Her participation in the program began after a visit from Rodrigo Rubido of Instituto Elos to her village, whose question prompted Pará to rethink her role as a leader, especially regarding the ongoing struggle for the demarcation of her territory.

The program goes beyond the immersion: in the stage called the Expansion Path, participants develop their own projects based on the knowledge acquired. Mariana Gauche, Education Director at Instituto Elos, emphasizes that, although the outcomes may differ, the goal is the same: to prepare people to promote purposeful change and apply the Elos Methodology in diverse contexts, creating innovative social technologies.

In the west zone of São Paulo, Tekoa Pyau is one of the seven Guarani Mbya villages in the city, located at Pico do Jaraguá amid urban condominiums. Although the village has been there for at least 50 years, the Guarani had occupied the region since the 16th century.

For Pará, 29, participating in the Guerreiros Sem Armas program, created based on an indigenous worldview different from her own, was a challenge she chose to embrace. Inspired by the concept of txucarramãe, from Kaká Werá — “warriors without weapons” — she understood that it is not about combat, but about creating tools for a better world: life and thinking as instruments for transformation.

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“In the midst of difficulties, I found strength in the unity of the community. Together, we transformed challenges into the achievement of dreams.

Today, I believe that true change happens when we come together to care for our territory and future.”

Priscilla Pereira From resilience to sustainability

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

More than numbers, Priscilla helps reframe what was once seen as a problem: what was waste becomes opportunity, learning, and unity.

Her dream is simple and revolutionary: that all communities recognize their strength and have access to rights, using collective power to transform realities.

Today, her vision is to turn Sítio Conceiçãozinha into a model of a sustainable community, capable of inspiring other territories and demonstrating in practice that when we believe in collective strength, the future opens up.

Priscilla Pereira, mother of Arthur and resident of Sítio Conceiçãozinha in Guarujá (São Paulo, Brazil), began her journey with Instituto Elos in 2014 through Guerreiros Sem Armas. Since then, she has continued to believe that communities can thrive when they recognize their potential.

In 2021, she started working at the Conceiçãozinha Tia Nice Community Center, leading the Eco-munidade project, which transforms solid waste into collective solutions. Every month, more than one ton of plastic is removed from the environment and converted into financial resources that directly benefit over 100 families through food security programs and socio-environmental workshops.

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Living Impact: GSA Study GSA does not only transform individuals but also systems. Participants return to their territories, organizations, and networks, multiplying collaborative practices, mediating conflicts, inspiring leadership, and creating social initiatives.

Research shows that the Elos Methodology translates into collective and lasting impact: stronger communities, new projects, purpose-driven careers, and a global network of people who believe in the power of human connections.

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Of participants began to act with greater consideration for the collective impact of their choices.

Of participants took more initiatives to transform the spaces where they operate.

Of participants learned to mediate conflicts, make decisions, and mobilize people.

Of participants made a career transition after GSA, many moving into social or community-focused areas.

85% 86% 89% 54%

GSA awakens distributed agency: leadership does not depend on a position, but on purpose and collective action.

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GSA 2025 in numbers

GSA 2025 in numbers

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GSA 2025 demographic data

Race

Black People 42,9%

Continents

Latin America 64,3%

Gender

Female 61,9% Male 38,1%

26 16

Africa 31,0% Europe 4,7%

27 13 02

Latin America: Brazil (22 people), Mexico (2 people), Colombia (2 people), Chile (1 person). África: Angola (6 people), Mozambique (3 people), Zimbabwe (3 people), Libya (1 person).

Europe: Germany (1 person), Netherlands (1 person)

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

White People 21,4% Mixed-race people 11,9% Indigenous people 9,5% Asian people 4,8% Others 9,5%

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Our commitment to social justice, equity, and diversity GSA is born from the dream of building connections and fostering collaboration among diverse people from around the world. We know that in an unjust, unequal, and exclusive world, this does not happen spontaneously. That’s why we strive to create conditions that make this unlikely encounter possible!

We start by granting all participants a 30% subsidy of the total course fee. This initiative is made possible thanks to the support of individuals and partner organizations of Instituto Elos, who invest in training a new generation of diverse leaders.

Moreover, in our pursuit of social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion - values that are essential to Elos,

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Number of scholarships offered (GSA + Geração GSA):

Scholarships for Black and Brown participants

and as a fundamental part of the program’s pedagogy, we work to offer full or partial scholarships, prioritizing people from territories, skin tones, and cultures that have been historically marginalized: 6 scholarships of 100%, 3 scholarships of 90%, 1 scholarship of 75%, 9 scholarships of 70%, 7 scholarships of 50%, 2 scholarships of 25%, and 10 ambassador scholarships, totaling 38 scholarships.

Scholarships for participants from Latin America

Understanding that transforming the world requires including everyone, we also expanded our programs to include teenagers through the Geração GSA program. In this program, we also offer scholarships with the same social justice goals: 6 scholarships of 100%, 1 scholarship of 80%, 1 scholarship of 50%, and 6 ambassador scholarships, totaling 14 scholarships.

Ambassador Scholarships – Nota Fiscal Paulista

Scholarships for Indigenous people and members of traditional communities

Scholarships for other ethnic groups in vulnerable situations

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Expenses of the GSA, Geração GSA, and Elos na Liderança programs Budget components The budget is distributed across the following stages, covering all three programs: GSA, Geração GSA (GGSA), and Elos na Liderança (ENL).

Planning and Management GSA/GGSA/ENL Development and production team of the program, partnership acquisition and fundraising, institutional relations, methodological content graphic design, and press office.

Yes Path

Abundance Game

Promotion, development, and production of communication materials, participant recruitment, virtual selection process, and participant follow-up.

Creation and provision of the game content on a virtual platform, and support in the individual fundraising efforts of each selected GSA participant.

GSA/GGSA/ENL Immersion Administrative expenses, food, lodging, telephone, internet, health kit, space adaptation, transportation, stationery, external events, facilitation team and contracted external consultants, printing of pedagogical and communication materials.

Expansion Path Maintenance of the Yes Path platform, virtual follow-up of participants, and in-person follow-up in the communities for six months.

Additional expenses covered Support in obtaining tickets, passports, transportation, etc.

Total Expenses: R$ 1.450.843,44

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Revenue of the GSA, Geração GSA, and Elos na Liderança programs 1. Donations from individuals and companies to the Scholarship Fund: R$ 98,767.00 2. Transformadores Elos Program – individuals and companies: R$ 63,112.00 3. Nota Fiscal Paulista Benefit – institutional donors: R$ 349,835.00 4. Parliamentary Amendment: R$ 140,000.00

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Final Balance: Expenses: R$ 1,450,843.44 Revenue: R$ 1,419,571.06

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Current Balance:** -R$ 31,272.38 This amount already includes the payment of individual agreements with GSA, GGSA, and ENL participants.

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5. Sponsorship: R$ 400,000.00 6. Participant payments: R$ 367,857.06

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Total Revenue: R$ 1,419,571.06 0

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Media reach

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Social Media In 2025, Instituto Elos used its social media channels, especially Instagram (@elosbrasil), to share key moments from the GSA 2025 program immersion. The posts highlighted how the Elos Methodology supports the development of skills and competencies that enable transformation at personal, territorial, and systemic levels.

Instagram was the primary communication platform, allowing Elos’ audience to closely follow the program’s daily activities. To extend reach, the content was also shared through serialized newsletters, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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Instagram New followers during the period Profiles reached Interactions Clicks on the website link Shares

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665 31,173 6,844 49 549 InstitutoElos.org

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LinkedIn New followers during the period Profiles reached Interactions

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57 767 56

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GSA in the press

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Partnerships and allies

Acknowledgements

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Partnerships Our gratitude GSA happens thanks to the support of individuals and organizations who believe in the work of transforming the world we live in into the world we dream of.

Thank you very much to everyone who was with us in 2025: Support: Agência Brasileira de Cooperação, Casa Hacker, LALA, Prefeitura de Cubatão, Prefeitura de Santos, Shambala Naturais and Unimed Santos.

Scholarship Fund: Be The Earth Foundation, Fundação Tide Setubal, Instituto Estrela do Mar, Instituto Meraki, Storage and Transformadores Elos.

Sponsorship: Donors from Nota Fiscal Paulista, Ministry of Culture, Rumo Logística and Semente Orê.

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No one transforms the world alone Support

Scholarship fund

Sponsorship

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and your support makes all the difference!

Investing in GSA is investing in the relational infrastructure that sustains personal, territorial, and systemic transformation.

It means giving form to a methodology that promotes openness, collaboration, dialogue, and diversity — the essential elements for building the best of worlds.

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The Team GSA 2025 Team: General Coordination Mariana Gauche Motta Management Team Mariana Gauche Motta Natália Torres Dittmar Rodrigo Rubido Alonso Pedagogical Team Hannah Needleman Jamerson Mancio Natália Torres Dittmar Natasha Mendes Gabriel Rodrigo Rubido Alonso Finance Team André Pascoal João Luiz Agapito Yasmin Nascimento

Fundraising Cláudia Ferreira Jaqueline Viana Mariana Gauche Motta Rodrigo Rubido Alonso Participant Relations Mirian Fonseca Natália Torres Dittmar Support Val Rocha Production and Infrastructure Gabriela Moço Natália Torres Dittmar Mirian Fonseca Rebeca Alonso Silvana Contreras

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

Production Support Val Rocha Mariana Gauche Motta Communications Team Agnes Sofia Guimarães Ariane Lopes Mates Beatriz Chaves Luiz Amaro Fortes Paula Valerio Audiovisual Recording Léo Bertero Thiago Bugallo Translation and Interpretation Hannah Needleman Jade Chaib Yes Path Facilitation Jamerson Mancio Mirian Fonseca

Yes Path Support Hannah Needleman Francina Buonanotte Mirian Fonseca Natália Torres Dittmar Rodrigo Rubido Alonso Val Rocha Bel Rocha Randa Seyam Jade Chaib Felipe Chammas Abundance Game Facilitation Bel Rocha Felipe Chammas Jamerson Mancio Abundance Game Support Cláudia Ferreira Mirian Fonseca

Expansion Path Facilitation Hannah Needleman Jamerson Mancio Felipe Chammas

Opening Workshops Carla José de Oliveira Andréia Pereira Fernandes Maria José Dantas Dias

GSA Immersion Facilitation Caio Fiuza Francina Buonanotte Juliana Guerreiro Natália Borges Randa Seyam Vinicius Sakamoto Hannah Needleman Jamerson Mancio Rodolpho "Dodô" Martins Rodrigo Rubido

Workshop Facilitators André Ebert André Mafra Ariane Lopes Mates Alex "BIG Z" Santos Bel Rocha Caio Fiuza Felipe Chammas Francina Buonanotte Rodolpho "Dodô" Martins Silvana Contreras Vinicius Sakamoto

Catering Ana Paula Garcia Luize Ana Macêdo Avelar Cláudia Regina Pinto Jéssica Paixão

Opening Ceremony on the First Day Pará Yvoty Aldeia Tekoa Pyaú André Ebert Música do Círculo

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The Team Nature Games Kaká Werá Pará Yvoty Rodrigo Rubido Alonso Ariane Lopes Mates Circle Dances Marina Prathes Communication and Trust Felipe Chammas Raquel Calcina Val Rocha Elos Dialogues Caio Fiuza Hermes de Sousa Kenia Antonio Cardoso

Dream Meeting Cristiane Santos Natália Cristine Priscilla Pereira Re-evolution Meeting Bel Rocha Dri de Moraes Larissa Silvestre Luiza de Sá Roberto Chunguane Celebration Party Coletivo Querô Instituto Arte no Dique Jamerson Mancio Rodolpho "Dodô" Martins

Dream Meeting Centro Comunitário Arco Íris do Morro

A methodology that transforms people, communities, and territories

GERAÇÃO GSA 2025 TEAM: General Coordination Mariana Gauche Motta Management Team Mariana Gauche Motta Felipe Chammas Participant and Family Relations Mariana Gauche Motta Carolina Queiroz Felipe Chammas Mirian Fonseca

Facilitation Felipe Chammas Bel Rocha Jamerson Mancio Carolina Queiroz

ELOS NA LIDERANÇA 2025 TEAM:

Guest Facilitators Rodolpho "Dodô" Martins

Management Team Mariana Gauche Motta Hannah Needleman Jaqueline Viana

General Coordination Mariana Gauche Motta

Pedagogical Team and Facilitation Paulo Farine Rodrigo Rubido

Pedagogical Team Felipe Chammas Bel Rocha Jamerson Mancio Rodrigo Rubido Carolina Queiroz

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Technical Sheet Publication and Editorial Project Instituto Elos Coordination Paula Valerio Photography Léo Bertero Thiago Bugallo Graphic Design and Production Ariane Lopes Mates

Text and Editing Luiz Amaro Fortes Ariane Lopes Mates With the collaboration of the territory facilitation team Editing Ariane Lopes Mates Proofreading Mariana Gauche Motta

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Sign up for Guerreiros Sem Armas 2026:

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