June 2014 | Our two-part blog series explores how and where activists are using the Forced Evictions Toolkit. As the the World Cup kicks off, WITNESS trains community activists in Brazil to safely and effectively document police violence.
February 2014 | This month marked the end of the Sochi Olympic Games and shifted the focus onto Brazil in the lead up to the World Cup in June. WITNESS liaised with NBC to highlight forced evictions as one of the many challenges Brazil is facing.
December 2013 | The Forced Evictions Advocacy Toolkit is released in eight languages. “Evict Them! In 5 Easy Steps” is featured on Upworthy. Two of WITNESS’ forced evictions partners traveled from Brazil to NYC for the Focus For Change Benefit.
September 2013 | WITNESS and partners in Brazil launched the Rio Forced Evictions Video Curation Project which uses hundreds of videos to expose the common patterns of human rights violations before, during and after evictions.
June 2013 | One year before the World Cup, Brazilians stage massive protests against forced evictions, transportation hikes, and the soaring cost of living. The People’s Cup in Rio brings attention to the tens of thousands of Brazilians struggling with forced evictions.
January 2013 | WITNESS staff headed to Porto Alegre, Brazil for a 5-day training with 23 participants working on a campaign to ensure fair and adequate resettlement for the roughly 1,500 families facing forced evictions due to the 2014 World Cup.
September 2012 | WITNESS launches a new forced evictions campaign video, People Before Profit, which brings together communities from around the world to tell the global story of forced evictions.
June 2012 | WITNESS and partners launch the first video of a new portrait series that will highlight the emblematic personal stories of families who have lost their homes because of the World Cup and Olympics.
December 2011 | As a new report estimates that 170,000 face forcible eviction in Brazil’s 12 host cities, WITNESS partners in Brazil launch a video documenting their attempts to deliver a letter to the International Olympic Committee.
June + July 2011 | WITNESS joins a fact-finding mission in Rio de Janeiro to investigate the forced evictions occurring due the World Cup 2014 and Olympics 2016 development, and to conduct a video advocacy training with 17 activists.