VOICES Magazine - Issue II by institutointernacionaldeeducacaobr

MAGAZINE

Issue 2 • December 2023

LETTER FROM THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE AMAZON BASIN TO PRESIDENTS (P. 15)

YOUTH IN ACTION AT THE AMAZONIC DIALOGUES (P. 17)

CLIMATE ACTION MOVEMENTS IN BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY (P. 34)

Issue 2 December | 2023

editorial Voices Magazine is a publication of the Voices for Climate Action Program (VAC) in Brazil. The program was conceived by a global alliance formed by six civil society organizations: WWF, Hivos, Fundación Avina, SouthSouthNorth (SSN), Akina Mama wa Afrika, and Shack Dwellers International (SDI). The initiative is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

Adriano Maneo, Alice de Matos Soares, Bruno Pacífico, Caetano Scannavino, Coalizão Engajamento Urbano na Agenda Climática: Vozes Amazônicas, Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira (COIAB), Daniel Nardin, Dhara Inácio, Ellen Acioli, Elenita Sales, Equipe VAC Bolívia, Flavia Borja, Ingrid Barros, Kamila Mayara Sampaio Souza, Karla Giovanna Braga, Leilane Marinho, Lindon Johnson Pontes Portela, Lua Leão, Lucidalva Cardoso do Nascimento, Martha Fellows, Mauricio Alves de Souza, Muriel Saragoussi, Open Knowledge Brasil, Pedro Alace, Raimundo Alves, Rede Jandyras, RevistaEmancipa.org, Samela Bonfim, Trícia Oliveira.

Collaborators

In Brazil, the program is coordinated by Fundación Avina, Hivos, the International Institute of Education of Brazil - IEB, and WWF-Brazil, supporting 74 organizations, movements, and collectives, organized into 14 Coalitions.

Adriane Andrade, Alana Manchineri, Alice de Matos Soares, Amazônia Vox, André Franco, Associação Unidas pelo Bem Viver, Bruna Bastos, Fábio Pena, Felipe Dionísio, Isabelle Maciel, Jonaya Castro, Lua Leão, Lucía Santalices, Luísa Arancibia Arce, Martha Fellows, Mattheus Oliveira, Moni Bareiro, Pedro Alace, Raimundo Carlos Ferreira Alves, Revista Emancipa, Reg Coimbra, Trícia Oliveira, Waleska Queiroz.

Would you contribute, support, participate and get involved with the magazine and the Program?

Revision

Send an e-mail to comunicacaobr@ voicesforjustclimateaction.org

Adriano Maneo, Andreia Bavaresco, Angelica Mendes, Ellen Acioli, Natália Maia, Paula Moreira, Rogenir Costa e Trícia Oliveira.

Editing Adriano Maneo

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT WORK jamboestudio.com

Illustration Beatriz Paiva (@beatrizpaivart), Bruna Bastos (@brunenha), Juliana Gomes (@jaguatitika) e Reg Coimbra (@regcoimbra_)

Infographics Jambo Estúdio

voicesforjustclimateaction.org/resources

2023 was the hottest in the last 125,000 years. Or would it be the coolest of the ones we’ll have ahead? Alright, El Niño did help give the warning, but for those who insisted on denying climate change, 2023 was not the best year. Record temperatures in hundreds of cities worldwide. In Libya, Greece, or Pakistan (the latter still in 2022), entire cities were engulfed by floods, with tens of thousands dead. In Canada, the fire spread from the Pacific to the Atlantic, burning twice as much as the previous year. There were also entire islands burning in Hawaii or being submerged in the middle of the ocean, as in Tuvalu, which is on the verge of disappearing. In Brazil, we did not lag behind. In the Southern region, rains and floods like never before; in the North, the largest rivers on the planet turning into deserts. To give you an idea, Belém had the least rainy September in over 30 years. In Porto Alegre, the rainiest in 107. Several cities with temperatures exceeding 40ºC, and the heat index wanting to reach 60ºC. Winds with typhoon force, seas swallowing shores. In Acre, Maranhão, and São Paulo, rainwater reached roof height, shattered lives, erased memories. The Pantanal burns like it has rarely burned before, and, just like in the Cerrado and the Amazon, smoke covers cities. The simple act of breathing becomes difficult and dangerous. The most affected, we know who they are, right? Peripheral, Black, Indigenous, traditional peoples and communities, youth, women, LGBTQIAP+; the same groups that are historically marginalized by our society and have the least responsibility for the Climate Emergency (or can we already start calling it a Climate Catastrophe?) we are experiencing. At the same time that these minority groups are the most affected, they hold solutions, knowledge, and paths to change the course of humanity. With their ways of life, methods, and ways of relating to the world, they can see the challenges and opportunities from perspectives different from those in power and capital. And they are increasingly organized to influence decision-makers so that climate actions are guided by principles of justice and the redress of historical and structural injustices represented by environmental racism. In the pages of this second edition of VOICES Magazine, you will find stories, opinions, materials, and ideas that showcase what civil society groups, social movements, and Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Peoples and Communities have been doing to build the foundations and develop solutions for a more inclusive, just, and truly effective climate action. Welcome to VOICES Magazine.

this edition 4 7 10

How to think of a sustainable future without preserving the youth of today? By Karla Giovanna Braga

1,5 Cº: small but big By IEB e IPAM

INSTITUCIONAL

NETWORK ACTIONS Alliance of the peoples of the forest

NETWORK ACTIONS

Communication in the fight against the climate crisis strengthens the movement envisioned by Chico Mendes and indigenous leaders in the 1980s

With the power of farinhada

By Bruno Pacífico

VCA in Brazil By VCA team

IV VCA Brazil Partners Forum bridges local to global Perspectives in São Luís do Maranhão.

NETWORK ACTIONS Plantforms Movement

Letter from the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin to Presidents

Ancestral cosmo-techniques, free technologies, and the launch of a social participation platform marked the first in-person meeting of the Plantaforms Movement.

By COIAB, UMIAB, APIB, OIS, APA, CONFENIAE,

By Lua Leão

By Por Adriano Maneo

OPINION

FOAG, CIDOB E OPIAC

OPINION No savior syndrome, please By Ellen Acioli

NETWORK ACTIONS Civic technologies for climate action in the amazon Ações nos nove estados da Amazônia Legal estão contribuindo para incluir mais pessoas na produção e no uso de tecnologias e dados abertos By Open Knowledge Brazil

NETWORK ACTIONS Youth in Action at the Amazonic Dialogues “Alliance of Amazonian Youths for the Future” brought together VCA Brazil. By Trícia Oliveira, do WWF-Brazil

NETWORK ACTIONS Ancestral knowledge and social technologies The Resilience of Maranhão State Communities in the Face of the Climate Crisis By Ingrid Barros e Raimundo Alves

VOICES AROUND THE WORLD

34 36 37 38

Indigenous women of Bolivia VCA Bolivia team

Young Bolivian voices VCA Bolivia team

The Amazon is close to the point of no return! VCA Bolivia team

The territory: where life begins and where women want to live free from all violence By Flavia Borja

41 44

How much is our experience worth? By Elenita Sales

NETWORK ACTIONS

By EMSA and MTV team

The Participation of the Jandyras Network in Creating the Belém City Climate Forum

NETWORK ACTIONS We are streams of struggles and rivers of transformations The Youth of Mirí: Building Networks for Territory Defense and Climate Justice

By Daniel Nardin

Voices of the Tapajós echo in riverine territory | Formative

Por Samela Bonfim

OPINION Amazonian surging

NETWORK ACTIONS

experience in Amazonic floodplain region brought together young people from different regions to discuss the effects of climate change

Female leadership in urban communities in Pará

The true value of the Amazon river oil

Swimming against the current for preservation | Photographic

By Dhara Inácio

NETWORK ACTIONS

OPINION

NETWORK ACTIONS

expedition captures beauty but also documents degradation, sewage discharge, and disorderly occupation along the Tocantins River

By Caetano Scannavino

By Muriel Saragoussi

An achievement of the people

By Coalition Urban Engagement in the Climate Agenda: Amazonian Voices

Boat bathroom

NETWORK ACTIONS

By Pedro Alace

ART MOOD

Militance School, Amazonic Voices and other artistic initiatives to raise political and social awareness

The School of Socioenvironmental Militancy in the Amazon and Resistance in the Tapajós Basin

By Jandyras Network

ART MOOD

NETWORK ACTIONS Climate Calendar |VAC Brazil Climate Calendar brings together announcements and events, related to the climate agenda, all in one place

CLIMATE XIBÉ Feed on climate knowledge!

Small but big By Instituto Internacional de Educação do Brasil – IEB and Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM)

How come such a small number...

Medium Global Temperature 1.0

0.8

In 2015, countries signed the Paris Agreement and agreed to keep global warming below 2°C, considering the historical global temperature average in relation to the pre-industrial period. These same countries agree that the temperature increase limit should be below 1.5°C to prevent the onset of extreme events.

0.6

0.4

0.2

-0.2

-0.4

-0.6

-0.8

BUT THE SCENARIO IS ALARMING! Human actions have caused heatwaves that break records year after year. In 2017, thermometers already showed an increase between 0.8 and 1.2°C. This is the average temperature increase. Some locations may record higher or lower values, and regions with greater variation may have fatal consequences.

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-1.0 1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

2020

Annual global average temperature compared to the historical average (between 1880 and 2020). In blue, annual temperatures below average; in red, temperatures above. Source: NOAA Climate.gov

It may seem small, but 1.5°C is a crucial number in climate debates and symbolizes unity among different perspectives. The temperature increase highlights how the world is getting warmer as fossil fuels are used daily by people. This change is an indicator that we are approaching the limit of living on a habitable planet as we know it. THE FUTURE IS NOW! WE NEED TO ACT NOW!

...CAN HAVE SUCH AN IMPACT The temperature increase is a global phenomenon, but the effects are local. The more greenhouse gases are released into the air, the warmer the Earth’s temperature becomes. This doesn’t happen overnight; it is a long-term process. For many years, countries, particularly in the global north, emitted high rates of greenhouse gases, leading us to the current climate crisis. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns that we are experiencing intense rainfall, droughts, lightning, and glacier melting as some of the effects of these changes.

Depending on where you are in the world, you are already experiencing the temperature increase. Between 20 and 40% of the global population has already felt average temperatures higher than 1.5 °C above industrial revolution levels. Animals and plants in these regions are at risk of losing their homes and disappearing:

Extinction of Vertebrates

Extinction of Plants

The temperature average has remained more stable in the oceans than in terrestrial areas. And we, humans, are precisely in the part of the globe most exposed to climate risks.

Vertebrate animals that will lose at least half of their geographic distribution

Plants that will lose at least half of their geographic distribution.

If the temperature increases by 1.5 °C, we may lose animal and plant species that are crucial for ecosystem balance. Source: WRI.

For indigenous peoples and traditional communities, this can mean the loss not only of sources of medicine and food but also the foundation of their stories and cultures.

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During the “Course on Climate Change, Carbon, and REDD+ in Indigenous Amazon” that took place in July in the Indigenous Land of Raposa Serra do Sol, leaders from Amazonas, Tocantins, and Roraima States mentioned that they are already experiencing the effects of climate change. Many spoke about cassava. This root is not just the nutritional foundation for various peoples; cassava is a symbol of life – “without flour, there is no celebration; without flour, there is no life,” they said

AND NOW? HOW CAN THE GLOBAL SOUTH REVERSE THIS SCENARIO? When the world came to a halt due to the Covid pandemic, we slowed down the pace of greenhouse gas emissions. However, even this reduction was not sufficient to alter the course of planetary warming. Even if we were to cease all emissions today to meet the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5°C, the world would still need to remove 6 billion tons of CO2 per year by 2050. Indigenous Lands act as true barriers to deforestation due to the lifestyles of indigenous peoples living in them. Removing these greenhouse gases from the air, protecting forests, lakes, rivers, and oceans is the first step. And safeguarding vegetation means ensuring the territorial rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities. Their ancestral knowledge of caring for the environment is recognized as the most effective in preserving “carbon sinks.”

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

represent less than 5% of the world’s population but

PROTECT OF THE PLANET’S BIODIVERSITY in their territories

Legal Amazon / Indigenous Lands Fonte: IPAM.

AM PA

RO TO MT

The Global South has a vast diversity of peoples, cultures, and forests, and the climatic future of the planet resides in these territories. However, it is crucial not to burden these communities with the entire responsibility for solving problems caused by others. It is necessary to demarcate and protect Indigenous Lands and protected areas and ensure the sovereignty of autonomous territory management. Women, youth, and marginalized populations are also disproportionately affected by climate change. Despite offering a range of proposals, ideas, and solutions to mitigate and adapt to impacts, they are often not heard in decision-making spaces or receive funding for their activities. Fighting for Climate Justice also involves minimizing the historical injustices that led us to the context of a climate emergency, which requires expanding spaces and amplifying the voices of those who have never been heard. V

The entire

IN BRAZIL The strategic objective of the Voices for Just Climate Action Program (VCA) is to contribute to diverse groups and sectors of civil society taking on a central role as innovators, facilitators, and advocates for climate solutions by 2025, actively participating, influencing, and effectively occupying decision-making spaces from the local to the global level.

13 ngos Legal Amazon universities 03 and/or schools Contemplated Collectives • networks indigenous organizations movements 15 20 or collectives Estimate of

indirect beneficiaries

Grassroots Organizations

Estimate of

24.386

Organizations

The Program was conceived by a global alliance formed by six organizations: Akina Mama wa Afrika, Fundación Avina, Hivos, Shack Dwellers International (SDI), SouthSouthNorth (SSN), and WWF. VCA is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

WHERE IS THE VCA IN BRAZIL?

million

Direct Beneficiaries

Rio Andirá Quilombo

Reserva extrativista Tapajós Arapiuns

Boa Vista

Macapá Belém

Amapá

CASTANHAL

Roraima

Reserva extrativista Ciriáco

SÃO LUÍS Manaus Pará

TI Sawré Muybu

Legal Amazon

TI Apynaé

Amazonas

State Capitals Cities

Maranhão

TI Kraolandia Acre

Indigenous Land Rondônia

Quilombola Community Protected Area Tapajós and Juruena Rivers Basins

Reserva extrativista Chico Mendes

Tocantins

Reserva extrativista Mata Grande

PALMAS

Mato Grosso

RIO BRANCO

Porto Velho

CUIABÁ

Quilombo Kalunga do Mimoso

Brazillian Legal Amazon

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In a global scenario of climate injustice, where nations labeled as “less developed” in the Global South contribute the least to climate change but suffer its effects the most, the Program has defined its scope of action in seven countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Indonesia, Paraguay, Kenya, Tunisia, and Zambia. In Brazil, the program is coordinated by a regional team composed of Fundación Avina, the International Institute of Education of Brazil - IEB, Hivos, and WWF-Brazil. The VCA Network in the country currently consists of 74 organizations organized into 14 coalitions with different approaches and specialties. These civil society organizations and movements receive support for institutional strengthening, narratives and communication, identification and consolidation of local climate solutions, and for influencing and advocating in the climate agenda.

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WITH THE POWER OF FARINHADA IV VCA Brazil Partners Forum bridges local to global Perspectives in São Luís do Maranhão, uniting representatives from the 14 Brazilian program’s coalitions and other Global South voices to debate city, state, country, and global challenges

Photos; Pedro Henrique/SobreOTatameFilmes

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By Adriano Maneo, from he VCA Brazil Regional Team, with information from revistaemancipa.org

In the rural area of São Luís do Maranhão, within the Rio dos Cachorros community, Dona Maria Máxima’s house stands at the corner of her lush yard filled with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fresh produce. Here, the tranquillity of her surroundings is continually disrupted by the bustling traffic of trucks from the nearby sand mine. These trucks deposit dust that blankets the trees and hinders one from fully grasping the wisdom of this community leader. Dona Maria Máxima faces relentless challenges as private sector entities and their allies within public authorities seek to displace her and her fellow residents from the very territory they call home, where they were born and raised.

Network Actions Over its centenary history, the community has encountered numerous threats, with the relatively recent extraction of sand for construction being just one of them. They find themselves surrounded by fertiliser factories, coal thermoelectric plants, and, most notably, Vale do Rio Doce, which utilises the region near the Port of Itaqui for iron ore transportation. In the face of these challenges, the community successfully resisted the establishment of a steel hub that aimed to displace them from their land. Today, their ongoing struggle revolves around advocating for establishing an Extractive Reserve called Resex Tauá-Mirim. “In this world that God created, for us, there is one very serious thing: no one in this world wins when nature loses. And we need to be a voice among these guys”, argues Dona Máxima. “We always have to check if nature authorises it because nature is the maximum authority”, she adds. Rio dos Cachorros served as the concluding location for the IV VCA Brazil Partner Forum, an annual gathering that brings together representatives from the program’s 14 coalitions across Brazil. This year marked the second in-person edition of the event, and it was hosted in São Luís, the capital of Maranhão State.

The event’s closing activities included an unforeseen resilience masterclass with the Rio dos Cachorros community led by Dona Máxima. Additionally, the participants enjoyed a celebratory performance by Tambor de Criola do Taim, the oldest Tambor de Criola group still active in São Luís. “We need to have joy to strengthen our spirit. And nature inspires us to sing nature itself”, reinforced Dona Máxima, who, together with Tambor do Taim, played a song created after the victory against the steel hub.

“No one in this world wins when nature loses” Dona Máxima

Dona Máxima tells VCA Partners the history of the Extractivist Reserve

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“Hey, don’t cut down that Mango Tree, Hey, don’t fill in the mangroves, Hey, don’t cut down the Mango Tree, We must preserve natural resources I’m from the countryside, I live from brushing the ground, Plant rice and cassava, manioc and beans Gherkin, okra and vinegar, To sell everything at the fair From the cuxá of Maranhão. I’m from Rio dos Cachorros, my brother, From Taim , Porto Grande and Vila Maranhão Seafood vendor, family farmer and fisherman, We are children of this land, I will not give up on you.”

While the drums played, the ‘farinhada’ in the yard continued in full swing. A ‘farinhada’ is a communal gathering for processing cassava and transforming it into flour, which serves as the dietary staple for Maranhão and the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. It is also a source of income generation and cultural identity for traditional peoples and communities throughout our country. This occasion brings together families, communities, friends, and neighbours, fostering stronger bonds and contributing to collective social cohesion.

Farinhada in Rio dos Cachorros community.

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Nannyondo Sarah Okello, VCA partner from Uganda and Akina Mama Wa Afrika (AKWA) came to the Forum and got to know the Tambor de Criola do Taim.

At the commencement of the IV Partnership Forum, which took place in the stately mansions nestled along the cobblestone slopes of the Historic Center of São Luís, Rogenir Costa, the Maranhão representative of the Program’s Regional Team in Brazil, made a poignant reference to the ‘power of farinhada’ to inaugurate the proceedings. The event hosts, the Agroecology Coalition for the Protection of Amazon Forests, comprising solely organisations from Maranhão, warmly welcomed participants with a symbolic gesture invoking the significance of “farinhada”.

Dona Máxima

“We need to have joy to strengthen our spirit. And nature inspires us to sing nature itself”

VCA partner and Tambor de Criola do Taim master hug each other.

That’s precisely what the VAC Brasil Partner Forums are all about: opportunities to exchange knowledge and experiences, fostering collective organisation. These events gather representatives from over 70 organisations within the program, creating a platform to discuss the impacts of climate change, strategise politically, envision the program’s future, and develop pathways for the voices of Amazonian communities, environmental defenders, and Climate Justice activists to resonate both locally and globally.

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In addition to participants from Brazilian organisations, the event, held from September 26th to 30th, extended its reach beyond borders, welcoming delegates from Bolivia, Paraguay, South Africa, and Uganda. The program was replete with exchange, debate, and collaborative alignment opportunities. The event’s program encompassed the exchange of experiences from diverse regions and facilitated discussions on a wide range of topics. These included political advocacy, gender equity, youth involvement, territorial protection, local climate solutions, effective communication and storytelling, human rights, and climate financing. Specific sessions were dedicated to Brazil’s COP 30, Climate Justice and Gender, and presentations showcasing experiences related to Climate Justice in partner countries within the Global South. Within the coalition’s selfmanaged activities, participants had access to a variety of workshops and mini-courses. These included workshops on integral defender protection, creative approaches in communications, a practical artivism experience on ‘licks’ production, and a mini-course covering socio-environmental safeguards in REDD+. Additionally, conversation circles focused on advocacy, capacity-building methodologies, and sharing experiences related to community self-censuses. We also had the ‘Where’s the Circus?’ festival, organised by the Na Piracema Coalition. This festival served as a nexus between advocating for sustainable policies honouring the environment and

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Group of partners discuss artivism in the Program.

people in Maranhão’s capital and the struggle to preserve a cultural space steeped in history. Sadly, this space has succumbed to the very development model that threatens our planet, particularly the most marginalised members of society. The Forum also provided opportunities for collective alignment on the VCA Brazil Climate Agenda and VOICES Magazine, two of the program’s knowledge management products. Additionally, there were presentations on a knowledge trail in Advocacy and an emergency fund for environmental defenders, which the Programme in Brazil will implement. To bookend our narrative, much like we started with the resilience of Rio dos Cachorros, we concluded with a verse from a song sung by the community. This verse encapsulates the strength of unity that VCA fosters alongside more than its 70 partner organisations in the country. ‘Baião das Comunidades,’ by Zé Vicente, asks for nothing more than what should be a fundamental right for all: land, bread and peace.”

“We are new people living together We are seed people of a new nation ê, ê We are new people living love We are a community, the Lord’s people, eh, eh I will invite my working brothers Workers, farmers, odd jobs and others And together, we will celebrate trust Our struggle in the hope of having land, bread and peace, ê, ê” #VACBrasil #IVForumVAC #ResexTauaMirimJa

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Letter from the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin to Presidents By COIAB, UMIAB, APIB, OIS, APA, CONFENIAE, FOAG, CIDOB E OPIAC • Illustration: Jaguatirika

The most effective way to halt and address the global climate crisis is to heed the wisdom of indigenous peoples. Our knowledge is profound, and it is not only we who say this: the UN confirms that, although we constitute just 5% of the world’s population, we protect approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity. This commitment to preservation is deeply rooted in our worldview; we look not just at what lies immediately before us but far beyond. Tropical forests serve as the planet’s most effective barriers against the relentless march of climate change. Without us, the Amazon will not endure, and without the Amazon, the world as we understand it will cease to exist. The lands and biodiversity are our flesh and blood; its rivers flow through our veins. Our ancestors not only preserved this environment for millennia but also nurtured it. We exist in and for the Amazon. Across the centuries, we have sacrificed our lives to protect it. With this in mind, we address the representatives and Heads of State assembled at the Amazon Summit and those who will take part in the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), to be held later this year in Dubai. V

Read the full letter HERE

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No savior syndrome, please Por By Ellen Acioli, former VCA Brazil Coordinator lllustration: Bruna Bastos

I have been working formally in the Amazon since 2007 when I graduated in Biological Sciences. I was born and raised in the Amazon. As a child, I watched the extraction of cassava and manioc, helped peel them, participated in making flour, and ate ant larvae. I also consumed game meat since we didn’t have a supermarket in our community back in Sapucuá, Oriximiná-PA. Growing up in this territory taught me many things, including the importance of collective living and making the most of the resources we had, which were not much: food, clean air, and river and stream baths were sufficient. At that time, I was between 4 and 8 years old, and I didn’t hear about threats to our territories and ways of life. Those who live in the Amazon know that without our territories, our culture is erased, and our identity is denied. This always comes to mind when I encounter phrases like “we are giving organizations in the Amazon an opportunity...” Well, in fact, the logic is different. The truth is that the people and organizations of the Amazon are giving you an opportunity to contribute to the legacy of keeping the forest standing and safeguarding traditional knowledge and practices. After all, defending our territory, extracting resources from socio-biodiversity, and protecting rivers and forests

In this sense, we must combat colonization in a new guise, and one way to do this is to shed light on what the people of the Amazon have been doing and to build together.

are things we do every day with or without external

The question remains: shall we leave the savior

resources, from time immemorial.

syndrome behind? V

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Network Actions

YOUTH IN ACTION AT THE AMAZONIC DIALOGUES “Alliance of Amazonian Youths for the Future” brought together VCA Brazil coalitions to discuss existing opportunities and solutions within the region.

By Trícia Oliveira, from WWF-Brazil Photos: Jacqueline Lisboa/WWF-Brasil

“t

o talk about the climate issue, we need to talk about social justice,” emphasized Waleska Queiroz during the Alliance of Amazonian Youths for the Future panel, held in Belém, Pará State, organized collaborativelly by institutions from the Voices for Just Climate Action (VAC) program. Hailing from the Terra Firme neighborhood in Belém, Brazil, Waleska, or Wal as she’s commonly known, has a long history of activism. At the age of 29,, more than a decade has been dedicated to volunteering for socio-environmental projects focused on vulnerable communities. Wal serves as a mobilizer and coordinator in the Jandyras Network, leads the Youth Working Group of the “A Concertation for the Amazon” initiative, is part of the COP das Baixadas Coalition, the Junior Achievement International Organization, the Perifaconnection Network, and is a 21stcentury climate leader with Youth Climate Leaders. Additionally, she holds a degree in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering from the Federal

From right to left, Waleska Queiroz, Letícia Santiago and Cleu Munduruku

University of Pará and is a master’s student in Smart and Sustainable Cities at the Nove de Julho University. “We also need to talk about violence; many of our youths have not had the right to live. Young people suffer from a lack of opportunities; many cannot go to university because they either work or study. Given the vulnerable context, many of us choose to work to support our families, who are already facing a cycle of erasure and problems passed down through generations. We need to talk about all of this. More important than forging our own path is preparing the way and bringing more young people with us,” Wal concluded in her speech during the event. Wal was joined by Letícia Santiago, of the National Council of Extractivist Populations (CNS); Ubiratan Gamalodtaba Suruí, representing the Indigenous Youth of Rondônia State; Cleu Munduruku from the Wakoborun Audiovisual Collective; Flávia Guedes from the Mapinguari Institute; Paulo Cardoso from the Amapaense Black Utopia Collective; Isabelle Maciel from Tapajós de Fato; and Angélica Mendes from WWF-Brazil.

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Amazonian Youth during the panel

The panel was part of the official program of the Amazonic Dialogues and preceded the Amazon Summit, held in August, which brought together the governments of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and other countries considered cooperation partners in the Amazon. Letícia Santiago, Director of Political Articulation for the National Youth Secretariat of Extractivist Populations at CNS, also participated in the panel and emphasized the importance of young people in discussions and policy debates, ensuring greater diversity in understanding the realities of the territories. “You can’t discuss youth without territory, nor territory without youth. We want the right to stay in our territories and have access to proper education, internet access, and energy. We don’t want our territories to be occupied only by the elderly. It’s very important for us to remain,” Letícia argues. Angélica Mendes, Conservation Analyst at WWF-Brazil, responsible for youth coordination in VCA and panel moderator, concluded the event by reading the letter to the youth written by her grandfather, Chico Mendes.

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You can’t discuss youth without territory, nor territory without youth. We want the right to stay in our territories and have access to proper education, internet access, and energy. Letícia Santiago, director of political articulation at the National Secretariat for Youth of Extractive Populations of the CNS.

Network Actions

After reading, she concluded, “The strategy we’re working on at WWF-Brazil has a decolonizing perspective so that the Amazon is present in debates about the Amazon, occupying these spaces and conveying its messages outward and to its territories. This panel is of great importance to me; being an activist is like a feeling, and sharing this feeling by listening to such different experiences leaves me very emotional.” V Photo 1 and 2: Amazonian Youth duraing the panel

Speakers and public all together.

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Mobilization for the Amazons day, 2022. Photo: COJOVEM archives.

How to think of a sustainable future without preserving the youth of today? By Karla Giovanna Braga, co-founder of the COJOVEM Institute

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fell in love with photography when I realized that I was spelling out the world as I was losing it. My neighborhood, the places where I grew up in the Amazon, the rivers, my friends... It seemed like everything was disappearing in an ecocide of the territories that persisted in not understanding us as part of nature - and not something separate from it, as capitalist perspective has taught us. In a world where everything is interdependent, I began to realize that not only my future but the future of all Amazonic youth is threatened. There is no home for us when the entire planet writhes in agony. As climate challenges increase, not only do inequalities between people grow, but so do their vulnerabilities due to their respective intersections and territorial distribution. Amazonian youth are among the most vulnerable due to the exacerbation of inequalities in the absence of public policies, projects, and programs aimed at addressing the impacts of the climate crisis in these populations, especially in peripheral, riverside, indigenous, and quilombola youth. Additionally, there is the difficulty of finding means to facilitate the civic participation of youth in the nine states of the Brazilian Amazon, allowing them to co-create the change they want to see in their territories. Today, changes in land use - deforestation, degradation, or land use for rural activities - followed by agribusiness, energy, and industry are the main reasons for greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil. This represents a development policy that does not consider the future of the planet and the youth because it directly affects climate regulation, the production and maintenance of oxygen, food availability, biodiversity, and our relationship with our rivers and territories. If we are the ones who will face these problems for a longer time, together with the children of today, how can we not fight for the establishment of public policies that make sense for our future?

opiniON In the state of Pará, which includes the capital, Belém, which could become the second hottest city in the world by 2050, a study conducted by the Cooperation of Amazonian Youth for Sustainable Development (COJOVEM) found only 9 ordinary laws, 0 complementary laws, 0 ordinances, 22 decrees, and 5 resolutions that mention youth. The results within the State’s strategies and plans were just as disappointing. If public policies are where we find the solution to public problems affecting the community, the absence of our bodies, minds, and experiences in this space reflects the need to fight for the demarcation of this political territory for possible and climate-resilient futures. This is how the “A Maré tá pras Juventudes” (Tides are for Youth) program emerged, a 3-year program that encompasses climate education and leadership training in the Amazon, mobilization, political advocacy, and that produced the first Agenda for Public Policies, Projects, and Programs to address the climate challenges faced by youth in Pará. This

Mobilization for the #VotopelaAmazonia (#VotefortheAmazon) campaign, 2022, Photo: Cojovem archives.

document was constructed by about 35 youth organizations to outline what they expect from all those who propose to create programs, projects, and policies focused in the Pará State territories, sensitive to youth and their agendas. It also consolidated the first technical chamber for youth and climate in Brazil and gave rise to an Environmental Education Policy in the State of Pará. If it’s in the future that we will live the decisions being made in the present, it is on these grounds that we must trace our struggles for imaginaries that not only define our resistance but also a whole planet where it is possible to be part of the forest and offspring of the cities, where the waters of the rivers flow in our blood, and where our voices travel, sowing possible, resilient, and sustainable futures. V Release of the Programs, projects and Public Policy Agenda, 2023 Photo: COJOVEM archives.

Follow @COJOVEM.BR on social media and support the actions of Amazonian youth!

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Photo: José Lucas / Comitê Chico Mendes.

ALLIANCE OF THE PEOPLES OF THE FOREST Communication in the fight against the climate crisis strengthens the movement envisioned by Chico Mendes and indigenous leaders in the 1980s

By Bruno Pacífico, from the Chico Mendes Committee and the Active Communication Network of Youth Coalition, and Leilane Marinho, from the Pro-Indigenous Commission of Acre (CPI-Acre)

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nnounced in 1987, in Brasília, during the launch of the Campaign in Defense of the Amazon, the Alliance of the Peoples of the Forest, envisioned by Chico Mendes and indigenous leaders, aimed to strengthen the bonds between indigenous and extractivist communities in the fight to protect the forest and the people who inhabited it. They followed models of sustainable development for the Amazon, such as the demarcation of territories and the creation of extractivist reserves. The first meetings that marked the beginning of the Alliance’s activities took place during the meetings of the Rural Workers Union of Xapuri (STTR-Xapuri), where Chico was the president, inviting indigenous leaders to discuss alternatives to deforestation and wildfires, issues that were already challenging communities to find solutions at that time. In Brasília, the National Council of Rubber Tappers, now the National Council of Extractivist Populations (CNS), and the Union of Indigenous Nations (UNI) were present, along with members of civil society, environmentalists, and national and international observers. Thus, the pact was established because “the struggles were similar, and many of the things we

Network Actions extractivists learned, our customs in the forest, are the customs of the indigenous people. We inherited them from the indigenous people,” said Chico. Thirty-seven years later, the struggles for land rights continue, but with new challenges. Now, the challenge in defending the forests and the people adds a new component: combating disinformation or fake news generated on social media and spread without any government control. Over the past four years, the number of fake news has reached immeasurable proportions, affecting even the most vulnerable populations.

Seventy profiles and pages that disseminated disinformation and had a significant reach on social media were identified.

The project “Combatting Disinformation about the Legal Amazon and its Defenders” by Intervozes has revealed the existence of rightwing and far-right political groups that spread false narratives about the Amazon. Seventy profiles and pages that disseminated disinformation and had a significant reach on social media were identified. Among the various false pieces of information, the manipulation of data and facts were the most common, such as “we are one of the countries that preserves the environment and its forests the most,” as stated by former President Bolsonaro at the IX Summit of the Americas in the United States in 2022. Another widely spread piece of news is that the Amazon region is sparsely populated, a vast, untouched wilderness. These fake news reports are a serious problem for the protection of the Amazon rainforest and have negative impacts on all those who inhabit these territories Considering the fight against false narratives leads us to recognize young people as agents of change in the battle against fake news. When it comes to the Amazon, there is no doubt that young people have the potential and strength to help alleviate the climate crisis, perhaps precisely because they are greatly affected and also inheritors of an increasingly damaged world.

Currently, there are various youth initiatives fighting against climate emergencies in spaces that were previously occupied only by adults. These young people engage in governmental and non-governmental organizations, unions, and associations, using the tools of the digital age – social media – to mobilize and convey their narratives about how their communities are being affected to the four corners of the world, using their voices and their territories to inform and raise awareness about the climate emergency. In Acre, organizations like the Pro-Indigenous Commission of Acre (CPI-Acre) and the Chico Mendes Committee work together to revitalize the Alliance of the Peoples of the Forest and empower these young people to take a leading role. The Chico Mendes Committee and CPI-Acre, in partnership with the Association of Indigenous Agroforestry Agents of Acre (AMAAIAC), the Association of Producers of the Floresta Rubber Estate and Surroundings (ASPAFA), Varadouro

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Young activists Alcimária Santos, from the Chico Mendes Extractivist Reserve, and Kene Yari from the Huni Kuī people, during a communication workshop. Photo: Vandsmile/ Chico Mendes Committee.

Collective, and the Women’s Association “Força da Mulher Rural do Rio Liberdade” (Women’s Association “Mulher Flor”), were gathered for four days in Xapuri with 54 young people. They engaged in training, exchange, and cultural sharing, involving various territories in the state: Chico Mendes Extractivist Reserve, Riozinho da Liberdade Extractivist Reserve, Poyanawa Indigenous Lands, Nukini, Kaxinawá da Praia do Carapanã, Kaxinawá do Baixo Rio Jordão, and Mamoadate, as well as young people from urban areas of Xapuri, Plácido de Castro, and Rio Branco. Training workshops provided young people with communication and engagement tools to elevate activism to a more strategic level, with opportunities for national and international impact. In addition to amplifying the voices of their grassroots organizations within the context of traditional communities

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and indigenous peoples in Amazonian territories, they enhanced their ability to influence public policies, strengthening their capacity to act and intervene in cultural, socio-environmental, and climate agendas through activism and communication.

the Federal University of Acre (UFAC) and are part of the Alliance between Indigenous People and Extractivists for the Forests of Acre Project, within the consortium of CPI-Acre, SOS Amazônia, and the Catitu Institute, supported by the Rainforest Foundation of Norway.

The Xapuri meeting was the second stage of activities conducted by the Chico Mendes Committee and CPI-Acre. The first workshop held by the Chico Mendes Committee brought together 30 young people during the Chico Mendes Week 2022, with the support of WWF-Brazil, through the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) program.

The training conducted in Xapuri is part of the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) program and the Protection of Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of Brazil project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany through the WWF network. The implementation is carried out by a consortium of partners consisting of the Pro-Indigenous Commission of Acre (CPI-Acre), Chico Mendes Committee, Fiocruz, Fiotec, Imaflora, Kanindé, Pacto das Águas, Health and Joy Project (PSA), and WWF-Brazil. V

In CPI-Acre, the training of young indigenous communicators began in 2021 to strengthen and support the struggle of indigenous peoples for their rights. The workshops were carried out in partnership with the Journalism Course at

PLANTFORMS MOVEMENT Ancestral cosmo-techniques, free technologies, and the launch of a social participation platform marked the first in-person meeting of the Plantaforms Movement.

Por Lua Leão, da Coalizão Fortalecimento do Ecossistema de Dados para Inovação Cívica da Amazônia Brasileira • Fotos: Lua Leão

orming a network of community articulation around digital and ancestral technologies to influence territorial and community public policies in the Legal Amazon, the PLANTFORMS MOVEMENT held its first in-person meeting in April, kicking off a series of meetings that will take place in more states within the Brazilian Legal Amazon region throughout the year. The chosen location was Caratateua Island, in the Outeiro District, Belém City, one of the territories of operation for Casa Preta Amazônia, the initiative’s founder and a member of the Coalition for Strengthening the Data Ecosystem for Civic Innovation in the Brazilian Amazon. The first meeting of the PLANTAFORMAS MOVEMENT raised topics like ancestral cosmo-techniques, free technologies for civic innovation in the Amazon, and issues related to the climate agenda. With the presence of notable guests from various places in Brazil, such as Nego Bispo (PI), Akayá Kapió (MA), Yashodhan Abya Yala (RS), Jean Ferreira (Gueto Hub, PA), Tatianny Soares (Rede Jandyras, PA), and many other partners, the audience could participate in discussions and thematic workshops on data journalism, collaborative mapping, free radio, podcasts, social participation with Decidim and Wiki lovers, and more. “PLANTFORMS is indeed a sacred territory, a backyard, a free land that is there to be cultivated, to understand and feel the word as a sacred seed that, along with many other words, can bring various voices that have never been sufficiently heard. It is not just poetry; it is a basic need not to separate technology and ancestry. These are the words that guide what we are proposing as a safe and organized space to keep alive the knowledge of various Amazons,” says Don Perna from Casa Preta.

“PLANTFORMS is indeed a sacred territory, a backyard, a free land that is there to be cultivated, to understand and feel the word as a sacred seed that, along with many other words, can bring various voices that have never been sufficiently heard...” Don Perna of Casa Preta.

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Network Actions

The event also marked the launch of PLANTFORMS, a social participation platform created in the Amazon, for the Amazon. PLANTFORMS is a digital tool that provides a free and secure space for organizations, organized communities, public institutions, and civil society to democratically self-organize and discuss topics related to climate issues and free technologies with autonomy, taking control of their own narrative as Amazonian peoples. “Building collaborative processes in the organization of information is proposing the control of community governance, an incentive to counter colonial thinking, whether by consolidating Afro-Pindoramic ancestral symbols like the SANKOFA of the Adinkras, understanding the mathematical binary nature of cowrie shell divination, embracing the spiritual discipline of shamanism, or understanding the relationship between humans and non-humans by indigenous peoples, or by opening a computer or mobile phone screen to plan our destinies freely in a digital indigenous land,” Don continues. In September, the PLANTAFORMS MOVEMENT held another in-person meeting in São Luís, Maranhão. Follow the social media accounts of Casa Preta Amazônia and the PLANTAFORMS MOVEMENT and stay tuned for the next edition of the VOZES Magazine to learn more. V

Learn more about PLANTFORMS

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STRENGTHENING THE DATA ECOSYSTEM FOR CIVIC INNOVATION IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON The Coalition for Strengthening the Data Ecosystem for Civic Innovation in the Brazilian Amazon is composed of Casa Preta Amazônia, Open Knowledge Brazil, InfoAmazonia, Puraqué, and PyLadies. Its mission is to enhance the understanding and influence of Amazon civil society regarding climate change, with a focus on combating environmental racism and social inequalities. The coalition aims to co-create solutions and opportunities involving the use of free technologies, open data management, government transparency promotion, and public policy improvement through community engagement, training, and advocacy.

CIVIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR CLIMATE ACTION IN THE AMAZON

Network Actions

Actions in the nine states of the Legal Amazon are contributing to involve more people in the production and use of open data and technologies

By Open Knowledge Brasil, from the Coalition Strengthening the Data Ecosystem for Civic Innovation in the Brazilian Amazon Illustration: Reg Coimbra

n order to make technology a tool for citizens in social control and dialogue with governments, Open Knowledge Brazil (OKBR) has carried out a series of actions in the nine states that make up the Legal Amazon. The activities are the result of the coalition “Strengthening the Ecosystem of Data and Civic Innovation in the Brazilian Amazon,” which OKBR is part of, along with the Association of Afro Engagement Casa Preta, InfoAmazonia, the Puraqué Collective, and the PyLadies Manaus and PyData Manaus collectives. Designed in collaboration with civic innovation leaders and activists in the region, the coalition’s actions aim to promote the role of technology in environmental conservation and community empowerment. They also aim to expand knowledge and access to tools, encouraging participants to contribute to the development of the Brazilian open-source ecosystem. Here’s an overview of the initiatives conducted so far:

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Python for Civic Innovation Python is an open-source programming language and one of the most popular for building open data and civic technology projects. “Therefore, democratizing this tool is crucial, both for people to contribute to existing projects, bringing their perspectives, and to enable them to create new tools to address local needs,” explained Fernanda Campagnucci, executive director of OKBR. With 400 free scholarships for participants living in this region, the online course was conducted by the School of Data - an educational program of OKBR - between June and August. In total, seven modules comprised the training, with lessons covering topics like data analysis, programming, open-source collaboration, social impact, statistics, and more. For Tiago Henrique da Silva, one of the participants, the training was an opportunity to enhance his programming and public data analysis skills. “Learning about the actions maintained by the community around OKBR was remarkable and confirms my conviction of how it is possible to make technology a tool for society. The course awakened or reaffirmed in everyone a sense of responsibility and civic engagement, reinforcing the idea that technology is a powerful tool for transformation and social control. I feel motivated to continue exploring this field and applying my knowledge in favor of this cause,” he said. After the course, Tiago began providing free mentoring and organized a study group focused on related topics.

Meetings on Civic Technologies In parallel with the online course, to encourage the exchange of experiences and knowledge in local communities, OKBR offered micro-grants to organize face-to-face meetings in the region to discuss the possibilities and challenges of using civic technologies - those that, unlike closed or proprietary technologies, allow the involvement and collaboration of anyone. Eight municipalities hosted events: Açailândia (MA), Ananindeua (PA), Cacoal (RO), Marabá (PA), Palmas

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Meeting held in the Gapgir Village, in Cacoal - Rondônia, which has had internet access for only 2 years. Young university students and village elders shared knowledge. Photo: Open Knowledge Brazil.

(TO), Rio Branco (AC), Tabatinga (AM), Tangará da Serra (MT), and Uiramutã (RR). The activities fostered discussions about innovative solutions for environmental and social challenges faced in the region, as well as strengthening relationships among communities. In Cacoal, the meeting took place in the Gapgir Village of the PAITER Nation, which has had access to the Internet for the past two years. The discussion focused on using technology as a means for dialogue with the government and forest preservation. Alexandra Borba Suruí, the event organizer, noted that indigenous youth are increasingly seeking technology. “We already have demands to continue discussing these collaborative technologies and their role in indigenous society as a tool for dialogue with the government and other spheres of power,” she said. More information about the meetings can be found at https://go.ok.org. br/encontros-tc.

A Virtual Coding Blitz In another line of action, a virtual “sprint” was held to actively contribute to the Querido Diário (Dear Journal). This civic innovation project by OKBR seeks to make official journals of Brazilian municipalities’

Network Actions information more accessible and user-friendly. During the event, which brought together 12 participants, collaborative efforts were made to improve the platform. As a result, 16 new municipalities in Maranhão, 12 of which are in the Legal Amazon, were included in the Querido Diário. Expanding the coverage of Amazonian cities through the platform enables access to more information about municipalities’ management concerning the Amazon biome and other public policies — a crucial tool for climate action, research, and journalistic coverage of the region. Currently, out of the 90 municipalities available for search on the platform, 25 are in the Legal Amazon region, covering a population of 6.7 million people.

Bacurituba, Boa Vista do Gurupi, Centro do Guilherme, Coroatá, Feira Nova do Maranhão, Maranhãozinho, Nina Rodrigues, São José dos Basílios, São Vicente Ferrer, Viana, and Zé Doca. The other four are: Afonso Cunha, Bacuri, Duque Bacelar, and Milagres do Maranhão. More about this activity can be found here: https://go.ok.org.br/sprint-qd. According to Giulio Carvalho, coordinator of Civic Innovation at OKBR, all of these activities have been essential for introducing people to open-source code and data projects and keeping the Querido Diário community vibrant and diverse. “In just a few days, newcomers to the project have integrated a dozen Legal Amazon cities and laid the foundation for dozens more to be included shortly,” he celebrated. V

The twelve municipalities in Maranhão that are part of the Legal Amazon included in the platform are: Axixá,

In clockwise order, starting from the upper right corner: 1) Meeting “Civic Technologies in the Promotion of Democracy and Transparency” in Marabá (PA); 2) Meeting “Python no Tucupi” in Ananindeua (PA); 3 and 4) Meeting “Introduction to Python” in Tabatinga (AM). Photos: Open Knowledge Brazil.

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Ancestral knowledge and social technologies The Resilience of Maranhão State Communities in the Face of the Climate Crisis

By Ingrid Barros and Raimundo Alves, from the Agroecology for the Protection of Amazon Forests Coalition Photos: Ingrid Barros

ural, peripheral, and traditional communities are the most impacted by the climate crisis. However, they are also the bearers of knowledge about land management, territory governance, preservation, and care for sociobiodiversity. Practices like agroforestry systems, native beekeeping, native seed nurseries, and the processing of agroecological products are examples of social technologies, serving as valuable tools for reducing environmental impacts and, more importantly, as alternative ways of existence that challenge the capitalist logic of deforestation, mining, and agribusiness. Over time, these forms of knowledge have been the sustaining pillars for both communities and sociobiodiversity. Therefore, it is vital to establish mechanisms that strengthen the knowledge of these populations, broaden their skills, and give them a leading role in discussions about climate change, which is essential to deal with the crisis. In this context, the Agroecology for the Protection of Amazon Forests coalition is dedicated to systematizing the social technologies created by communities in the Amazon regions of Maranhão. In order to provoke the communities’ own understanding and concept of what social technology

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is, the Development, Modernity, and Environment Study Group (Gedmma) from the Federal University of Maranhão applies a systematization method through oral accounts recorded in photographs, videos, drawings, poems, or other accessible formats. This aims to translate technical information into understandable language, facilitating communication within the community. Social technology is an expression of ancestry and memory. These are ways of life that will ensure the survival of the planet and sociobiodiversity. According to Reinaldo Soares, a vegetable producer using an agroforestry system, “It’s great to discover that we also create technology, and we, from the countryside, know how to produce.

Network Actions

It helps to see that what we have is important and provides confidence and learning.”

Collectivity and Territorial Management In the Patizal community, located in the Munim region of Maranhão, a socio-environmental agreement has been established and executed collectively by its residents. This agreement sets limitations and parameters for slash-and-burn activities, prohibits the removal of vegetative cover from springs, streams, and small rivers, prohibits deforestation in environmental protection areas, and promotes the creation of a seed bank for native species.. The community’s production is carried out through the Agroforestry Backyard Systems (Sistema de Quintais Agroflorestais, or SAF), responsible for planting various agroecological foods such as cassava, sesame, oranges, beans, and coffee without the use of pesticides. There is also a special focus on soil and seedling cultivation. “We are the technicians of our own backyards. SAF involves everything, the land, the plants; it’s a wealth in terms of food and health, in all aspects,” says farmer Leontina dos Santos. In the same region, Ivanilce dos Santos from the Timbó community is a honey producer dedicated to

We are the technicians of our own backyards. SAF involves everything, the land, the plants; it’s a wealth in terms of food and health, in all aspects” Leontina dos Santos, farmer

raising stingless native bees. Approximately 50% of her income comes from harvesting honey from the Tiúba bees. Ivanilce shares, “When we raise bees, we are contributing to the well-being of nature and to our well-being as well. When I enter the meliponary, I feel immense peace. I love doing this.” The Tiúba bee depends on a preserved environment to live and produce honey. Currently, the beekeeper has 48 beehives and respects the honey production cycles, reproduction, and population division into new hives. In the Claridade community, located in São Luiz Gonzaga, in the Mearim region, farmer Cleonice Silva implements an effective method for germinating seeds in nurseries using mulch. The process begins with the careful preparation of the

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soil beds, where the soil is meticulously removed. Next, a mixture of manure and organic matter is combined, and the seeds are inserted and later covered with a layer of mulch. This approach results in the development of more robust seedlings in greater quantities. A fundamental aspect of this method is the daily attention, which allows for constant monitoring of plant growth. The proposal is to sow directly in the prepared nursery soil, eliminating the need for transplants or the use of plastic containers or other materials for seed planting. This strategy aligns with more sustainable practices, reducing waste and promoting efficient resource use, benefiting both the community and the environment.

Female Economic Independence: Social Technology for Autonomy and Equality Strengthening and managing women’s economic independence is also social technology. An example of this is the agroecological products processing unit for farmers markets and the National School Feeding Program (Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar, or PNAE), developed by the “Semeando a Resistência” (Sowing Resistance) and “Associação de Mulheres Unidas pelo Bem Viver” (Association of Women United for Well-being) in the communities of São João do Rosário and Bom Jesus, located in the Munim region. They produce cookies, bread, cakes, fruit pulp for juice, and other products. Through this field of operation, they not only promote social and community strengthening but also facilitate access to income sources, promote women’s autonomy, and thereby contribute to addressing domestic violence situations. In these communities, women are also the guardians of ancestral knowledge. In the Recurso community, within the Rio Pirangi settlement, Dona Maria José has revived the production of arrowroot and junça, a practice dating back to ancient times, which provides income through the production of starch and biscuits. Additionally, both arrowroot and junça have important

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nutritional and medicinal properties. Plant medicine is technology, and women are its guardians. Severina dos Santos, a family farmer from Bacabal, learned from her mother how to use “Malva do Reino.” The plant is effective in controlling blood pressure. At home, she has a medicinal garden with over 30 plant species, and exchanges with public school students have already been promoted. Traditional knowledge combined with community and local institutional support emphasizes the positive impact that a sustainable and health-focused approach can have on people’s lives, while also valuing ancestral practices.

Network Actions In conclusion, the intersection of ancestral knowledge and social technologies plays a crucial role in the resilience of communities in the face of the climate crisis. Strengthening these populations and amplifying their knowledge. V

25 YEARS OF THE AGROECOLOGY NETWORK OF MARANHÃO The organizations that are part of the Agroecology for the Protection of Amazon Forests Coalition promoted the V Maranhense Agroecology Meeting, celebrating the 25 years of the Agroecology Network of Maranhão. The meeting took place in August, in the São Bento do Juvenal community, in the municipality of Peritoró, and brought together representatives from various organizations and movements who shared their experiences in agroecology, food sovereignty, and free territories. The meeting also reinforced the fight against the financialization of nature, the advance of agribusiness, and pesticides as a chemical weapon, using knowledge and research as political tools. Over 100 participants committed to well-liviing and free territories came together for three days to share experiences and seek legislative strategies to protect territories and prohibit aerial spraying of pesticides. The defense of free, prior, and informed consent for traditional communities was also emphasized. Together, we launched the state campaign “Enough of Pesticides” because there is no climate justice with poisoned territories.

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AROUND THE WORLD It is not just in Brazil - In other corners of the world, the grassroots voices are also questing for climate justice. What is happening in the climate justice movement in other countries and on the global stage? How are these voices performing? What do they have to say?

Bolivia

INDIGENOUS WOMEN OF BOLIVIA National Meeting brings together 80 leaders from various Bolivian biomes against mining

By VCA Bolivia team Photos: Articulación FOSPA Bolívia

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Female leaders from different biomes in Bolivia participate in the PreFOSPA in the city of Rurrenabaque.

As part of the 2024 Pan-Amazonic Social Forum (FOSPA), a historic meeting took place in July in Rurrenabaque, Beni, where indigenous women from Bolivia united to confront mining and the crises impacting their lives and territories. With the participation of approximately 80 leaders from various regions, including the Amazon, Chiquitania, Pantanal, Chaco, and the highlands, the “National Meeting of Indigenous Women” was held. During this event, strong actions against extractivism and its serious consequences were discussed and proposed.

The conclusions of the meeting’s document include crucial demands, calling on the Federal Government and the National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA) to fulfill the required land titling, ensure the legal security of titled territories, and respect the ancestral nature of these lands. This is just the beginning of a long list of demands aimed at creating an impact at the national level and within their own organizations. It is a bold step to address mining issues and achieve public policies that protect these demands. V

Female leaders from different biomes in Bolivia participate in the Pre-FOSPA in the city of Rurrenabaque.

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VOICES AROUND THE WORLD

YOUNG BOLIVIAN VOICES Bolivian Youth Holds National Meeting Ahead of FOSPA 2024 By VCA Bolivia team Photos: Articulación FOSPA Bolívia

The hearts and minds of young people from different Bolivian territories came together during two days in July in Santa Cruz for the National Youth Meeting. These emerging leaders from indigenous, peasant, and urban organizations set out to address environmental issues affecting their communities and rights collectively. During this meeting, the youth engaged in deep reflections and dialogues that resulted in valuable proposals to combat extractive industry policies and climate change threatening their beloved territories. With determination, they worked to find concrete solutions, united in a collective effort, and developed powerful proposals that will resonate in the indigenous youth’s declaration.

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The highlight of the meeting was an inspiring manifesto for life in the Amazon, a call to action and the protection of our common home. Bringing the perspective of youth, these emerging Bolivian leaders took another step toward the sustainable future we all desire. Let us follow their example and share their message of hope and commitment. Together, we are building a greener and fairer tomorrow for all! V

VOICES AROUND THE WORLD

THE AMAZON IS CLOSE TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN! Pre-FOSPA Bolivia organizes the defense of the Amazon based on four essential axes; the country will host the event in 2024

Indigenous people from the highlands and lowlands of Bolivia come together to defend natural resources and their territories.

By VCA Bolivia team Photos: Articulación FOSPA Bolívia

The Amazon, one of the planet’s most valuable treasures, is facing an unprecedented threat. Deforestation and the degradation of its forests have reached critical levels, endangering the existence of hundreds of indigenous nations, urban Amazon communities, and all the biodiversity that inhabits it. In response to this emergency, the Pre-FOSPA (Pan-Amazonic Social Forum) was held in Rurrenabaque and San Buenaventura, Bolivia, during four days in July. At the event, women, men, and young people from various indigenous research centers, peasant organizations, human rights and natural rights institutions, as well as church networks and other actors, joined forces in a march with a clear purpose: the defense of the Amazon.

The meeting was structured around four fundamental axes called “Pascanas”: Indigenous peoples and Amazon territories; Mother Earth; Extractions and alternatives; and

Amazon, as well as strengthening the proposals and alternatives being developed by indigenous peoples. At the end of Pre-FOSPA, a powerful declaration with 29 points, advocating for respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, water, and the forests of the Amazon, was published. Indigenous organizations from the highlands and lowlands united their voices in a joint call to action to create alliances with different actors and reach agreements on advocacy strategies to address the crisis in the region. Today, more than ever, the Amazon needs our solidarity and commitment. Biodiversity, culture, and the future of our communities depend on the preservation of this invaluable green lung. V

Women. Participants in the event were able to engage in spaces for reflection, debates, and on-site visits related to each of these axes with the aim of sharing issues and discussing studies and analyses affecting the

follow @cambioclimaticobolivia @pbacc.bolivia

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Paraguay

THE TERRITORY: WHERE LIFE BEGINS AND WHERE WOMEN WANT TO LIVE FREE FROM ALL VIOLENCE By Flavia Borja, from Emancipa, VCA partner in Paraguay Photos: Rodrigo da Silva

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The women who care for the environment are also the guardians of seeds in their territories.

VOICES AROUND THE WORLD

Aware of inequalities, women recognize and advocate for the value and necessity of working together

“Our territory is our home” was the slogan of the Trinational Meeting of Women from the Grán Chaco Americano, which encompasses areas in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It was precisely in Paraguay that the event organized by the Women’s Collective of the American Chaco took place in July this year. The Women’s Collective is an organization that has been working in the territory for over two decades, and this year’s Trinational Meeting brought together nearly two hundred indigenous women from seventy rural and urban communities who came to the municipality of Benjamín Aceval in southern Paraguayan Chaco. Special guests from the Netherlands also attended the event, including Thandiwe Chikomo, VCA’s global director,

and Bárbara Nakangu, WWF’s programs director. From Brazil, Caylane Gleize de Souza, from Voices of Tocantins Coalition, and Vanessa Neco, from the Community Association of Education in Health and Agriculture - Acesa. For five days, these women got to know each other, conversed, and reflected on a central topic: the climate crisis, its causes, and its consequences for the general population and, more specifically, for the indigenous peoples of these three countries. At the beginning of the meeting, the women explained that the slogan expresses the importance of the land as the space where life begins. It also seeks a new meaning for the home and the care that falls upon women, emphasizing that these responsibilities should be viewed

from a communal perspective to enable women to live free from any form of violence. This was a long-awaited meeting, as the last edition had been in 2018 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this spirit, an altar representing the four seasons in the indigenous worldview, with earth, water, fire, flowers, and leaves, was set up to signify the strong connection that nature has for each of them. On the second day, clay vessels with medicinal plant leaves appeared, generating a light and pleasant smoke to cleanse the energies of all the people present. Each day featured a ritual, an opportunity to get to know, embrace another person, embrace different customs, beliefs, ways of doing things, and ways of being from each woman and each community, always done with respect. It was an opportunity to reflect and propose new paths

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to address the climate crisis that afflicts us.

Women from four countries drafted work proposals to implement in their territories in defense of nature.

A crisis with many causes, as mentioned by these women: national and multinational companies that extract oil in Bolivia, cultivate genetically modified soybeans and other crops in almost every country in Latin America, deforest woodlands for cattle farming, seek minerals from the earth, and prioritize profit over people’s lives. “The extractive industry makes our water decrease. We need to strengthen women’s organizations and also those of our brothers because companies come with money, but it’s money that lasts a short time, while the impact of what they do lasts forever,” said Olinda Soto Cachari of the Assembly of Guaraní Peoples (APG) in Bolivia. These actions contribute, each in their own way, to deepening the climate crisis, resulting in water scarcity, prolonged droughts, uncontrollable forest fires, floods, landslides, and more. In this context, many women and their families have no choice but to migrate to other territories. On the third day, the women continued to work on identifying problems, actors causing them, allies who could help defend their territories, and those who would protect corporate interests. All of this was done without losing the spirit of camaraderie and hope. One way to express this hope was by painting a large piece of white fabric placed on the ground for each participant to contribute. On the fourth day, there was a lot of work. Divided into several groups, they systematized all

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the experiences, information gathered so far, and the proposals and possible paths to resolve the issues. They presented their work to each other and jointly analyzed how they could incorporate everything into a declaration for the authorities. To conclude the meeting, the women read the declaration in the presence of the Minister of

Women and representatives of international organizations. They presented their demands and proposals and emphasized that they want their voices to be heard in their territories, as well as by national and global authorities since the problem is global, and effective solutions can only be achieved if all governments do their part. V

VOICES AROUND THE WORLD

HOW MUCH IS OUR EXPERIENCE WORTH? Against the negative effects of climate change, our struggle (young black, indigenous, quilombolas, LGBT+, and marginalized people) is always collective. By Elenita Sales, from Palmares Action Lab and Preta no Verde • Illustration: Beatriz Paiva

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Brazil

n 1875, my body would have been worth between 1 conto de réis and 106 thousand réis. Now that we are “free,” why is it still challenging to have our experiences valued and our knowledge recognized? I know the possible answers, but in this article, I want to share a bit of my journey to illustrate how arduous the process is for us activists and advocates of socioenvironmental causes to be present in decision-making spaces, such as international conferences. I am Elenita Sales, a black, queer, LGBT+ woman, raised and educated by a 50 years older black man, and a single father (Thank you, Seu Ademir!), born in the interior of São Paulo and currently resisting in Santa Catarina. During my years of living and resisting as a black woman in the world, with the various aspects that make up who I am, I identified my life’s purpose: to contribute to the construction of a fairer and more sustainable world in the various environments I am a part of. I have participated in various movements, collectives, and initiatives, and currently, I serve as a focal point at Palmares Action Lab, a laboratory within the forest, where I share some of the knowledge I have acquired. During this time, we have built incredible things together. But if only everything were smooth sailing... Although I have been selected among many young people, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean by boat with other activists from Latin America and the Caribbean, volunteered for national and international projects, and had other experiences, being present in decisionmaking spaces is not easy or accessible. Even with experience, it is not always valued. My most recent battle was being present at SB58 (the 58th session of the Subsidiary Bodies), a more

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Elenita in Bonn (Germany) on the dissemination panel about COP28.

technical conference within the United Nations where member countries align their demands and advocate for the COP (Conference of the Parties) agenda, which will is being held in Dubai this year. It would be my first SB, and I wanted to be there to understand how this negotiation process between our country’s representatives works better, to make myself visible and show that we are vigilant. Even after being in this environment for a few years, attending two COPs and making significant connections that I cherish, getting to Bonn, Germany, where the SB is held every year, was not easy. It is common for sponsors/organizations to take time to respond, for processes to be bureaucratic, or to base their decisions on social media numbers, sometimes

VOICES AROUND THE WORLD

not even that. That’s what happened to me. I almost couldn’t represent Preta no Verde, the blog where I share my Afro-diasporic writings, and Palmares Action Lab, despite being a scientist, artist, and active socio-environmental mobilizer. The delay for a “no,” the lack of response, the torture of sending more than one email or message, making you feel like you are bothering them just for wanting to fight for us... It was by activating my support network and being transparent that I got the support I needed. I used what I already had in my conference emergency fund and presented a performance proposal to WWF-Brazil and the Program Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA). By being at SB58, I was able to get closer to Brazil’s negotiators, schedule meetings with our representatives, and gain a better understanding of our country’s strategy for this space and what is being planned for COP30, which will be held in Brazil.

It is in these spaces that we have the opportunity to be close to different decision-makers and continue to fight for our seat at the table. It is where we can strengthen ourselves with people from other territories, share strategies, grow as a community, and unite forces. Some leaders may only be fighting for themselves and for capital, but our struggle remains collective, even though we are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and we, young black, indigenous, quilombolas, LGBT+, and marginalized people, are on the front lines. Our presence in these spaces is important because no one is better suited to talk about the effects of climate change than those who deal with these effects in their daily lives. Who better than us to speak about us and for us? We are in our territories thinking of solutions, using ancestral and grassroots knowledge; we have a lot to share. Furthermore, the

information and opportunities that these spaces, like the SB, offer are strategically essential for our territories, where we can access other tools to continue resisting, including funding.

We are mobilized, it didn’t start with me, and we won’t stop fighting and occupying spaces that are rightfully our The role of privileged individuals is to ensure that other people like me who want to occupy decisionmaking spaces, who want to represent their struggles, can do so in the best possible way. So, what are you, a privileged person, doing to ensure that your privilege reaches more people? After all, how much is our experience worth to you? V

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Climate Forum Now Campaign

AN ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE The Participation of the Jandyras Network in Creating the Belém City Climate Forum

By the Jandyras Network

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n the struggle for awareness of climate action, the Jandyras Network, a collective committed to socio-environmental issues with a focus on climate justice, details the journey and significant milestone in the creation of the Climate Forum for Belém, a crucial step in addressing the climate emergency. The Jandyras Network, a collective composed of women engaged in the fight for climate justice in Belém and the Amazon, aims to strengthen and increase female participation in the political debate on environmental issues and in the construction of socioenvironmental policies aligned with the reality of the population. One of the landmarks of this network is the #ForumClimaticoJa (#ClimateForumNow) campaign, which seeks to sensitize society to climate change and the urgent need for concrete measures to address it. After months of waiting, on July 27, 2023, the decree for the Forum was signed by the mayor of Belém, and its existence was announced in the Official Gazette of the Municipality on August 4th, 2023. This act was more than a formality; it was the recognition of the tireless struggle of the Jandyras Network, which saw the

Network Actions

Amazon Dialogues with Sergio, the Forum’s coordinator.

#ForumClimaticoJa campaign as an expression of an urgent appeal for concrete actions against climate change. On September 12, the Jandyras Network engaged in meetings that initiated the process of composing the Municipal Climate Forum, responding to the call of interest directed to all organizations in Belém that wished to join the Forum. The meetings, organized by specific segments, allowed the Jandyras Network to apply for the segment of non-governmental organizations dedicated to environmental protection. With strong representation and support, the Jandyras Network was elected to occupy a seat on the Forum, receiving 48 votes in favor. After the election, on October 18, 2023, the Jandyras Network was sworn in, along with the establishment of the Forum. This historic milestone represented a significant advance for Belém and the entire Amazon region in addressing climate change and seeking sustainable solutions, as it is the first Climate Forum in a capital of Legal Amazon. We at the Jandyras Network believe that the Climate Forum is essential for dialogue and collaboration, where civil society, local communities, and experts can contribute to the formulation of relevant public policies. The Jandyras Network hopes that it becomes a democratic space from which innovative

and sustainable solutions for Belém’s environmental challenges emerge. The journey of the Jandyras Network towards the creation of the Climate Forum is a narrative of determination and hope. It reflects the power of collective action and serves as an inspiring model for other cities in the Amazon and beyond. With the Forum now a reality, Belém positions itself at the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis, an example of how citizen participation is crucial in seeking a more sustainable future. We at the Jandyras Network envision a space for continuous dialogue, where the voice of civil society, local communities, and environmental experts is heard and integrated into public policies. We hope the Forum becomes a space for joint construction, where solutions for the city of Belém can emerge, many of which are presented in the Climate Agenda for Belém, produced by Jandyras. We see the Climate Forum as an opportunity to unite different sectors of society around a common goal: mitigating the impacts of climate change and promoting climate justice. The Jandyras Network intends to continue working on the operationalization of the Forum to ensure that it is plural, transparent, and participatory. V

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We are streams of struggles and rivers of transformations The Youth of Mirí: Building Networks for Territory Defense and Climate Justice By Pedro Alace, from Miri Collective and Apuama Coalition

It’s time, the right moment, and the right mood to wake up! Belém and the state of Pará are firmly placed at the center of socio-environmental and climate discussions, playing leading roles in various events, programs, and popular mobilizations that demand the defense of their territory and the lives of their people in a way that allows for harmonious living with the biome in which they reside. In this perspective, inspiring initiatives like the Jandyras Network need to be replicated, putting organized civil society at the negotiation tables and making them co-authors of their own transformations in the face of the climate chaos that our planet is experiencing. Following this logic, the Mirí Collective is advancing, joining the new coalition of the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) program, along with Mandí, Jandyras Network, and Clima de Eleição, recognized as prominent figures in national and Amazonian activism in Belém and the metropolitan region. Now, in a move to decentralize climate activist narratives and mobilizations, which encompass rural and periurban communities in Castanhal and the surrounding area, this coalition emerges, strengthening a vast grassroots network that has been forged in the struggle for basic rights in their territories.

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Over the next two years, the primary mission will be to ensure that COP 30 becomes a significant opportunity to implement public policies aimed at guaranteeing the rights of populations affected by the impacts of the climate crisis. This will be achieved through a robust process of political advocacy and the strengthening of community-based organizations in the region. Advocacy in practice will open space for leaders and communities at large to be heard in decision-making processes concerning the territories in which they live. Since 2016, Mirí has set out to mobilize the community through art, culture, and civil society engagement in political advocacy to create a continuous process of reflection on issues related to the defense of territory, rivers, streams, forests, and community well-being. They have been promoting critical environmental and socially referenced education, commencing from Agrovila Itaqui in Castanhal, Pará, and extending

Network Actions to other rural territories in the Amazon. Through innovative methodologies, they have shown that local culture can be harnessed to create spaces for resistance and socio-environmental mobilization. This emphasizes the importance of ensuring that their rights to the land are respected.

Representatives of the Mirí Collective at the Amazonian Dialogues in Belém, PA. Photo: Mirí Archives.

One of the objectives of the coalition’s work is to establish the Climate Forum and other mechanisms for popular participation in climate mitigation and adaptation policies in Castanhal. This is a consequence of training in communities, considering the successful experience of the Belém Climate Agenda and the Belém Forum, which was recently approved. The Climate Forum is the result of extensive mobilization by the Jandyras Network, strengthening the feasibility of a popular climate movement in other municipalities in the state of Pará and the Amazon region. Over the years, it has become clear that the identity forged in the Amazon is not only about the forest and rivers. It encompasses all its exuberant nature and the many peoples and communities that live and thrive in it. These communities need to be directly connected to the local politics being shaped in these municipalities. By delivering transformative technologies built within their own territory, by, with, and for the Amazonian people, there is hope that individual forces will unite toward common goals. This way, communities can have their voices heard and demonstrate that it is possible to join forces and bring about significant changes regarding the unbridled exploitation of natural resources. V Intervention in defense of Amazonian waters during the environmental week in Castanhal, PA. Photo: Aryel Neres.

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Team of researchers conducting a census in Terra Firme, Belém do Pará.

Female leadership in urban communities in Pará

Self-census is a census conducted by the residents of a community. It includes both traditionally available data in official censuses and registrations, as well as data that the community decides to include. In this case, questions related to climate change, the project’s theme, were included.

By Coalition Urban Engagement in the Climate Agenda: Amazonian Voices

Addressing the issue of climate change in urban communities through self-censuses helps to relate everyday local situations to the global issue and to bring this discussion closer to gender, income, and race-related issues, as peripheral communities are the most affected by the climate crisis. In the first half of 2023, the Coalition Urban Engagement in the Climate Agenda Amazonian Voices conducted self-censuses in three urban communities in Pará State: part of Terra Firme, in Belém, and Mapiri and Maracanã in Santarém.

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Map made by Zé Maria, a resident of Terra Firme, showcasing part of the community where the census took place.

Network Actions In addition to the empowerment generated by the In addition to the empowerment generated by the mere production of data by the community about itself, self-census is an effective tool for community mobilization and engagement, as it involves the entire community and allows its residents to participate in a process through which they discover themselves, recognizing their unique characteristics, similarities, problems, and potentialities. In other words, the self-census has the overall goal of mobilizing and empowering the community to be a protagonist in the transformations of their place and the lives of its residents. In the case of this project, based on the census results, communities can define their action priorities, including regarding the mitigation of the impacts of climate change. Another aspect of censuses that has drawn attention is the role of women in these processes. Besides always being the majority in communities, 70% of the census researchers are women, and they are taking on leadership roles in post-census community development processes. And so we work, bringing the climate agenda closer to the reality of communities and giving due space to female leadership in community strengthening processes. After all, “it’s no longer a conversation for the future;

Above: Census interview in Terra Firme. Below: Census interview in the Mapiri community, Santarém, Pará.

climate change is already affecting life in our cities. It may seem like it’s not, but there’s still time to react, reverse some of its effects, and avoid a much worse future. For that, we need to inform ourselves, take a stance, speak out, and make those with decision-making power listen. Only then will we build more just and balanced ways of inhabiting the planet. Let’s go? V

The Amazonian Voices Coalition is formed by Rede Interação and SOMECDH, and it aims to bring the climate agenda closer to urban communities through community strengthening.

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THE TR U THE AMAZ

F IL O E O U R L E A V I V R E N O By Caetano Scannavino, Coordinator of Projeto Saúde & Alegria, member of the Coordination of Observatório do Clima, and Member of the Coalizão Vozes do Tapajós Illustration: Jambo Studio

*Originally published in Folha de S.Paulo on August 8, 2023

ith the pre-salt discoveries, Brazil did not solve education, as promised, or achieve sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro. However, it continues to break records in oil production, and this will continue until the next decade, even though the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global demand for fossil fuels will decline after 2028, along with the price of a barrel due to the transition to renewable energy sources. The question is whether Brazil will go against the global trend by planning perhaps the largest new oil exploration front on the planet, in the Amazon River mouth and along the equatorial margin, estimating the peak of national production after 2030. Revenues for drilling in the equatorial margin are projected to be between $770 billion and $2.3 trillion. The question is, if Brazil chooses to burn all that oil, what will it miss out on?

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The value of these reserves could be infinitely greater if we leave them in the depths. There is a huge cost for every 0.1°C increase in global temperature. The argument for strong short-term action is also economic. For every $1 invested in mitigation, $1.5 to $4 is saved in the effects of climate change (Nature Climate Change). If current emission patterns are maintained, global economic costs will reach $178 trillion between 2021 and 2070 (Deloitte). The human costs would be even higher, with increased food insecurity, water scarcity, mass migrations, and worsening health and well-being conditions, especially for the poorest populations. This is where we can invest in the real value of Amazon River oil: “avoided exploitation.” By refraining from burning it, Brazil, under the leadership of Lula and Marina Silva, would have the credibility to demand that other nations do the same. It can lead a movement from the Global South for fair global climate governance that takes into account not only environmental but also social compensations. In the Amazon, there are numerous warnings about a point of no return for the rainforest, leading to desertification. Without the force of the biome, simulations show that the planet’s average temperature would rise by 0.25°C. The ones who would lose the most in this scenario are the Brazilians, who would experience a 2°C increase and a 25% reduction in rainfall. Without the forest, there is no water. Without water, there is no agriculture or hydroelectric power generation. Therefore, protecting the Amazon is not something only foreigners should care about; it is a national interest. The core of the debate about oil in the Amazon River mouth is not about environmental licensing, a technical procedure. It is about the vision for the future.

In the next two years, the world must decide what to do with what we agreed upon in Paris in 2015: the almost-lost goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it will be necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and 60% by 2035 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. And, for this, no new major fossil fuel exploration front should be opened. There is no need to find more oil. Recoverable reserves reached 1.624 trillion barrels in 2022, but only half of that should be consumed if we are serious about the 1.5°C commitment (Rystad Energy). We have two years to decide the course of the century. It is a unique opportunity for Brazil as the host country of the Amazon Summit, in 2023, the G20 meeting in 2024, and COP30 in 2025, in Belém. It will be decisive because it marks the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. That’s when we’ll find out whether we want to reach 2030 discussing an increase in temperature from 1.5°C to 2°C or from 2°C to 2.5°C. Because if the choice is to perpetuate a party in which we let the ice melt, we can burn everything, including our future. After our sad role as the last nation to abolish slavery, do we want to be one of the last to abolish fossil fuel burning? V

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Amazonian Surging By Daniel Nardin, journalist and CEO of the Bem da Amazônia Institute, and creator of the Amazônia Vox platform Photo: Márcio Nagano

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“Prepare your heart for the things I’m going to tell you... that you may not like.”

income while looking at the forest through their window. Consequently, this group distances itself from and may even help denounce practices that might provide some income for them to live but destroy the very forest.

Drawing inspiration from the song beautifully interpreted by Jair Rodrigues (with a slight adaptation), I bring up a point that I have seen discussed too little when it comes to new economies and opportunities in the Amazon. Indeed, all discussions are valid.

Angélica’s reflection took place during a meeting with content producers from various parts of the country when she was discussing the Amazônia Vox initiative, a platform that creates a Source Bank for the Amazon, brings together freelance communication professionals from the region, and produces content based on Solution Journalism.

Whenever the Amazon is mentioned, we have content there. And, to a large extent, this content is audiovisual, textual, artistic, programming... there are countless forms of expression. Communication, as we understand it at the Bem da Amazônia Institute, is a tool, strategy, and path to support initiatives aimed at sustainable development in the Amazon. I come to the point, drawing directly from a reflection by Angélica Mendes, from the Chico Mendes Committee and WWF-Brazil, and the granddaughter of the Acrean environmental activist assassinated in 1988. Every time you hire a designer, a photographer, or a content producer from the Amazon, you are creating income opportunities that ultimately contribute to keeping the forest standing. How so? All initiatives aimed at bioeconomy, the so-called green economy, and activities that support the transition to more sustainable practices are, again, worthy and deserve further exploration. But there is still little discussion about a sector that is growing globally, driving the economy and, in the end, employing people: communication. It is rarely considered as a sector to be included in this just transition. Angélica used the example of a young designer from an extractive reserve. This young individual, with a computer, internet access, qualifications, and an opportunity, can work and earn income through an activity that will create a new economic chain. With more work, they can bring in others. So, within this group, there is an activity that is a good alternative for professional development, generating

So, if a company or organization needs photos of indigenous peoples, why not hire or seek out an indigenous photographer? For a news report production in riverside communities, a local professional can be hired. And this approach can be applied to all possible and imaginable scenarios in a complex and diverse region, including in urban Amazon cities and in quilombola communities. In this Amazonian complexity, we have professionals, companies, agencies, and people right here. Those who, with the opportunity, contribute to sustainable practices, even indirectly. That’s why I look forward to many positive initiatives regarding the Amazon, such as the founding of the Amazon Chapter of the Brazilian Association of Business Communication (Aberje). May there be even more connections, training, dialogues, and exchanges. However, it’s essential to increasingly recognize that strengthening the Amazon communication ecosystem is also a valuable contribution to this region, which is often discussed but needs to be genuinely heard and considered in all processes. And this is just one small aspect of the many possible challenges and opportunities when we think about the Amazon. We are ready, through dialogue and connection, to support content production about the Amazon with more prominence and participation of Amazonians. Oh! If you were drawn to this text by this image (and what a photo!), see this: it’s from an Amazonian, Márcio Nagano. And, yes... He is part of the Amazônia Vox freelance network. V

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mood

To change the current course of climate collaps that we are experiencing, it is necessary to create a new model of society, with a new concept of development. But how do we conquer and engage hearts and minds, while condemning the disaster and those accountable for it and suggesting new paths forward? With Art Mood we record history, amplify the noise, and raise political and social awareness! Get in the mood with us!

Photos: Pedro Henrique/ SobreOTatameFilmes s

Artivism Workshop at the IV VCA Brazil Partners Forum As part of the self-managed activities organized by the VCA coalitions during the IV VCA Brazil Partners Forum, representatives from Megaphone Activism and the Chico Mendes Committee conducted an Artivism Workshop in São Luís do Maranhão. The activities took place at CRESOL, in the historic center of the city.

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Amazonic Voices

Photos: Tapajós Vivo Movement, 2023

ARTMILITANCY AT EMSA The School of Amazonian SocioEnvironmental Activism (EMSA) conducted an Artmilitancy workshop during the Mobilization and Agitation module in the Amazon (see page 61). In this workshop, students had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of this practice through the experiences of artist and activist Carlos Alves from the Tapajós Vivo Movement. Subsequently, they were able to express their concerns and ideals in defense of the territory. Artmilitancy, or artivism, has become a tool for visibility and resistance and has been produced by various organizations and movements. The workshop, in a practical sense, contributed to the refinement of these aspects. In the posters, students depict the dangers of agrochemicals.

As part of the concluding activities of the VCA project developed by the Coalition Urban Engagement in Climate Change: Amazonian Voices, in the Mapiri community in Santarém/PA, the Rede Interação (Interaction Network) and SOMECDH inaugurated the exhibition “The Mapiri Lake, Our Past and Our Future.” The exhibition took place on the waterfront of the city, with the support of @amobam.stm and Maria Amália Queiroz De Souza School.

Photo: Rede Interação

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IT’S CLIMATE! Artivist Residency From August 7th to 12th, 2023, LabExperimental, Condô Cultural, Parede Viva, and Megafone Activism brought together artists, producers, artivists, and partners from the North and Southeast regions of Brazil for the Artivist Residency É Clima!, a laboratory of climate imagination to foster exchanges and creative partnerships in multiple languages. The Artivist Residency É Clima! was supported by the Climate and Society Institute - ICS and had various participants from the VCA coalitions. Access the link, learn more about the residency, and see the results of the works produced by the artivists: labexperimental.org/residencia

Women and Well-Living What would become of us Without their voice We try to find ourselves, eternal Tijupá What would become of me without these women Who are companions on this journey I would be nothing Everything would lose its color, food, flavor I would be out in the open, living for the moment Life would be very sad, and I would find no way out Without these wonderful women Who have entered my life We are women. Warrior women Living off markets and seasonal floods and also as healers We live off family farming supplying our home, generating income, and preserving the riparian forest Together in a collective effort increasing production and building good nutrition

Poem created as a systematization by the women of the Association Unidas pelo Bem Viver in a workshop promoted by the Agroecology for the Protection of Amazon Forests Coalition

Photo: Sato do Brasil

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“In the Spawning of Climate Change” Goes to the Theater The Coalition “In the Spawning of Climate Change - Women and Youth in the Amazon Swimming Against the Current,” through the Permanent Forum of Women in Manaus and its partners, such as the Black Women’s Movement of the Forest - Dandara, conducted an actor/actress training workshops with the youth of the Homero de Miranda Leão State School throughout the year 2023. As a result of these workshops, the play “Oxygen” has been presented. The play is part of the outcome of a process of research, dialogue, and discussions about Climate Change with civil society. It is an experimental performance that carries in its essence the origin, the sacred feminine, and the intuitive, aiming for a connection with the elements of nature: the earth, water, air, in other words, the principle of everything. “Oxygen” is co-authored by Elizeu Melo, Francy Junior, and Keylla Gomes, with choreography by Mara Pacheco and a cast of new actresses and actors in the Amazonian scene.

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BOAT BATHROOM By Muriel Saragoussi, from Escola de Ativismo and NÓS Coalition • Illustration: Reg Coimbra

Amazonian boats are part of every tourist’s imagination. Those little wooden boats that sail up the rivers, tuc tuc, with the motor’s noise echoing through the forest and the birds responding. What no tourist knows until they step on the boat is that all notions of privacy will be left at the dock. - “That’s okay,” you’ll say, “I’m prepared to sleep in a hammock, with people snoring beside me and children passing beneath. After all, this is my adventure in the jungle!”

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But I said all notions of privacy, just like that, in bold. The entire boat is made of wood, including the bathrooms, with the only difference being that these have a thin layer of resin up to the middle of the wall, delaying the inevitable decay of everything organic. At the beginning of the journey, everything is fine. The landscape is beautiful, the heat is mitigated by the wind from the boat’s movement, and the cold beer they serve upstairs on the top deck. It’s a pity that the cheesy music blaring doesn’t allow you to hear the tuc-tuc of the motor or the birds, but the people’s friendliness makes up for it. And you, in your bikini, enjoy the sun, the company, and the scenery. Time for the first pee. All the bathrooms are in the back, men on one side, women on the other. The line, as always, becomes a lively place, strengthening the bonds between people, each sharing their travel stories, tales of those left behind, and those waiting at the destination. The bathroom is straightforward. Wooden walls, wooden floor, a small window (how do you open this? Huh?! Downward!), a sink, a shower, and a toilet with a plastic flush tank attached high on the wall, the toilet paper hanging from a wire next to the toilet, just above the already half-filled waste bin. You can continue to hear the story that the person behind you was telling, even when they enter the bathroom next door, but at this point, it doesn’t bother you. It’s still early, and you’re not aware of the potential of this bathroom yet. After lunch, hammock, and a nap. You wake up a little sweaty, with beer oozing from your pores, and, after all, boat trips allow this luxury, you decide to take a shower. Prepared, your bag with shampoo, soap, creams (including insect repellent), a toothbrush, a comb, tampons, and underwear is within easy reach, at the top of your bag. You thought of everything! There’s a line, but it’s normal. You pick up a conversation that was left halfway through during your third trip to the toilet and your turn approaches. When you enter, you immediately notice that the bathroom’s condition has deteriorated throughout the day. You notice that other people have already taken their showers, and the water from the shower, which

falls a little beyond the toilet, splashes everywhere in the bathroom, including the toilet, the roll of toilet paper, which a good Samaritan placed to dry on top of the flush tank, and the waste paper bin, which is well on its way to turning into cellulose paste, dripping down the sides of the basket. The wet floor has soapy water sloshing back and forth because the tiny hole acting as a drain, allowing it to flow into the river, has cellulose paste and hair reducing its flow. The gentle rocking of the boat doesn’t help. You search for a place to hang your bag, clothes, and towel and realize that the nail behind the door is turned downward. You won’t fall for that trap. You put everything on the doorknob, but you see that it will get wet. With the tip of your flip-flop, you courageously clear the drain. You take things out of the bag, put them on the floor, everything is kind of afloat. The towel and clothes, you place them on top of the flush tank, being careful not to let the toilet paper that was already there fall on the floor. Success is relative. It and the underwear fall into the flush tank, which has no cover. You climb onto the toilet and retrieve everything. You take off your clothes, your bikini, and store them carefully on top of the towel. The underwear, wet, stays on the doorknob. The water is surprisingly warm - solar heating, as the water tank is on the boat’s roof. The view from the little window is nice, and it’s the first time you take a shower with the horizon passing by in the distance. The conversation in the line serves as a soundtrack until you realize that they are commenting on your delay. You pull the towel, and your clothes fall to the floor. You rinse your bikini to remove the soap, and you wear it wet; the underwear and the top will take longer to dry. You put all those little bottles and wet, useless things back in the bag, and you come out of the bathroom, smelling lovely and looking beautiful. After all, it’s not a disaster; it’s only a 3-day journey, and, with luck, your bowels won’t even function. V

Story published in the book “Os banheiros que vivi... ou não” (org. Nurit Bensusan)

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Artmilitance Workshop

MILITANCE SCHOOL The School of Socioenvironmental Militancy in the Amazon and Resistance in the Tapajós Basin

By Alice de Matos Soares, Lindon Johnson Pontes Portela , Maurício Alves de Sousa, Kamila Mayara Sampaio Souza, Lucidalva Cardoso do Nascimento Raimundo Carlos Ferreira Alves Team from the Amazon Socio-Environmental Militance School - EMSA and Militants from the Tapajós Movement Live - MTV

he School of Socioenvironmental Militancy in the Amazon (EMSA) concluded its first training cycle for activists in the Tapajós River basin in July 2023. A training cycle consists of three developed axes: Sociopolitical, Mobilization and Agitation in the Amazon, and Popular Communication. EMSA proposes a methodology of popular education, a more horizontal, participatory, and democratic education that values dialogue and the exchange of experiences among people. It involves the participation of various organizations and collectives in the Tapajós basin, with EMSA students representing indigenous, riverine, quilombola, and Black communities from different territories such as Upper, Middle, and Lower Tapajós, Juruena, PAE Lago Grande, and Lower Amazon. We seek to ensure gender equity in the training, as well as intergenerational dialogue with young and adult participants. The mission of EMSA is to “Provide knowledge and the sharing of knowledge (scientific and popular) to strengthen the critical awareness and commitment of the various residents affected or threatened by enterprises that destroy the territory

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Network Actions and the people of the Amazon and the strategies of the joint struggle of the three Tapajós basins.” In this context, the school conducted three training modules in this first cycle, with plans for one more cycle by the end of the year: The first module, the Sociopolitical module, was held in March 2023. It included discussions on the Political Analysis, Engagement of Militancy, the history of the Amazon, Geography, and occupation of the Tapajós Basin, as well as aspects of climate change. One highlight commented on by the students was the construction of the Map of the Tapajós Basin, using a methodology that allowed students to understand the connections and formation of the basin.

Tapajós river basin map drew by the students

Students developing the Tapajós river basin map.

Before this module, in commemoration of World Water Day, an online seminar was held titled “Correnteza: The Flow of Struggles in Amazon Waters: Resistances, Experiences, and Challenges in the Protection and Defense of the Amazon Rivers.” The seminar was collaboratively planned and organized with the Committee for the Defense of Amazonian

Life in the Madeira River Basin - COMVIDA, Rede Jandyras, Movimento Xingu Vivo Para Sempre, Mandi, Rede Juruena Vivo, and International Rivers. Despite being held online, it involved a wide range of people and collectives, with more than 80 participants. The seminar provided an opportunity for organizations and movements to share their experiences with

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the rivers and the resistance efforts to protect and defend the Amazon’s rivers. During the sharing, EMSA was presented as one of the tools for resistance through education. In the Mobilization and Agitation module in the Amazon, held in partnership with the School of Activism in May 2023, topics discussed included the Fundamentals of Social Mobilization, Integral and Digital Security Workshop, Practice in Direct Actions, Cyberactivism, and Artivism as tools for addressing the climate crisis and agitation. The students were equipped to practically use various resistance tools in their territories. In the Popular Communication module in July 2023, which concluded the training cycle, discussions focused on tools for developing popular communication, including aspects of journalism, text production, and a partnership with the Tapajós de Fato Collective. The module also featured workshops on Audiovisual Production in partnership with the Sousa.Doc production company. Through group and individual activities, the students addressed various topics in their productions, emphasizing art, culture, and defending their territories. Additionally, the students had the opportunity to learn about and practice creating cards. The module concluded with the graduation of some students who completed the training.

Beyond the training process itself, one of the positive experiences added to the school’s formations is the “EMSA Kids,” providing a space for children during the training sessions. Recognizing the challenges that mothers face in the struggle for their territory, providing support for mothers and their children to participate in the activities does not exclude them from the teaching and learning process. Involving children in activities from an early age awakens their curiosity and interest in advocating for well-being. Children also contribute to creating a more cheerful, light-hearted, and relaxed environment, providing new experiences. The School of Militancy has matured in the first half of 2023, and with activities through VCA we hope to continue strengthening the struggles of local actors through grassroots training in the upcoming semester. We aim to enhance the pedagogical praxis as a concept that refers to educational practice, that is, how educators teach and students learn. It involves the interaction between theory and practice in the educational context, with reflective aspects, making it a dynamic process that seeks to promote meaningful learning and the comprehensive development of students (Freire, 1967). V

References: FREIRE, P. Educação como prática da liberdade: a sociedade brasileira em transição. Rio de Janeiro, Paz e Terra, 1967.

Students with their EMSA Completion Certificate.

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Photos: 1. Edmara Silva; 2. Daniel Sena; 3. Edmara Silva

SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT FOR PRESERVATION

Photographic expedition captures beauty but also documents degradation, sewage discharge, and disorderly occupation along the Tocantins River By Dhara Inácio, from the Coalition In the Spawning of Climate Change: Women and Youth in the Amazon Swimming Against the Current

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photographic expedition consisting of photographers, human rights activists, and participants in a Photography Workshop offered by the Coalition In the Spawning of Climate Change embarked on a journey determined to document the degraded areas along the Tocantins River, which suffer from untreated sewage discharge, accumulating waste, and disorderly occupations on the banks of Imperatriz City, Maranhão State. During the 20 km journey, undertaken in early July, we encountered a reality that demands urgent action to be reversed. The situation of the Tocantins River is a reflection of the negligence of the public and private sectors regarding the environment. The irresponsible discharge of domestic and industrial sewage directly into the river is an affront to the health of the biome and those who depend on this vital resource. During the expedition, it became even more evident that the responsibility for addressing environmental issues is not being assumed by the relevant authorities. The implementation of effective public policies for sanitation, the provision of treated water, and waste collection do not seem to be on the agenda of governmental institutions. Rigorous regulation, inspection, and punishment of polluting companies

are mere words without concrete action. In the meantime, the population suffers the impacts of unbridled exploitation of the river and the destruction of its natural environment. It is important to note that it was only in the first half of this year that the Municipal Basic Sanitation Plan (PMSB) of Imperatriz was approved in accordance with Federal Decree 10.203/2020. The plan points out the deficiencies in public management and the Maranhão Environmental Sanitation Company (CAEMA) regarding the sewage collection and treatment system in the city, as well as other issues related to urban cleanliness, solid waste management, and the distribution of treated water. It is alarming to note that 70% of the municipality of Imperatriz, the second most populous city in the state, still lacks a collective sewage collection and treatment system. The absence of detailed information about the deadlines set for sewage collection and treatment in Imperatriz only underscores the importance of public debate and monitoring of the topic by civil society.

70% of the municipality of Imperatriz, the second most populous city in the state, still lacks a collective sewage collection and treatment system.

Photo: Daniel Sena

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Network Actions Furthermore, throughout the expedition, we witnessed the harmful practice of sand extraction from the Tocantins Riverbed. Through massive dredges, tons of sand are extracted from the riverbed and used for construction purposes. This activity, in addition to causing soil erosion, also destroys the sandbanks used for recreation by communities during the low river period – the famous freshwater beaches – practices that further aggravate environmental and cultural degradation. During the expedition, we captured impressive images and videos that denounce degradation, but also others that highlight the natural beauty of the Tocantins River and its importance in the lives of riverine communities as a source of food, recreation, and income for the region’s populations. It is sad to see that riverine communities, whose lives and culture are intricately linked to the Tocantins River, are being forgotten and pushed into poverty while the interests of large economic players take precedence over the basic rights of the population. The expedition was organized by the Father Josimo Human Rights Center with the support of the Eqüit Institute and represents a starting point for raising awareness about the importance of environmental balance, respect for human rights, and the search for sustainable solutions. Raising awareness in society about the gravity of the situation is only the first step, but real change will come through mobilization to pressure authorities and companies to adopt more sustainable and responsible practices regarding the environment. We hope that the images and reports produced in this expedition will contribute to inspire and push for concrete and effective actions that protect and restore the natural wealth of the Tocantins River, ensuring a healthy and sustainable future for society as a whole. The preservation of the Tocantins River is a fight for socio-environmental justice. V

Photo : Edmara Silva

COALITION IN THE SPAWNING OF CLIMATE CHANGE PROMOTES DIGITAL COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP Account by Dhara Inácio, from the Coalition In the Spawning of Climate Change: Women and Youth in the Amazon Swimming Against the Current I had the privilege of participating in an enriching workshop on Digital Communication on Networks, organized by the Eqüit Institute, in conjunction with the Father Josimo Center for Human Rights. During the days of July 1st and 8th, I was able to share my knowledge and experiences as an instructor, focusing specifically on mobilization strategies on WhatsApp and Instagram, especially for social movements. We had the participation of 16 registered individuals, who formed a diverse group in terms of age, areas of expertise, gender, and race, which provided a rich exchange of perspectives and experiences. Overall, the workshop on Digital Communication on Networks was an enriching and productive experience. We believe that digital tools can play a significant role in promoting social change, and that participants left the workshop with practical skills to strengthen their social movements and expand their impact on virtual networks.

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Drawing from one of the participants.

VOICES OF THE TAPAJÓS ECHO IN RIVERINE TERRITORY Formative experience in Amazonic floodplain region brought together young people from different regions to discuss the effects of climate change

By Samela Bonfim, from the Coalition Voices of the Tapajós Fighting Climate Change

o the rhythm of carimbó and with a performance by Gran Circo Mocorongo, young people from floodplain communities and the Tapajós Arapiuns Extractive Reserve in Santarém, Pará, participated in the first edition of the formative experience in floodplain territory. The event organized by Sapopema and Health and Joy Project (PSA) as part of the Coalition Voices of the Tapajós project promoted the exchange between youth from the communities to strengthen their understanding of the impacts of these climate changes. “Fish scarcity, difficulty of access, rising temperatures are the consequences of human actions. Climate change doesn’t happen by chance. This integration moment is an educational time where we continue with socio-environmental training processes for society,” explained Socorro Pena, a professor at Ufopa. Through drawings, the participants indicated the greatest difficulties exacerbated by climate change in their respective communities. The intensification of land erosion, intense heat, and impacts on fishing were some of the situations highlighted in the illustrations, which were displayed on the banks of the Amazon River. The dynamic included the exhibition of the artworks and an explanation of each illustration. An important experience for multipliers, like Jaqueline Mota, a teacher from the Aracampina community (PAE Ituqui), who made plans to use the knowledge in her classroom. “For me, it’s a great learning experience as

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a math and science teacher. I’ll be able to explain the concept of climate change to my students.” The moment was important to conclude another stage of strengthening initiatives in Amazonian territories, which included training in 1) audiovisual production; 2) social media text production; and 3) digital technologies, and had the representation of communities such as Santa Maria, Costa do Tapará, Pixuna do Tapará, Tapará Grande, Tapará Miri, Aracampina, Solimões village, and Suruacá. “After several seminars and debates, we are going to the grassroots to engage communities in discussions. One of the ways we have found is by encouraging community audiovisual productions in narratives where the communities themselves can speak about what they are experiencing with climate change. These experiences in the territories are exchanges between different regions of Santarém,” explained Fábio Pena, the PSA’s educommunication coordinator.

Drawing from one of the participants

“For me, it’s a great learning experience as a math and science teacher. I’ll be able to explain the concept of climate change to my students. Jaqueline Mota, professora da comunidade Aracampina (PAE Ituqui)

The clothesline displayed a mapping of climate changes in the riverside territories of Pará. Photo: Samela Bonfim.

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Videos projected in the floodplains community presented the acceleration of Climate Change in their territory. Photo: Luan Imbiriba.

Videos produced in the #TemMudançaClimaticaAqui (#ClimateChangeIsHere) competition were screened and awarded in the categories of greatest impact [1st, 2nd, and 3rd place] and best narrative. “It’s great to be together again to celebrate the end of a cycle. It wasn’t a competition; it was a way to interact and get to know each other’s territory better and see that no matter where, there is climate change in every environment,” said Júlia Vitória, a student from the Tapará Miri community. This initiative, which is part of the training strategy to empower young people from traditional, riverine, and indigenous communities in the Amazon, is part of the actions of the VCA Coalition Voices of the Tapajós and the Tapajós Waters Project (TNC). It is in partnership with the Health and Joy Project, Fundación Avina, TNC Brazil, Ufopa, Mopebam, Z-20 Fishermen’s Association, Semed, and STTR-STM, and with the presence of STTR-STM, CITA, Suraras. “We are very happy and grateful for this very special and rich moment in the community. What happened at the meeting was a great opportunity to encourage young people to produce audiovisual content about their traditional knowledge. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the partner institutions that contributed to this moment,” said Samela Bonfim, responsible for organizing the event. V

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#Temmudançaclimaticaaqui contest awarded four groups that produced material on the impacts of Climate Change. Photos: Samela Bonfim.

Network Actions

CLIMATE CALENDAR VAC Brazil Climate Calendar brings together announcements, events, conferences, training, and developments related to the climate agenda, all in one place Available since July, the VCA Brazil Climate Calendar is a collaborative guide to opportunities and events happening in the climate agenda, especially within the Voices for Just Climate Action (VAC) program. It is published monthly, presenting actions scheduled for the next two months, but it is also available in its entirety on Google Calendar for easy viewing and interaction with users. The calendar is collaboratively updated and compiles announcements, events, conferences, training, and developments related to the climate agenda all in one place. To add events and opportunities, simply create activities in your Google Calendar and invite agendadoclima@gmail.com. Administrators verify the information and add the event to the calendar. Subscribe to the VCA Brazil Climate Calendar, add your events, and share the news with your network! V

The Margaridas March, Brasil 2023. Photo: Adriano Maneo.

subscribe to the complete Climate Agenda on Google Calendar

subscribe to receive the monthly agenda in your Email and/or WhatsApp.

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Feed on climate knowledge!

CLIMATE

“Xibé” is a mixture of cassava flour and water, to drink or eat. Also known as “jacuba”, it is a symbol of the richness of Amazonian food, present in the daily lives of many riverside inhabitants, native people and sustainable traditional extraction activities. Devour this xibé and enjoy!

Borari Territory Booklet

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Climate Justice for WellLiving Booklets- TdF The booklets on Climate Justice for Well-Living are a collection of 3 volumes produced by Tapajós de Fato, part of the Coalition NÓS, in three territories in the Tapajós region, Santarém, Pará. The booklets address challenges and opportunities in the territories and discuss the effects of climate change on the lives of residents and how they have been adapting to these new realities.

Download for more: tapajosdefato.com.br

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Download for more: tapajosdefato.com.br

In partnership with the Association of Indigenous Women Suraras do Tapajós, from the Coalition Voices of Tapajós, the booklet raises awareness about climate changes that are already occurring worldwide and presents the effects that have been noticed in the village of Alter do Chão, the ancestral territory of the Borari people, an indigenous group that has inhabited the area since the colonial period.

Santana do Tapará Territory Booklet

Murumuru Territory Booklet

This edition was produced in collaboration with the Association of Rural Women Workers of Santarém and the Santana do Tapará community in the floodplain region of Tapajós. It seeks to discuss topics related to Climate Justice and alert the population of the communities about how climate change threatens the Well-Living of the territories.

Produced in the Quilombola Territory of Murumuru, in partnership with the Federation of Quilombola Organizations of Santarém, the booklet tells the story and changes of the Murumuru quilombo from the perspective of residents, with an emphasis on climate change.

Download for more: tapajosdefato.com.br

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Febre

Download the complete research here www.labexperimental.org/febre

COP 28

The Fever research - Climate Ideas and Creativity in the Era of Climate Collapse - interviewed more than 30 initiatives to provide a contemporary overview of climate activism, the relationship between artistic and cultural production in the context of climate emergency and environmental agendas, from the perspective of cultural managers, artists, and socio-environmental organizations. Fever was coordinated by Jonaya de Castro, from the Megaphone Activism Coalition, with research also by Jonaya, Hércules Laino, and Géssica Arjona, and design by Denis Diosanto. The realization is by LabExperimental, in partnership with Condô Cultural and support from the Climate and Society Institute - ICS

Taking advantage of the COP atmosphere, VOICES Magazine recommends two important readings to understand the Conference and the Paris Agreement:

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Paris Agreement - A Guide for the Perplexed

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Toward COP - COP 28 Edition Published by LACLIMA, “Toward COP” is an annual publication, preparing for each COP edition. In this COP 28 edition, the focus is on the main negotiation themes of the COP in Dubai, also bringing a mini retrospective of what happened at COP 27 and in the latest negotiation rounds.

LACLIMA and the Climate Observatory (OC) organized this booklet to present the Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement to laypeople. It is an annual expansion and update of a mini-manual for journalists published by the OC in 2015, before COP21, the historic conference that adopted the Paris Agreement. Now that the general rules of the agreement have been finalized and its implementation phase finally begins, understanding it becomes increasingly important for activists, journalists, and the general public. Download here

This pocket guide is the perfect document for those who want to update and understand what will be discussed at the next COP in a summarized and simple way. Download here

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competition

#ClimateChangeIsHere Sapopema launched the #TemMudancaClimaticaAqui (#ClimateChangeIsHere) hashtag in March of this year to initially gather videos produced in the context of the competition on climate change in the territories of the lower Amazon and Tapajós. With the intensification of the effects of climate change, the hashtag remained and has been used to gather records of these consequences in communities. Severe drought is affecting traditional, indigenous, riverine, and quilombola populations who have been using cell phones to document and show these situations. Sapopema is part of the Voices of Tapajós Coalition Combating Climate Change, from the VCA Program. Access the videos here: youtube.com/@Sapopemabrasil

nterested in contributing, supporting, participating and getting involved with the magazine and the Program? Send an e-mail to

comunicacaobr@voicesforjustclimateaction.org

Want more Voices? Want more Voices? Download the first issue in Portuguese and English at voicesforjustclimateaction.org/resources