Every year, the community of Rocinha anxiously awaits the arrival of Holy Week, and in particular Good Friday. During this year the excitement revolved around the 19th Annual Via Sacre (Sacred Way) production, by the Cia de Teatro da Rocinha Roca Cacacultura. Under the warm night sky, the procession and festivities took place on the…
Rocinha Drug Raid By: William de Oliveira, Resident of Rocinha and Member of the Community Security Council ISP 23 After today’s drug raid in Rocinha, which began at 6am and ended at 3pm, I took a walk through the community, where I received complaints by community members, and business owners, regarding irregularities in the raids,…
The mood is tense. A usually quiet morning in the Rio community of Rocinha is particular edgy after 200 police officers rushed into the neighborhood in what is being dubbed a massive drug operation. The police are now looking for drug trafficker Antonio Francsico Bonfim Lopes, a.k.a. Nem, who was able to escaped the police…
Last week members of Rio de Janeiro’s academic community, as well as members of local community action groups gathered for a public debate, sponsored by the PUC-RJ and the Nomadic University Network. The discussion was centered on housing rights, such as the recent wave of arbitrary forced evictions, the role of the Public Defender’s Office…
Hour Thursday 14 April 7PM-10PM Location: PUC-Rio – Auditorium B-6 (Frings Wing) – Rua Marquez d Sao Vicente,225, Gavea Created by Adriana Britto More information Roundtable Discussion: Public Defense, Legal Access and Social Participation Topics of First Meeting: Participation in public policy as a fundamental right Public Defense and External Ombudsman Legal Access and Mega-Events…
World Cup Preparations Cause Evictions Originally Published By: Estadao The UN has denounced the acts; awaits Brazil’s respond; Rio denies problems. United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Raquel Rolnik, will, in the coming days, release information on the housing and human rights violations in Brazil, with a specific focus on the forced evictions…
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ROCINHA, GAVEA AND SAO CONRADO Convocation: Reunion of Thematic Groups Valued partner of the Thematic Group In agreement with the approved resolutions of the last Community Development Council meeting, we are confirming the meetings of the Thematic Groups for the date of May 4 and June 4, with attention to the AGENDA…
File March 29, 2011 Background Information: The Pastoral Das Favelas, one of the leading organizations in defending the rights of Rio’s favela residents, hosts bi-monthly meetings to keep city residents abreast on developments in government efforts to evict community residents. Participants take this opportunity to share bits of information, and get a handle on what’s…
The following is a letter from the residents of Laboriaux to city officials, cordially demanding they fulfill their obligations to the citizenry, and undertake in necessary infrastructural works in, and around, Laboriaux, and similar neighborhoods. Many of the neighborhood’s installations are in a precarious state, and continued disregard to maintenance is putting the lives of…
Background Information: The Pastoral das Favelas, (Pastoral Care for the Favelas), is one of several “Care” programs within Rio’s Archdiocese. There are also pastoral care programs for the elderly, disabled, street children, and disadvantaged Rio residents. The Pastoral das Favelas (PdF) is at the forefront in defending the rights of Rio’s favela residents. The PdF…
