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  • [ 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
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#LegacyWatch

The Rio Olympics Ended Exactly A Year Ago. And Now? Dictatorship in the Midst of Democracy [OPINION]

By Gizele Martins • Translation by Suzanne Caflisch • August 21, 2017

Clique aqui para Português The Rio Olympics ended exactly a year ago today. What now? Community journalist Gizele Martins describes life in Maré today as “dictatorship in the midst of democracy.” Militarization has always been […]

#CommunityMedia

Alemão Collective Creates Shootings and Celebration Calendars in Response to Police Violence

By Chloe Villalobos • June 26, 2017

Clique aqui para Português On June 2, Coletivo Papo Reto, an independent youth media collective from Complexo do Alemão in Rio’s North Zone, created two complementary resistance calendars as a response to the heavy police violence the community […]

#CommunityMedia

Images and Complexes Film Festival in Manguinhos Celebrates Favela Film Production

By Nour El-Youssef • October 8, 2016

Clique aqui para Português From September 29 to October 2, the Cine Manguinhos in the Manguinhos favela in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro hosted the first ever Images and Complexes Film Festival, featuring […]

Research & Analysis

A Dive Into History: The Birth and Formation of Complexo da Maré

By Simon Marijsse • October 4, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Time of fear What are our fears? In the time of fear there were rotten planks, Children falling into the water, gales, storms, rats, removals… In the time of fear there […]

#ParticipationWatch

Entering the Scene: Empowerment and Community Mobilization through the Theater of the Oppressed in Maré

By Anna Cash • September 27, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Theater of the Oppressed (TO) is an internationally celebrated participatory form of theater invented in Rio, in which there are no spectators, just spect-actors. TO was originally created by writer, director, and politician […]

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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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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
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
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  • 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
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    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
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