Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia Amplifies Indigenous Voices, Drives New Alliances to Protect, Restore and Rewild the Amazon

Belém, New York City// July 24, 2025 — Today Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia, the summit driving action to protect the Amazon, convened key Indigenous, private sector, public sector and creative leaders in Belém, Brazil for a dynamic day of driving funding and support for the vital work of local and indigenous Amazônian communities. Guided by leading cultural voices from across the region, Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia created space for urgent, solutions-driven dialogue just months before the UN Climate Summit (COP30) in November 2025. The program featured voices from across the Amazon Basin – including Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador – to uplift Indigenous leadership, highlight locally-grounded solutions, and push for action leading up to November. 

The event marked the mid-point of Global Citizen’s year-long ‘Protect the Amazon’ campaign to drive $1 billion in investments to restore and rewild the rainforest and amplify Indigenous voices to the world leading up to the Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia on November 1, ahead of COP30.  

Business accelerator Axcell announced the ‘Startup Selection Call 2025’, a commitment to invest R$25 million (approximately USD $4.5 million) in new businesses across Manaus that positively impact local communities while preserving the rainforest. The investments, which are coordinated by IDESAM, are specifically for entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses with sustainability in mind. Axcell will support new ventures that leverage science, technology, and creativity to generate income, promote productive inclusion, and develop new products and services based on Amazonian biodiversity, such as biotechnology, waste reuse, and bioremediation. The applications to participate in the ‘Startup Selection Call 2025’ can be submitted at www.axcellam.com.br/edital and www.elosdaamazonia.org.br. Applications close August 31st. Selected entrepreneurs and businesses will be announced at the conclusion of the Protect the Amazon campaign.

Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia also saw an announcement that Global Citizen will partner with Sound Future and Stashrun to unite live events, technology, and frontline action in support of Global Citizen’s ‘Protect the Amazon’ campaign. The collaboration is projected to unlock funding that will help protect and restore up to 3.5 million trees and more than 7,000 hectares of forest through Re:wild’s agroforestry and conservation projects.

Additionally, Banco do Brasil was announced as the official presenting partner of Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia, which will take place on November 1 at Belém’s Estádio Olímpico do Pará, known as Mangueirão. Belém’s own Gaby Amarantos will join fellow Brazilian superstars Anitta and Seu Jorge as festival headliners, and speakers will include local Indigenous leaders including Chief Raoni Metuktire, as well as a special guest performance by Coldplay's Chris Martin. 

Tickets to Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia are available exclusively to the people of Pará State, Brazil, and can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app or at GlobalCitizenFestivalAmazonia.com, or by sending a WhatsApp message to +55 (11) 4040-7099 to demand action to end deforestation, accelerate a just transition to renewables and support communities on the frontlines of climate impacts. Eligibility will be confirmed through a residency verification process.

To ensure equitable ticketing access for local residents of Pará State, including for individuals without smartphones or internet access, a new partnership between the State of Pará and Global Citizen was announced today by Pará’s Governor, Helder Barbalho. The state’s flagship social inclusion initiative, ‘Usinas da Paz’ will engage 2500 young people from marginalized communities across the state in climate-focused community service and educational activities to earn tickets to Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia. Activities will include tree planting, riverbank clean-ups, talks about climate justice, game designing, and other environmental service projects developed in partnership with local nonprofits. 

Global Citizen has partnered with Goodera to create opportunities for businesses and their employees to participate in the ‘Protect the Amazon’ campaign from anywhere in the world through volunteering and local sustainability efforts. It was announced today that since this partnership was launched at Global Citizen NOW in New York on April 30, around 7500 volunteers from 36 companies worldwide have taken 75,000 ‘Acts of Green’ in support of the campaign, from replenishing parks and public spaces, to supporting reforestation and conservation initiatives. The company whose employees take the most actions will be recognized on stage at the Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia in November.

A new partnership between the International Chamber of Commerce Brasil (ICC Brasil) and Global Citizen was announced by Gabriella Dorlhiac, Executive Director of ICC Brasil, which will see the ICC’s membership base of more than 200, including Brazil’s largest companies, mobilized to drive financial commitments towards the $1 billion goal of the ‘Protect the Amazon’ campaign within the next three months.

Over the duration of the summit, local Brazilian artist Mama Quilla live-painted a 10 foot mural depicting the changing climate of the Amazon rainforest, from its original beauty to the current state of devastation. The original artwork will be housed in Banco do Brasil’s new cultural center for innovation and experience in Belèm.

Leading voices who participated in Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia included Marcio Astrini, Executive Director, Observatório do Clima; Helder Barbalho, Governor, Pará State; Gabriella Dorlhiac, Executive Director, ICC Brasil; Jean Ferreira, Executive Director, Gueto Hub & Co-Creator, COP das Baixadas; Helena Gualinga, Indigenous Peoples Rights Defender; José Kaeté, Indigenous activist; Toya Manchineri, General Coordinator, COIAB; Angela Mendes, President, Chico Mendes Committee; João Paulo Rodrigues, Member of the National Coordination, MST; Gabriel Santamaria, General Manager of ESG, Banco do Brasil; Claudelice Santos, Environmental and Human Rights Activist & Coordinator of Instituto Zé Claudio e Maria; José Sasseron, Vice President of Government Business and Corporate Sustainability, Banco do Brasil; Ilona Szabó, Co-Founder & President, Instituto Igarapé; Marcelo Thomé da Silva de Almeida, President, Federation of Industries of the State of Rondônia; Natalie Unterstell, President, Instituto Talanoa; and Juma Xipaia, Chief of Kaarimã Village, Xipaya Territory, Founder of Instituto Juma & Producer of YANUNI Film.

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