Khaberni - In the corridors of the formal negotiations at the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties (COP30), the voice of indigenous peoples rises, demanding climate justice, in a popular summit that reflects the suffering of Earth's inhabitants.
Away from the formal negotiation atmosphere of the Conference of the Parties (COP30), members of Amazonian indigenous communities gathered at Belem University to inaugurate a parallel people's summit aimed at bringing the voices of indigenous inhabitants to the world.
News agencies displayed lively scenes of people dancing, singing, and conversing in a festive atmosphere, during the event held at the campus of the Federal University in Para State, just a few kilometers away from the conference center hosting the United Nations Climate Summit.
The opening ceremonies included symbolic protests, singing, dancing, and impactful speeches by the indigenous communities from various parts of the Amazon, as reported by the Associated Press. Ines Antonia Santos Ribeiro, a university professor, was quoted saying: "Here our voices are heard, here our voices echo freely."
This year’s climate conference is the first to be held in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, a symbolic choice by the host country Brazil, aiming to ensure broader representation of indigenous peoples in climate and environmental issues.
However, a sense of exclusion still looms over some participants, after a scuffle broke out on Tuesday evening when some protesters tried to storm the blue zone reserved only for accredited delegates.
During a press conference held within the People's Summit, protest supporters defended their actions, emphasizing that their move was a distress signal to the government and the United Nations to draw attention to their cause.
Reuters quoted Oricelia, a member of the local Arabioun community, saying: "It was an attempt to draw the officials' attention to our suffering and the suffering of the dying forest."
France Presse Agency quoted Joao Santiago, a professor at the Federal University in Para, saying: "The indigenous people's movement wanted to present its demands inside the blue zone, but they were not allowed in."
The People's Summit runs parallel to the COP30 conference from November 12 to 16 and will see two upcoming days of general sessions to draft an official message directed at the conference president Andre Correa do Lago, and to be delivered to the participating delegations.
The event concludes next Saturday with a global march for Climate Justice Now, expected to involve more than 15,000 people, in a scene embodying the unity of peoples in the face of climate challenges and environmental discrimination.
