The Right to Remain in Silence

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I'm Sarah O'Sullivan, a freelance journalist, based in Galway. I spent around three years living in Rio de Janeiro, and am eager to help get some truths out of the city now that I am back in Ireland. I am very passionate about the life I experienced while living in Rio, and what I witnessed on a day to day basis. It's not easy to get the truth out, with editorial decision processes coming from a different direction to much of the material I want to publish.

I'm trying to get funding for a radio documentary which I am in the process of producing. The entire project is costing €3,000, and I am hoping that through fundit.ie I will able to raise half of that cost.

And, so I can pay the people who have helped to make this happen - translators, transcribers, etc, I had hoped to get funding for the project in its entirety, but was refused because I had already started recording interviews before the funding came through. The beauty of bureacracy!

I would really appreciate any help anyone can give me to bring this important piece of research to a wide audience. Newstalk radio have promised to broadcast it, so the pressure is now on to make this happen.

Here's the bones of the story below. Any questions or input are welcome. Check out my wordpress site to get an idea of who I have spoken to and what they've told me so far. You'll also find me on Facebook "Upp Rio" and fan page "Community Policing in Rio - Is it working? A documentary"

Police units are being brought into the favelas that surround Rio de Janeiro for the first time ever, as the city prepares for the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympic Games two years later. According to the local press in Rio, these police units are a godsend, a panecea for all that ails the people living in Rio's favelas.

But, local people say otherwise, and complain that the new cops on the block treat them like they were all bad guys. The purpose of this documentary is to find out the truth of what is really going on in Rio's favelas.

I have been to Rio, and interviewed people in several favelas, including City of God, the infamous favela in the film of that name from 10 years ago. I've interviewed people working with favela residents, the son of one of Rio's first ever traffickers, as well as experts in the area of urban violence, to get a handle on the truth of the situation there.

Local media will not tell the true story of what is happening in Rio's favelas, so it is important that independent stories get out there. Please help make this happen.

I understand that economic times are tough. Even the smallest pledge will help bring this to fruition. I need your help, and will appreciate it so much,

Sarah