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Latest News
  • [ January 29, 2026 ] ‘It’s the Place of Resistance of Our Existence’: Duque de Caxias’ Culture Manor is a Hub for Art, Education and Leisure by Community Contributors
  • [ 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
HomeWritersTheresa Williamson

Writer: Theresa Williamson

Theresa Williamson is an urban planner and founding director of Catalytic Communities, the organization responsible for publishing RioOnWatch and coordinating the Sustainable Favela Network, Favela Community Land Trust project and Covid-19 in Favelas Unified Dashboard.
Policies

Recipe for the Government We Deserve

By Theresa Williamson • Translation by Sabrina Batista • November 17, 2011

Clique aqui para Português I was recently asked to write an essay to start off a debate about the importance of transparency, and its relationship to participation, in Rio de Janeiro, for the new civil […]

Interviews & Profiles

Re-writing the Future: An Interview with Neuza Nascimento

By Theresa Williamson • Translation by Anca Radoi • September 30, 2011

Clique aqui para Português Celebrating its 10th birthday last week, the Integrated Center in Support of Community Children and Teens (CIACAC) has grown into a community institution in Parque Jardim Beira Mar, a neighborhood within […]

Jane Nascimento, one of the leaders of Vila Autódromo
#Rio2016

The 2016 Olympics: A Win for Rio? (Part 5/5)

By Theresa Williamson • July 30, 2010

In their public presentations regarding the need for resettlement of “areas at risk” (of landslides and floods), the Mayor’s team focuses mainly on “guaranteeing safety,” and on peoples’ desire to have a roof over their […]

Streets of Vila Autódromo
#Rio2016

The 2016 Olympics: A Win for Rio? (Part 4/5)

By Theresa Williamson • July 29, 2010

The international press has provided positive coverage for several recent City and State initiatives. The community policing units, or “UPPs” have been successfully installed thanks to a State program in 9 favelas, driving out drug […]

Children from Vila Autodromo
#Rio2016

The 2016 Olympics: A Win for Rio? (Part 3/5)

By Theresa Williamson • July 28, 2010

Since the threat of removal, community leaders were only invited to speak with the mayor after they led a demonstration with hundreds of protesters representing 20 communities outside City Hall in early March. Yet these […]

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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
    • Central
    • South Zone
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    • 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
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