Posts tagged SMH
After Prepped for Morar Carioca, Vila União de Curicica May Face Complete Eviction
Dec 13th
Vila União de Curicica houses many young residents born there over the course of the community's 26-year history.
Residents of Vila União de Curicica, a Jacarepaguá community until 2011 targeted to receive public upgrading projects as part of the Morar Carioca program, now hope dialogue with the Rio de Janeiro city government can prevent their eviction.
In late 2011, representatives of the 26-year old community were asked to attend a public audience at Rio’s City Council where they were told that part of the community would be removed due to its location in the future path of the TransOlímpica highway and BRT More >
Recipe for the Government We Deserve
Nov 17th
I was recently asked to write an essay to start off a debate about the importance of transparency, and its relationship to participation, in Rio de Janeiro, for the new civil society site Meu Rio. The debate was launched November 17th. Here is my full response. — Theresa Williamson
Everything we do should start with the question: Why? What is my objective? So that from that starting point we can focus on the appropriate means to reach our goal. In the case of what type of society we want for ourselves and our children, I presume that our objective is to achieve a More >
Workshop Attempts to Infuse Participation into Rio’s Housing Plans
Sep 28th
The Rio de Janeiro City government, as represented by the Municipal Housing Secretary (SMH), has partnered with the Bento Rubião Human Rights Foundation (FBR), to organize a series of debates around Rio’s Municipal Housing and Social Interest Plan (Plano Municipal de Habitação de Interesse Social, or PMHIS). The series of five regional workshops and thematic seminars began on September 10th and are conducted weekly through October 15th, providing the public with opportunities to create and define strategies and actions with the stated purpose of advancing their living rights, as well as rights to the city, in the next fifteen years.
The Municipal Housing and More >
Dona Zélia, after the social clean-up: “It ended up looking like a Miami”
Sep 20th
“This is what you call a social clean-up. 68 families have been moved, the first and largest part of the community, so that they can build a pretty garden at the entrance of the condominium. It has ended up looking like Miami. When residents opened their eyes it was already too late. And now, once again, for no (good) reason, they are going to get rid of the rest.”
This outburst comes from Maria Zélia Carneiro Dazzi, President of the Association of Residents and Fishermen of the Vila Arroio Pavuna Community, in Rio’s West Zone. Descendent of the first inhabitants of More >
Porto Maravilha and Rio’s Oldest Favela
Jul 21st
A community marked by solidarity between its residents, in Rio de Janeiro’s port area, is at risk of evictions of several of its residents. Living in this community has become a sort of family custom, meaning that parents pass their homes to their children and so on. It is a place full of character, attractions, and activities. It has almost everything! There is the traditional Brazilian Festa Junina (a party where the kids dress up as hillbillies), cruzeiro, catechism, pagode (a musical genre derived from samba), movies playing in the town square, soccer games, hide-and-seek, barbecues, and a magnificent view. More >
