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Latest News
  • [ March 16, 2026 ] Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes Sells Off Iconic Green Spaces [REFERENCE] #InterventionWatch
  • [ March 13, 2026 ] Eight Years Without Marielle: Marielle Franco Case Revives Faith in Punishing the Guilty [OPINION] #MarielleLegacy
  • [ March 11, 2026 ] In Print and Online, ‘Fala Roça’ Newspaper Is a Comprehensive Tool for Citizenship in Rocinha, Brazil’s Largest Favela #CommunityMedia
  • [ March 5, 2026 ] ‘Valongo’s New Blacks Cemetery’ Trilogy Reveals Deep Roots of Structural Racism and Urban Inequality in Rio [BOOK REVIEW] *Highlight
  • [ February 28, 2026 ] Meet the CIEPs: In Rio de Janeiro, An Ahead-of-Its-Time Education Policy Turns 40 Having Resisted Decades of Dismantling *Highlight
HomeCity of God

City of God

*Highlight

Social Constructions of the Favela Part 1: Stereotypes in Popular Films

By Phie van Rompu • April 14, 2017

Clique aqui para Português This is the first article in a four-part series on the social construction of favelas and the potential of favela tourism to break down negative stereotypes. One of the key perpetrators of creating […]

Armed police officer and resident of Parque Proletário, in the Complexo da Penha (Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil)
#LegacyWatch

Pacifying Police Units: Eight Years Later

By Bibiana Maia, Saulo Pereira Guimarães • Translation by Adam Lee • January 8, 2017

Clique aqui para Português For the original article by Saulo Pereira Guitarães and Bibiana Maia in Portuguese published in Vozerio click here. The first Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) was launched at the end of 2008, in Santa Marta, […]

Civil Society

In Alemão, Favela ‘Reinventivity’ Celebrated at 12th Annual Event

By Nour El-Youssef • December 26, 2016

Clique aqui para Português On Saturday, December 10 the Complexo do Alemão-based community organization Raízes em Movimento (Roots in Movement Institute) hosted its 12th annual event Circulating: Dialogue and Communication in Favelas. The event occupied the street in front […]

MCMV public housing in City of God. Photo by Clarice Castro
#EvictionsWatch

Housing Policy Lessons from Rio’s Favelas Part 4: Public Housing

By David Robertson • November 22, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This is the fourth in a five-part series titled Housing Policy Lessons from Rio’s Favelas. We hope this series will inform debates on housing and favela upgrading and that Rio’s new mayor, Marcelo […]

Civil Society

FLUPP Literary Festival for Rio’s Favelas Returns for Fifth Edition in City of God

By Nour El-Youssef • November 21, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Celebrating literature from Rio de Janeiro’s favela communities, the annual Literary Festival of the Urban Periphery, or FLUPP, returned for its fifth edition this month. This year’s event took place from November […]

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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
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
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    • 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
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