THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Special Project

Special Project

Global Citizen – Defenders of the Forest

Entered in Non-Profit, Short Form Video, Social Movement Campaign

Objective

The Black Amazon, the first episode in the three-part miniseries “Defenders of the Forest”, is part of Global Citizen’s 12 month ‘Protect the Amazon’ campaign. The series focuses on amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples and local communities from within the Amazon rainforest to the world, ahead of COP30 in November. Episode one shines a light on Brazil’s 1.3 million Abacatal Quilombola people, also known as the “guardians of biodiversity”. Yet, despite this title, systemic racism, marginalization, and lack of visibility continue to exclude their voices from global climate discussions.

Global Citizen understands that progress in the mission to protect the Amazon requires uplifting the voices of communities at the center of the crisis. They are not only on the frontlines of the impacts of climate change, but also driving sustainable solutions to safeguard our planet. Building on years of advocacy alongside Indigenous leaders and grassroots communities, Global Citizen is bringing these urgent calls to action to the world in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil. This film is not just about giving these communities a seat at the table, it’s about showing the world that their knowledge, leadership, and lived experience are essential to defending our planet and confronting the climate crisis effectively.

Strategy

Global Citizen brought The Black Amazon to life as a poetic visual journey through the vibrant community of Abacatal, guided by the voice and presence of Vanuza Cardoso, a spiritual leader, human rights advocate, and member of the Abacatal Quilombola community. Through Vanuza’s narration, the untold legacy of the Black Amazon is revealed. The film uses intimate, grounded portraits of everyday life as we travel across homes, rivers, farmland, and cultural rituals, meeting Black communities living in the Amazon — elders, workers, children, leaders, spiritual rituals — to reclaim the legacy and visibility of Black presence in the rainforest.

The purpose of this film is to introduce the world to the real faces and cultural power of the Black Amazon — a living, breathing legacy under threat, but not forgotten. This is not just history — it’s present-day resistance, identity, and pride.

 

Results

The objective of Global Citizen’s year-long Protect the Amazon campaign is to mobilize $1 billion in new investments from governments, philanthropies, and companies to protect, restore and rewild the Amazon. Funding will support financial mechanisms like the Amazon Fund and the Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), as well as Indigenous and locally led projects curated by campaign partner Re:wild. The campaign also calls on Amazon basin countries – including Brazil – to recognize and strengthen the land rights of Indigenous peoples, whose stewardship is essential to the protection of these vital ecosystems. 

By platforming the stories of the Black and Indigenous communities of the Amazon through this film and miniseries, as world leaders convene in the Belém - the gateway to the Amazon - for COP30 this November, Global Citizen hopes their stories resonate on a global scale in the most natural and authentic way, by honoring and featuring this true community leader, to ensure their vital voices and stories are heard. 

 

Media

Video for Global Citizen – Defenders of the Forest

Entrant Company / Organization Name

Global Citizen

Links

Entry Credits