• English
  • Português
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
RioOnWatch
  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
    • Reference Articles
  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate
Latest News
  • [ June 30, 2026 ] 10 Years Later: Rio 2016 Olympics Served to Consolidate Speculative Plan Rejected by Pioneering Brazilian Urban Planner Lúcio Costa #LegacyWatch
  • [ June 29, 2026 ] Housing at the Center: What the World Urban Forum Teaches Us About Urgency, Climate and Invisibility [OPINION] #HousingWatch
  • [ June 26, 2026 ] 30 Years Since the First Promises and 10 Years After the Olympics, the Cleanup of Guanabara Bay Remains Rio’s Main Challenge #LegacyWatch
  • [ June 22, 2026 ] Study Shows that Violence Violates the Right to Education in Rio de Janeiro: ‘More Shots, Fewer Classes; Fewer Classes, More Criminals’ #UPPWatch
  • [ June 15, 2026 ] Cruzada São Sebastião—70 Years of Public Housing in the Heart of Rio de Janeiro’s Upscale South Zone Neighborhood of Leblon #EvictionsWatch
HomeInterviews & Profiles

Interviews & Profiles

Gilmara helped create gay rights marches in Maré, Alemão, and Rocinha--three of Rio's largest favelas. Photo by: Fabio Teixeira
*Highlight

“Being Gay in a Favela Hasn’t Gotten Easier. We’re Still Fighting for Our Lives.”

By Jefferson Puff • Translation by Sarah Jacobs • February 10, 2016

Clique aqui para Português For the original article by Jefferson Puff in Portuguese published by BBC Brasil click here. “In the favela you can’t kiss or walk holding hands. Gays, lesbians and transexuals living in favelas have […]

*Highlight

Community Pride: An Interview with Gilmar Lopes of Morro dos Cabritos

By Laura Gama • Translation by Kayla Boisvert • January 12, 2016

Clique aqui para Português “It is a wonderful place, surrounded by nature, and it’s where I was born and raised and where I have my roots!” – Gilmar Lopes Despite the negative stereotypes associated with […]

#EvictionsWatch

Dona Mariza Left Homeless After Eviction in Vila Autódromo Next Door to #Rio2016 Olympics

By Sam Salvesen • December 3, 2015

Clique aqui para Português On October 23 agents from the city government carried out the unannounced demolition of five homes in Vila Autódromo, next door to the 2016 Olympic Park. 60 year-old Dona Mariza do […]

#CommunityMedia

‘Imagens do Povo’ Photography Collective Part 2: Archivist-Documentarians [IMAGES]

By Andrea Cangialosi • November 24, 2015

Clique aqui para Português This is the second in a three-part series on the Imagens do Povo photography collective.  “I think the greatest lesson of a documentarian is to be a link of sympathy between yourself, the […]

Favela Culture

Paying Homage to Favela Author Carolina Maria de Jesus

By Benito Aranda-Comer, Marcela Benavides • November 11, 2015

Clique aqui para Português In honor of Brazil’s Black Awareness Month, the Afro-Brazilian Museum (Museu Afro Brasil) in São Paulo is showcasing an exhibition on the life and work of Carolina Maria de Jesus, Brazil’s […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 35 36 37 … 54 »

RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

Contact & Support

contact@rioonwatch.org
WhatsApp +55.21.991.976.444
USA VOIP +1.301.637.7360

Volunteer | Donate

10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
    • Reference Articles
  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate

© 2026 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International