The guardians of the Amazon rainforest are getting murdered.

Avaaz just released emergency funds to keep 5 Indigenous leaders safe — but it’s not enough.

Oil giants and loggers want to tear the Amazon apart — and Indigenous communities are the last line of defence. They are physically stopping the chainsaws, exposing oil spills, and winning new laws to protect the Amazon.

And that makes them a target — because if they are silenced, the Amazon will lose its human shield, and the jaws of destruction can be set free.

This is a special appeal for donations to help keep them safe.

When forest guardians face immediate danger, your donation will help to fund emergency relocations, safe-houses, and round-the-clock monitoring. Together we could create a safety net covering six Amazon countries.

Your donation will also empower Indigenous leaders to steer the negotiations for a binding treaty to save the rainforest. Avaaz is fully supporting a delegation of leaders at the global nature summit in Colombia, happening right now.

The more we raise from this email, the more we can do to support them, on the ground, today.

Life is cheap in the Amazon. Under $100 to have someone killed. But together, from across the planet, we can help to keep hundreds of Indigenous leaders safe. They’re protecting the Earth’s most precious rainforest — on which we all depend. Donate what you can now:

We just spoke to one of the Waorani leaders who is currently in hiding. They are safe, for now.

But as Indigenous leaders grow louder, and their victories stack up, they become even bigger targets. Those who stand to make millions from looting and polluting the rainforest now see them as obstacles to be removed.

That’s why we’re making this special appeal. They are counting on our support. If we raise enough we could:

• Fund a safety net for Amazon defenders across six countries, ensuring leaders can be evacuated and protected when immediate threats arise;
• Provide safe-houses and security equipment, including CCTV cameras, radios, and secure internet connections — so leaders can organise their communities even when in hiding;
• Ensure dozens of leaders can safely travel from the Amazon to global summits, fighting for the forest as key decisions are made. We’ve done this for the last 6 years, because their voices are undoubtedly influencing global treaties;
• Support rainforest communities like the Waroni, the Chapra, and the Suruí to protect their territories from state-owned oil-drilling companies, and;
• Accelerate Avaaz campaigns to protect the planet’s most critical ecosystems and the balance of life on Earth.

This is a chance to support the very people putting their bodies on the line to save the Amazon. Let’s help to keep Indigenous leaders safe, right now — and fuel their fight to protect the rainforest, for good.

Our movement has supported an uprising of Amazon Indigenous leaders for years. Together, we’ve funded their participation at international talks, organised media and security training, helped leaders coordinate across the rainforest — and even provided humanitarian support during the COVID pandemic.

They see us as their allies. We cannot let them down.

With fierce hope and endless determination, always

Camille, Mike, Jon, Ana Sofia and the whole team at Avaaz

PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That’s why we’re fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who’ve donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.

More information:

1. Look at the crisis in the Amazon and understand the stakes: we’re battling for life itself (The Guardian)
2. Almost 2,000 land and environmental defenders killed between 2012 and 2022 for protecting the planet (Global Witness)
3. Scientific Evidence Points to Indigenous Peoples’ Forest Management as Key to Climate Change Mitigation (Rainforest Foundation)

Lions, tigers and other big cats are bred for trophy hunting, cub petting, volun-tourism, and trade…but now one country could change this with the stroke of a pen!

The South African government wants to ban the “lion jails” where almost 8,000 of these majestic creatures are exploited for profit. This is amazing news! We can help other big cats by urging South Africa to extend the ban to tigers, cheetahs, leopards and jaguars.

Conservation groups calling for protection for ALL big cats are asking the Avaaz community to help make their roar louder. So let’s join the call to push South Africa one step further, and when our pride of voices is large enough, we’ll deliver our roar straight to the government.

Big cats are predators and need a huge amount of space that is nearly impossible to provide in human captivity. Which is why breeding, “jailing” and petting them is so cruel.

We should applaud South Africa for making the right decision for lions – this is a significant step! But there is also a risk that other species end up being a replacement for lions if they are not granted the same protections.

So join today and invite your friends to become part of the global pride of people calling for a wider captivity and interaction ban that protects all big cats!

Avaaz members’ love for beings who share this planet with us pushes us to speak up for wildlife again and again. We supported undercover investigations to help shut down poaching networks, busted illegal ivory trades, and bought lands to protect habitat in key areas. Today, let’s help end big cat farming industries in South Africa.

With love and hope,

Huiting, Antonia, Nate and the whole Avaaz team

More information:

• Lion Exploitation (Humane Society International)
• In conservation-conscious South Africa, some lions bred to be shot (VoA)
• South Africa is to shut down captive lion farms. Experts warn the plan needs a deadline (The Conservation)
• ‘Blood Lions’ no more as South Africa to stop captive breeding of big cats for trophy hunting, traditional medicine (Down To Earth)