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Dear friends,
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The future of the Amazon is sitting on President Lula’s desk.
Right now, Brazil’s President is considering a set of major decrees that would return thousands of acres of ancestral land to Indigenous communities.
Scientists say this is how we protect the forest from deforestation. And there is no better chance than right now when the world’s eyes are on the President ahead of a major climate summit.
Indigenous communities have stopped mega-dams, driven out mining giants, and replanted forests scarred by greed. Now they are going all out to win back their lands and they are asking for our help.
Their courage is legendary -- but so are the forces arrayed against them: corrupt politicians, agribusiness lobbyists, and illegal miners who poison the rivers and burn villages to the ground.
If enough of us chip in, we can power an unstoppable Indigenous-led campaign to protect some of the most biodiverse lands in the world -- funding legal advocacy and media takeovers, and keeping up constant public pressure until Lula signs.
This is where our collective power is needed right now and can rewrite the future -- let’s help reclaim crucial rainforest lands and protect the living heart of our planet. Please donate what you can:
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Every day, invaders push deeper into the Amazon. Rivers once alive with fish now shimmer with mercury, poisoned by illegal miners who scrape the forest for gold. In their villages, Indigenous communities are finding that same mercury in their own bodies -- even in their breastmilk. The difference between survival and collapse for these communities comes down to one thing: land rights. Where Indigenous communities have rights, deforestation rates can drop by 83%. Without them, communities are left exposed, trees are razed to the ground, and entire ways of life disappear. With the global climate summit approaching in Brazil, President Lula is under pressure to make big promises about the Amazon. This is our chance to win rights that will protect the forest and Indigenous communities for the long term, and restore what’s been lost. Together, we could: - Hire the lawyers and advocates that can secure historic land rights victories in Brazil -- with Indigenous-led advocacy tours, cutting legal briefs, public mobilisations, and inspiring media takeovers;
- Fund top Indigenous leaders -- most of these leaders are working for nothing. Let’s make sure the most inspiring leaders have the resources to travel, rally their communities and make good trouble where it’s needed most;
- Build a network of Indigenous allies in Congress -- standing up to loggers, miners, and agribusiness interests to defend land rights, climate, and biodiversity;
- Restore the forest -- show the world that Indigenous restoration works by funding projects that regrow forests, revive wildlife, and heal the Amazon.
These lands are a lifeline for us all -- storing away billions of tonnes of carbon, protecting rivers, and sustaining cultures rooted in the forest. Let’s do what matters most: stand with those who stand for life. Give what you can today to help secure Indigenous rights and keep the Amazon, and our shared future, alive:
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This would be our second major victory in the Amazon this year. Thanks to support from Avaaz members, we helped a coalition of groups move President Lula to veto the “devastation bill” that would have decimated large swathes of Amazon rainforest just two months ago. We have won before in the Amazon and if we come together, we can do it again. For the people of the forest and all the life it holds, Luciana, Marigona, Adela, Laura, Nell and the whole Avaaz team 🌱🌳🌿 Why Recognising Indigenous Land Rights is the Best Way to Protect the Amazon - Thriving Forests: Indigenous Peoples care for some of the healthiest forests on Earth. Land titles and legal rights enable them to use their generational knowledge to keep ecosystems thriving where others have failed.
- Lowest Rates of Deforestation: Lands managed by Indigenous Peoples see up to 83% less deforestation — and forests there regrow over 20% faster than in surrounding areas.
- Prevents Illegal Mining: Where Indigenous Peoples have land rights, they are better placed to stop mining and defend their territories – keeping rivers clean, forests standing, and communities and wildlife safe.
- Justice That Works: Recognising Indigenous land rights is often faster, fairer, and far more effective than top-down conservation. Together, we can help protect Indigenous cultures – and the Amazon – for generations to come.
- 🍃 - PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.
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