PanAmazonia is a NGO based in Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, with the goal of promoting the ideal of regional integration in the continental Amazon as well as the strengthening of ties between the people who live in the region. We believe that the destiny of the region should be in the hands of its people, not in the national capitals thousands of miles away. It is our aim to promote the empower
ment of these people as thas is the only way to enhance their livelihoods while contributing to the conservation of the rainforest. The Amazon rainforest is one of the largest natural biomes in the world, and yet the Amazon region is at huge risk from environmental and human degradation. Wide scale issues such as cattle ranching, agro-industrial projects, timber exploitation and the increased construction of hydro-electric dams, among numerous other projects, have put huge pressure on the Amazon. The Brazilian government, and those of the eight other Amazon-containing countries, have implemented programs to try to alleviate these issues, but the fact that all government decisions take place far outside the Amazon region means that issues affecting the Amazon people are not dealt with first hand and are therefore mostly ignored. The development history of the Amazon region means that the indigenous people lack empowerment and have little or no voice for their own future. Social and environmental programs imposed on them have led to large amounts of resentment. The Amazon people have lived in the rainforest for centuries without causing any environmental damage, which instead stems almost entirely from companies and individuals outside the region. The Amazon people do not necessarily speak out against these decisions due to their cultural tradition, a lack of education, and a general fear of the government but their silence speaks louder than words. Panamazonia was created to change this and aims to promote the ideal that the decision process must be put into the hands of the Amazon people. In practical terms we want to implement our ideas through projects that value culture and promote self esteem and empowerment of this population.
