Brazil
For the first time in Brazil, the virtual edition of #EarthOptimism Brazil (#OtimismoPlanetario) presented successful cases in the conservation of the planet and discussed how optimism can inspire us to promote change. The event – organised by the International Institute for Sustainability (IIS) with support of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative – ran from April 5th to 9th, bringing live talks and debates with experts, success stories in conservation and promotion of human well-being, and workshops and cultural events.
Guest speakers debated how to remain optimistic in the face of adversity, how optimism can help to transform dreams or ideas into reality, and the relationship between optimism and utopia. Every evening a film session profiled successful conservation initiatives led by social and environmental organizations from all over Brazil.
The list of events also included free workshops on food reusing and recycling, artistic natural painting, and plastic waste reduction. The closing day featured performances by the Fulni-ô indigenous people and the youth brass orchestra “Favela Brass”.
The event was held exclusively in Portuguese and broadcast live on the Otimismo Planetário YouTube channel, starting at 7pm each evening from 5th to 7th April. The complete programme with more information about the event can be found on www.otimismoplanetario.org. Here are some of the highlights:
Instituto Floresta Viva, Towards a forest economy
Find out how this organisation is working to restore the spectacularly diverse but endangered Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia state while creating long-term economic opportunities for local people.
The franciscana dolphin project
The shallow waters of Brazil’s southern coastline are home to one of the rarest dolphins in the world. Hear project coordinator Professor Marta Jussara Cremer explain what her team has discovered about the franciscana dolphin’s ecology, and the plans they’re developing with local communities to reduce dolphin entanglement in fishing nets.