Soccer to save communities

The charity I would like to highlight this month is Instituto Bola Pra Frente. Founded in 2002 by former soccer players Jorginho and Bebeto, the organization helps at-risk youth ages 6-17 become agents of change in society through sports, education, and cultural activities.

Copa Mundial / Copa do Mundo

** Culture Pick - World Cup Soccer (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Paraguay, Mexico, and Uruguay):

It's almost time for the World Cup 2010!

Here's my pick of places to watch the game in NYC:

1) St. George's Society Party @ Public House, Saturday, June 12th 1-5pm England vs. USA (flyer at left, purchase tickets here, 4 Hour Open Bar for $50)

2) Argentina Futbol Meetup @ Mercury Bar, Saturday, June 12th 9:30AM Argentina vs. Nigeria (FREE, RSVP here)

3) Nevada Smith's - it's the HOME of soccer and will be packed for every game. Their motto "Sure, football is just a game and oxygen is just a gas."

4) Bar 29 & Novecento - the 2 perfect spots for any Argentina or Latin American game - $3 Quilmes during all games.

I have also heard there will be a great Latin American crowd at Mercadito.

Cheer on your favorite teams and best of luck to all the Latin American qualifiers - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Paraguay, Mexico, and Uruguay!!!

Please leave a comment if you know of other great venues for Latin America fans!

Entrepreneurship for Latin America's Poor Women

The charity I would like to highlight this month is Pro Mujer. Their mission is to "provide Latin America’s poor women with the means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through microfinance, business training, and healthcare support". This training allows them to create and develop their own small companies.

Found in 1990, the organization now operates in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.

I attended their annual fundraiser in 2009 in New York, hosted by the Pro Mujer Junior

Committee, and I was very impressed with their fundraising abilities and the passion everyone had for the cause.

I look forward to hearing more success stories out of this

organization!

Latin American Art Comes to Berlin

** Culture Pick - Puerto Rico: Yvette Mattern, a Puerto Rican-American artist, currently has a laser rainbow projection, "From One to Many", on display at Berlin's Transmediale themed "Futurity Now!". For more information, visit Transmediale's Official Site.