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Latest News
  • [ June 8, 2026 ] World Environment Day Rally in Rio de Janeiro Demands a ‘Sustainable Future With Thriving Forests, Clean Air, Water and Land for All and More Humane Urban Mobility’ None
  • [ June 1, 2026 ] Visiting Rio Before July 30th? Don’t Miss ‘Favela Climate Memory’ Exhibition at the Favela Museum Overlooking Ipanema: ‘We Learned to Survive So We Can Tell Others How’ *Highlight
  • [ May 31, 2026 ] Rio de Janeiro Evictions Museum Celebrates Ten Years of Art, Memory and Resistance Since the Olympic Games #LegacyWatch
  • [ May 31, 2026 ] Critical Urban Park in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone Is at Risk of Disappearing After Decades of Government Neglect *Highlight
  • [ May 27, 2026 ] ‘We Belong to the Land’: An Interview With John Mussington on the Urgency of Learning from Barbuda’s Communal Land System [VIDEO] #GentrificationWatch
HomeFavela Memories

Favela Memories

*Highlight

Bumba-meu-boi Brilho de Lucas Keeps Maranhão Folklore Alive in Rio

By Carol Marinho, Luana de Moraes • Translation by Nina Lebelbaum • November 19, 2023

Clique aqui para Português During the celebration of Brazil’s Folklore Day 2023, we learned more about how the residents of Parada de Lucas, in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, continue to breathe life into ‘bumba […]

*Highlight

Rio de Janeiro’s First Housing Cooperative: Explore the History of Shangri-lá In Taquara, Jacarepaguá, West Zone

By Felipe Litsek, Patricia Fernandez • Translation by Staff • November 18, 2023

Clique aqui para Português In the neighborhood of Taquara, in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone, nestled in a place popularly known as Boiuna, on the edge of a local river, a small community lives out […]

#CommunityMedia

An Homage to Favela Communications Pioneer Zé do Caroço: Community Media, Legacy and Samba [VIDEO]

By Amanda Botelho, Thayná de Souza • Translation by Staff • November 16, 2023

 Clique aqui para Português This video report, with English subtitles, relives passages of the life of favela communicator José Mendes da Silva, forever known as Zé do Caroço, whose name resonates in one of […]

*Highlight

Could It Be the End of Abandonment? Residents Join Hands to Revitalize ‘A Little Piece of Heaven’, in Turano Favela [IMAGES]

By Carla Regina • Translation by Nina Lebelbaum • November 8, 2023

Clique aqui para Português Concerned by the neglect facing Pedacinho do Céu, or “Little Piece of Heaven”, as the area atop the Rio de Janeiro favela Morro do Turano is known, current and former residents […]

*Highlight

Sowing Emotions and Printing Histories: Sèmanou Lionel’s ‘Agudás’ Project Brings African Art Education to Rio’s Favelas [VIDEO]

By Amanda Botelho • Translation by Staff • October 26, 2023

Clique aqui para Português This video tells the story of Sèmanou Lionel, 35, an immigrant to Brazil from Benin in West Africa. Lionel is an artist, photographer, and cameraman who has lived in Brazil since 2011. […]

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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.
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.

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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
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