Instituto Decodifica

We emerged from a community action in the Jacarezinho favela (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we noticed the discrepancy between the reality of the disease's impact on the favelas and the official data released by these territories and their residents. Driven by the power of data and the active participation of communities, we find in the citizen generation of data the fundamental methodology to achieve our objectives in promoting the active participation of marginalized populations in the construction, analysis and production of social diagnoses.

We believe that the use of data for decision-making can have a significant impact on the personal and social development of the project's direct and indirect beneficiaries, as well as on the improvement of the communities in which they are located. The main expected long-term results are:

Self-determination: Empowering citizens to become agents of change by involving them in generating and interpreting data that directly affects their lives.

Collective participation: Strengthen the active participation of citizens in public life, establishing a democratic and collaborative society.

Focus on real pain/demands: Putting the needs of the community at the center of actions, ensuring that policies and actions are directed according to priority demands, from the perspective of those who experience them on a daily basis.

Interdisciplinary collaboration: Encourage collaboration between diverse actors, including citizens, academics, NGOs and authorities, to create comprehensive and complex solutions.

Local sustainable development: Identify problems and opportunities to promote sustainable development and quality of life in the community.

Transparency and accountability: Ensure greater transparency in the actions of the government and institutions, contributing to greater accountability.

Along with the mission of connecting favelas and peripheries across the country, unveiling problems and collectively building solutions in the search for social changes historically expected by these territories and their residents, we participate in the national networks “Rede Favela Sustentável” and “Coalizão O Clima é de Change”.

In addition to our mission to connect favelas and outlying communities across the country, uncovering problems and collectively building solutions in the search for social changes that these territories and their residents have historically expected, we participate in the national networks “Rede Favela Sustentável” and “Coalizão O Clima é de Mudança”.

Among the projects we have already carried out, we can highlight:

Confluência das Favelas: Confluência das Favelas is a collective movement that aims to influence the agendas of Brazilian outlying communities in decision-making spaces, such as the G20, COP 30 and the possible BRICS Summit in 2025, through national coordination and active listening of communities, to be held in 10 meetings in different regions of the country. Through policy briefs and op-eds, we intend to take the demands of these populations to international forums, based on research and detailed reports. In addition, the project plans to train participants on the importance of these events and seek partnerships with governments and civil society organizations to strengthen our representation and accelerate the impact of transformations in the outskirts of cities.

"Manas" (Global Girls Creating Change in Brazil): an initiative by Hivos and carried out by Instituto Decodifica in partnership with Plataforma Cipó, this is a training course in Citizen Data Generation, Climate Justice and Political Articulation for 80 residents of the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, aged between 16 and 24, mostly from favelas and outskirts. In December of last year, we developed a social diagnosis on Environmental Education and Climate Justice in a participatory manner, led by the class from their territories, in conjunction with classes from the international program in other countries such as Indonesia, Uganda and Nepal.

Afro-Latin Connections: The project, funded by the Open Society Foundation, aims to deepen the connection between young Afro-Latins from Brazil and Colombia to strengthen the fight against racism, locally and globally. Through an exchange between Brazil and Colombia, including mutual presentations, social mapping workshops and cultural events, the project aims not only to share knowledge, but also to create a solid network to positively impact anti-racist policies in the region in a South-South cooperation.

Complexos Advocacys: The project is a partnership formed by black, favela and peripheral social organizations in Rio de Janeiro, focused on building a proactive agenda in public safety. Composed of institutions such as Decodifica, IDMJR, IDPN, Coletivo Papo Reto and movements, it seeks to monitor, influence and propose policies in the areas of control of police activity, the prison system and drug policy. The initiative is aligned with the need for more inclusive and qualified representation in the national debate on public safety.

Energy Efficiency in Favelas Justice Survey: The Decodifica Institute coordinated the data collection for the report “Energy Efficiency in Favelas,” training 15 leaders and 30 young people from 15 communities in Greater Rio. The survey engaged 1,156 households, representing 4,164 people, to map socioeconomic inequalities related to energy inefficiency and promote energy justice in favelas.

Report “I want more than just to survive”: research that investigates black masculinities in the favelas of Jacarezinho and Manguinhos, in Rio de Janeiro. Based on interviews with young black men aged 16 to 29, the study addresses how race, gender and territory shape experiences, affections, self-esteem and future prospects. The research deconstructs stereotypes about black men, recovering their narratives and showing how structural violence impacts their trajectories.

Impact of extreme flooding events on health: joint analysis of the incidence of dengue and leptospirosis (Fiocruz and LabJaca): The increase in the occurrence of concentrated rainfall in a short period of time promotes increasingly frequent floods that promote an increase in diseases such as Leptospirosis and Dengue. Insufficient sanitation infrastructure can generate a very deficient health situation and result in an increase in the number of Related Diseases Inadequate Environmental Sanitation - DRSAI, compromising the quality of life of populations in developing countries, such as Brazil. The research project proposes a joint approach to these two notifiable diseases that have similar ecological, symptom and seasonal characteristics in terms of the occurrence of extreme weather events. Based on an epidemiological and geographic analysis of the territory where leptospirosis and dengue occur, considering socioeconomic, climatic and environmental sanitation factors, this work aims to contribute to improving epidemiological surveillance of leptospirosis and dengue in Brazil and to investigate their correlation with extreme weather events.

The main problems that the project seeks to address are the persistence of inequalities and the lack of opportunities to improve lives in favelas and peripheral areas of Brazil. The formulation of effective public policies depends on accurate and representative data capable of illuminating the real needs of the population. However, the lack of information about peripheral areas and the black population creates a "data blackout", perpetuating inequalities and hindering the promotion of racial justice. This information gap, compounded by inefficient communication that fails to reach or listen to these communities, prevents the creation of targeted and effective actions, deepening historical injustices and compromising the full development of society as a whole. This is especially true when it comes to tackling racism, the lack of environmental justice and the effects of climate change in favelas and peripheral areas in Brazil, places that end up being the most affected by these factors and neglected by the social actors responsible.

Therefore, we seek resources to support institutional strengthening to enable material structure and basic working conditions, ensuring the sustainability of the organization's activities and the achievement of results such as: increasing the number of Brazilian initiatives linked to civil society that use Research, Advocacy and Communication tools; creating new data and indicators capable of translating the reality of Brazilian peripheral areas; strengthening networks that promote understanding of social realities in Brazil's peripheral areas.