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Latest News
  • [ 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
Homedisability

disability

*Highlight

‘Maré’s Specials’ Combats Ableism and Guarantees Rights to Over 700 Atypical Families in Rio de Janeiro’s Largest Favela Complex

By Ramon Vellasco • Translation by Hannah McKenzie • October 15, 2025

Clique aqui para Português In Complexo da Maré, a group of 16 favelas with 140,000 residents in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, the Especiais da Maré project (Maré’s Specials, in free translation) serves over 700 […]

*Highlight

In Greater Rio de Janeiro, ‘Divas Group’ Honors Marielle Franco’s Legacy by Empowering Women in Public Housing

By Carla Regina • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • March 18, 2025

Clique aqui para Português “A mantra for our lives, in the midst of this crisis: may we live with respect for all—each with her own body, each in her own way, each in her own […]

#ParticipationWatch

Mostra Noix: First Art Exhibition in Honório Gurgel in Rio’s North Zone Demonstrates the Urgent Need for Public Arts in the Peripheries

By Felipe Migliani • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • February 28, 2023

Clique aqui para Português In November 2022, a group of eight women residents of Rio’s favelas, suburbs, and peripheries put on Mostra Noix, the first fine art exhibition in the history of Honório Gurgel, a […]

*Highlight

A Mother’s Fight for the Rights of Her Children with Dwarfism on the Outskirts of Rio de Janeiro

By Thábara Garcia • Translation by Sarah Jacobs • June 19, 2019

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of the ongoing series Challenges of Living in Magé. Ana Silva, 35, was 30 weeks pregnant when she found out that she was expecting twins with a […]

#MarielleLegacy

Countdown to Brazil’s 2018 Elections, Part 6: Growth and Diversity of Favela Candidates

By Luisa Fenizola • Translation by Sharon Gogar • September 18, 2018

Clique aqui para Português This is the sixth article in an ongoing series on the Brazilian electoral political scene in 2018. The immediate reaction to the death of Marielle Franco, beyond deep pain, was the strengthening of […]

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.
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.

Contact & Support

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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
    • Understanding Rio
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  • Communities
    • Central
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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
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    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
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