based in the complexo da maré,'  one of the largest favelas in rio, the observatório das favelas (the favelas' observatory) is an agency that, while actively participating in favela events and education initiatives, is dedicated to reporting urbanization policies and practices inside various comunidades. 

The Observatory of Favelas was established in 2001 as a program of the  Instituto de Estudos do Trabalho e Sociedade - IETS (Institute for Labour and Society Studies), with activities in the areas or research and training.

created with the aim of producing knowledge that would allow a fresh look at favelas communities, in its early years the Observatory developed a series of works aimed to train local researchers in the communities and to expand  qualified knowledge of favelas and urban phenomena - specifically to address the dominant view associated with these territories.     

as of 2003, the Observatory was set up as an autonomous entity and began operating as a network of community leaders, producing specific knowledge and assisting innovative actions in the favelas of rio de janeiro.