{"id":80005,"date":"2024-11-19T11:45:07","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T14:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80005"},"modified":"2026-04-21T11:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:54:35","slug":"first-sustainable-favela-festival-favela-solutions-at-the-center-welcomes-1100-people-to-experience-the-socio-environmental-power-of-favelas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80005","title":{"rendered":"1st Sustainable Favela Festival \u2018Favela Solutions at the Center\u2019 Welcomes 1,100 People to Experience the Socio-Environmental Power of Favelas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"1\u00ba Festival Favela Sustent\u00e1vel: Favela no Centro das Solu\u00e7\u00f5es\u2014Saiba Como Foi [MINIDOC] 19\/10\/24\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZBuXSkLg2-Y\" width=\"1030\" height=\"563\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/FFSnoROW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-23766 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/PT-e1439583827971.png\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>One month ago, on Saturday, October 19, following seven years of growing activity, the Sustainable Favela Network (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3nsyde6\">SFN<\/a>) hosted its first event open to the general public. The <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/SFFReleaseROW\">1st Sustainable Favela Festival: Favela Solutions at the Center<\/a> brought together 1,100 people from across <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IqnU52\">Greater Rio<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2ZqMubI\">Lapa<\/a>, in the heart of downtown Rio de Janeiro. The event featured 100 activities, all free of charge, led by organizers from over 90 favelas, including artistic interventions, hands-on workshops for adults and children, discussion circles, film screenings, exhibitions, stalls, a fair, and both individual and group healing practices.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.favelasustentavel.org\/about\">Sustainable Favela Network<\/a> (SFN) was established in 2017 and has since been expanding its activities in favelas across Greater Rio. Today, it is comprised of 700 members, including community organizers from over 300 favelas and technical allies. The SFN works to implement climate justice by amplifying the potential of favelas as models of sustainable communities.<\/p>\n<p>Held at <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3U8tgGA\">Fundi\u00e7\u00e3o Progresso<\/a>, the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival (SFF) was organized by these favela collectives and allies as a grand meet-up to foster exchanges of socio-environmental solutions between members of the SFN and the general public. The festival featured diverse cultural presentations, hands-on workshops, discussion circles, exhibitions, stalls, a fair, and group healing therapies. Explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/FFS2024folder\">extensive program<\/a> that unfolded during a full day of activities.<\/p>\n<p>This program reflects work taking place today to build on the ancestral knowledge and technologies emerging from favelas, enabling a rich exchange of experiences during the festival. Over the course of the day, traditionally marginalized communities took center stage, literally and symbolically occupying the city center, presenting solutions, as spaces that devise and implement infrastructure, generate technology, promote research, and advocate for <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/ClimateJustFavelas\">climate justice<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2TK9CRw\">socio-environmental education<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2ZRBvtW\">participatory policymaking<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/45EfgZM\">culture and local memory<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/43WHg98\">food sovereignty<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3ISIc5C\">collective health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2uUwYVT\">solidarity economy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2QQR0xh\">basic sanitation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/FavelaEnergyJustice\">energy justice<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3iL6BMs\">just transport<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/ROWHousingRights\">sustainable housing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80007\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80007\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80007 size-full\" title=\"The Festival\u2019s launch with Theresa Williamson and Gisele Moura. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira.jpg\" alt=\"The Festival\u2019s launch with Theresa Williamson and Gisele Moura. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-944x629.jpg 944w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Official-opening-of-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-by-Theresa-Williamson-and-Gisele-Moura-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80007\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Festival\u2019s launch with Theresa Williamson and Gisele Moura. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The event was opened by <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IWM21d\">Theresa Williamson<\/a>, executive director of Catalytic Communities (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/SiteCatComm\">CatComm<\/a>)*, the NGO that maintains the Sustainable Favela Network\u2019s managing team, and by <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3nEZ4W8\">Gisele Moura<\/a>, coordinator of that team, who provided context for the day\u2019s program.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe are gathered here in this great confluence of solutions. Over 90 favelas are presenting more than 100 solutions throughout the day, through discussion circles, activities, exhibitions, film screenings, and workshops&#8230; You\u2019ve received a pamphlet with the program, so feel free to explore and immerse yourself in the diversity that the favelas have to offer. We are here in the city center, occupying this space with our solutions and showing the world what we\u2019ve been discussing in our communities. So, feel free to connect and share. There are so many incredible people here, and we hope you make the most of this space.\u201d \u2014 Gisele Moura<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Cultural Performances<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the day, the Sustainable Favela Festival\u2019s stage hosted a variety of performances, including Music for Peace (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Yx9G8r\">Ponto de Cultura Aos P\u00e9s do Santa Marta<\/a>), the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4hze1k8\"><em>I Was Born In Slavery<\/em><\/a> ballet, inspired by the story of <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3OrJNTG\">Zumbi dos Palmares<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48Bn4gE\">Juliana Coelho Dance Company<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3heGgVd\">Cordovil<\/a>), Ciranda Soir\u00e9e featuring poetry and dance (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NScuIr\">Sarau Ciranda<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/317A4Hx\">Rocinha<\/a>), Interpretive Dance Choir (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48xLnvD\">Vivarte Human Restoration Institute<\/a>\/Rocinha), Sacred Herbs Cultural Presentation and Workshop (Inzo Ia Nzambi Center for Social Integration &#8211; CISIN and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YPjagI\">Ponto de Cultura Preservando Ra\u00edzes<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2XIp04O\">Nova Igua\u00e7u<\/a>), Grau Battle (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2J7sUea\">Pedala Queimados<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IQNMHE\">Queimados<\/a>), Funk and the Environment (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4f6HRer\">#estudeofunk<\/a>), Afro Dance and Percussion Workshop (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NOzlEP\">Afro Orunmil\u00e1<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2AJK5Sq\">Mineira<\/a>), and the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YPjSuw\">Afox\u00e9 Filhos de Angola<\/a> Samba Circle (Ofarer\u00e9 Cultural\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3tpc45G\">Tijuquinha<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fafoxemaxambomba%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02tiv9bzThTuiu13rZiZNgf3HUi5124CxZgkZFzh4LZNgEJWM2MLQqSuVJsqG7THzSl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"1030\" height=\"626\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fBjNQo\">Pierre Avila<\/a>, from Music for Peace, explains the origins of the project based in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IlGx96\">Santa Marta<\/a>, a favela in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2oUZZzR\">Botafogo<\/a>, a neighborhood in Rio&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/318kJ9H\">South Zone<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIn the past, our community couldn\u2019t hold cultural events because every Friday, the police would invade to suppress culture within the community\u2026 So, we created Music for Peace. And today, I\u2019ll kick things off with a really great setlist for you\u2026 Our motto is: more music, fewer guns.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80010\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80010\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80010 size-full\" title=\"Music group Afro \u00d2r\u00fanmil\u00e1 performs at the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\" alt=\"Music group Afro \u00d2r\u00fanmil\u00e1 performs at the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Performance-of-Afro-Group-Orunmila-and-its-numerous-audience-at-the-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80010\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Music group Afro \u00d2r\u00fanmil\u00e1 performs at the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The performances by music group Afro \u00d2r\u00fanmil\u00e1 and the Afox\u00e9 Filhos de Angola samba circle energized the festival, offering the public an opportunity to engage with cultural expressions that reclaim and preserve African and Afro-Brazilian ancestrality. These attractions, rooted in <em>terreiros<\/em> [sacred places of worship for Afro-Brazilian religions] and Afro-diasporic religious traditions such as <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2XZ1G1E\">Candombl\u00e9<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3oGQMbs\">Umbanda<\/a>, created a connection between the artists and the audience. Participants were invited to engage with ancestral practices through music, dance, and rhythms, reinforcing Black identity and the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/AntiracistFavelas\">antiracist struggle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Discussion Circles<\/h3>\n<p>One of the festival\u2019s major highlights were the discussion circles. These included: \u201cBlack Women Entrepreneurs from Favelas\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2YHOUUB\">FAFERJ<\/a>, CRIAR, and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3UBtxCt\">REAFRO<\/a>), \u201cWhere\u2019s the Water? The Fight for Water Access in Rio de Janeiro\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/40xl2fl\">Popular Network for Sanitation and Health Monitoring<\/a>), \u201cJust Energy Transition: The Social Role of Solar Energy\u201d (<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2SfVnB0\">Revolusolar<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1CSCYi2\">Babil\u00f4nia<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/WJPjDT\">Chap\u00e9u-Mangueira<\/a>), \u201cLiterary Circularity and Ancestrality: Afro Literature as a Bridge to Anti-Racist Education\u201d (Afro Literary Circularity and Ancestrality Collective\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2XJeDhe\">Bangu<\/a>), \u201cReconnecting with Nature\u201d (RJ Forest Bathing Collective), and \u201cTuberculosis Discussion Circle\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48focor\">Transvida Cooperative<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2ZSr6QE\">Vila Cruzeiro<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2CYrDGT\">Complexo da Penha<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YYvafL\">Vit\u00f3ria R\u00e9gia Women\u2019s Movement<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2p5MEbW\">Campo Grande<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3p0zlT7\">Fusion Social Center Association<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/44DOwYg\">Jacutinga<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2OzDdLx\">Mesquita<\/a>, Ilha do Governador Women\u2019s Association (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3UAjeOM\">AMUIG<\/a>), and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YNjPPQ\">Maria Pimentel Marinho Women\u2019s Movement<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qdKYNd\">Itacolomi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2P3XYyP\">Ilha do Governador<\/a>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80011\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80011\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80011 size-full\" title=\"&quot;Literary Circularity and Ancestrality: Afro Literature as a Bridge to Anti-Racist Education&quot; promoted by the Afro Literary Circularity and Ancestrality Collective, from Bangu, in Rio's West Zone. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira.jpg\" alt=\"&quot;Literary Circularity and Ancestrality: Afro Literature as a Bridge to Anti-Racist Education&quot; promoted by the Afro Literary Circularity and Ancestrality Collective, from Bangu, in Rio's West Zone. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Literary-Circularity-and-Ancestry-Afro-Literature-as-a-Bridge-to-Anti-Racist-Education-Photo-Alexandre-Cerqueira-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80011\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Literary Circularity and Ancestrality: Afro Literature as a Bridge to Anti-Racist Education&#8221; promoted by the Afro Literary Circularity and Ancestrality Collective from Bangu, in Rio&#8217;s West Zone. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Telma Pires is the president of the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2KVA7k7\">West Zone<\/a>&#8216;s Vit\u00f3ria R\u00e9gia Women\u2019s Movement and a member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NNWffg\">Healthy Communities Network<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48vsedY\">Rio de Janeiro State Tuberculosis Forum<\/a>. She shared that:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe are here at this huge event to talk about tuberculosis prevention, which is the best remedy. We also need to have the expertise to show people [the measures of] care, especially since [many] homes in favelas are not [properly] ventilated.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80012\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80012\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80012 size-full\" title=\"\u201cEnvironmental Education on Selective Waste Collection\u201d discussion circle, with Claudete Costa, that took place during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cEnvironmental Education on Selective Waste Collection\u201d discussion circle, with Claudete Costa, that took place during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Discussion-circle-with-Claudete-Costa-Photo-Barbara-Dias-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cEnvironmental Education on Recycling\u201d discussion circle, with Claudete Costa, that took place during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An employee at state water and sewage utility <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2zkYdO8\">CEDAE<\/a> and member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/39s1xH1\">Aldeia Maracan\u00e3<\/a> indigenous collective, Irapuan Tupinamb\u00e1 distributed native seedlings, including <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Z9PlHU\">achiote<\/a>, during the discussion circles.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI am here today at this beautiful event, one that brings together so many fascinating things that are amongst us but we often fail to notice. That is the great importance of events like these\u2014they bring together so much for us to see in a single place. Through this, we begin to truly understand a small piece of our diversity. At CEDAE, we have a program called <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4hxnf0g\">Replanting Life<\/a>, which focuses on engaging incarcerated individuals in creating forests&#8230; Over the past 21, 22 years, we have, thanks to Father <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47bvt9j\">Tup\u00e3<\/a> [the word for God in the Tupi and Guarani indigenous languages], managed to produce around 2 million seedlings annually. We have planted over 4 million seedlings, and what we produce isn\u2019t just part of our tasks or environmental compensation. We produce so that society can carry this sentiment wherever it may go, taking our seedlings to be planted. Today, in particular, as a <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2VZ9mxm\">Tupinamb\u00e1<\/a> indigenous person, I feel very happy because one of the most donated species was achiote\u2014the fruit with red seeds that we, indigenous peoples, use to create our art, our designs, and our body paint.\u201d \u2014 Irapuan Tupinamb\u00e1, CEDAE and Aldeia Maracan\u00e3<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80013\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80013\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80013 size-full\" title=\"Irapuan Tupinamb\u00e1, in green at the center, distributes native plant seedlings, including achiote, as part of a CEDAE project during the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF.jpg\" alt=\"Irapuan Tupinamb\u00e1, in green at the center, distributes native plant seedlings, including achiote, as part of a CEDAE project during the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF-944x629.jpg 944w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CEDAE-participation-at-SFF-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80013\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Irapuan Tupinamb\u00e1, in green at the center, distributes native seedlings, including achiote, as part of a CEDAE project during the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At noon, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NVdAmH\">Vilson Luiz<\/a>, of the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4eoG8Qf\">Penha Front<\/a>, and Alexandre Pessoa, of the Joaquim Ven\u00e2ncio Polytechnic School of Health (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YKiqrN\">EPSJV<\/a>) at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2EborZk\">Fiocruz<\/a>), shared the history of the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4hX82FW\">Lapa Arches<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A discussion circle that drew a large crowd in the afternoon, \u201cWhere\u2019s the Water? The Fight for Water Access in Rio de Janeiro,\u201d was coordinated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3UMGd9o\">Popular Monitoring Network for Sanitation and Health<\/a>. The circle gathered <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Ckxrcu\">over 40 participants<\/a> to discuss the right to water in the state, amid <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vpoxr8\">reports of deteriorating<\/a> distribution by private water utility <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47XtCom\">\u00c1guas do Rio<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80014\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80014\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80014 size-full\" title=\"Participants of the \u201cWhere\u2019s the Water? The Fight for Water Access in Rio de Janeiro\u201d discussion circle during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat.jpg\" alt=\"Participants of the \u201cWhere\u2019s the Water? The Fight for Water Access in Rio de Janeiro\u201d discussion circle during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Participants-of-the-discussion-circle-Where-Is-the-Water-The-Fight-for-Water-Access-in-Rio-de-Janeiro-during-the-First-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-DiasComCat-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80014\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Participants of the \u201cWhere\u2019s the Water? The Fight for Water Access in Rio de Janeiro\u201d discussion circle during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Various favela representatives shared testimonies about the challenges of accessing this basic right. <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3ABHcT1\">Nill Santos<\/a>, from the Association of Women With Attitude and Social Commitment (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/32NmN9a\">AMAC<\/a>) in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Zrt2vo\">Duque de Caxias<\/a>, explained that residents are united to prevent any form of extortionate billing.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c[\u00c1guas do Rio] said that they came to visit me to ask for permission to enter our community\u2026 But I told them that they weren\u2019t going to find a misinformed community because we inform our community through discussion circles\u2026 No one was going to sign any document until they went in and spoke with the community, held a meeting with all the residents, so that people could understand the process\u2026 Our biggest issue with [\u00c1guas do Rio] is the insane charges\u2026 [If they have] an answer to that\u2026 the AMAC space is open for\u2026 them to speak with all the residents.\u201d \u2014 Nill Santos<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48LTHIc\">Defenders of the Planet<\/a> from <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1G23cDl\">Guaratiba<\/a> presented the \u201cPlanning Area 5 (AP5) Climate and Environmental Education Game\u201d: a board game where the participants themselves acted as game pieces. Mauro Pereira, a biologist and the NGO&#8217;s executive director, explains the importance of participating in the festival for himself and local youth.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe\u2019re here with 20 youths from West Zone favelas\u2026 who are sharing a bit of our reality: a West Zone abandoned by public authorities and, unfortunately, considered a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sacrifice_zone\">sacrifice zone<\/a> by the City. The largest polluting corporations\u2014we <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3QVoiM6\">have a steel mill<\/a> on the banks of the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Ozzygk\">Sepetiba Bay<\/a>\u2014have been polluting, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and severely impacting our region. These young people came together and devised a way to communicate among themselves. They drew inspiration from an old board game with a spinning top but made themselves the protagonists of the game. This game was endorsed by <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fye0LD\">UNICEF<\/a> as an <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3AOTVSq\">innovative idea<\/a> and has been circulating throughout the West Zone to raise awareness and spark conversations about <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2p3Xk6X\">climate change<\/a>.\u201d \u2014 Mauro Pereira<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80016\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80016\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80016 size-full\" title=\"Children play the \u201cPlanning Area 5 (AP5) Environmental Climate Education Game\u201d during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game.jpg\" alt=\"Children play the \u201cPlanning Area 5 (AP5) Environmental Climate Education Game\u201d during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Defenders-of-the-Planet-Board-Game-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children play the \u201cPlanning Area 5 (AP5) Environmental Climate Education Game\u201d during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Hands-On Workshops<\/h3>\n<p>A lot of creative and sustainable solutions were shared at the hands-on workshops, designed for both adults and children. Some of these workshops included: \u201cPrinting with Earth Pigments\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4eko8GY\">Terra Afetiva<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/35YxxXe\">\u00c9den<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/1dVsdmj\">S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o de Meriti<\/a>), \u201cGrandma\u2019s Recipe Circle\u201d (Solidarity Kitchen\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NQWPsU\">Nova Campinas<\/a>, Duque de Caxias), \u201cStencil Art\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3HoEgKg\">Mar\u00e9 Museum<\/a>), \u201cHerbs and Sensory Workshop\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YJD1Oh\">Salgueiro Herb Growers<\/a>), \u201cHerb Gardens and Medicinal Plants\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NRbQuU\">Grassroots and Libertarian Education Collective<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2yLKSlv\">Vila Parque da Cidade<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qMXkw0\">G\u00e1vea<\/a>), \u201cSustainable Knowledge and Aromas\u201d (Green Space Vegetable Garden Project\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Fur1ae\">Niter\u00f3i<\/a>), \u201cToys, Invention, and Childhood: What Can Imagination Do?\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Bw0Dg3\">Ara\u00fajo Dutra Educational Institute<\/a>\/Palmeirinha), \u201cThe Importance of Colors in Healthy Eating\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4e7hkfC\">Mulheres da Parada Association<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2SVjMhr\">S\u00e3o Gon\u00e7alo<\/a>), \u201cTransformative Waste\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48vM34I\">Organic Cycle<\/a>\/Rocinha), \u201cWorm Composting\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fqUS24\">Minhoc\u00e1rio Arboreum<\/a>\/Guaratiba), \u201cSoil Education\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mt0z3M\">Embrapa Solos<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/WJPjDT\">Chap\u00e9u Mangueira<\/a>), and \u201cHow to Conduct Community Research Using Kobotoolbox\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/40Fx5ao\">Decodifica Institute<\/a>).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DBZ4VGVp5Ij\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">Ver essa foto no Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DBZ4VGVp5Ij\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uma publica\u00e7\u00e3o compartilhada por Erveiros do Salgueiro (@erveirosdosalgueiro)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>During <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47nfky2\">Green Roof Favela<\/a>\u2019s workshop, \u201cExchanging Ideas with Green Roof Favela,\u201d Luis Cassiano, from the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/33uOYrJ\">Arar\u00e1<\/a> favela, explained the efficiency of green roofs in <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2ZLiRUG\">reducing home temperatures<\/a>. He shared the process of assembling the geotextile layer used to fix the plants and highlighted some particularly resilient plant species suitable for green roofs, capable of withstanding this type of installation, high temperatures, and intense sunlight. He invited two volunteers to demonstrate, using their \u201clittle houses,\u201d how a green roof works.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80020\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80020\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80020 size-full\" title=\"The Green Roof Favela workshop, one of the 100 activities that took place during the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira \" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop.jpg\" alt=\"The Green Roof Favela workshop, one of the 100 activities that took place during the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop-944x629.jpg 944w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Green-Roof-Favela-Workshop-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80020\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Green Roof Favela workshop, one of the 100 activities that took place during the Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lidiane Santos, coordinator of the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2zukRUW\">EcoRede<\/a> project from the community-based institution <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4hEn5nZ\">Alfazendo<\/a> in <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1wwjhWi\">City of God<\/a>, led the \u201cSustainable CreAtion\u201d workshop and shared her thoughts on the importance of participating in the festival.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe&#8217;ve been a part of the Sustainable Favela Network since 2018. It&#8217;s a great achievement for us to be here, united with all of these favela projects, meeting again, gaining strength, witnessing that these projects continue to resist, and sharing what they\u2019ve learned over these years. It&#8217;s great to be here inspiring new creations, learning with folks, seeing that some pains are shared by favela territories and that they have also created solutions that are similar and just as creative as ours. So, it&#8217;s really a moment of &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4eAE2wY\">aquilombamento<\/a>&#8216; [a coming together in solidarity and mutual strength], of favela residents joining forces to overcome <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/32aHwqF\">environmental racism<\/a>.\u201d \u2014 Lidiane Santos<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80021\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80021\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80021 size-full\" title=\"Dona Josefa and a participant show the product of the solar oven workshop that took place at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven.jpg\" alt=\"Dona Josefa and a participant show the product of the solar oven workshop that took place at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Josefa-and-the-solar-oven-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80021\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dona Josefa and a participant show the product of the solar oven workshop that took place at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dona <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3AyiRh2\">Josefa Maria<\/a>, an environmental educator and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2VvBCbM\">agroecological farmer<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NVlytr\">Pedra do Sapo<\/a>, in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2ImAzVp\">Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a>, led a workshop on <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4949EtB\">solar oven production<\/a>. She explained the importance of this environmentally sustainable solution, which promotes reuse to mitigate <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3ZaZB2B\">food insecurity<\/a> among socially vulnerable populations, as the ovens allow food to be cooked using solar energy, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3jZtK0K\">eliminating the need for cooking gas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cPeople often can&#8217;t afford cooking gas. So, they can make an oven like this and use it. Of course, you\u2019ll [need to cook] today to eat tomorrow, as beans take three and a half hours in a pressure cooker, and rice takes three. For other foods, you learn [how to cook them] as you go along the process\u2026 I came up with the idea of making a cardboard box and also reusing styrofoam [in the hot sun].\u201d \u2014 Josefa Maria<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Market Space<\/h3>\n<p>The market buzzed with activity throughout the day, with 50 stalls dedicated to exchanging knowledge, selling products, hosting workshops, and presenting exhibitions, showcasing the experiences of various grassroots collectives.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80022\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80022\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80022 size-full\" title=\"Market exhibitors at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival sell and donate a variety of plants, herbs and products with different properties. \" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat.jpg\" alt=\"Market exhibitors at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival sell and donate a variety of plants, herbs and products with different properties. \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Market-exhibitors-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-sell-various-plants-herbs-and-properties-with-many-properties-Photo-Barbara-Dias-ComCat-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80022\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Market exhibitors at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival sell and donate a variety of plants, herbs and products with different properties.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When asked about the importance of participating in the festival, some exhibitors said that, above all, it is a great opportunity to showcase their work. At her bustling stand, \u201cNete\u2019s Crafts,\u201d Isanete Bernardo da Silva, 66, a resident of <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2XW8L4i\">Acari<\/a>, shared a bit about her participation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI work with recycling. Anything you can imagine, I recycle. This space is very important because we can showcase our work. Many people weren\u2019t familiar with it\u2026 [and] are amazed to see the kind of work I do\u2026 It\u2019s very important to see people appreciate my work. I\u2019m really enjoying the market, truly enjoying it.\u201d \u2014 Isanete Bernardo da Silva<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80023\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80023\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80023 size-full\" title=\"Dona Nete, from the \u201cRecycled Crafts Exhibition\u201d stall, showcases her work during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\" alt=\"Dona Nete, from the \u201cRecycled Crafts Exhibition\u201d stall, showcases her work during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Nete-from-the-recyclable-crafts-exhibition-stall-showcases-her-work-at-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80023\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dona Nete, from the \u201cRecycled Crafts Exhibition\u201d stall, showcases her work during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Still at the market, young Black women experienced a touching and empowering moment at the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YFG7BD\">Luminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des<\/a> [Yoruba word that denotes feminine leadership and great feminine power] stall while speaking with <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4ek4nPG\">Anailda Charmite<\/a>. Some of their statements included: \u201cI want to feel more beautiful\u2026 I want to be an engineer\u2026 I want to be a doctor\u2026 I want to study Psychology\u2026 We want to become, we will move forward, we are where we want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80026\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80026\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80026 size-full\" title=\"Dona Anailda Charmite poses with girls in front of her stall \u201cLuminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des,\u201d after sharing her stories of struggle with the Black Movement. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth.jpg\" alt=\"Dona Anailda Charmite poses with girls in front of her stall \u201cLuminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des,\u201d after sharing her stories of struggle with the Black Movement. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Dona-Anailda-and-youth-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80026\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dona Anailda Charmite poses with girls in front of her stall \u201cLuminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des,\u201d after sharing her stories of struggle with the Black Movement. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When asked to explain her work on empowerment, alongside the sales from her business, Dona Anailda\u2019s response unfolded as a life story devoted to the struggles of the Black Movement.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI was a model in the 1970s and, despite all the difficulties of that time, I ended up taking a different path: teaching\u2026 An Afro music group called <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4hAKS8g\">Agbara Dudu<\/a> emerged in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/34IKfog\">Madureira<\/a>. Only Black people attended their events. That\u2019s where I started teaching and working on self-esteem, runway skills, photography, makeup, and teaching people to walk in high heels. This led me to explore other ways to help people appreciate their own hair. I was talking about self-esteem back in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. We would visit favelas, go into public schools, and they would walk the runway\u2026 to show how beautiful we are.\u201d \u2014\u00a0 Anailda Charmite<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80028\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80028\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80028 size-full\" title=\"Girl poses in a mirror shaped like Africa at Dona Anailda Charmite\u2019s \u201cLuminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des\u201d stall. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\" alt=\"Girl poses in a mirror shaped like Africa at Dona Anailda Charmite\u2019s \u201cLuminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des\u201d stall. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Girl-poses-in-a-mirror-in-the-shape-of-Africa-in-Dona-Anailda-Charmites-Luminosity-of-the-Iyalodes-stall-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80028\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Girl poses in a mirror shaped like Africa at Dona Anailda Charmite\u2019s \u201cLuminosity of the \u00ccy\u00e1l\u00f3des\u201d stall. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another highlight at the market was the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YJD1Oh\">Salgueiro Herb Growers<\/a>&#8216; space for donating medicinal herb seedlings.<\/p>\n<h3>Healing Spaces<\/h3>\n<p>One of the most sought-after spaces at the Sustainable Favela Festival focused on self-care and reflections on physical, emotional, and mental health. Various activities were held in the Healing Spaces, including: \u201cBlack Women\u2019s Health Discussion Circle\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48FaQTS\">Abeb\u00e9 de Ouro Humanitarian Center<\/a> &#8211; CHAO), \u201cFavela Health Through an Anti-racist Perspective\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fvMXke\">Unified Black Movement &#8211; Health<\/a>), \u201cGuidance on Healthy Eating\u201d (Actions in Nutrition\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Ro0rmP\">Ramos<\/a>), \u201cMental Health and Body Care Action\u201d (Women\u2019s Connection Social Center), and an activity on \u201cForest Bathing\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fcnv3b\">RJ Forest Bathing Collective<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the discussion circles, festival participants enjoyed spaces for relaxation and ancestral care featuring natural teas, massages, and poetry writing: Popular Health Practices (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Uzz10e\">Casa Arte Cura e Agroecologia<\/a>), Collective Care \u2013 Tension &amp; Trauma Releasing Exercises (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4914nDg\">TRE<\/a>) for Activists (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3AvknAs\">Clara Simas Ferraz<\/a>), Touch as a Healing Tool (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4efv5sB\">Body Movement Therapy<\/a>), Poetic Escreviv\u00eancias [a method and term coined by writer Concei\u00e7\u00e3o Evaristo to narrate Black lived experiences in Brazil] (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fzgh9d\">Environmental In-Put Collective<\/a>), Spa: Medicinal Herb Care (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3yKijDX\">Agroecological Provid\u00eancia<\/a>), Native Therapies (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YQTBMa\">Rochedo Puri Village<\/a>\/Genivaldo Nogueira Institute), AcuSphera Healing Therapy (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/476PSLi\">Favela Museum<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2ZcL1pE\">PPG<\/a>), and Pranic Therapy (Favela Museum\/PPG).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80029\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80029\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80029 size-full\" title=\"Mother Jaci, in the center, conducts the Black Women\u2019s Health Discussion Circle, one of the activities that took place in the healing spaces at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci.jpg\" alt=\"Mother Jaci, in the center, conducts the Black Women\u2019s Health Discussion Circle, one of the activities that took place in the healing spaces at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Mother-Jaci-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80029\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mother Jaci, in the center, conducts the Black Women\u2019s Health Discussion Circle, one of the activities that took place in the healing spaces at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During the \u201cBlack Women\u2019s Health Discussion Circle\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/48FaQTS\">Abeb\u00e9 de Ouro Humanitarian Center-CHAO<\/a>), Mother Jaci guided participants in a reflection that placed race at the center of the discussion. The group discussed Black women\u2019s health, the burdens they bear, and the challenges of existence. Despite the emotional nature of the topic, Mother Jaci facilitated the circle with great care and sensitivity. At the end, she emphasized the significance of bringing her activity to the Festival.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe brought a discussion on women\u2019s health among mature Black women, to the Sustainable Favela Festival, addressing not just illness and access to public health services, but also the suffering caused by poverty and the losses we endure daily. We came here to talk about the importance of community in this woman\u2019s life, because she cannot heal herself. This Festival is beautiful! It gave us a warm, welcoming space where we could gather and truly listen to one another. It is a space of healing and connection. I feel deeply moved. I have long awaited the day when we could step outside the <em>terreiro<\/em> [sacred space of Afro-Brazilian religious worship]! Our project comes from a Candombl\u00e9 <em>terreiro<\/em> in Itaipua\u00e7u, where I have served the community for five years. It is so meaningful for us to leave our community and share what we do with a wider audience. There are so many people who need to be heard, so many things that still need to be told. We don\u2019t want to talk about pain anymore\u2014we want to say that healing is possible. But healing is only possible when you are embraced by someone who truly understands what you are feeling. And that is exactly what today\u2019s Festival is about.\u201d \u2014 Mother Jaci<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>At the \u201cSpa: Medicinal Herb Care\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3yKijDX\">Agroecological Provid\u00eancia<\/a>), participants could enjoy teas made with medicinal and relaxing herbs, as well as indulge in a foot soak. Set in an intimate and welcoming space, the atmosphere was serene, and the soothing aromas were noticeable even to those approaching the room where the activity was held.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80030\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80030\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80030 size-full\" title=\"\u201cSpa: Medicinal Herb Care,\u201d by Agroecological Provid\u00eancia, one of the relaxation therapy practices that took place in the healing spaces at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cSpa: Medicinal Herb Care,\u201d by Agroecological Provid\u00eancia, one of the relaxation therapy practices that took place in the healing spaces at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Agroecological-Providencia-Herbal-Spa-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80030\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cSpa: Medicinal Herb Care,\u201d by Agroecological Provid\u00eancia, one of the relaxation therapy practices that took place in the healing spaces at the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The \u201cPoetic Escreviv\u00eancias\u201d workshop (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fzgh9d\">Environmental In-Put Collective<\/a>) promoted another type of therapy. Thoth Takita and his colleagues introduced poetry writing as a way to express and ease everyday emotions and struggles, while also encouraging writing as a means of documenting lived experiences.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEach lived experience is unique and special. So, what is writing? It\u2019s important [because] sometimes we carry unresolved challenges in our daily lives\u2014things we don\u2019t resolve with friends, spouses, or partners\u2026 And we hold it all inside. This needs to come out\u2026 Poetic writing helps release all that energy.\u201d \u2014 Thoth Takita<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80031\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80031\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80031 size-full\" title=\"Medicinal Herbs, by Agroecological Provid\u00eancia, one of the relaxation therapies that took place in the healing spaces during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg\" alt=\"Medicinal Herbs, by Agroecological Provid\u00eancia, one of the relaxation therapies that took place in the healing spaces during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-942x629.jpg 942w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Medicinal-herbs-from-Agroecological-Providencia-one-of-the-many-therapeutic-activities-held-at-the-healing-spaces-during-the-1st-Sustainable-Favela-Festival-Photo-Barbara-Dias-CatComm-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80031\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Medicinal Herbs, by Agroecological Provid\u00eancia, one of the relaxation therapies that took place in the healing spaces during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Film Club and Exhibitions<\/h3>\n<p>In the morning, the film club featured various activities, including &#8220;Audiovisual that Serves Society&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YBxEiU\">Literary Samba<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2MmB6up\">S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o de Meriti<\/a>), as well as discussions and reflections about resistance in a sacrifice zone, with screenings of the films <em>Fisherman\u2019s Tales<\/em> and <em>Bay<\/em>\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YUBbKv\">Sepetiba Ecomuseum<\/a>) and the short films <em>Health from an Anti-Racist Perspective<\/em> and <em>Everyone Can Play<\/em>\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3tWDKtG\">Solidary Manguinhos<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The afternoon featured a workshop led by researchers from favelas and peripheral areas (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3AqASxI\">LEDUB<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2WBikE1\">Complexo do Lins<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2SxloO8\">Vidigal<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IgZ9Y4\">Mar\u00e9<\/a>), a screening of the film <em>We Held the Sky by Telling Stories<\/em>\u00a0by the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3UNtK5r\">Favela Film Club<\/a> of Morro da Provid\u00eancia, and a workshop on creating research forms using Kobotoolbox, facilitated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/decodifica.org\/\">Decodifica Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80034\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80034\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80034 size-full\" title=\"The film club, where numerous screenings and debates took place during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF.jpg\" alt=\"The film club, where numerous screenings and debates took place during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF-944x629.jpg 944w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Morro-da-Providencias-Favela-Film-Club-at-the-SFF-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80034\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The film club, where numerous screenings and debates took place during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among the exhibitions were: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NwhSSj\"><em>Favela Climate Memory<\/em><\/a>; <em>The <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3AwjIi4\">History of Rivers<\/a> and of <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fV5CpD\">Mata Machado<\/a>: Unraveling the History of the Mata Machado Community<\/em> (Young Favela Collective\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4fDJ7W8\">Casa Favela<\/a>); <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/40GawCH\"><em>Memories of Cerro Cor\u00e1<\/em><\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2GexOD8\">Cerro Cor\u00e1 Residents in Motion<\/a>); <em>Images of Memory and Struggle<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4hJtSwQ\">Evictions Museum<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IpNNB7\">Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/a>); and <em>Social Gardening for the Elderly: Food Security and Sustainability<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3C8Pe6v\">Parque Hor\u00e1cio Cordeiro Franco Women&#8217;s Movement<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3FbgGQu\">Benfica<\/a>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_80035\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80035\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-80035 size-full\" title=\"The exhibition space offered numerous opportunities to delve into the histories and memories of favelas during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Pictured is the SFN\u2019s Climate Memory Exhibition. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF.jpg\" alt=\"The exhibition space offered numerous opportunities to delve into the histories and memories of favelas during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Pictured is the SFN\u2019s Climate Memory Exhibition. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF-944x629.jpg 944w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Favela-Climate-Memory-at-the-SFF-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-80035\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exhibition space offered numerous opportunities to delve into the histories and memories of favelas during the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival. Pictured is the SFN\u2019s Climate Memory Exhibition. Photo: Alexandre Cerqueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The inaugural Sustainable Favela Festival establishes itself as a sustainability event created by and for favelas, open to all. Through its presentation of innovative socio-environmental solutions during an intense day of activities, this festival positions favelas at the center of solutions to growing socio-environmental challenges, reaffirming their role as key agents in building a more sustainable and equitable future. In a space brimming with shared knowledge, the festival fostered an exchange of ideas and strengthened community bonds between favelas and also with other parts of the city. An event like this holds the power to transform not only these communities but society as a whole.<\/p>\n<h4>Save the date! The Sustainable Favela Network has announced the anticipated date for the 2nd Sustainable Favela Festival: October 18, 2025.<\/h4>\n<h3>See the Official Photos from the 1st Sustainable Favela Festival <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/FFSFotos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on Flickr<\/a>:<\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"1o Festival Favela Sustent\u00e1vel, 19 de outubro de 2024\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/catcomm\/albums\/72177720321529825\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54098093696_bce04270b2_b.jpg\" alt=\"1o Festival Favela Sustent\u00e1vel, 19 de outubro de 2024\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><i>*The Sustainable Favela Network (SFN) and RioOnWatch are initiatives of the NGO Catalytic Communities (CatComm).<\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>About the author: <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Gc3OJU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/a>\u00a0was born and raised in Bangu, in Rio\u2019s West Zone. She has a degree in Biological Sciences, a master\u2019s in Environmental Education, and has been a public school teacher since 2006. She is a photojournalist and also works with documentary photography. She is a popular communicator for N\u00facleo Piratininga de Comunica\u00e7\u00e3o (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3i2GcdN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPC<\/a>) and co-founder of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vfY8bj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coletivo Fotoguerrilha<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Support\u00a0<\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">RioOnWatch<\/i><\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u2019s tireless, critical and cutting-edge hyperlocal journalism, online community organizing meetings, and direct support to favelas\u00a0<\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/DonateToRioOnWatch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/DonateToRioOnWatch\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">by clicking here.<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas One month ago, on Saturday, October 19, following seven years of growing activity, the Sustainable Favela Network (SFN) hosted its first event open to the general public. The 1st Sustainable <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80005\" title=\"1st Sustainable Favela Festival \u2018Favela Solutions at the Center\u2019 Welcomes 1,100 People to Experience the Socio-Environmental Power of Favelas\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":80049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1288,1328,1290,3477,1333,1268,1271,1332,329,452,1739],"tags":[1448,662,646,460,371,168,3406,756,258,910,385,2622,3534,1197,107,715,2345,3682,37,388,3239,2248,1403,156,3186,21],"writer":[3542],"translator":[3560],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[3476,3548],"class_list":{"0":"post-80005","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-highlight","8":"category-by-community-contributors","9":"category-civilsociety","10":"category-climate-justice","11":"category-event-reports","12":"category-favelaculture","13":"category-favelaqualities","14":"category-photo-essays","15":"category-solutions","16":"category-rio20","17":"category-video","18":"tag-favelasareassets","19":"tag-afro-brazilian-culture","20":"tag-aldeia-maracana","21":"tag-baixada-fluminense","22":"tag-cedae","23":"tag-centro","24":"tag-climate-justice","25":"tag-community-organizing","26":"tag-community-solution","27":"tag-creative-organizing","28":"tag-environmental-education","29":"tag-event","30":"tag-food-sovereignty","31":"tag-greater-rio","32":"tag-health","33":"tag-indigenous","34":"tag-lapa","35":"tag-leste-fluminense","36":"tag-north-zone","37":"tag-recycling","38":"tag-sfn-annual-meet-up","39":"tag-solidarity-economy","40":"tag-solution","41":"tag-south-zone","42":"tag-sfn","43":"tag-west-zone","44":"writer-barbara-dias","45":"translator-kay-alvito","46":"photographer-alexandre-cerqueira","47":"photographer-barbara-dias"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80005","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\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=80005"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83229,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80005\/revisions\/83229"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/80049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=80005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=80005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=80005"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=80005"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=80005"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=80005"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=80005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}