cultural development is a vital part to proper integration of all favelas in the formal city - in fact, in addition to enriching the overall cultural landscape in rio de janeiro, the recognition, status, and pride that come with being involved in artistic and cultural projects has been proven to keep young residents away from organized criminal activity.

born in 1993 as a counteraction to the criminal oppression, the grupo cultural afroreggae - gcar (afroreggae cultural group) was initially a favela-based newspaper aimed at disseminating afro-brazilian culture and music.

the gcar rapidly evolved into a cultural community center offering workshops in areas such as dance, percussion, garbage recycling, soccer and capoeira - thus helping in providing young residents with a path toward true social integration.  more about the gcar history on this page.