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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
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by Community Contributors

The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel

By Igor Soares • Translation by Aaron Scott • November 30, 2025

Clique aqui para Português This article marks Brazilian Black Awareness Month 2025 and is part of RioOnWatch‘s series on Memories of Favela Power, which documents and celebrates the history of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas through […]

*Highlight

Get to Know Two Inspirational Women Leaders From Rio’s Favelas on This Afro-Latin American Women’s Day

By David Amen • Translation by Vasti Cruz • July 25, 2024

Clique aqui para Português July 25 marks Afro-Latin American, Afro-Caribbean and Diaspora Women’s Day, a date that celebrates the diversity, resistance, and international struggle of Afro-diasporic women in the region in their fight for rights. […]

A protest right after the city councelor's execution open the documentary 'Sementes Mulheres Pretas no Poder' (or, in English, 'Seeds Black Women in Power')
#MarielleLegacy

Marielle Franco’s Seeds Blossom in the 2020 Elections: PANE and the Marielle Franco Agenda

By Mariana Gomes • Translation by Constance Malleret • November 16, 2020

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of a series of articles on Rio de Janeiro’s 2020 municipal elections from a favela perspective. “We can’t wait another ten years [to have black women elected],” Marielle Franco […]

Data Favela Study: The fight of 14 million favelados in the fight against coronavirus: Data Favela
#CoronavirusWatch

Data Favela Study: 80% of Favela Families Are Living on Less than Half of Their Pre-Pandemic Income

By Thomas Maggiola • July 3, 2020

Clique aqui para Português This is our latest article on Covid-19 as it impacts Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. A new study from the Data Favela research institute, a partnership between the Central Única das Favelas […]

#CommunityMedia

‘Can You See That I’m Black?’ Racism Loses Ground to Recognition of Blackness in Rio’s Favelas

By Ana Paula Souza, Bruno Sousa, Laerte Breno, Thaynara Santos • Translation by Leila Lak • December 27, 2018

Clique aqui para Português For the original article in Portuguese published by Agência Narra, click here. Reporting by Ana Paula Souza, Bruno Sousa, Laerte Breno, and Thaynara Santos. Edited by Elena Wesley and Pedro Lira. Photos by […]

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.

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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

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  • Violations
    • Human Rights
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    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
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    • 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
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    • Research & Analysis
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    • Listicles
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