The Challenge: Centering the Forest in the Path to COP30
The Amazon Summit was a critical diplomatic precursor to COP30. The challenge was to ensure that the “tipping point” of the biome wasn’t just a technical “talking point”, but a lived reality represented by the people who protect it. We needed to transform a high-level political gathering into a space of radical inclusion, bridging the gap between grassroots indigenous mobilization and global environmental policy.
Platforming Leadership and Protagonism
I built a multi-layered communication intervention that moved beyond mere visibility to focus on empowerment and reputation-building. The strategy was to provide indigenous leaders with the tools and platforms to broaden their own audiences, launching their messages directly into the global conversation. By prioritizing their protagonism, we ensured that the narrative was led by the forest’s own guardians, not just the organization.
My Roles:
Grassroots Mobilization (Defensores da Floresta)
We organized a volunteer network via national and local WhatsApp communities to run a community kitchen. We served coffee breaks and meals for 1,000 indigenous leaders over three days, providing the logistical backbone for those defending the forest in Belém.
Digital & Editorial Advocacy (Voices for the Amazon)
We launched the “Voices for the Amazon” landing page and petition. This included the strategic rollout of the “Declaration of the Peoples of the Amazon,” anchored by a high-impact Op-ed by Txai Suruí in Folha de S.Paulo, bridging indigenous demands with mainstream media.
Event Architecture & Creative Direction
We produced the side event “Avoiding the Tipping Point: The Amazon at the Center of Global Environment Goals.” For this, I managed local vendors and suppliers for visual assets, invitations, and logistics, while producing quick-cut content from the dialogue between researchers, government, high-level personnel, and indigenous leaders.
Multilingual Ethnography
I conducted on-site interviews in Portuguese and Spanish with leaders from across the Amazon basin. My focus was on capturing the plurality and urgency of their messages, ensuring their voices bypassed diplomatic filters to reach our global social media audience.
Results:
- Direct Impact: Sustained 1,000 indigenous leaders during the summit, ensuring their physical presence in the debate. As a legacy, we created a resilient grassroots community on WhatsApp that are gathered and can be convened in the future.
- Global Amplification: Thousands of views across social platforms (Facebook/Instagram), turning local testimonies into global calls for action.
- Policy Pressure: The “Declaration of the Peoples” became a documented historical record, used to hold regional leaders accountable for territorial protection.