Music, dancing -- and a national policy-- are challenging violence in Brazil.

The basic causes of violence are arguable, but the narcotics trade, an abundance of weapons in the slums, and lack of hope among young people facing unemployment in the big cities are believed to be major causes. Wania Pasinato Izumino of the Centre for the Study of Violence of the University of São Paulo says that ‘‘large segments of the population have been impoverished by disordered economic growth and an unequal distribution of wealth’’.According to the Coordinator of the Centre, Nancy Ca ́rdia, improved access to rights such as health, education, leisure and cultural activities for the poor in the big cities could be a strong antidote to violence.