@amivitale1
Ami VitaleWe’re profoundly honored to announce that one of our seven Vital Impacts Environmental Photography Grants will be named after Chico Mendes (@Comitê Chico Mendes), an activist and environmentalist renowned for his dedication to preserving the Amazon rainforest and advocating for the rights of local and Indigenous communities. As a Brazilian rubber tapper and land rights leader, Mendes created the world’s first tropical forest conservation initiative. His efforts led to the establishment of Brazil’s extractive reserves—protected areas where local communities could sustainably harvest natural resources without destroying the forest. Mendes’s work highlighted the importance of conserving the Amazon as a global treasure. Tragically, his activism made him a target for powerful interests in logging and agribusiness. In 1988, at the age of 44, he was assassinated by hired gunmen linked to these industries, drawing international attention to the dangers faced by environmental and Indigenous activists. Since Mendes’s death, over one thousand activists and rainforest defenders have been killed in Brazil. We hope this grant will inspire the same fierce determination to protect and preserve the natural world among our grantees. Act fast - there’s less than a week left to submit your application before the September 15 deadline! Learn more and apply at vitalimpacts.org #vitalimpacts #grants #photographygrants #environment #conservation #opportunities #chicomendes #chicomendescomite #amazon #rainforest #rubber #brazil #indigenous
On the profile · Sep 10, 2024