{"id":40721,"date":"2017-12-12T11:27:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-12T14:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=40721"},"modified":"2019-07-19T12:39:14","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T15:39:14","slug":"a-different-mare-is-possible-forum-models-participatory-approach-to-public-security-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=40721","title":{"rendered":"‘Another Mar\u00e9 Is Possible’ Forum Models Participatory Approach to Public Security Planning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

On December 4, the community of Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/a> hosted over one hundred community residents, public officials, and civil society representatives for a public debate on how to reduce violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The debate, held in Mar\u00e9\u2019s Vila do Jo\u00e3o<\/a> favela in Rio\u2019s North Zone<\/a>, marks the second major event organized by the \u201cBasta de Viol\u00eancia! Outra Mar\u00e9 \u00e9 Poss\u00edvel!<\/a>” (Enough Violence! Another Mar\u00e9 is Possible!) Forum to pressure officials to improve public security<\/a> and police operations in Mar\u00e9. The Forum is an initiative of civil society organizations Redes de Desenvolvimento da Mar\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0(Mar\u00e9 Development Networks), Observat\u00f3rio de Favelas<\/a>\u00a0(Favelas Observatory), and Luta pela Paz<\/a>\u00a0(Fight for Peace) in conjunction with other Mar\u00e9 associations<\/a> and residents. It began activities this year, drawing more than 5,000 people to a march against violence in May<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Debate participants pointed to state security forces as key sources of Mar\u00e9\u2019s violence, condemning the state\u2019s \u201cwar on drugs\u201d policing strategy<\/a>. According to a report from Redes da Mar\u00e9<\/a>, in 2016 alone Mar\u00e9 saw 33 police operations, resulting in 20 working days (one month) of health clinic and school closures<\/a>. In the same year, 17 people were killed in confrontations with the police, resulting in a rate of 12.8 police-related deaths per 100,000 residents\u2014more than double the average of 5.6 across the state of Rio de Janeiro<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Favelas Observatory representative informed the debate participants that Mar\u00e9 has already seen more police operations in 2017 than in 2016. On the Monday of the debate, schools and health clinics closed as police conducted an operation in Mar\u00e9\u2019s Nova Holanda<\/a> and Parque Uni\u00e3o<\/a> favelas. The following morning, an operation involving a shootout between armed groups and a police helicopter<\/a> forced children at a local daycare center to take cover.<\/p>\n

These operations, according to the Forum<\/a>, reflect that “the State uses armed confrontation as the principal means to combat the issue of drugs and criminality… treating the favela and its residents like the enemy to be fought in a context of war<\/a>.” A representative of the Public Defender’s Office<\/a> at the event added that “often the courts end up legitimizing the attacks,” although organized Mar\u00e9 residents have won some legal battles in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Forum has sought to advance public security via a democratic and transparent process, uniting the neighborhood’s residents and civil society organizations<\/a> in regular discussions and advocacy planning<\/a>, as well as mapping police operations and publishing impact assessments. The group has denounced police-inflicted violence and deaths in Mar\u00e9, urging the Public Ministry, the Secretary for Public Security, and Public Defender’s Office to work together to design an effective plan for public security in the favela complex.<\/p>\n

In June, the Forum and the Public Defender’s Office successfully brought a Civil Public Action Suit<\/a>\u00a0against the State Public Security Secretariat, giving the state a maximum of six months to design a comprehensive plan to reduce the violence inflicted on Mar\u00e9 residents during police operations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Forum has remained active since then, setting a positive example for participatory organizing<\/a> by holding monthly public meetings in Mar\u00e9, publishing online questionnaires, and conducting street surveys<\/a> with more than 300 Mar\u00e9 residents. The information collected from the community, along with feedback gained from the the debate, will inform the Forum’s official plan to combat violence in Mar\u00e9. With the six months since the court decision almost up, the Forum plans to place additional pressure on the state by designing its own security plan<\/a> and submitting it to the Secretary of Public Security in January. The Forum’s Facebook page explains<\/a> this will be “a plan with popular participation, but also with the participation of state organs responsible for guaranteeing rights. A plan that reflects the hopes and wishes of the residents of Mar\u00e9.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
“What can the government do to end violence in Mar\u00e9?” One response: “Demilitarize the police.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Survey and debate participants have highlighted the need for greater transparency, calling for body and vehicle cameras to be required in police operations, increased institutional presence within Mar\u00e9, and speedier investigations into reports of police violence. Others have emphasized the need for better police training, for education campaigns to make Mar\u00e9 residents aware of their rights<\/a>, and for strengthening existing channels for denouncing police violence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So far, the Public Security Secretary has refused requests to hold a public audience in Mar\u00e9. With time running out to comply with the Forum\u2019s Civil Public Action suit, it is unclear what, if anything, the state will do in response to mounting pressure from Mar\u00e9\u2019s civil society<\/a>. If this week\u2019s police operations reveal anything, it is that in the absence of active engagement and meaningful reform, violence will continue.<\/p>\n

Mar\u00e9, however, will not be ignored. \u201cWe will show the city that we exist,\u201d said one debate participant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas On December 4, the community of Complexo da Mar\u00e9 hosted over one hundred community residents, public officials, and civil society representatives for a public debate on how to reduce violence. The […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":40831,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1668,1288,1290,1333,335,329,1329],"tags":[2453,1163,756,280,25,918,37,281,523,362,2542,17,18,69,809,1555,1403,268,30,1142,2422,2444],"writer":[2609],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-40721","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-participationwatch","8":"category-highlight","9":"category-civilsociety","10":"category-event-reports","11":"category-policies","12":"category-solutions","13":"category-by-international-observers","14":"tag-advocacy-planning","15":"tag-civil-society","16":"tag-community-organizing","17":"tag-complexo-da-mare","18":"tag-human-rights","19":"tag-military-police","20":"tag-north-zone","21":"tag-nova-holanda","22":"tag-observatorio-de-favelas","23":"tag-parque-uniao","24":"tag-participatory-planning","25":"tag-police-brutality","26":"tag-protest","27":"tag-public-defenders","28":"tag-public-security","29":"tag-redes-de-desenvolvimento-da-mare","30":"tag-solution","31":"tag-state-violence","32":"tag-urban-violence","33":"tag-vila-do-joao","34":"tag-school-closings","35":"tag-war-on-drugs","36":"writer-edmund-ruge"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/162"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40721"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=40721"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=40721"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=40721"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=40721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}