Thirty years ago, Amazon Watch responded to a call for solidarity with the Amazon and Indigenous Peoples.
On October 8, we gathered with our beloved community of allies, partners, and supporters to celebrate collective action for the Amazon. We honored – and were deeply inspired by – Indigenous Amazon and Women Defenders for their bold and courageous work to protect the Amazon, defend human rights, and challenge corporate power.
We are very grateful to everyone who attended and supported our Amplify, including our hosts, sponsors, artist ambassadors, staff, and board of directors! We were blessed with delicious food from Sabores Komali and beautiful music by Oakland-based Wildchoir and DJ Eric Terena from Brazil.
At Amplify, we celebrated victories with our partners across the Amazon, including:
- Protecting over 12 million hectares from extraction
- Stopping or delaying 26 oil rounds and megaprojects
- Keeping billions of barrels of oil where they belong: in the ground
- Winning 13 legal victories in defense of the Amazon and Indigenous rights
- Mobilizing over $10 million in direct solidarity grants to frontline communities through our Amazon Defenders Fund
Amplify also marked the beginning of a new tradition. For the first time, we presented the Amazon Defender Award, honoring three extraordinary women whose leadership spans Indigenous nations, organizations, and movements in the fight for an Amazon free from extraction.
Olivia Bisa Tirko
President of the Chapra Nation of the Peruvian Amazon
“Indigenous peoples represent a hope for all life, because if the Amazon has remained intact until now, it is thanks to those who live there, protecting it and resisting. If Indigenous peoples disappear, the Amazon disappears.”
Mayalu Txucarramae
Executive Coordinator at Instituto Raoni in Brazil
“This recognition comes at a time of transition and it is very meaningful to me, my family and the Kayapo people. Amazon Watch has been with us since the battle against Belo Monte and is now working with us in defense of our rights and territories on the Xingu and Tapajós river basins against mining and agribusiness.”
Ginger Cassady
Executive Director of the Rainforest Action Network
“From frontline accompaniment to corporate campaigning, Amazon Watch is taking action for the Amazon and Climate Justice. We’re proud to stand in solidarity.”
These women are bold, courageous, and determined to advance justice for their communities and for all of us. They represent a new generation of Indigenous and climate leadership that is woman-led and unwavering in defense of the Amazon and Mother Earth. They remind us that we are all connected and that only together can we challenge the forces that threaten us all. They are hope in action!
As we face immense and existential threats to the Amazon, human rights, democracy, and our global climate, we gain strength when we gather and feel supported by our community. The next five years are critical! Instead of backing down, we are doubling down! Guided by our Indigenous partners, here are our top priorities:
- Stand in solidarity with communities on the front lines (See Stories of Solidarity here)
- Advance Indigenous rights and protect territories of life, including by investing more in Indigenous-led solutions
- Stand with Earth Defenders to ensure they have the support, security, and accompaniment they deserve
- Challenge the drivers of Amazon destruction, from oil and mining to agribusiness and criminal networks
- Expand our communications to elevate and amplify the voices and demands of Indigenous Peoples and women leaders
Looking ahead, we plan to raise and direct an additional $10 million to the Amazon over the next five years – providing at least $1 million per year in direct funding for Indigenous Peoples and forest communities through our Amazon Defenders Fund.
Thank you for standing in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples! Together, we help secure the future of the Amazon and Mother Earth.
Here’s to the next 30 years!
