NGO calls for public policies directed at favelas

Renato Meirelles, president of the NGO Data Popular Institute said Tuesday (Sep 30) that the favelas need more public policies and that residents have become increasingly aware of it. In his view, the recent police pacification operations in the slums are the answer to neither safety issues nor other problems, like the shortage of nurseries and sanitation.

“Part of the Pacifying Police Units [UPPs] has ensured that the government once again rules over the territory. But that hasn't been accompanied by a series of public policies, with nurseries and selective waste collection,” Meirelles said. He further noted, however, that three fourths of the favela population support the pacification process.

The researcher has carried out over 300 studies about the behavior of Brazil's emerging consumer. His research led to the publication of a book entitled Um País Chamado Favela (Portuguese for “a country named favela”), in a partnership with Celso Athayde, founder of the organization Central Única das Favelas (“unified center of favelas”).

The work, published this year, is the largest survey on slum residents in Brazil. The research covered 63 communities in 35 cities—areas home to 2 million people, who mobilize $26.32 million.

According to Meirelles, the favela “started to be given more importance in the political agenda.” As a result, a copy of the book was given to the main presidential candidates, who, he said, “have committed to a number of issues facing the favelas.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira

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