BACKGROUND

The Pirata Marinheiros Foundation started in 1985 when the Trindade Family moved to the district of Marinheiros, in the town of Itapipoca, coast of Ceará, getting involved with the local communities and identifying the social problems and misery situation of most of the population, not only in the coast of Itapipoca, but also in the town of Amontada, specifically in the district of Caetanos.

With there solidary spirit , the members of the family started helping the community to claim for better life conditions. In the process of integration with the local population, a group of communitarians offered their voluntary work to develop a first project, called Projeto Marinheiros, with a goal to build a school group in the district of Caetanos(Amontada).

In 1986, in Fortaleza, the Trindade family, launched the "Bar do Pirata" (Pirate's bar) , in the neighborhood of Praia de Iracema, a cultural and tourist enterprise that incorporated the companies philosophy, the social responsibility and the respect for the local traditions and cultural identity.

Without losing the bond with the communities of Itapipoca, the Trindade family, started developing social work in Fortaleza also, at the Pirata Bar.

In 1991, after acquiring a good experience with social work, the Trindade's family decided to create the "Fundação Pirata Marinheiros" (Pirata Marinheiros Foundation), merging the social spirit of its members with the notion of social responsibility that guided the Pirata Bar.

Three factors were of major importance in the decision of the Trindade's family to create the Pirata Marinheiros Foundation:

a) Interest and sensibility to the subjects related to social inclusion and preservation of natural resources;

b) The previous experience with local development activities and ecological tourism in France, in the South Alps, in the area of Nice, in Antilles, in San Martin's island and in Brazil, in Bahia, in the Beach of the Fort and in Pelourinho.

c) The Pirata's philosophy, to defend the individual and political freedom, and build up citizenship with human development, and respect for the local traditions and cultural identity.