Between August 4th and 9th, over 300 affected people from the states in the Amazon region will head towards Belém in the state of Pará, where they will participate in various activities alongside the official program of the Summit.

The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB in Portuguese) is mobilizing affected people from seven states in the Amazon region to attend a series of activities preceding the Amazon Summit in Belém in the state of Pará, the official meeting of the heads of the States members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA).

The activities include debates on energy transition and climate change, violations of rights caused by great projects, and challenges facing forest preservation while improving the lives of its population. Additionally, MAB is organizing a boat protest to report mining related crimes, titled “From Mariana to the Amazon,” and is coordinating a cultural agenda featuring the exhibition “Amazonian Arpilleras,” showcasing embroidered artworks created by affected women.

These activities are part of the “Amazonian Dialogues” and the People of the Land’s Assembly for the Amazon, events predating the Amazon Summit, attended by heads of the States from the region. These activities will take place from August 4th to 9th in Belém.

On Sunday, August 6th, MAB, along with its partners, will hold the National Seminar “Challenges of Popular Energy Transition in the Amazon,” organized by the Workers and Peasants Water and Energy Platform (POCAE in portuguese). The event aims to establish points of unity toward a popular energy project for Brazil and will have the presence of leaders from different organizations operating in the Amazon.

On Monday, August 7th, at 9 AM, the boat protest “From Mariana to the Amazon, We Are All Affected” will take place, with the participation of a group affected by the Vale and BHP Billiton crime in the Rio Doce Basin in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.

Other activities in which MAB will participate include the People of the Earth’s Assembly and March for the Amazon (August 7th, 8th, and 9th) and the Panamazonian Plenary of the Via Campesina, scheduled for August 7th.

Larissa dos Santos Farias, affected by the Tucuruí Hydroelectric Plant in the county of Cametá-PA, is one of the MAB members participating in this journey. “I will participate in the Presidents’ Summit in August because our presence, as affected individuals, is very important in an event that will discuss the Amazon, the environment, preservation, right? And also to discuss and establish other agendas so that there can be more dialogue and explanations about climate change, the impacts of great projects like the Araguaia-Tocantins Waterway, which will directly affect the municipality,” Larissa alerts.

Amazon summit

On August 8th and 9th, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA) will hold the Amazon Summit -the 4th Meeting of Presidents of the States in Belém. This gathering will bring together the leaders of member countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela) to develop strategies for cooperation and measures for sustainability and climate change mitigation.

This activity is being seen as a preparation for COP-30, the world’s most important event on climate change, which will also be held in Belém in 2025.

On July 25th, former President Lula spoke about the significance of the Summit on the official presidential channel. “We will have a great meeting, the first to bring together the eight heads of the eight States from South America that have the Amazon Rainforest, plus the two Congos that have large forests in Africa, and the Prime Minister of Indonesia, which has the most forest in the Asian region. So, we will hold this meeting to start developing a proposal for COP-28. Many people will attend. It’s not just a government thing; there will be a popular gathering with over five thousand people. There will be popular movements, intellectuals, researchers, environmentalists – everyone will be giving their input. So that later on, we can build something solid to present to the world. We will take care of our planet,” he concluded.

Because of this, MAB will have an active participation during this period. “Considering the role that the Amazon plays in regulating the planet’s climate and the ecological services it provides, the Amazon Summit takes on a significance as great as the COPs. The expectation is that the Amazon Summit will lead to concrete commitments and effective actions for the preservation of the biome,” according to Francisco Kelvim, from MAB’s national coordination.

What is MAB?

The Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) is a popular organization composed of individuals who share the common experience of their way of life being altered by the construction, operation, threat, or rupture of dams and other predatory structures associated with the energy model adopted in Brazil.

With over 30 years of existence, MAB has become a vital tool for safeguarding rights such as resettlement, fair compensations, support for production, and access to public policies in rural areas, forests, and urban settings, from the north up to the south of the country. Currently, MAB is active in 20 states across Brazil. In the Amazon region, the Movement is organized in the states of Pará, Amapá, Amazonas, Rondônia, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, and Tocantins.

Where to find the MAB at the Amazon Summit events

04/07

Every day – Arrival of affected in the Amazon

9:00 – 11:00 Hangar Convention Center

Exhibts “Arpilleras Amazônicas” and “Projeto Veredas Sol e Lares”

14:00 – 16:00 – UFPA – Auditório Setorial Básico 2 

Infrastructure, Territories and Socio-environmental Rights in the Amazon

05/07

Plenary A

14:00 – 16:00 Hangar Convention Center

Forum of Beings and Knowledges of the Amazon

17:00 – 20:00

Hangar Convention Center 

Plenary III – How to think about the Amazon for the future based on science, technology, innovation and academic research, energy transition, mining and oil exploitation. 

06/07

Room 07

08:00 – 10:00 Hangar Convention Center

AMAZÔNIA LIVRE DE PETRÓLEO E GÁS – Conexão Povos e Territórios

9:00 – 12:00 Hangar Convention Center

Plenary IV – Climate change, agroecology and sociobioeconomies in the Amazon: sustainable management and new production models for regional development

14:00 – 16:00 UFPA – Room 308 Mirante do Rio

Climate Change and those affected in the peripheries

14:00 – 18:00 Hangar Convention Center – Plenary B

Seminar “Challenges of Popular Energy Transition in the Amazon”

07/07

8:30 – 12:00 Aldeia Cabana

Pan-Amazonian Plenary of the Amazonic Via Campesina 

9:00 – 10:00 Praça Princesa Isabel to Ver-O-Peso

Barqueata “From Mariana to Amazonia, we are all affected”

17:00 to 20:00 – Aldeia Cabana

Peoples of the Earth Assembly for the Amazon 

20:00 – 22:00 Aldeia Cabana

Cultural Assembly of Peoples of the Earth for the Amazon

08 / 07

Afternoon – 8:00 – 10:00 March of Peoples of the Earth for the Amazon 

Concentration: address

Peoples of the Earth March for the Amazon 

09/ 07

17:00 Aldeia Cabana

Press Conference Peoples of the Earth Assembly for the Amazon