Catalytic Communities
Nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Catalytic Communities (CatComm) is a Rio de Janeiro-based non-profit, think tank, and advocacy non-government organization (NGO) that conducts work in sustainable community development, human rights, communications, and urban planning. It is "one of the first online initiatives to share solutions to civic and social problems."[1] Founded in 2000, the organization has been recognized in media news outlets, academic publications, and local communities for their work.[2][3][4] Its stated vision is to "leverage social media, provide community training, and advocate for participatory planning and pro-favela policies with the long term goal of realizing the potential of Rio de Janeiro as a true example of inclusive urban integration".[5]
Comunidades Catalisadoras (ComCat) | |
Type | 501(c)(3) charity and non-profit (US); Non-profit organization (Brazil) |
---|---|
Registration no. | 52-2266240 |
Headquarters | Rio de Janeiro, Washington, DC |
Services | Sustainable community development, urban planning, environmental protection |
Official language | Portuguese, English, Spanish |
Founder and Executive Director | Theresa Williamson, PhD |
Institutional Director & Editor | Roseli Franco |
Bryan McCann (Georgetown University), Mariana Cavalcanti (State University of Rio de Janeiro), Cecilia Olliveira (Fogo Cruzado), Guillermo Douglass-Jaimes (Pomona College), Greg Rosenberg (Center for Community Land Trust Innovation) | |
Website | catcomm |
CatComm gained particular media and news coverage following the Olympics in 2016 held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The organization influenced the narrative on the Olympics by publishing articles with community perspectives (in both Portuguese and English) and maintaining contact with international journalists through press conferences and social media engagement. It offered reality tours to journalists, described the complexities of the informal economy, and promoted community-based environmental projects.[6] It was also widely known for eliminating the word "slum" to describe Rio's favelas, historic neighborhoods in Rio that were being threatened with illegal occupations and evictions.[7] Instead, they argued that these communities were subject to misrepresentations around the world and should be instead referred to as favelas.[8] It aimed to avoid blanket statements for describing neighborhoods as dramatized descriptions of drug trafficking and shanties, which did not apply to the vast majority of favela residents.[9] The RioOnWatch initiative was subsequently recognized as the go-to source for information on favelas in Brazil, particularly amidst the media coverage of the Olympics.[10]