The Amazon Looks Back
The Global Citizen Amazônia, held in Belém, represented a powerful manifest. The event highlighted the climatic and cultural importance of the Amazon, conveying the message that the region “looks back” at the world.
by Luiza Amâncio
On the first day of November, once again, the world turned its eyes to Belém. The Global Citizen Amazônia was not just a festival of music and causes; it was a living manifesto: the Amazon stands tall. From the bleachers to the field, the stadium became a territory of resistance and celebration. There, thousands gathered to affirm that the climate is not an abstract agenda, but a matter of daily survival. Artists, Indigenous leaders, quilombola communities, environmentalists, and urban youth all came together for one act: to listen to the forest from within the forest itself.
The “rehearsal for COP 30” was an affirmation that while the world debates goals and agreements, here people live every day with the real impact of climate change, exploitation, and neglect — showing that every flood, every drought, every tree cut down has a name, a face, and a consequence.
During her performance, Gaby Amarantos was clear: “This is my home, so this is something personal for me.” And with that statement, she spoke not only for herself, but for an entire region that for centuries has been treated as the margin — and that now rises as the center. The audience responded in unison, as if understanding that art and territory are inseparable.
Between performances, the big screen became both a mirror and a denunciation. Videos about climate justice, preservation, and human rights reminded everyone that there is no sustainability without equity. Faces of quilombola descendants reinforced what Brazil and the world still struggle to understand: to protect the forest is to protect lives.
The international presence carried symbolic weight. Foreign artists who stepped onto the Mangueirão stage understood that this is not about exoticism, but about belonging. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, captured the emotion of the moment: “I hope to come back here to Belém with the full band soon.” It was more than a compliment — it was an acknowledgment that beyond the greenery, there are hearts deeply in love with life itself.
Global Citizen Amazônia was not limited to a cultural event; it was a political act of self-definition. Belém showed that it has the infrastructure, technical capacity, social maturity, and human sensibility to welcome the world — and that there is an entire generation ready to rebuild the future from the very ground they stand on.
Belém proved that the future of the climate agenda is not written only in English or in formal documents — it can be written with the accent that carries the North in its chest. It is written by those who live, feel, and (re)exist here. When the lights of the Mangueirão went out, the silence that followed was not one of ending, but of reverence. The event was over, but something profound lingered in the air: a sense that, for the first time, the world truly listened. And the Amazon answered.
