Monday morning, in the office; it seems a good (and true) cliche to start with a post.
I arrived slightly more that 3 weeks ago and I started directly to work hard at the University: a bit of teaching, many useful but secondary things, a lot (but never enough) on my research. About my research I am working on two different things: the presentation that I will do this Wednesday and a document that I should send to my supervisors. Both are a general introduction on what happen in Rio de Janeiro while I was there but they are also slightly different: the first is more general, the second is more focused on my two case studies. Now that I am writing at first I was a bit scared that I did not know what to write but now I have too much to say that I do not know where to start! (And sometimes all the side things that you have to do for you PhD are very disruptive). Never mind: I started, not sure of the quality of the works but I will improve and, fundamental, I have to start from somewhere.
In these days, while trying to find official data, I found these useful links (they are more accessible from the portal, I listed here only the ones that I found more important) from the Rio de Janeiro’s city web site that have a very big and different set of information to offer with free access:
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/ portal of entry
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/serie_rfoco/municipio/index.HTM data aggregated of city (2001)
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/mapa_digital_rio/?config=config/ipp/cadlog.xml interactive map of the city
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/bairroscariocas/index_cidade.htm general data on the city
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/amdpgint.asp?gtema=5 research data about city/neighborhood in excel document
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/sabren/index.html information on informal settlements (favelas / loteamentos)
http://portalgeo.rio.rj.gov.br/amdados800.asp?gtema=15 Aeral maps of the city (1999)
Many people are asking me if I get used to be in Leeds and if I wanted to go back. To be sincere, right now I want to stay here in Leeds: I want to work, finish my PhD, the city is calm (even too much…), I have everything that I want for this period of my life (the Leeds Kirkgate Market, the gym, an amazing campus, etc), for the future we will see. However, still a bit of myself is in Rio de Janeiro: I experienced so many things there that it is difficult to cut off. And, most importantly, I have to write something every day: it is always in my mind, I cannot erase or forget.
Recently I found my times myself crying for the news that are coming: a new increase of the ticket price of the bus took place and new demonstrations started. One cameraman died accidentally by a firecracker left by protesters (two people were arrested) and a street vendor escaping by the police charge was hit and killed by a bus (no actions were taken)(the body of Amarildo is still missing). The count of dead is now at 11 people died linked to demonstration, more all the people that die everyday in favelas. However, the embedded media started a criminalization campaign of social movements, beginning to dig into the personal lives of activists, inventing evidence and fantasizing that the protesters are paid (even I ask my money!, new viral campaign). This is perfect storm the system wanted to crack the movement before the Cup, we will see what will happen. For now, some communicates against the criminalization have been published, from the FIP HERE, HERE another signed by various groups, HERE from the Forum de Lutas, HERE from OATL. My thoughts go out to all the activists who are still in Rio de Janeiro to fight for a different and better world.
