a key component of the urbanization process is the production and development of cultural activities - Over the past twenty years an impressive and inspiring number of NGOs have emerged in the favelas of Rio, working tirelessly to encourage and disseminate cultural activities.

Dance, music and artistic expressions of all kinds have been shown to significantly improve the self-esteem of favela residents and provide them with alternative life paths to those offered by criminal organizations and gangs.

These organizations provide residents with tangible skills which they can go on to use in the generation of income, as well as important role models who act as psychological support through early and adult development.

Cultural centers and museums have been inaugurated in a number of communities, offering workshops and classes, and functioning as powerful instruments in the formation of collective memory and identity.