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Latest News
  • [ January 13, 2026 ] 10 Years Since the Rio Olympics: Vila Autódromo Continues to Resist Gentrification Pressures Amidst New ‘Olympic Barra’ Neighborhood #EvictionsWatch
  • [ January 8, 2026 ] COP30 Civil Society Rundown: Thousands of Communities and Social Movements, Representing Favelas, Indigenous, Quilombola and Other Marginalized Groups Fill Belém During COP30 [IMAGES] *Highlight
  • [ December 31, 2025 ] ‘What We Want Aren’t Bodies on the Ground… It’s Recognition of [Our] People Creating Solutions’: Penha Favelas Hold Composters and Integrated Health Events Highlighting Local Climate Memories *Highlight
  • [ December 26, 2025 ] 2025 Retrospective of Top International Reporting on Rio’s Favelas #MediaWatch
  • [ December 24, 2025 ] ‘No One in Terra Firme Will Sleep Hungry Today!’ Amid Adversity, Belém Favela Initiatives Distribute 2,200 Meals During COP30 With Support from the People’s Summit Solidarity Kitchen *Highlight
Homequalities of informality

qualities of informality

Favela Culture

Rediscover Rio’s Oldest Favela with Rolé dos Favelados [IMAGES]

By Antoine Horenbeek • May 24, 2018

Clique aqui para Português Rolé dos Favelados (Stroll of the Favelados) is a guided tour led by community activist and tourist guide Cosme “O Favelado” Felippsen, often in partnership with other favela activists. The aim of […]

*Highlight

Creative Business: The Unique Driver of Entrepreneurship in Maré

By Thaís Cavalcante • Translation by Jiselle Steele • April 4, 2018

Clique aqui para Português In Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, enterprising residents with their own businesses respond to their neighbors’ needs. In the favela complex of Maré alone, there are over 140,000 residents spread across 17 favelas. Each […]

#ParticipationWatch

Rio Solidarity Economy Celebrates New State Plan While Battle Continues for Alternative Economy

By Gigi Ong-Alok • July 3, 2017

Clique aqui para Português On Friday, June 23, the Solidarity Economy State Plan of Rio de Janeiro was festively launched at Rio’s Municipal Theatre. Representatives, entrepreneurs and collaborators at the event celebrated this political and […]

#HousingWatch

‘X-Week’ Debates Small vs. Large Scale Sustainable Infrastructure for Water and Sewage

By Lisa Godde • March 19, 2017

Clique aqui para Português From March 9 to 14, Studio-X Rio hosted x-Week as part of the celebrations of its six-year anniversary. Organized in partnership with the Columbia Global Centers, which celebrates its four-year anniversary, the Museum […]

#EvictionsWatch

Interview With a Former Public Defender: Rio Attorney Alexandre Mendes Launches Book on Favela Removals [INTERVIEW]

By Eduardo Sá • Translation by Cara D’Rosario • January 30, 2017

Clique aqui para Português For the original article by Eduardo Sá in Portuguese published by Fazendo Media click here. Various studies and specialists have declared that the last decade was the period during which the most people were evicted from their […]

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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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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
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  • Policies
    • Public Security
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    • 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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