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Latest News
  • [ July 23, 2026 ] Surf Legend Ricardo Bocão’s Enduring Legacy in Rocinha [OBITUARY] by Community Contributors
  • [ July 17, 2026 ] ‘Favela Tourism as Citizenship: Pathways to a Community-Based, Sustainable Model’ — Public Hearing Highlights the Potential of Community-Based Tourism in Rio de Janeiro by Community Contributors
  • [ July 16, 2026 ] In the Context of Climate Overshoot, ‘Cities Are the Crucible and Fire That Drive the Change We Need, and That Change Will be Realized Through Housing,’ Says IPCC Coordinating Lead Author *Highlight
  • [ July 14, 2026 ] ‘There Is No Climate Justice Without Adequate Housing,’ Argue Leaders at First Brazilian Housing and Climate Forum *Highlight
  • [ July 13, 2026 ] Rio de Janeiro’s ‘Milícias’—Vigilante, Off-Duty Police Gangs—Are Not a Parallel Power: They Are the State at Work [BOOK REVIEW] #UPPWatch
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anti-racism

*Highlight

Sowing Emotions and Printing Histories: Sèmanou Lionel’s ‘Agudás’ Project Brings African Art Education to Rio’s Favelas [VIDEO]

By Amanda Botelho • Translation by Staff • October 26, 2023

Clique aqui para Português This video tells the story of Sèmanou Lionel, 35, an immigrant to Brazil from Benin in West Africa. Lionel is an artist, photographer, and cameraman who has lived in Brazil since 2011. […]

*Highlight

Rio de Janeiro City Council Launches First Ever Special Commission to Combat Racism

By Amanda Baroni Lopes • Translation by Cristina Fornara • May 26, 2023

Clique aqui para Português On May 5, Rio de Janeiro City Council members launched a Special Commission to Combat Racism at the Museum of Afro-Brazilian History and Culture (MUHCAB). This parliamentary working group is made […]

Promotional photo from the documentary, “Rio, Negro”
*Highlight

‘Rio, Negro’ Documentary Presents the Critical Role of Afro-Brazilian Historical Figures and Little Africa in Building Brazil [FILM REVIEW]

By Cleyton Santanna • Translation by Angus Beazley • May 13, 2023

Clique aqui para Português Memories propel us. They shake us from our unquestioning routines. They come out of nowhere, directly connecting past and present, without asking permission, seizing us with possibilities for projecting futures, questioning […]

*Highlight

Fruit from the Tree Black Culture Center: Samba Quilombo in Rio’s West Zone Preserves Black Identity and Memory [IMAGES]

By Larissa Nascimento • Translation by Felix Foot • April 6, 2023

Clique aqui para Português As they settled Brazil, Portuguese colonizers destroyed Black people’s lives in many ways, among them cultural destruction, stripping away beliefs, values, customs, and rhythms. When they didn’t kill, they were whitening […]

*Highlight

Love Is Politics and Technology in the Fight Against Climate Change

By Gisele Moura • Translation by Kay Alvito • March 8, 2023

Clique aqui para Português Year after year, over the course of more than a decade dedicated to studying the environment, I’ve seen what was not so long ago an issue of the future, become increasingly […]

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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.

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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
    • 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

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