combat_liberte-expression_sans

combat_liberté-expression_sans

Freedom
of speech

dataviz_liberte-expression1_en

dataviz_liberté-expression1_EN

of the population live in 1 of the 1000 favelas

Paramilitary militias control 65% of the favelas, gangs control the rest 34%.

The issue

INEQUALITIES AND INSECURITY RULE IN RIO

text

Between 2001 and 2015, there were more homicides in Brazil than in countries officially at war such as Syria and Iraq together.

It is the difference in salary between a black person and a white person in Brazil.

of the people killed by police are black.

dataviz_liberte-expression2_en

dataviz_liberté-expression2_EN

liberte-expression5

Brazil was the last country in the world to abolish slavery. But racism never ended. It even increased after the last elections. Mayors and presidents were elected with hate speeches, playing the population against one another.

RACISM IS PLAYED BY POLITICIANS TO SEIZE POWER

liberte-expression6

TV broadcasters, radios and newspapers keep on reproducing stereotypes of racism. They have built this idea that favelas are a place where no one can go, where people live in isolation and are conniving with trafficking and criminals.

THE MEDIA EMBRACE THE NARRATIVE

liberte-expression9

Society always thinks that we are the enemies. And then we pay a very expensive price, retaliation, fake news, arbitrary arrests. It is a war no one has declared yet.

RACISM JUSTIFY INEQUALITIES AND THE ABANDON OF THE MOST VULNERABLES

liberte-expression13

What we have in favelas is a huge war between the police, who wants to dominate a territory abandoned for many years by the State. This territory nowadays is occupied by the gangs, by residents, by all the population that lives here.

FAVELAS INHABITANTS ARE COLLATERAL DAMAGES.

liberte-expression3

From an early age, you have to figure out how to protect yourself. Several times, I was going to school and I had to get into someone&rsquo;s house. Because we’re in the crossfire, and I could be shot anytime. My fridge, for example, was repeatedly pierced by lost bullets. Who knows if that lost bullet is not rather an aimed bullet?

FAVELAS RESIDENTS ARE BECOMING TARGETS.

liberte-expression4

When governments get here, they don&rsquo;t come with investments in culture, education, infrastructure or health. The only investment is in more weapons and ammunition for the police.

VIOLENCE TAKES MANY FORMS.

liberte-expression1

Governments ended up stealing our dreams. We could dream better and bigger, it could be much better, but our dreams were stolen. And with this war, of trafficking, criminals, police, we unfortunately have children who dream of being a criminals or gang members. And how are we going to change their minds?

FAVELAS RESIDENTS ARE LOSING THE ABILITY TO DREAM.

Rene's lessons learnt

PEOPLE OF COLOR PAY THE HIGH PRICE

Rene's lessons 
learnt

liberte-expression12

Mainstream media always emphasized violence, the gangs, drugs, guns. I wanted to show another side, so I began to think, « How could I make this community newspaper represent the residents »? What about the social problems, the cultural situation, the education, health, all the problems we have here in the favela? And the problem of violence, take it to the resident’s side; show the people that would not dare to go to school nor to work. Show them running risks, show how they could be helped or help each others.

CHANGE THE NARRATIVE.

liberte-expression14

Our most important stories are those that are the most relevant to the residents, like problems of water shortage, which is a very common in many favelas. People were forced to carry buckets of water, into the favela and walks kilometers. So we did a lot of articles, asking the government and the water supply companies to reestablish the service for the people from the community. And they did.

FIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS AND ASK FOR SOLUTIONS.

liberte-expression11

The mainstream media is like a giant beast. It tries to show everything, but in the end it shows nothing. Through us, favelas residents speak 24/7, about what is happening here. They send messages, videos, photos, that we publish in real time.

BECOMING A VOICE.

liberte-expression8

Inside the favelas we have many people making their own revolution, reinventing themselves. They’re investing in technology, trying to change the reality of the children and young people that live there, without depending on the government, without having the support of the society… It&rsquo;s done by volunteers with love.

HIGHLIGHT COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.

liberte-expression10

Through the years, residents began to understand that the children were doing something to try to change the situation of the community, and that many times, politicians come here and end up fooling the residents, making promises, but nothing happens. Residents started thinking : « Let&rsquo;s hope, let&rsquo;s believe that we can change our reality through our smallest attitudes”. May it be a donation of a chocolate on Easter, a food basket distribution, a Christmas dinner for people who have nothing to eat. In these small actions, in these small attitudes, people began to see themselves differently, people&rsquo;s self-esteem changed a lot.

BECOMING AN INSPIRATION.

liberte-expression7

We need to give tools, we need to create opportunities, may it be with courses, workshops, college opportunities or opportunities in education, health, culture. The access have always been denied to us. We are constantly being told : « you will and die here ».

OPEN ACCESS.

liberte-expression2

If we don&rsquo;t understand that this is everyone&rsquo;s commitment, I don&rsquo;t think there’s a solution. So if we don&rsquo;t think about ourselves, nobody will think for us. We need to make every person in this place, every child, every teenager, make them believe again that we, that they, can build a better future.

Bigger Than Us

Freedom
of speech

The issue

20%

Rene's lessons
learnt

80%

36%

79%

WHY FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
OF SPEECH IS IMPORTANT

The other
fights

Education for refugees

Environmental justice

Food security

Refugee rescue

Women's rights

Youth empowerment

Freedom of speech

The issue

20%

Rene's lessons learnt

80%

36%

79%

WHY FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS IMPORTANT

The other fights

Education for refugees

Environmental justice

Food security

Refugee rescue

Women's rights

Youth empowerment

Freedom
of speech

Rene's lessons
learnt

WHY FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
OF SPEECH IS IMPORTANT

The other
fights