Introduction
Climate change is a reality that we can no longer ignore. In fact, we must take deliberate actions to ensure that our planet and future generations thrive. Some of the most effective solutions to climate change come from the traditional knowledge and practices of the most adversely affected populations; therefore, it is crucial to shine a spotlight on historically underrecognized voices as part of our efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and also advance toward achieving environmental justice for these populations.
Perhaps nowhere is this need starker than in the Amazon region covering the Brazilian state of Maranhão, where Africans who escaped from enslavement found refuge and created their own communities, Quilombola communities, as a form of resistance against colonization. In so doing, they found a way to become one with the forest and live sustainably, always respecting their natural surroundings.
Without awareness of the history and environmental acumen of these Quilombola communities, the world is missing out on a crucial element that could make an effective contribution in mitigating the environmental crises we currently face and even lead the way to ensure our planet and future generations thrive.
Seeing an opening to build bridges to purposeful impact, we decided to take a proactive approach to bring these narratives to the fore.
The Approach: Bringing Underrepresented Communities to the Fore
To amplify the voices and knowledge of Quilombola communities, we invited our dear colleague Juliane Sousa, founder of Mídia Quilombola, to present on the work of her organization and the current state of affairs for Quilombola communities in the Amazon region. Mídia Quilombola’s mission is to honor the stories and traditions of Quilombola communities in the Amazon region extending across Maranhão by keeping them alive in contemporary discourse and pointing to them as true solutions to climate change. Juliane presented in Portuguese and we provided simultaneous interpretation into English, which we organized within the context of a larger online conference with other interpreter colleagues.
We worked closely with Juliane to ensure logistical accuracy and alignment in our co-created presentation, communicating cultural sensitivity and strength of narrative in our interpreting delivery. In our eyes, there was no better way to facilitate the type of global conversations we aim to foster through our language services.
The Impact: Key Stakeholder Engagement Across Borders
Through our collaboration with Mídia Quilombola, we were proud to:
✔ Bring increased awareness of the history and environmental contributions of Brazil’s Quilombola communities among the interpreting conference’s nearly 70 registrants.
✔ Bolster international engagement, fortifying collaboration and understanding between Portuguese-speaking and English-speaking stakeholders united for people and planet.
✔ Solidify trust with key stakeholders, thus cementing our position as a key interpreting partner for Mídia Quilombola.
Juliane’s Perspective:
Environmental justice will never be achieved without deliberate protection of indigenous and traditional lands. That’s why we’re keen on bringing more awareness to our mission at Mídia Quilombola to leverage the advent of social media to tell the stories of our Black, Quilombola ancestors in the Amazon region covering the state of Maranhão. The strategic partnership that we have established with Enharmonic Encounters puts us in a better position to ensure our ancestors’ stories live on forever.
For additional details on the context and impact of this event, take a look at our case study.
Looking Ahead: Reaching a Wider Set of Stakeholders
With this foundation set, we are positioning ourselves as the go-to partner for translation and interpreting services for Mídia Quilombola and other Brazilian stakeholders. The next step? Bringing these skills to larger conferences and events, including future engagements hosted by Mídia Quilombola and even Sistema B Brasil.
As we continue cultivating our relationship with Mídia Quilombola, we also cultivate the potential for cross-border impact—one amplified voice at a time.
Are language barriers limiting your impact? Your mission deserves to be heard—clearly, accurately, and in real time. Whether in courtrooms or at conferences, language differences shouldn’t stand in the way of advocacy, collaboration, or decision-making. It’s at these crossroads where we operate best.
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