Here in Brazil, clashes between drug trafficking organizations and police. There in India, religious conflicts. Here, building walls of the same sort of Gaza’s around the favelas; there, removal policy. In common is the fact that both are developing countries with astronomical social disparities.

These are some of the differences and similarities between Brazilian and Indian favelas drawn by an international research group since 2006. In order to have close-up looks to shape policies, the researchers are distributed in four behemoth metropolises: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Image by Peter Mulligan

In São Paulo, 19% of its population lives in Favelas. In Rio de Janeiro, one quarter lives in the nearly 750 favelas perched high in the mounds. The situation is even more impressive in Mumbai, where 54% of the population lives in favelas scattered around the town.

This study comes to highlight the importance of finding local solutions for local problems, as our fellow from Norway recalled. To grapple with local plights, generalizations definitely have to be shunned. What is needed in Brazilian favelas differs completely from what is needed in India’s.

So, there is an urgent need for in-depth analysis to measure the impacts of the governmental urbanization programmes before drawing new policies. But Brazil government does not share the same opinion. It is now appealing to the ‘Walls of Shame’, as we call it here.

In your opinion, is there anything more generalized than walls?

Image by Leo Caobelli

Current Brazilian government have not learnt that walls tend to fall, so it is spending R$ 40 millions to erect walls around 11 favelas in Rio de Janeiro.  But nobody says a thing on improving education and other essential rights for the poor dwellers. Is wall policy the key solution? I do not think so.

Why is it so shocking?

The Danny Boyle’s super production Slumdog Millionaire has the Dharavi favela – the largest in India – as the backdrop for the story. In this movie, open-air sewages, wooden shacks or cardboard houses and other distressing images called Brazilian audience attention. But why were Brazilians so shocked?

We have access to the same poignant situations in our privileged daily lives. But most Brazilians tend to put it aside. They prefer to lock themselves in their apartments and finest cars and create a fairy tale.

Returning to the main point, the sorts of violence Brazil and India are submitted to are extremely different. In India, religion and social stratification in castes are the main motives. Though it officially does not exist anymore, it is a tradition that still survives at the heart of the society. Also, conflicts between Hindus and Muslins are rife in Indian favelas. We have to bare in mind that New Delhi and Mumbai received loads of refugees from Pakistan since India’s independence.

In Brazil, removals have been extinct. It has proved to be inefficient. Dwellers, once they were removed, had to settle in further places, with weaker infrastructure and job opportunities even more limited.

Recently, Dharavi favela had its urbanization project paralysed partly due to economic crisis. But also for an in-depth study on the conditions of the favela that is going to be carried out. That is a truly wise decision where academia is proving its value.

When it comes to Brazil, the Lula government only drags its heels over this issue. No concrete policies are planned and put into action. Politicians could not care less about it. But we can not forget that they only reflect what the population will is. And I strongly believe that it is fortunately getting down to change.

For how long are the walls of favelas in Rio going to be kept up? Only time can tell...