Dubai, United Arab Emirates — On Saturday December 2, Indigenous Women from the Amazon will bring forth calls to action for Indigenous rights and protection of the Amazon, water, communities, and the global climate. This event will be a press conference organized by the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

As presidents and global leaders meet for the World Climate Action Summit, Indigenous women leaders who have traveled far from their forest homelands, will share calls for climate action and the vital role of Indigenous Peoples, including announcements from Célia Xakriabá the first Indigenous woman to be elected to the Chamber of Deputies from Minas Gerais, Brazil.This event comes at a critical time for the state of the Amazon Rainforest. In October, Indigenous communities called on governments to declare a climate emergency as their communities are suffering from severe climate-induced drought, leading to no drinking water, food or medicine due to water evaporation. Amongst various topics, speakers will address the devastating impacts of deforestation, extractive industries and agri-business in the Amazon, but also the critical  importance of Indigenous rights and knowledge as a climate solution. A recording will be available on the WECAN facebook page.

COP28 Press Conference – Indigenous Women from the Amazon: Calls for Urgent Action

When: Saturday, December 2, 2023,  5:00 - 5:30 PM

Where: Press Conference Room 2, Zone B6, Building 77, Blue Zone, COP28

Who:

• Célia Xakriabá, Indigenous Activist and Member of the Chamber of Deputies from Minas Gerais, Brazil

• Fany Kuiru Castro, General Coordinator of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), Colombia

• Elaine Shajian Shawit, President of the Regional Coordinating Committee of Indigenous Peoples of San Lorenzo (CORPI SL), Peru

• Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), USA