Protect the Amazon Rainforest and its Guardians

In this quick update we’re delighted to introduce Mr. Manoel Chorimpa on behalf of The Javari Project.

Mr. Chorimpa is President of ASDEC (Community Development Association of the Marubo People of the Upper Curucá River), The Javari Project partner, indigenous leader from the Marubo tribe, and a key on-the-ground liaison in the Vale do Javari. His insights and leadership play an important role in the Javari Project and moving forward the key pillars that we’ve shared in previous updates. The hope is that for future speaking engagements he’ll be able to participate in person and provide an important voice, and link, on behalf of the Indigenous People of the Vale do Javari.

On the topic of speaking engagements, Céline Cousteau and Tadzio Mac Gregor Schneider, co-founders of The Javari Project, have undertaken several key engagements during the month of September.

First, Mr. Mac Gregor participated in Climate Week New York City (September 19 – 25, 2022) where he presented the Javari Project and its vision.  Climate Week NYC covers a range of topics and many of the presentations can be watched on demand by signing up through their official website.

Also, at the end of September Ms. Cousteau spoke in London, UK at the prestigious The Travellers Club who hosted an evening to share and raise awareness to the Javari Indigenous People’s story and of course the work of The Javari Project itself.

Unfortunately for these events Mr. Chorimpa couldn’t attend in person but spoke instead by video conference link.

Several activities, reflective the three pillars of The Javari Project, are either underway or will shortly begin and include:

1. Creation and implementation of the first Living Pharmacy in the Vale do Javari, which will be used to incorporate and translate traditional medicinal knowledge from the communities into a central place.
2. Construction of a new school in the village of Maronal including installation of solar panels.
3. Providing antivenom for the community as soon as possible.
4. Video workshops for the local community to be able to share their own stories.
5. Protecting the integrity of the surrounding environment, its biodiversity, in relation to the livelihoods and health of the indigenous community.

As with any work, the above items were identified and prioritised by the leaders in the Vale do Javari and The Javari Project is supporting as requested.

When we receive status updates on any of the above, we’ll continue to share the news with all of our supporters of The Javari Project in the form of additional project reports.

In  closing, we wish to again extend a special thank you, and our gratitude, for your continued support of the Indigenous People that call the region home and play such a vital role in protecting the Amazon.

With so much happening globally and in the news today, keeping the Amazon crisis and the Vale do Javari indigenous people on the world stage is a prioirty for the Javari indigenous leaders, Ms. Cousteau and The Javari Project.

On May 22nd, Ms. Cousteau met at the Cannes Film Festival with Vera and Yuri Sanada, partners in the award-winning film production company Aventuras Producões, and where Mr. Sanada announced "the participation of Celine in the first part of the Amazon River Expedition from Ice to Sea.  She will add a lot to the team as a socio-environmental advocate, filmmaker and explorer". This film will highlight the Amazon region of Peru and will push the shared general message of this region.

Only nine days later, on May 31st, Ms. Cousteau participated in the National Georgraphic's Summit in Portgual.  This Summit, hosted in Lisbon, was an opportunity to discuss her collaboration the Marúbo tribe, our fragile relationship with Nature and the Javari indigenous people's role as guardian of the Amazon ecosystem. While the National Geographic's Summit is currently unavailable as a recording, Ms. Cousteau discussed this topic with Christine Irick of Soul of Travel and that recording, from last November, is available on YouTube by clicking here. 

Over the course of previous reports, we've mentioned the name Beto Marubo, a leader from the Vale do Javari, who was the individual that originally asked Celine Cousteau to share with the world the story of Vale do Javari region.  Beto has visited and spoken at the United Nations in New York numerous times and most recently at the 21st UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples this past April. He works tirelessly for his people and the Amazon and if you wish to put "a name and face together" as well as keep updated on his messages, you can via his Instagram page where he shares his work as well as his Twitter account. His Instagram account you can follow by clicking here and his Twitter account by clicking here.

The Javari Project is now officially registered in The Netherlands. Along with Celine Cousteau the other co-founder is Mr. Tadzio Mac Gregor. Born in Mexico City to a French mother and Mexican father, he is involved with several social and environmental organisations.  As a journalist, he specialises in foreign affairs, environmental conservation and human development. As a supplement, in the next couple weeks we'll provide additional specifics that will be courtesy of Mr. Mac Gregor from The Javari Project. For now, we wanted to share this awareness building update and introduce properly Mr. Mac Gregor and Mr. Marubo.

In closing, we wish to take a minute to address the loss of Indigenous ally and expert Bruno Arajújo Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips. Firstly, the Indigenous Peoples of the Vale do Javari were instrumental in the search for them when they disappeared on June 5th.  When their deaths were sadly confirmed, Celine shared via her social media pages that "this is the region we filmed Tribes on the Edge and where we're doing our work for The Javari Project.  Bruno had been very helpful in our work. He and Dom fought to tell stories of injustice.... My heart goes out to their families."