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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
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  • [ 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
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HomeMilitia

Militia

Policies

Rio de Janeiro’s Militias and State Power, Part 2: Specialists Describe Their History and Expansion Over Time

By Tatiana Lima • Translation by Ethan Kaimana, Ikrom Alajoulin • April 18, 2024

Clique aqui para Português Originally published in Portuguese in 2020, this is part two of a two-part article that describes the expansion of the state-sanctioned power of vigilante police militias in the Rio de Janeiro […]

*Highlight

Rio de Janeiro’s Militias and State Power, Part 1: The Alarming and Little Reported Underbelly of Rio’s Elections

By Tatiana Lima • Translation by Adrian Hooper • April 17, 2024

Clique aqui para Português Originally published in Portuguese in 2020, this is part one of a two-part article that discusses the expansion of the state-sanctioned power of vigilante police militias in the Rio de Janeiro […]

*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 […]

by Community Contributors

‘2nd Bulletin on Racism and Violence in the Baixada Fluminense’ Focused on Murders of Children in the Greater Rio de Janeiro Region

By Fabio Leon • Translation by Ikrom Alajoulin • December 6, 2022

Clique aqui para Português Fórum Grita Baixada‘s 2nd Bulletin on Racism and Violence in the Baixada Fluminense, published in November 2021, brought together accounts and information on the impacts of State violence in the region. The […]

#ParticipationWatch

The Victory of Marielle Franco’s Successors in Rio’s Elections

By Tatiana Lima • Translation by Felicity Clarke • October 29, 2022

Clique aqui para Português Citizens of Rio de Janeiro state had a shock on the night of October 2, or at least those that believed the opinion polls. The margin of error was much greater […]

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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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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
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    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
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    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
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    • Participation
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  • Content Map
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      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
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