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  • [ January 29, 2026 ] ‘It’s the Place of Resistance of Our Existence’: Duque de Caxias’ Culture Manor is a Hub for Art, Education and Leisure by Community Contributors
  • [ January 13, 2026 ] 10 Years Since the Rio Olympics: Vila Autódromo Continues to Resist Gentrification Pressures Amidst New ‘Olympic Barra’ Neighborhood #EvictionsWatch
  • [ January 8, 2026 ] COP30 Civil Society Rundown: Thousands of Communities and Social Movements, Representing Favelas, Indigenous, Quilombola and Other Marginalized Groups Fill Belém During COP30 [IMAGES] *Highlight
  • [ December 31, 2025 ] ‘What We Want Aren’t Bodies on the Ground… It’s Recognition of [Our] People Creating Solutions’: Penha Favelas Hold Composters and Integrated Health Events Highlighting Local Climate Memories *Highlight
  • [ December 26, 2025 ] 2025 Retrospective of Top International Reporting on Rio’s Favelas #MediaWatch
HomeWritersAlex Besser

Writer: Alex Besser

#Rio2016

Vila Autódromo ‘Occupies’ the Olympic Park with Celebration and Protest

By Alex Besser • August 19, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Last Saturday, August 13, Vila Autódromo hosted the Vila Autódromo Ocupa Olimpíada (Vila Autódromo Occupies the Olympics) event “to reaffirm its territory, its existence, its resistance and its re-existence.” More than 100 residents and […]

*Highlight

Understanding Rio’s Violence: The Criminalization of Poverty

By Alex Besser, Alix Vadot, Ava Rose Hoffman, Eli Nemzer, Nashwa Al-sharki • August 1, 2016

Clique aqui para Português The criminalization of poverty is a global phenomenon of mistreatment and prejudice faced by the poorest members of society due to their economic circumstances, often influenced by and perpetuating racism and other forms of discrimination. […]

#Rio2016

Amnesty International Protests Police Killings in Olympic Rio

By Alex Besser • July 29, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Amnesty International Brazil organized a surprise action early on Wednesday morning, July 27 to protest the increase in police killings in the lead up to the 2016 Olympics Games. At precisely 10am, a group of demonstrators […]

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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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Architecture Museum of Vienna
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