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  • [ 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
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HomePacifying Police Unit (UPP)

Pacifying Police Unit (UPP)

Civil Society

Maré’s Vibrant and Historic Civil Society is Organizing

By Benjamin Parkin • April 10, 2014

Clique aqui para Português With the recent military occupation of the Complexo da Maré, Brazilian and international media have turned their attention to this group of favelas in Rio’s North Zone. Yet Maré and its […]

Policies

Maré Vive: Community Comments on the Police Occupation of Maré

By Felicity Clarke • April 3, 2014

Clique aqui para Português On Sunday March 30, Military Police forces officially occupied Complexo da Maré, Rio’s largest favela complex with 16 communities and over 130,000 residents. According to Google News the event was reported […]

Photo by Thiago Firmino
#GentrificationWatch

Light’s Abusive Billing and Questionable Service in UPP Favelas

By Benjamin Parkin • April 2, 2014

Clique aqui para Português Light Serviços de Eletricidade S.A. (Light) has long provided electricity–officially and unofficially–to Rio’s favelas. With the installation of Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) (the police occupation of a number of favelas over the […]

#UPPWatch

Peace, Pacification and UPPs in the Favelas [IMAGES]

By Luiz Baltar • Translation by Jake Cummings, Tom Winterbottom • March 31, 2014

Clique aqui para Português I have never accepted the term “pacification,” adopted as a slogan by the government and repeated all over the media. By consensus, peace is a desired state of mind and something […]

Policies

History of Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police Part 3: Community Policing

By Patrick Ashcroft • March 22, 2014

Clique aqui para Português This is Part 3 in a four-part series on the History of Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police. Click here for Parts 1, 2, and 4. You cannot imagine what government neglect of the […]

Posts pagination

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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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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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    • Housing
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    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
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    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
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      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
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  • About
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