This is a Promo of Mundo Real’s coming Documentary on the Massive Forced Evictions taking place in Rio de Janeiro’s poorest communities (the ones located in prime real-estate locations), under the governance of Governor Sergio Cabral and Mayor Eduardo Paes
The Final Product should be available in 4 to 5 weeks!!!
On Friday May 1st 2010, aka May Day, community leaders, favela residents, public defenders, engineers, architects, leaders of non-profit organizations, and religious leaders converged in front of Rio de Janeiro’s City Hall in what turned out to be a peaceful and important event. Despite the rather low turnout the event was significant for a number of reasons.
The peaceful protest was the first to take place since Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes and his administration announced the immediate and complete removal of several favela communities. It was the first occasions in which various source of media were present, covering the event. Reports on the number of people varied; however, at its peak it is likely that there were roughly 300 people present at the demonstration. The following were positive results of the event:
On Wednesday, April 21st 2010, Community leaders and residents of several slums in Rio de Janeiro met with public defenders, engineers and architects, leaders of non-profit organizations, representatives from the Pastoral de Favelas, and at least one journalist from the São Paulo newspaper Estadão.
April 21st assembly of the favelas/slums facing removal
The meeting was the first Assembly that included all of the favelas/slums facing the constant threats that Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes and his administration have made to remove all residents in “areas of risk.” Approximately 400-500 people were present for this meeting, which was aimed at uniting the various communities in their struggle against Eduardo Paes’ plans for immediate an complete removal.
After presentations from representatives of each community, public defenders and others in attendance, there was a vote and a unanimous decision was reach to maintain the fight for their homes, their communities and their rights. The following strategy was decided:
Maurício Campos evaluating GEO-RIO's "technical report"
Maurício Campos, an engineer, and member of the nonprofit Network of Communities and Movements Against Violence, spoke to the crowd. An associate of his, an architect and representative of Rio’s Architects Union also addressed the crowd. They reinforced the illegality of the actions being conducted by Mayor Eduardo Paes. They raised serious questions about the credibility of GEO-RIO’s “technical report,” which was based exclusively on photos and produced BEFORE the rains and landslides. They warned that this ‘flawed research’ and the way it was presented as ‘professional geotechnical field work’ could seriously discredit GEO-RIO, an institution once highly regarded, and which Maurício had collaborated with in the past. They also highlighted the arrogant and indeed “terrorizing” behavior of Eduardo Paes’ administration, especially the attitudes of Rio’s Civil Defense, as they showed up at the doorsteps of family’s houses demanding that they leave immediately (without telling them where to go or how), threatening the use of police force in the future if they resist, and spray painting the doors and walls of resident’s homes.
Houses spray painted by the Civil Defense - marked for removal
On Tuesday, April 27, community leaders from Rocinha met with government officials at RA (the Regional Administrative Office, located in Rocinha) to present a petition written two weeks ago (see below, to read the petition). Eduardo Paes’ representatives made it crystal clear to all in attendance that their decision to demolish the ENTIRE community was non-negotiable and that NOTHING will stop them. Laboriaux’s residents questioned the officials, presenting a well organized defense, point by point, in a very professional and open manner. They questioned the conduct of the City, primarily highlighting the way in which the government has long abandoned the community; pointing out that the City’s promise that they would develop Laboriaux’s slopes and basic infrastructure has been on hold for nearly 10 years. The committee also made clear that the law states in Article 429; Section II of Rio de Janeiro’s Constitution that forced removals are illegal and can only occur in situations of ‘extreme risk.’ And, even in cases of ‘extreme risk’ it is required that all of the criteria established by the law be respected. For example, all ‘technical reports’ detailing cases of ‘extreme risk’ must be conducted with the participation of the community, and options must be discussed openly in collaboration with local residents so that appropriate solutions can be arrived at. None of this has been done!
The political and financial motives behind Eduardo Paes’ slum removal initiative are clear and he blatantly disregards the feelings and arguments presented by local residents. His actions are in total disregard of the framework established by municipal and state law. EDUARDO PAES IS DISREGARDING THE LAWS OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, AND INDEED UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIZGHTS AS WELL!!! It is also clear that the media is in the service of the City and that they are omitting any reports of the City mistreating its citizens and the media is not covering any of the facts that are actually occurring in the favelas concerning residents steadfast desire to remain.
It is well known that Eduardo Paes and his administration have long desired to rid Rio de Janeiro’s ‘nice areas’ of the favelas/slums. The administration and others are defending their actions behind false and superfluous intellectualism, coming from academics such as Sérgio Besserman, among others, who claim that defending the rights of favela residents and their communities is “anti-poor.” Paes, Besserman and other have targeted all people attempting to fight against ‘complete removal’ as agitators, anti-poor and even anti-life; saying that they will record images of all those who disagree with them and publish them via the media if one more person dies in a landslide. All of this is a ploy to distract attention away from the fact that the government has, for decades, done nothing to ensure the safety of the communities and upgrade their infrastructure.
On April 29th, Maurício Campos, the engineer who is working almost full time pro-bono in support of the movement against the complete removal of Rio’s favelas, began his field research in Laboriaux, taking photos and evaluating the soil and the housing conditions in the area. He was accompanied by Andrea, a Public Defender for the State of Rio de Janeiro. He promised to get more colleagues involved ASAP, to create a professional team of qualified engineers, architects and geologists to analysis and hold accountable the assessments of GEO-RIO, a branch of the Municipal Government.
The next step, as mentioned above, is the demonstration on April 30th, IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, at 10 AM.The
Leo (resident of Rocinha)
favelas/slums will descend upon the city, fighting peacefully to see that their rights are upheld.
Click here to read the Carta Aberta written by the residents of Laboriaux, in Portuguese
http://br.1mundoreal.org/noticias
Click here to read a relevant article from the Courier of Citizenship (portuguese)
http://www.correiocidadania.com.br/content/view/4549/9/
The Tragedy:
Community Facts:
The Municipal and State Government’s Reaction:
The Media:
Government Promises:
Suspicions:
Mobilization
Please see this link, from IBASE, Human Rights Organization located in Rio de Janeiro.
http://www.ibase.br/modules.php?name=Conteudo&file=index&pa=showpage&pid=2855
If you can help in any way please call or contact:
mundoreal@1mundoreal.org
After the torrential rains that began on April 6th 2010, and the tragic mudslides which left many dead and thousands more homeless, the Municipal Government of Rio de Janeiro, led by mayor Eduardo Paes, said the city would immediately remove some 4,000 families from eight slums in high-risk areas and provide them with a monthly stipend. The relocations began earlier this week. These high-risk areas have been designated by the Municipal and State government as area of extreme-risk for future mudslides. On April 13th Geo-Rio (Geotechnical Institute in Rio de Janeiro) delivered a report recommending the immediate and complete removal of these following communities: Urubu (Pilares), Prazeres (Rio Comprido), Fogueteiro (Centro), São João Batista (Botafogo), Cantinho do Céu e Pantanal (parte da comunidade do Turano, na Tijuca), Laboriaux (Rocinha) e Parque Columbia (às margens do Rio Acari). All of these areas are considered favelas (urban slums)
There are a few Mundo Real team members living in the Laboriaux area of Rocinha and we have been thoroughly involved in everything taking place there during and since the rains. We have been observing the aggressive manner in which the government has been conducting the removal of these families. The homeless families who have lost their homes and who have no place to go have been placed in makeshift shelters with poor conditions. Dozens of Laboriaux’s residents have expressed to us that they are being treated with disrespect and arrogance by the actions of the Civil Defense and others representing the Municipal Government. The government officials are making their way through the area spray painting houses in very large letters and numbers making clear for all to see that everything will be demolished. They are also appraising homes in complete disregard to the fact that Laboriaux has among the best and most panoramic views of the city of Rio de Janeiro. There are several confusing forms of social assistance the government is offering residents to leave their homes. One of which is a monthly stipend called “social rent”. This “social rent” consists of 400 reais (roughly $170 US dollars) to cover monthly rent while the authorities try to figure out where to relocate the displaced residents on Laboriaux. Currently the government has presented only two eventual housing solutions for Laboriaux’s displaced families – either they will be relocated to Frei Caneca (an old prison complex turned into a housing project) in an post industrial area in the center of the city or to apartments in Jacarepagua, located about an hour away from the city center in Rio’s Westside.
This rapid removal is being done without presenting any real geological evaluation or scientific proof to the community indicating that the entire area is in extreme risk of falling of the mountain. They have been doing this quickly and quietly so as not to allow any mobilization or resistance from the people. Ironically Laboriaux has existed since 1982 when the Municipal Government relocated hundreds of people to the area from another part of Rocinha, known as Valão, which at the time they also deemed an ‘extreme risk’ because of flooding. According to a recent government census, from July of 2009 Laboriaux has over 823 households and during the recent rains only 2 unfortunate fatalities occurred. Many parts of the neighborhood are located on level ground.
In Morro das Prazeres, a community of roughly 12,000, where 30 people were killed during the mudslides, some resistance to complete removal has been mounting and they have demanded that the city treat them with dignity throughout the entire process and provide proof that the entire area is indeed an area of extreme risk. The president of the residents association, Eliza Rosa Brandão, has said, “We are not animals we are people, and we need compassion from the city.”
What we are advocating is that this removal process be slowed down a little from its current rocket pace and be conducted much more responsibly. Priority should be on addressing the thousands of people left homeless or injured in Rio de Janeiro as a result of the rains. First, the homeless need safe and decent places to stay while they restart their lives. We are agreeing with the authorities that homes that were damaged or destroyed by the mudslides be removed and the effected families receive the proper help they need. We also agree that homes that are in obvious areas of risk, which local residents and others can easily identify visually, also be removed to prevent further tragedies and loss of life. Everything needs to be done appropriately without causing hysteria within these communities by forcing their removal so quickly. The communities need to be involved in this process and have third party scientists/experts analyze any evaluations from the government. This is of utmost importance in a city like Rio de Janeiro where there is a long history of forced slum evacuation and where property values are among the worlds highest. It is well documented that authorities have manipulated data in the past to force favela residents to leave supposed areas of risk, and within several years these same areas are dotted with mansions and luxury high-rises. One of the most telling examples of the nonsense behind the complete removals in the small favela community of São João Batista in Botafogo, where not one person died and not one house was destroyed, but the entire community is facing rapid removal.
Laboriaux is a very close-knit community of roughly 3000-4000 residents, mostly migrant workers from Brazil’s impoverished northeast or their decedents. These are people’s homes that they built with their hard earned cash and with the help of the community. The social fabric that makes up Laboriaux and the other communities facing removal will be completely broken. These government evacuations reek of ulterior motives and the people being evacuated know it. It is well known that the upper middle class and elite, who have mansions and luxury high-rises surrounding these communities have long dreamed of them being removed and now they are taking advantage of the recent tragedy, playing on people’s fears and emotions, to achieve their long awaited goal. This is the driving force behind the rapid evacuation. Simply put – we want all people – poor, rich and everything in-between to be safe and healthy but it appears that the mudslides are being used as a good excuse to clear out these poor communities.
We are looking for specialists who can evaluate the claims made by the government that the entire community must move.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PETITION WRITTEN BY THE RESIDENTS OF LABORIAUX
If you can help in any way please contact Mundo Real at mundoreal@1mundoreal.org
Or call
Vilson (21) 7660-1025
Andre (21) 9865 – 3224
Marcos (21) 8367-2010
Steven (USA) 423-488-3799
References:
http://www.rio.rj.gov.br/web/guest/exibeconteudo?article-id=675420 (Prefeito apresenta planos de reassentamento à Justiça e ao Ministério Público)
http://urutau.proderj.rj.gov.br/egprio_imagens/Uploads/PAC%20ROCINHA%20DOMICILIAR.PDF (PAC CENSUS)
http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Rio/0,,MUL1563419-5606,00.html (Presidente da associação de moradores do Morro do Prazeres critica remoção
http://passapalavra.info/?p=21779 Moradores do Morro dos Prazeres querem resistir à remoção
Short clip of meeting on Laboriaux:
Recent Photos taken from community meetings in Laboriaux:
As many of you may already know Rio de Janeiro recently experienced its heaviest rains in 44 years. As a result hundreds have died and thousands have been left injured and homeless. In the community we live and work in, Rocinha, there are several areas that are seriously affected by flooding, landslides, collapsed infrastructure, smashed alleys/roads and fallen trees. The most critical damages occurred in the area of the community known as Laboriaux, where two Mundo Real members live (Vilson and Marcos). In Laboriaux, there have been two confirmed deaths in a tragic situation where a house was completely submerged by the rocks, mud and tress from the surrounding forest. Mundo Real knew the two deceased (Jacqueline and Maria do Carmo), who were relatives of close friends of ours. Currently, there are 4 locations in Rocinha where the displaced are being attended to. Mundo Real, with our limited resources, is focusing on assisting the families seeking shelter in the small Chapel in Laboriaux where we often attend services. Currently there are several government agencies, non-profits and local residents are doing as much as possible to improve the situation and the relief effort is getting somewhat chaotic. Because of this Mundo Real sees our role as very simple; get information out as fast as possible and help with the most critical issues, such as lack of water.
Our team visiting the most affected sites, taking pictures and talking to local residents and others. Without a doubt, the most serious situation people living in Laboriaux are facing is lack of water because of damaged pipes and power outages. There is no running water in most areas of Laboriaux and safe drinking water is critical shortage. The local authorities have promised running water by Monday, but we cannot wait because the situation of the 15 children and their parents staying the Chapel is quite dire. The things they need with most urgency are, milk (powdered is best because of lack of refrigerators), diapers and young children’s clothing. These families lost everything and we are doing our part as a committed community-based organization to ease their suffering until they are relocated in their new homes.
If you are interested in helping please contact Mundo Real:
Mundo Real, Inc.
USA: 423.488.3799 • Brazil: 011.55.21.3205.3319 • www.1mundoreal.org • mundoreal@1mundoreal.org
Friends and Family of Mundo Real,
These past several months have been exciting for Mundo Real, as we’ve seen our team in both Brazil and the US change and grow. Throughout this development we maintain our commitment to the community, keeping much of the decision making at the local level. However, in accordance with our mission and vision we are always seeking ways of connecting the community to the outside world, and vice-versa. Recently we have brought in some very talented and highly qualified members, who we would like to briefly introduce. Felix Garcia Lopez holds a PhD in Sociology and is currently a University Professor as well as Research Coordinator at the Institute for Applied Economics, IPEA. Abdulrazak Karriem is Full Time Professor of Sustainable Urban Development at Cornell University. George Contreras, is a 21 year veteran NYC paramedic, PhD Candidate in Public Health and University Professor. They are all new and valuable members of our board.
In addition to our developing our team we have also been working our way through the bureaucratic intricacies of legalizing our organizations for tax-exempt status in both the US and Brazil. After several weeks of absolute devotion our team is set to accomplish what often takes small organizations months or even years to complete. Currently Mundo Real is closer than ever to becoming an official non-profit organization in Brazil. While we have been incorporated as a nonprofit organization since 2007 (still working on federal tax-exempt status in US , however), simply registering Mundo Real in Brazil has proved a challenge, attorney Thiago Assis has been fundamental in guiding us through. Once we legally register in Brazil we can greatly increase the scope and scale of our publicity and fundraising efforts there.
All of these developments are key to our sustainability and our vision of long-term and meaningful social change. We are grateful for all of your support in the past few months and are looking forward to continued progress and growth in the future. Please read below for a more detailed look into recent developments with Mundo Real in Brazil.
THIAGO ASSIS
During the process of legal recognition as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Brazil we were 
introduced to corporate attorney Thiago Assis. Thiago’s parents used to live in Rocinha, and his story reminds us of the enormous role that access to educational opportunities plays in changing lives.
EDUCATION
We are also celebrating the accomplishments of yet another Mundo Real member, Vilson Bezerra, as he has begun his studies in PUC-Rio’s Social Work Program. Vilson is the second member of our team to receive a full scholarship to study at PUC-Rio through the partnership Mundo Real formed with their Department of Social Service. We are all very proud of Vilson, who plays a pivotal role in Mundo Real’s day to day operations. We are excited for him, and look forward to learning more as Vilson and André (now in his 2nd Semester in the same program) share their new perspectives and experiences with the rest of the team.
SUCCESS STORIES
Detailing the bureaucratic wrangling involved in securing benefits for elderly and disabled residents is hardly a popular topic of conversation. Interesting, however, is the power that such paperwork has over the lives of the disadvantaged people we know and work with. In the past two months, Mundo Real has assisted 5 new residents in receiving long over due and much needed benefits. As previously mentioned, we often serve as advocates for residents of Rocinha who qualify for government benefits and health programs, among our numerous other activities. This service is vital, because in Brazil less than 1% of those eligible for public disability assistance are receiving it. We are pushing to increase this number, because in Rocinha many of the cases we encounter include disabled and elderly residents who are surviving on little or no income whatsoever. Take the case of Jose Manoel, for example. (see below)
Jose Manoel
Senhor Jose is originally from the poverty-stricken state of Ceara, and migrated to Rio when he was 17 in search of employment. 
He held various jobs until his mid 60s, and has since been unemployed. Jose Manoel has not received regular monthly income for over 14 years, and although he is of legal age in two previous attempts he had was unable to secure his rightful benefits. It is important to note how difficult navigating legal bureaucracies in Brazil is. For the millions of Brazilians without even a high school, or even junior high school, education this is often a dreaded process, and millions give up after one or two unsuccessful attempts. In early August, Vilson and Mundo Real intern Kabita Parajuli accompanied Jose Manoel on his 3rd attempt to gain access to unemployment benefits, and we succeeded! Senhor Jose says he thinks his life will change dramatically. He no longer feels the same shame and reluctance to live, and has begun taking his medication for heart problems again. Meanwhile, we continue to take part in the struggle to guarantee Rocinha’s residents their basic human rights!
Dona Benedita
In July we met Dona Benedita. Ms. Benedita is a Catholic faith-healer who believes in multiple 
concepts of healing. She is highly respected and much-loved in her neighborhood in Rocinha. She has already suffered one amputation as a result of her diabetes. Though she strongly believes in natural cures, she is open to medical practices and currently uses a glucometer and other materials courtesy of Mundo Real. These donations have proved essential in providing assistance to Ms. Benedita during the last few months. Throughout many of our conversations she confirmed the urgent need for affordable transportation available to special-needs residents in marginalized communities like Rocinha: as currently, she uses half of her monthly income to pay for transportation to and from a single doctor’s visit.
PASSINGS
Since June Mundo Real has mourned the loss of six of our beneficiaries and partners in the community. While the passing of each one saddens us, especially when the circumstances were largely preventable, we feel the loss of two individuals in particular. Dona Alcina, 94 years of age and resident of Rocinha for over 60 years, passed away on 13 August, 2009. Dona Alcina was a precious women and one of the last remaining resident of Rocinha in their 90s. With her loss Rocinha also loses a wealth of stories about the community and the many changes it has been through.
Also, this past July, Rocinha and the Mundo Real suffered a great loss. Jefferson Ferreira de Oliveira, 
17, the son of team member and tireless disabilities-activist Cely, passed away from complications related to his Cerebral-Palsy. For more than a decade, Jeferson and Cely, an inspirational mother son duo, motivated countless families in Rocinha and neighboring communities in the struggle for inclusion and their rights. Cely’s determined battle to address the dignity and humanity of those with special needs provided the spark for Mundo Real’s creation in Rocinha. Jeferson was a cherished member of the Mundo Real family, and his life will continue to inspire us to work for a better world.
Thank you for your support, encouragement, and friendship. It means the world to us.
- The Mundo Real team
At this time Mundo Real is focusing primarily on long-term organizational development which involves community-based education and research programs. We are continuing our past services but on a smaller scale. The scale back is a result of our current fiscal situation, as well as a result of strategic decisions made by the Mundo Real leadership over the last few months. We have placed more importance on addressing the most critical cases that cannot wait for long-term social change to occur. Mundo Real is committed to action and hands on work, and this will not change.
Also, as this letter goes out we are closer than ever to submitting all of the requirements necessary to receive our much deserved 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the US. And by June we should be an officially registered nonprofit organization in Brazil. Once these essential steps are reached we will be eligible for considerably more funding sources and be able to continue our past activities while implementing our planned activities by engaging in successful fundraising efforts. The continuation and expansion of our services are dependent on financial contributions that we hope to obtain from private individuals and philanthropic foundations. However, Mundo Real also desires to increasingly become more self-sufficient through social entrepreneurialism. This transition will take some time and attaining 501(c)(3) status will greatly help us in the present and near future.
Our experience has taught us a great deal about direct service, sustainability and community development in general over the past two years. Thus we are currently implementing new initiatives to make our organization significantly more effective and sustainable.
Over two years of experience has taught us that a small CBO cannot adequately tackle the enormous social problems of a community the size of Rocinha through direct service alone. In order to be most effective we need to focus on and expand the development of local leadership, empowering residents to take personal charge of their needs and their community’s situation. Our goal is to encourage and assist local residents so that they can mobilize around the issues that most directly concern them. Mundo Real is dedicated to dealing with the issues at their roots. This kind of capacity building and empowerment was the original goal of Mundo Real and we are returning to it with full force.
Based on analysis of past experiences, we have decided to center the brunt of our development initiatives in the Laboriaux (pronounced like: law-boor-e-or) neighborhood of Rocinha. Laboriaux is a narrow and long area of Rocinha located at the top very of the community, 1000 feet above sea level. It has a population of approximately 10,000 and it is an area of Rocinha with a high level of socio-economic inequality. By creating a pilot project in Laboriaux we will be able to test our theories and our methodology’s success more accurately. If our efforts prove successful in Laboriaux we intend to create similar pilot projects in other strategic areas of Rocinha. This is a very feasible goal for our small team, replacing the near impossible goal of trying to cope with the critical needs of the entire community of Rocinha (pop. 200,000). The high level of inequality in Laboriaux will provide fertile ground for us to assess how government and other aid resources are distributed in the area and whether they are actually reaching the most vulnerable residents of Laboriaux.
Mundo Real’s New York team arrived in Rio de Janeiro from New York on February 13th with luggage stuffed full of donations. The very next week we began distributing these supplies, and as the photos illustrate, the wheel chair was put into immediate usage. On February 20th Mundo Real accompanied FUNLAR, a municipal government agency that attends to people with disabilities, on one of their outings. FUNLAR only arranged for the participation of one disabled resident of Rocinha to go on the outing. However, Mundo Real, on extremely short notice, was able to get eleven more disabled residents to come along. One by one we assisted with their transportation to the van, into the van, and then to the park. Among those were two elderly widows with severe amputations which prevent them from being able to walk at all. One of them, Dona Maria do Fortunato was the recipient of the wheel chair that George Contreras help secure for Mundo Real and she can be seen in the photos utilizing it.
The day was beautiful and sunny. Many of the community residents cried tears of joy. It is rare for most of them to leave their homes for anything other than medical emergencies or appointments. In fact, Dona Osório, a rather lively woman, who suffers from disabilities as a result of a stroke, proclaimed with her typical humor “this outing is much better than the ones I usually go on … to the hospital.” The most touching part of the day was completely unplanned. Another Dona Maria (very typical name in Brazil) who has both legs amputated up the hips asked everyone to join hands while she led a powerful and moving prayer. It was incredible to see this elderly women, a resident of a third world slum and with both legs amputated so full of thanksgiving and hope. It was truly moving to say the least.
The point of this story is to illustrate that without a committed Community Based Organization (CBO) the outing would have been a failure. FUNLAR only made arrangements for one resident to come and only because she did not need much help getting to the van because her teenage daughter assisted her. If we had not organized for the others to come FUNLAR would have had to cancel the outing. The point is clear, community leaders and organizations are essential in holding government and private entities accountable and assisting them in community matters.
