Rio de Janeiro

  • Rio’s Favelas Take A Hit

    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…

    Read More

  • A Letter to the Vice Governor

    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…

    Read More

  • Community Meeting (3/15/2011)

    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…

    Read More

  • The UPP Causes Real Estate Hikes in Rio

    The UPP Causes Real Estate Hikes in Rio Cirilo Junior Rio Real Estate properties located in neighborhoods that are patrolled by Pacifying Police Units (UPP) will double in value, according to Secovi Rio, Rio’s Housing Union. Car insurance costs have dropped since the installation of UPP units, and there is talk of extending the program…

    Read More

  • Macega: A Community Pleading for Help

    Mundo Real has been increasingly working in the area known as Macega, which is the poorest section of Rocinha. Virtually all of Macega’s residents want to be re-settled, particularly in upper Macega where approximately 200 family reside in subhuman living conditions. Residents know they are living in an area at extreme risk of natural disaster…

    Read More

  • The Power of Media to Advocate, Educate and Hold Responsible

    Since the April rains that ushered in so many changes in Rio de Janeiro Mundo Real has been increasingly engaged in media projects. It became frustratingly apparent that the mainstream media in Brazil does not cover the issues facing communities like Rocinha, such as forced evictions, from the perspective of local residents. A simple analysis…

    Read More

  • Macega and Rocinha: The Dream of Decent Housing

    On July 18th Mundo Real visited Macega, an area of Rocinha considered by many to be the community’s poorest and most vulnerable to natural disasters. We went to Macega after intense rains that poured down from July 13th to July 17th resulted in landslides that effected a few houses and small businesses. In one case…

    Read More