Article
Paulo Galvão, from the Amazon to the World: Portrait of a young Brazilian Climate Activist
Youth Multimedia Room
The article was produced by the Youth Multimedia Room. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the contributors of the Youth Multimedia Room and do not represent the views of UNESCO or its partners. The designations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO or its partners.
Born in Santarém, Pará, Paulo Galvão is third generation of his indigenous family to be born in the city. The activist was born in the Caranazal neighborhood, but at the age of two, he moved to the Nova República neighborhood, located in a peripheral area of Santarém.
Now Paulo currently studies International Relations at UNESP in the city of São Paulo. His social awakening came when he was in high school and attended activities with the NGO Engajamundo, allowing him to connect with nature, education, and activism. It was at this moment that questions about inequalities, climate change, and democracy began to simmer in his heart, calling him to action.
I realized something was wrong, but I didn't really know what to do. I was class president in school, I was always very consistent with my responsibilities, striving to do what I considered right. Since I was a child, I knew how to differentiate between the time to play and the time to study.
In 2018, he participated in a training called the Amazon Journey, organized by Engajamundo. This project was divided into formative cycles and consisted of various thematic groups, fostering discussion on gender, climate, and territorial issues for young people belonging to indigenous territories, riverside communities, and peripheral areas. After this training and with other young people from his territory, Paulo decided to create the Engajajós Local Nucleus, a space for youth from the Tapajós region to discuss topics related to their territory, and to advocate for climate justice and youth rights.
In 2020, Paulo joined the Climate working group of Engajamundo, where he now plays a coordinating role. As such, he has participated in several activities: the launch of the VAC - Voices for Climate Action campaign, the Brazilian Conference on Climate Change, the COP 27 in Sharm El Sheik (Egypt) and the COP 28 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), as well as several United Nations conferences on combating climate change.
In 2022, Engajajós developed a fundraising campaign and four members managed to travel to Brasília, with the aim of participating in the Uprising for Life, a mobilization held in the Brazilian Congress to advocate for indigenous communities’ rights. The visibility of the campaign allowed Engajajós to grow, and many people who participated in the space decided to create other engagement groups, with an impact going beyond their local territory.
In 2023, Paulo decided to focus on college studies and his lectures, bringing the theme of climate change, indigenous youth participation, and environmental racism to the center of discussions. According to the young indigenous man, promoting environmental and climate education is extremely necessary to build more sustainable ways of life.
This commitment has led Paulo to places he previously thought were inaccessible. In 2024, he was hired as an intern at the Alana Institute. He was also selected to participate in UNESCO’s Youth Multimedia Room during the World Press Freedom Day conference in Santiago, Chile. This unique initiative brought together young journalists, content creators, activists and fact-checkers from 14 countries to create multimedia content about the conference.
Paulo also participated as a panelist in the side event "Driving Climate Awareness and literacy on Social Media: exploring the role of digital content creators and platforms to address the climate crisis," along with recognize content creators and activists from various parts of the world: Charlotte Brum Bezie, Kassy Cho, Francisco Vera and Selina Nera.
This is a new era. It's time for indigenous youth, who have long had their history and narratives erased, to shine, share their knowledge with the world, and show that there is another way to live: decolonized, inclusive, and naturally sustainable.
Thus, I conclude this article by reiterating the title: Paulo Galvão, from the Amazon to the world!
Amanda Costa
