TEDxAmazônia hosts gathering of knowledge and ancestry in Belém

By Fabyo Cruz – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) – The city of Belém (PA) hosts, for the first time, TEDxAmazônia, an event that brings together thinkers, artists, activists, and forest leaders to discuss transformative ideas focused on the Amazon region.

The conference, which began on Friday, the 6th, and continues until Sunday, the 8th, at Theatro da Paz, takes place in the TEDx format — a license granted by the original TED, created in the United States, to allow independent events around the world. The Amazon edition, however, carries an unprecedented particularity: it is the only one licensed based on a biome.

“TEDxAmazônia is part of a global network of more than four thousand events, but with a very local footprint. It is a stage for the voices of the Amazon that we want — and need — to hear,” says co-organizer Mariana Camardelli, who hosted the event alongside other organizers. “We held three editions in Manaus and now have beautifully arrived here in Belém. This is just the first, but it will not be the last.”

The opening gathered names such as Alessandra Munduruku, an indigenous leader internationally recognized for the defense of indigenous territories, and professor and researcher Michel Pinho. Joice Ferreira and Hortensia Caballero also participated, with a performance by the Amazônia Jazz Band, responsible for closing the first day with sounds typical of the region.

Saturday of multiple Amazons

On Saturday, the 7th, the event features two sessions. In the afternoon, the audience follows names such as Djuena Tikuna, Francielly Barbosa, and Dona Onete, an icon of Amazonian music. In the evening, the program brings an even greater diversity of voices, with an international presence: Fernando Trujillo, Cécile Ndjebet, and Maurício Serna join Brazilians Célia Sampaio and Bustar Maitar, in an exchange of knowledge about climate, environmental justice, and traditional peoples.

Closing

The event ends on Sunday, the 8th, with programming from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Present will be Eliakin Rufino, Larissa Noghuchi, Adriano Karipuna, Mayra Castro, Zenaide Parteira, Antonieta Costa, João do Clima, Danielle Souza, Airton Souza, Aparecida Matos, and Gaby Amarantos. Altogether, there are more than 30 speakers, both Brazilian and foreign, connecting the Amazon to the world through ideas and inspiring stories.

Besides the in-person audience, TEDxAmazônia is being streamed online, with simultaneous translation into English and Spanish, expanding the reach of the initiative and reinforcing the global nature of discussions about the forest and its peoples.

Edited by Marcela Leiros
Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves