When you see a headline like this one from BBC this week, do you ever wonder what the news would sound like if the community reported it? Are you curious what the “slums” think? And what if their voices were easy to find, so you could just “double check” their perspective when you see a headline such as this?
Earlier this month, Catalytic Communities (CatComm) launched www.RioOnWatch.org (Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch), a news website for community reporting from Rio’s favelas, in English, in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Games. Over the coming months we will be featuring community commentary and journalism, as well as guest comments from prominent NGOs, public defenders and journalists who work to increase community participation. During CatComm’s monthly social media trainings for community leaders from across the city of Rio, grassroots leaders are trained to write and post content atwww.favela.info, the Portuguese site we launched in June and which will feed RioOnWatch.org. They are also setting up their own news blogs, video channels, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. We will be organizing and making this information available over the coming year.
But to get there we need your help!
We’ve now raised $4100 through our Rio Raffle 2010. But we need your help to reach $5000 in raffle tickets by Sunday, so we can reach our goal and train 200 community leaders from across Rio by December.
Remember, August 1st is the deadline to enter CatComm’s Rio Raffle. Thanks to a mileage donation, for just $10 you’ll compete for a trip for 2 to visit us in Rio de Janeiro, including flight and Bed & Breakfast in Ipanema, Rio’s premiere beach neighborhood. Check out photos of Ipanema here. And learn more about why Rio is an exciting place to be right now through the lens of Tiago Donato, our Policy Intern.
So don’t delay! BUY YOUR $10 RAFFLE TICKET NOW and get your name thrown in the hat! We’ll announce the winner on Monday August 2nd. And if you spread the word, we’ll throw your name in the hat one more time for every 2 tickets bought by your friends.
Thank you, everyone, for participating!
Please take a moment, and $10, to help us hit our target,
Theresa Williamson
Founder & Executive Director, Catalytic Communities, www.catcomm.org
