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Latest News
  • [ 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
  • [ April 21, 2026 ] New ‘Water Watch Platform’ Enables Monitoring and Public Participation in Health and Sanitation in the State of Rio de Janeiro *Highlight
  • [ April 14, 2026 ] ‘If the Baixada Doesn’t Plant, Rio de Janeiro Doesn’t Eat’: Second Magé Climate Forum Puts Regional Food Sovereignty at the Center *Highlight
  • [ April 10, 2026 ] There’s Blood in the Palmeiras Favela: The Cry for Help Police Chose Not to Hear in São Gonçalo’s Salgueiro Favela Complex #UPPWatch
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] ‘While Water Is Scarce, Profits Abound!’ On World Water Day, Outraged Movements Demand Right to Water in Front of Águas do Rio, Rio de Janeiro’s Private Utility, and Call for Restatization *Highlight
Homesamba

samba

#EvictionsWatch

‘The Green Firefly’ Carnival Bloco Broadcasts Horto’s Sustainable Legacy [INTERVIEW]

By Sophia Zaia • Translation by Grace Atwell • December 11, 2017

Clique aqui para Português Hugo José Camarate was born and raised in Horto Florestal and founded the street carnival group, or bloco, Vagalume O Verde (The Green Firefly) in 2005. He sought to resurrect his childhood memories […]

Favela Culture

The Maputo-Rio Connection Part 3: Culture and Memory Across the Atlantic

By Luisa Fenizola • Translation by Rachel Brabbins • November 8, 2017

Clique aqui para Português This is the final article in a three-part series on the connections between Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and Maputo’s caniços, focusing on history, land regularization, and culture. The first article in this series drew […]

#ParticipationWatch

Rio de Janeiro City Government: “We Will Not Have Culture in Unruly Areas”

By Luisa Fenizola • Translation by Desirée Poets • August 1, 2017

Clique aqui para Português During a live broadcast on Band News to discuss Mayor Marcelo Crivella’s Strategic Plan, Rio de Janeiro’s Sub-Secretary of Planning, Aspásia Camargo, when asked about the role of cultural production in […]

*Highlight

The Informal Economy in Rio: Stories from Pedra do Sal and Beyond

By Eli Nemzer • January 24, 2017

Clique aqui para Português “Uma promoção pra você: dez Reais, três Antárticas!” “Queijo Minas! Queijo Minas! Cinco Reais!” The calls of the vendors echo into the warm night over the hum of laughing revelers and […]

Civil Society

In Alemão, Favela ‘Reinventivity’ Celebrated at 12th Annual Event

By Nour El-Youssef • December 26, 2016

Clique aqui para Português On Saturday, December 10 the Complexo do Alemão-based community organization Raízes em Movimento (Roots in Movement Institute) hosted its 12th annual event Circulating: Dialogue and Communication in Favelas. The event occupied the street in front […]

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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
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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
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