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Latest News
  • [ 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
Homefreedom of expression

freedom of expression

Democracy

A Comparative Introduction to Hate Speech Laws in Brazil and the United States

By Laura Bachmann, Luisa Fenizola • December 20, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This year, hate speech, free speech, and hate crimes have received increased attention in public debate. Incidents of hate speech have increased in the US, where the constitution fiercely protects the […]

#ParticipationWatch

Hope in a Young Democracy: A Number of Notable ‘City Council Members We Want’ Elected in Rio

By Nour El-Youssef • October 12, 2016

The October 2 municipal elections produced exciting results for Rio de Janeiro’s City Council. Several candidates featured in the multiparty campaign Vereadores Que Queremos (City Councillors We Want) were elected to office, including two favela-born candidates, Marielle […]

Resident Camila Santos stands in front of the remains of Favela da Skol.
#CommunityMedia

Favela da Skol Residents Suffer Violent Evictions by Police in Complexo do Alemão

By Ciara Long • October 7, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Homes belonging to approximately 200 families were destroyed by Rio’s state government last weekend, after residents were forcibly removed from a small favela in Complexo do Alemão. At 11am on Saturday […]

#ParticipationWatch

Casa Pública Hosts Journalist Training and Debate on Transparency and the Olympics

By Natalie Southwick • July 6, 2016

Clique aqui para Português On Thursday, June 30, a group of journalists met at a house in Botafogo in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro for a full day of training in the city’s access […]

*Highlight

Impeachment: A Coup by the Press [OPINION]

By Juliana Portella • Translation by Elizabeth Gladding • April 26, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This article by Juliana Portella is one of a series of five opinion pieces on the impeachment by community reporters published this week on RioOnWatch. Ju, as Juliana prefers to be called, is […]

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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.

Contact & Support

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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
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North 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
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate

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