is there anything we can do to help the situation with the police in brazil?
Hello, my love! Thank you so much for asking—it means a lot that you have reached out and want to help.
Firstly, I do want to establish something: I do not live in Rio, I live in a relatively privileged/safe area of São Paulo state, and I’m white. I carry a lot of privilege, and I won’t pretend to understand what those affected by police brutality experience every single day. What I can do is share what I’ve learned, amplify those voices, and point towards actions we as a collective can take.
Here are some ideas, resources, and info for people who are outside these communities directly impacted by racist, state-sanctioned violence (especially for foreigners) that might contribute meaningfully. I'll place it under the cut because, pardon me, but shit's long as hell.
Before acting, it’s essential to build a solid foundation. These are a few resources that can help understand police violence in Brazil, structural racism, and the efforts that already exist to quell it.
Angela Davis -> although she's not Brazilian, her broader work on race, incarceration, policing, and abolition are of utmost importance regarding this ongoing situation. Are Prisons Obsolete? and Freedom is a Constant Struggle are some works of hers that come to mind. I can try to find some PDF/EPUB versions of those works upon request!
Heinrich Böll Foundation -> Institutional racism and police brutality in Brazil (there are many other articles on that website that could help inform you and others!)
GIGA Focus -> Police Violence Against Black People Is on the Rise in Brazil
Society & Space/Redes da Maré -> A Community Approach to Police Violence in Rio de Janeiro
2. Here are groups already working on these issues. Supporting them is often infinitely more impactful than trying to "start from scratch" from across the globe!
-> Network of Communities and Movements against Violence (Rio de Janeiro) — Works with families of victims of institutional violence; offers legal/psychological support; provides workshops, helps to document violence
-> Justiça Global — A human rights NGO in Brazil; one of its programs is Institutional Violence & Public Security
-> Conectas Human Rights — Active in advocacy around public security, rights of victims of police violence. (E.g. Mothers of victims programs)
-> Igarapé Institute — Think-tank/policy-research organisation that does work on public safety, security, violence in Brazil
-> Race & Equality — They monitor & report on police violence under a structural/racial justice lens
-> Also note: smaller/community-led collectives in favelas, local neighbourhoods, mothers’ groups, etc. (they often don’t have huge international profiles but do vital grassroots work)
3. Since you asked “how can we help?”, here are concrete suggestions:
-> Amplify local voices whenever you spot an opening; share posts, testimonies, letters, interviews with people who have been directly impacted. Repost/reblog/translate local activists’ work. Use your platforms to elevate Brazilian activists and voices rather than just talking about it. Speaking is helpful, doing is crucial.
-> Donate (if you can) to trusted NGOs; even small financial support to organisations like the ones I've linked above, or community legal clinics, can help with legal aid, psychological support, documentation of cases, or even publicity.
Also, please remember the frankly bonkers currency exchange situation we've got going on. R$1 (BRL—our currency) corresponds to:
USD 0.19 | AUD 0.28 | CAD 0.26 | EUR 0.16 | NZD 0.32 | GPB 0.14
In summary: a little goes a long, LONG way.
-> Support policy change; sign petitions calling for police accountability, transparency in investigations, public oversight. Encourage your local and national representatives to push for legislative reforms. Use your vote + voice when possible. And don't forget to address similar police brutality issues on the home front as well; it might do more good than you think.
-> Volunteer or offer pro-bono support (if your skills match); If you have writing/translation/design/legal knowledge/social media or research skills, you could offer them to NGOs which may need help raising awareness, translating reports, doing digital activism, building campaigns. MAKE POSTERS! WRITE POEMS! TAG WALLS! Art as activism travels fast and well.
-> Monitor & push for transparency;
Support demands for data transparency: e.g. numbers of police operations, investigations, deaths following police operations.
Push for independent oversight. Support media & journalism efforts that document cases in depth and with little to no bias.
And finally, it’s good to openly admit to yourself:
“I don’t have the lived experience of life in a favela or of being heavily policed as a black/brown person, or being targeted by violent police operations, especially in LATAM. I’m doing my best to listen, learn, research, and amplify. If I make mistakes in framing or tone, I will correct myself accordingly. My goal here isn’t to ‘speak for’ communities, but to stand in solidarity, share resources I trust, and help connect people who can do more.”
That admittance of your positionality matters. It shows to others (and reaffirms within your own consciousness) that you’re not claiming to be a white knight or an expert. It shows you’re a listener, and an amplifier—that you're a committed ally.
We need those.
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This year I’m (once again) celebrating with a bunch of queer Sonic The Hedgehog fanart!! I love you all and I hope to create a space that feels safe on all my sm platforms
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Remember friends, the only thing Sonic hates is OPPRESSION 🔥🔥🔥
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I like neons a lot so I thought it would be fun. But I also tried to use every single color so that made it a bit tough. Are the gradients that mute it a bit count? Who cares, my rules.
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