Insurgent CitizensInsurgent Citizens

Rochina: Largest favela in Rio Rochina: Largest favela in Rio

What is Insurgent Citizenship?What is Insurgent Citizenship?

Insurgency: an uprising against constituted authority.

Citizenship: a measure of differences and means of distancing people from another.

Insurgency: an uprising against constituted authority.

Citizenship: a measure of differences and means of distancing people from another.

Insurgency; Military Dimension Insurgency; Military Dimension

Insurgent Citizenship: More Widespread than a single region

Insurgent Citizenship: More Widespread than a single region

Sudan Liberation MovementsSudan Liberation Movements

Creation of Insurgent Citizens)Creation of Insurgent Citizens) Social Factors Economic Factors Political Factors

Social Factors Economic Factors Political Factors

Vertical Favela Vertical Favela

Social FactorsSocial Factors Inequality of land ownership

Movimiento Sem Terra (MST) Cityward Migration

Religion : in Latin America Catholic Church and

Evangelical Movements

Increasingly youthful demographics

Urban crime.

Inequality of land ownership Movimiento Sem Terra (MST) Cityward Migration

Religion : in Latin America Catholic Church and

Evangelical Movements

Increasingly youthful demographics

Urban crime.

Economics FactorsEconomics Factors Economic opportunities lead to a massive influx of rural migrants Overcrowding results Brazil - export-oriented nature of does not favor the rise of

organized labor Unskilled workers often in informal economy Income

Low Per-capita income High wealth inequality

Economic opportunities lead to a massive influx of rural migrants Overcrowding results Brazil - export-oriented nature of does not favor the rise of

organized labor Unskilled workers often in informal economy Income

Low Per-capita income High wealth inequality

Political FactorsPolitical Factors Urban development programs increase attractiveness of cities Urban planning hapzard

Contributes to the concentration of the poor in the favelas Favela residents become insurgent citizens

In Brazil Post 1985 democratization increases influence of insurgent citizens Rise of Lula and the Workers Party

Urban development programs increase attractiveness of cities Urban planning hapzard

Contributes to the concentration of the poor in the favelas Favela residents become insurgent citizens

In Brazil Post 1985 democratization increases influence of insurgent citizens Rise of Lula and the Workers Party

Methods of action/ mobilization employed by

insurgent citizens

Methods of action/ mobilization employed by

insurgent citizens

What triggers mobilizations?What triggers mobilizations?

Urban struggle Occupying land as

squatters Building dwellings Conflict over obtaining

services

Labor struggles not as important as supposed

Urban struggle Occupying land as

squatters Building dwellings Conflict over obtaining

services

Labor struggles not as important as supposed

What does this mean?What does this mean? Mostly rural area has become mostly urban Simultaneously, we live in an era of unprecedented global democratization during which

the number of electoral democracies has doubled since 1970, increasing in just 30 years from 33 to 63 % of the world's sovereign states.

combined developments in particular places produce a remarkably similar condition worldwide: most city people live in impoverished urban peripheries in various conditions of illegal and irregular residence, around urban centers that benefit from their services and their poverty.

Yet this new urbanism also generates a characteristic response worldwide: precisely in these peripheries, residents organize movements of insurgent citizenship to confront the entrenched regimes of citizen inequality that the urban centers use to segregate them.

Mostly rural area has become mostly urban Simultaneously, we live in an era of unprecedented global democratization during which

the number of electoral democracies has doubled since 1970, increasing in just 30 years from 33 to 63 % of the world's sovereign states.

combined developments in particular places produce a remarkably similar condition worldwide: most city people live in impoverished urban peripheries in various conditions of illegal and irregular residence, around urban centers that benefit from their services and their poverty.

Yet this new urbanism also generates a characteristic response worldwide: precisely in these peripheries, residents organize movements of insurgent citizenship to confront the entrenched regimes of citizen inequality that the urban centers use to segregate them.

Critical actions of Insurgent citizensCritical actions of Insurgent citizens

Auto-construction Protests Petition Crime & violence

Auto-construction Protests Petition Crime & violence

What do they wish to achieve?What do they wish to achieve?

Change urbanization of their

neighborhoods, forcing the state to provide infrastructure and access to health services, schools, and child care

Equal rights/voice against elites

Representation

Change urbanization of their

neighborhoods, forcing the state to provide infrastructure and access to health services, schools, and child care

Equal rights/voice against elites

Representation

Insurgent Citizens’ PowerInsurgent Citizens’ Power

Power of the insurgent movement is based on the size of the movement

The more cohesive the movement, the better chance they have at gaining social change

Power of the insurgent movement is based on the size of the movement

The more cohesive the movement, the better chance they have at gaining social change

More influential than institutional reforms?

More influential than institutional reforms?

There are many examples of insurgent citizens changing the climate of the favela

Rio de Janiero is an example in the fight against corrupt police and gangs

There are many examples of insurgent citizens changing the climate of the favela

Rio de Janiero is an example in the fight against corrupt police and gangs

Still a long road ahead…Still a long road ahead…

Conditions in the favelas in Brazil ( and all Latin American shantytowns) remain poor conditions

Citizens (even when they turn “insurgent”) do not have the same privileges as those in the urban centers of the cities

Success in gaining full rights remains the exception

Conditions in the favelas in Brazil ( and all Latin American shantytowns) remain poor conditions

Citizens (even when they turn “insurgent”) do not have the same privileges as those in the urban centers of the cities

Success in gaining full rights remains the exception

Insurgent Citizens Data from Sao PauloInsurgent Citizens

Data from Sao Paulo

Shaped by the tradition of being forced to the outskirts of the urban area

Strive to build a future with a new type of citizenry Some evidence that the quality of life in city is improving

because of the emergence of insurgent citizens

Shaped by the tradition of being forced to the outskirts of the urban area

Strive to build a future with a new type of citizenry Some evidence that the quality of life in city is improving

because of the emergence of insurgent citizens