• English
  • Português
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
RioOnWatch
  • 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
  • For Journos
  • Donate
Latest News
  • [ April 28, 2026 ] The Who and Why of Sustainability: Without Retraining, Waste Pickers Have Been on Losing End of Greenwashing 14 Years After Closing of ‘Waste Land’ Dump by Community Contributors
  • [ April 21, 2026 ] New ‘Water Watch Platform’ Enables Monitoring and Public Participation in Health and Sanitation in the State of Rio de Janeiro *Highlight
  • [ April 14, 2026 ] ‘If the Baixada Doesn’t Plant, Rio de Janeiro Doesn’t Eat’: Second Magé Climate Forum Puts Regional Food Sovereignty at the Center *Highlight
  • [ April 10, 2026 ] There’s Blood in the Palmeiras Favela: The Cry for Help Police Chose Not to Hear in São Gonçalo’s Salgueiro Favela Complex #UPPWatch
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] ‘While Water Is Scarce, Profits Abound!’ On World Water Day, Outraged Movements Demand Right to Water in Front of Águas do Rio, Rio de Janeiro’s Private Utility, and Call for Restatization *Highlight
HomeUPP Social

UPP Social

#UPPWatch

Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) Installations Part 3: 2012

By Patrick Ashcroft • March 24, 2015

Clique aqui para Português This is Part 3 in a five-part series documenting Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) Installations. Head of the UPP, Frederico Caldas, admitted in an interview with BBC Brasil that the next phase of […]

Favela Culture

Escola Bola: Soccer and Citizenship in Santa Marta

By Elena Hodges • July 30, 2014

On the pitch at the very top of favela Santa Marta, a group of kids play a spirited game of soccer, dribbling and shooting to the sound of bumping funk music. Green netting stretches overhead, covering the pitch […]

#GentrificationWatch

Vidigal Debates Gentrification with Public Authorities in Fourth “Fala Vidigal” Event

By Michel Jaquet • June 28, 2014

Clique aqui para Português On Tuesday June 3, the Vila Vidigal Neighborhood Association, the Intersectoral Forum of Vidigal, Albergue da Comunidade, Vidblog Vidigal, ONG Horizonte and Catalytic Communities hosted the final of four debates in the “Fala Vidigal” series looking at the […]

#Rio2016

History of Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police Part 4: Pacifying Police Units

By Patrick Ashcroft • May 1, 2014

Clique aqui para Português This is Part 4 in a four-part series on the History of Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police. Click here for Parts 1, 2, and 3. It seemed as though, between the inauguration of the Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) […]

#Rio2016

Reflections After a Year of Protest: Rio de Janeiro as ‘Post-Third World City’ or ‘City of Exception’?

By Matthew Richmond • December 24, 2013

After a year of protest it’s time to re-examine what kind of Rio de Janeiro is emerging from the ‘city project.’ The widely (though not universally) held belief that Brazil had entered a new era […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 4 5 »

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

contact@rioonwatch.org
WhatsApp +55.21.991.976.444
USA VOIP +1.301.637.7360

Volunteer | Donate

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
  • For Journos
  • Donate

© 2026 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International