The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative seeks to mobilise communities of all faith traditions and spiritualities, from grassroots to leadership, to join the broad coalition working to protect tropical forests, fight climate change, defend the rights of indigenous peoples, quilombolas and traditional communities, and promote sustainable development in the Amazon. The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative will participate in the forthcoming Amazon Summit.
On 8-9 August, governments will gather in Belem, Brazil to discuss challenges and opportunities related to the Amazon, including deforestation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and human rights.
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative is committed to supporting high-impact outcomes at the Summit, particularly strong policy proposals that offer real change in the dynamics that have governed the management of the Amazon, and to follow up on the commitments made to that end. Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Brazil, Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Colombia and Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Peru will be present to:
- urge authorities to adopt measures aimed at ending deforestation by 2030;
- guaranteeing the rights of indigenous peoples to their territories;
- combating environmental crimes, violence and drug trafficking;
- and investing in sustainable development solutions.
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative contributes through advocacy, collective action and an ethical voice to make a sustainable Amazon a reality.
Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Brazil, Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Colombia and Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Peru will be present in Belém in order to urge the authorities to adopt measures aimed at ending deforestation by 2030; guarantee the right of indigenous peoples to the territory; combat environmental crimes, violence and drug trafficking; and invest in sustainable development projects. The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative is committed to contributing from advocacy, collective action and the interreligious ethical vision to make a sustainable Amazon a reality.
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative seeks that authorities should adopt comprehensive public policies and sustainable development plans for the Amazon to achieve the following results:
- Reach zero deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.
- Strengthen socio-environmental governance.
- Demarcate pending indigenous lands, remove invaders from these territories, eliminate mining on indigenous lands, protect isolated indigenous peoples against any attempt of forced contact, and respect the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples on enterprises that affect their territories.
- Create priority biodiversity conservation units.
- Allocate vacant lands according to socio-environmental criteria.
- Implement a trans-national strategy to combat environmental crime and drug trafficking in the Amazon region.
- Adopt efficient payment mechanisms for environmental services for Amazonian communities and landowners who conserve and restore the forest.
- Establish a new standard for planning and executing infrastructure projects in the Amazon that enables the development of a bio-economy based on the sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources.
- Encourage scientific and technological development to enable the establishment of a sustainable forest economy.
- Provide access to essential public services (health, education, environmental sanitation, connectivity and public safety) for the Amazonian population, to reduce the serious social inequalities and poverty in the region
Download the Interfaith Rainforest Commitment to Action in the Amazon
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