Amazon Aid Foundation

The river of gold project seeks to bring global awareness about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest through unregulated and illicit gold mining, one of the fasted and most dangerous forms of deforestation in the Amazon today. In most cases, miners uses mercury to separate the gold from the sediment, poisoning rivers and fish, and the people who live there. It also leads to the exploitation, displacement and murder of indigenous people. Annual deforestation from illegal gold mining in indigenous territories in brazil increased by 107% between 2018 and 2019. The result: apocalyptic, barren landscapes. Illegal gold mining has also led to a rise of organized crime syndicates, and profitable revenue streams for transnational criminal organizations (tcos) complicit in money laundering and human and wildlife trafficking. Revenue from gold supports dangerous regimes, and fuels violence and other human rights violations across the hemisphere. Through our documentary film "river of gold and suite of educational materials, Amazon Aid has educated thousands around the globe, from children in the classroom, members of the gold industry, to world leaders. River of gold has been screened at the un in geneva, the museum of tolerance, the vatican, chicago responsible jewelry council, the us state dept, and many other venues and has been an impetus for tackling issues related to gold from the ground to the consumer.

Amazon Aid's mission for inspiring change to protect the Amazon is also realized through our artist for the Amazon platform. Together with our roster of around 100 artists we work to create awareness about the Amazon's sheer beauty and biodiversity, as well as the horrors of its destruction. Additionally, artists inspire actions to encourage protection and preservation, through their art be it visual mediums, written word, film or music.artists for the Amazon's initiatives include inspiring audiences through artist's work on our social media platforms, ongoing education about why the Amazon is important through online arts and science presentations, and artist's residencies in the Amazon where artists can work hand in hand with scientists, and indigenous and local artists to experience the magnificence of the Amazon and the threats it faces. Through the residency, artists create new artwork that can be shared with the world.

Amazon Aid's newest initiative, the cleaner gold network (cgn), now in its third year, is an alliance of consumers, scientists, artists, educators, indigenous communities, ngos, and companies from the gold sector, engaging in a multi-initiative approach to raise awareness and promote solutions for illicit and unregulated gold mining in the Amazon.