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  • [ December 4, 2025 ] Portrait of a Centenary-Old Favela of Stilt Houses: Belém’s Vila da Barca Resists, Organizes and Fights for Sanitation and Adequate Housing #HousingWatch
  • [ November 30, 2025 ] The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel by Community Contributors
  • [ November 15, 2025 ] ‘There’s No Such Thing as Normal After a Massacre’: One Week After Police Mega-Operation Kills 121 People, Residents From Complexos do Alemão and Penha Speak Out #UPPWatch
  • [ November 13, 2025 ] ‘Human Beings Forget That They Are Nature’: Favelas Teach the Path to the Future at the 2nd Favela Sustainability Festival Civil Society
  • [ November 12, 2025 ] Food Sovereignty and Culinary Heritage Connect with Fight for Climate Justice at the 2nd Sustainable Favela Festival Civil Society
HomeUnderstanding Rio

Understanding Rio

#GentrificationWatch

The Little-Known History of Little Africa in Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone

By Mariah Barber, Rhona Mackay • June 3, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Little Africa, Pequena África in Portuguese, is an area in the Port Region of Rio de Janeiro that has historically been home to a strong Afro-Brazilian community. The area became known as Little Africa following […]

#HousingWatch

What to Expect from the New Ministry of Cities?

By Raquel Rolnik • Translation by Carolyn Oliveira • June 2, 2016

Clique aqui para Português For the original article by Raquel Rolnik in Portuguese published by Yahoo! News click here. Last month the process to impeach President Dilma Rousseff was confirmed by the Senate and, on the same day, ministers from […]

*Highlight

Social Media Reacts to Brutal Gang Rape of Teenager in Santa Cruz

By Felicity Clarke • May 27, 2016

Clique aqui para Português The brutal gang rape of a 16 year old girl by 33 men in a favela in Santa Cruz in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro has generated widespread horror […]

#HousingWatch

What Does the Brazilian Constitution Say About Housing Rights?

By David Robertson • May 18, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This is the first in a series of three articles summarizing reports on Brazilian housing law, organized by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice at request of Catalytic Communities. The first report, […]

by Community Contributors

The Debate of Our Times: The Right to Public Coexistence or Barbarism?

By Jailson de Souza e Silva • Translation by Sheila Taylor • May 7, 2016

Clique aqui para Português For the original article by Jailson de Souza e Silva* in Portuguese published by Nexo Jornal click here. Without the guarantee to the right to coexistence we won’t escape the barbarism that Rosa Luxemburg […]

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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.
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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.

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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

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