PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE BRAZIL
PDF: SOS Amazonia Press Release English.pdf
Fridays for Future Brazil launches international campaign to
combat Covid-19 in the Amazon Rainforest.
SOS Amazônia has a goal of raising 1 million Reais to donate hygiene items,
food supplies and health equipments. Contributions can be made through
sosamazonia.fund/en
June 5th, 2020 – official campaign launch
The SOS Amazônia campaign is an initiative coming from us, Brazilian and international activists, created with the goal of helping traditional communities of the Amazonian territory battle Covid-19. Through collective international funding, we hope to raise 1 million Reais (about 195000 USD) to purchase of basic hygiene, food and health items. This action plans to benefit regions such as the city of Manaus and its surroundings and rural parts of the Amazonas state.
The region’s public authorities emitted a cry for help to the world. As activists in the socioenvironmental cause, we could not ignore this plead. We know that we cannot fight the climate crisis without fighting the coronavirus crisis. Therefore, if we do not help the Amazon’s traditional people, we’ll be allowing both of these crises to develop. We need to listen to the scientists, the
medical doctors and to the people who are suffering.
This action is carried out in partnership with the Sustainable Amazonas Foundation (FAS), which proposed to receive and direct the crowdfunding resources to the regions and communities selected by the activists. Fridays for Future Brazil does not constitute a formal organization. Therefore, we do not have the liberty, nor the structure, to donate resources directly. We chose FAS because they agreed to enable our projects. Every detail was decided
after careful research and talks with indigenous peoples to listen to their communities’ needs.
The contributions can be made by people from any country through the
sosamazonia.fund website. The raised resources will be managed by a committee composed by us and FAS representatives. Throughout the routing of funds, we will inform everyone what is being purchased and which communities will benefit, maintaining transparency.
SOS Amazônia manifest:
Last year, we were marching in the streets, bringing awareness to the climate
emergency. We listened to promises of a better world and a more sustainable society. We are now back with a plea for help. Public authorities in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest have begged for assistance, and this cannot be ignored.
The health system in Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas and the main
reference health center for most of the Amazon Rainforest's traditional peoples, has collapsed. As a consequence, millions of peoples' lives were put at risk. The city's press officers have announced over 100 deaths per day due to Covid-19, and this number can be higher with the addition of non-confirmed cases. We need to help both the rural and urban populations to contain the spread of the virus and therefore avoid the destruction of the heart of the Amazon.
By helping the urban population, we will also be helping the traditional peoples, as hospitals will also have more space and resources to treat them properly according to safety and effectiveness standards.
The climate emergency is our generation's biggest challenge. If we do not act now the consequences will be devastating. The deaths of the Amazon's peoples, especially the native peoples, will be a loss with global consequences.
To worsen Brazil's emergency situation, in addition to ignoring the crisis we are going through, our current government has shown itself to be contrary to environmental guidelines. Last year, Bolsonaro declared that deforestation in Brazil is “cultural” and that it will not end. In 2019, the total deforested area of the Amazon equaled to 172 thousand soccer fields. This is the profile of an ecocidal and genocidal government, which puts profit above life, nature and the
future of humanity, and which runs away when its irresponsibilities and disabilities are exposed.
We have to fight so that in the future we have leaders that act in favor of the people and the planet. The consequences of the Amazon’s peoples deaths will be global. Help us to act NOW!
Please,
Save the Amazon.
#DefendTheDefenders
Make your donation through sosamazonia.fund/en
Who are the activists in the project?
These are 16 climate activists from around the world who are a part of the Fridays For Future movement. Fridays For Future gathers millions of activists spread across the continents to advocate for their governments to follow the Paris Agreement and stop polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. Besides their international collaboration, each young activist in this project works on more specific issues in their countries to promote necessary changes within their own nations.
Abel Rodrigues, 20, is a Brazilian climate activist from Amazon Rainforest who
participates in the Fridays for Future Movement in Portugal and Brazil. His activism focused on promoting a more suitable economy for society, green energy sources and the preservation of the world's largest rainforest; social justice to everyone everywhere and a more united world. He believes that all global leaders should act now against the climate emergency or be replaced.
Amália Garcez, 17, a climate activist from southern Brazil, is part of Fridays for Future movement, acting locally, nationally and internationally. Amália focuses on fighting for climate and social justice, networking and connecting different groups to strengthen the climate cause. She wishes to encourage people of all ages to take action to avoid the climate crisis and raise awareness to other social issues related to the environment. Locally, she is involved in opposition
to coal mining and fracking – having protested and publicly spoken against a coal mine that would be built near her city of Porto Alegre. Amália is also interested in planetary health and finding new ways for planet Earth to remain full of life. Overall, she is only hoping to do as much as possible to ensure a good future for humanity and for the planet.
Anna Kernahan, 17, is a Northern Irish Climate activist who solo-strikes with
fridaysforfuturebelfast and NISCN.
Aurélie Bray, 17, is a kiwi climate activist in the New Zealand School Strike for Climate movement. Currently, their movement is working on a major campaign to promote the ‘Green New Deal’, a bill they collaboratively wrote, ordering their government to have a strong environmental consciousness when making all post-pandemic recovery decisions.
Bianca Castro, 19, is a Portuguese climate activist in the Fridays For Future movement. Her activism focuses on the intersectionality of the fight against climate change, on how climate justice means and is social justice; and on the importance and role of art in activism. She fights for human and animal rights and believes that the “fossil machine” must stop so that we - all living beings - have a dignified future on Earth.
Daniel Holanda, 18, acts in the Fridays for Future Brazil outreach and social media areas and in the youth leadership organization Engajamundo. Through Fridays for Future Brazil, Daniel organizes protests in his city to fight for the climate change mitigation. In Engajamundo, he works on the implementation of the SDG 2030 Agenda. In the movements he acts in, he strongly defends social causes such as the eradication of poverty and gender equality.
Fernanda Rodrigues, 15, is a Brazilian activist from Amazon Rainforest. She started the Fridays for Future movement in Belem to alert the Amazonian society to the impact of forest destruction.
Greta Thunberg, 17, is a Swedish climate and environmental activist who started school striking for the climate outside the Swedish Parliament in August 2018. She is now an active organiser both locally in her home town Stockholm, nationally in Sweden and internationally within the Fridays for Future movement.
Iann Coêlho, 18, is a socio-environmental activist who is part of the national and local climate strike movements in Brazil, Fridays For Future Brazil and Youth for Climate Brasilia, respectively. His activity is focused on the Sustainable Development Goals, the presence of the youth in the decision-making fields and the fight against the greenwashing of companies and countries that want to take advantage of the environmental fight for self-promotion.
Isabelle Axelsson, 19, is a Swedish climate activist and striker in the Fridays For Future movement. Isabelle focuses her activism and studies mainly on the climate justice aspect of the climate crisis; a transition to a climate friendly society that ensures equity and acceptable living standards for all, especially the people most vulnerable to the consequences the climate crisis brings. She means that Sweden and more countries in the Global North must take responsibility for their current and historical emissions before demanding others do the same.
Janderson Sarmento, 21, is a climate activist in Fridays For Future Brazil and Fridays For Future Amazônia, facilitator in Greenpeace Manaus and member of the environmental creative council chaired by the environment and sustainable development commission of the legislative assembly of the state of Amazonas. The council is focused on mobilization and social engagement, political advocacy in terms of decision-making, fighting in defense of the environment and peace. All of this whilst inspiring people to change attitudes and behaviors and be responsible for the planet, with a goal towards an environmentally safe and socially fair world that offers hope for his generation as well as future ones.
João Duccini, 21, is a Brazilian climate and animal activist with Fridays For Future and Anonymous for the Voiceless São Paulo. He fights for net-zero carbon emissions and the end of animal exploitation towards the peaceful coexistence of human beings and nature. He also seeks a society based on equality, where people are accepted for who they are without being judged. João runs “@7ourworld”, an Instagram page where he tries to raise awareness about the
negative impacts of human beings on climate change and the animal industry by studying scientific data, books, articles and reports.
Luisa Neubauer, 24, is a climate activist and German student. She is one of the organizers of the Climate Strike for Climate in Germany and defends a climate policy which fulfills and surpasses the Paris Agreement. Luisa is a part of the Alliance 90/The greens and the Green Youth.
Samela sateré Mawé is an indigenous woman of the sateré Mawé people, biology student in the University of the Amazonas State, affiliated to the sateré Mawé women association and a part of the indigenous student movement in Amazonas.
Sandyely Vilacio, student and indigenous girl of the sateré Mawé people.
Valentina Ruas, 16, is a Brazilian climate and social activist, acting in Fridays for Future and Jovens Pelo Clima - Brasília. She focuses her work on the direct influence between climate change, environmental degradation and interpersonal relations. One of her purposes is to encourage youth to mobilize to fight for their right to coexist with an ecologically safe and life
friendly environment, in addition to raising awareness for the danger of the climate collapse.
Contacts:
Greve Pelo Clima Brazil
contato@fridaysforfuturebrasil.org
Abel Rodrigues - Brasil
abel@fridaysforfuturebrasil.org
Amália Buchweitz Garcez - Brasil
amalia@fridaysforfuturebrasil.org
Daniel Holanda - Brasil
daniel@fridaysforfuturebrasil.org
Iann Coêlho - Brasil
iann@fridaysforfuturebrasil.org
Valentina Ruas - Brasil
valentina@fridaysforfuturebrasil.org
Hashtags:
#SOSAmazonia #SalvemAAmazônia #GrevePeloClima #ClimateStrike #GreveOnlinePeloClima
#ClimateStikeOnline #OnlineStrikeForClimate #FridaysForFutureBrasil #FridaysForFuture
#DefendaOsDefensores #DefendTheDefenders #SemFlorestaSemFuturo #NoForestNoFuture
#PeopleOverProfit #PessoasAcimaDoLucro
