From Yutzupino in the Amazon Rainforest to COP28

Journalism, Education, and Engagement: Crucial Tools To Guide COP28 Consensus 

In June, I was in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, participating in a Pulitzer Center engagement initiative aimed at bringing stories from the Rainforest Journalism Fund back to communities. We invited participants to take part in the Amazon Rainforest letter-writing contest. 

There, at Yutzupino, at the top of a mountain overlook, I spoke with an Indigenous leader about the community's struggle against extractivism. Meanwhile, I observed the effects of open-air gold mining, which had turned the once-pristine rainforest into a desolate landscape. The rivers resembled open gray areas; not a single tree stood for miles around. Holding my breath, I thought about how to continue amplifying these issues impacting our rainforests, engaging multiple stakeholders with the reality in front of me. 

With this goal in mind, we will showcase the Pulitzer Center's new model of breakthrough journalism and audience-centered engagement during COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Numerous challenges exist in building consensus on the critical issues of the Anthropocene era during the most important conference defining the future of climate change. We believe that journalism, education, and engagement are crucial tools in building solutions together. 

Our objective for COP28 is to draw attention to complex environmental and climate issues through Pulitzer Center-supported stories involving rainforests worldwide, endangered oceans, and the impact of climate and labor on the health of workers in the Global South. 

Explaining our comprehensive model, we aim to highlight the accountability, journalism, and engagement necessary to protect these ecosystems and their biodiversity. We hope that our participation will contribute to the protection of the world’s oceans and rainforests and the rights of people affected by their destruction, and advance dialogue among decision-makers about the transparency of governments, companies, and financial institutions, so places like Yutzupino can thrive. 

Best, 

IMPACT

The Great Abandonment, a Pulitzer Center-supported documentary about vulnerable laborers in India, has won the Rory Peck Award for Freelancers. The documentary follows the forced displacement of 11 million migrant workers returning, often by foot, to their home villages after the announcement of India’s harshest COVID-19 lockdown.  

This message first appeared in the December 1, 2023, edition of the Pulitzer Center's weekly newsletter. Subscribe today. 

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