Community Communication and Spatial Justice: insurgent Practices in Rio de Janeiro Favelas

Abstract

The article investigates the Maré Mobilisation Front, a community communication collective in Rio de Janeiro that mobilised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their actions resulted in protests for public policies, and they expanded their scope from local issues to a collaboration with other social movements. This evolution culminated in the formation of a national coalition of community communication collectives, uniting diverse groups through traditional and digital media. Adopting a neo-Marxist approach, the study examines concepts like Spatial Justice and the Right to the City through participatory research, including observation and interviews. The analysis of this case contributes to understanding communication's capacity to articulate the different struggles for the Right to the City, bringing social movements together on a shared ground.