Civil society gathered in force in Belém in the days that preceded the Amazon Summit in order to show the importance of their participation in public policies and COP30
For three days, representatives from civil society participated in the Amazon Dialogues, in Belém, in an effort to outline new strategies aimed at sustainability and development in the region. The result, in documents and letters, was shared with the presidents from the Pan-Amazon Region, who participated in the Amazon Summit, an event that that happened after the Dialogues. Partners from the Institute for Climate and Society (iCS) participated in a series of plenary sessions with contributions in different areas. The Amazon Dialogues involved approximately 27,000 people in the capital of Pará.
One of the documents delivered to the global leaders was the Letter from the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon. The material included recommendations from the indigenous peoples about how to avoid, for example, the environmental and climate collapse of the region, and allowed the basic demands to reach the decision-makers.
The partners also contributed by encouraging the plurality of the debate in the plenary sessions. With the participation of indigenous leaders and traditional communities from other states, via COIAB (Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon) and PSA (Health and Happiness Project), there was an exchange of experiences for the reconstruction of public policies. The debate also expanded to topics about just energy transition, the threat of oil and gas in the Pan-Amazon Region and the challenges for the training of workers in green jobs, in events held by the Arayara Institute, ClimaInfo and Dieese.
The subject of climate litigation was also highlighted through events that introduced topics such as combating land grabbing in the Amazon, climate damage and land planning for zero deforestation. Among the partners who participated were CPI/PUC-Rio, Imazon, Ipam and CCCA (Center for Climate Crime Analysis). Other grantees also took part in a parallel event to the Dialogues, such as the 1st Judicial Summit of the Amazon Region, organized by the CNJ (National Council of Justice) and the Court of Appeals of Pará. The meeting contributed to mobilizing the environmental and climate agenda in the Judiciary of Pará.
Panel Climate damage and territory: perspective of justice for the people of the Amazon / Credit: Linkedin Ciro Brito
Food Systems was also a recurring topic and iCS grantees actively participated, highlighting Cátedra Josué de Castro, Imaflora, Instituto Comida do Amanhã, Instituto Regenera e Fronteiras do Desenvolvimento, and Instituto Fome Zero. While the first two promoted parallel events and placed the issue of livestock farming at the center of the debate about the development and deforestation in the Amazon, Comida do Amanhã, Regenera and Fronteiras held debates with representatives from several Amazon Region City Halls about the role of local food policies and food security.
The high level of food insecurity in the Amazon Region as a whole, not just the Brazilian Amazon, and which affects everything from indigenous peoples to small farmers, was highlighted in the participation of Fome Zero. iCS and its partners were also able to mobilize more than 300 people from the Movement of Small Farmers (MPA) and from CONTAG, who attended the plenary sessions about agriculture and food security, demanding the urgency of the land regularization in the region, the defense of rights and greater assistance for small farmers.
From a foreign policy point of view, iCS organized the meeting of civil society with Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UNFCCC. This involved approximately 30 people from different networks of organizations in order to discuss the preparations for COP28, already with an eye on COP30, which will take place in Belém, in Brazil, in 2025. Local movements spoke to Simon about the need to ensure the effective participation in the official spaces of negotiation and to guarantee the necessary conditions so that civil society can prepare appropriately as the host of COP30.
Meeting of civil society with Simon Stiell / Credit: Liliane Moreira
The Institute also participated in a dialogue process led by Brazilian civil society and philanthropic organizations. Entitled “From the Declaration of Belém to COP30,” it discussed the role of Amazonian civil society and the rest of the country in the preparation for all the international situations that are on their way. iCS grantees, such as LaClima and Plataforma Cipó, made important contributions.
Finally, the group Vozes da Amazônia worked on four themes during the period of the Amazon Dialogues + Summit: combating the oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas; combating the Time Frame; Influence of Civil Society at COP30; and agendas and demands related to the Urban Amazon. In addition to the online actions, Vozes held in-person events, such as a bicycle ride protest, flyposting, marches and artivism actions. In total, there were 17 actions and events, organized by the grantees CoJovem, Lab da Cidade, Utopia Negra, Associação Gira Mundo, Obs do Marajó, Engajamundo, Instituto Update, Intervozes, Mapinguari and Arayara.
In-person event / Credit: Disclosure
