Margareth Menezes, Brazil’s Minister of Culture, has issued a stark warning: nature is nearing a critical point where reversing the damage caused by climate change may become impossible.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during the now-running COP28, she emphasised the need to leverage cultural tools to raise awareness and inspire action.
Menezes believes that the power of culture lies in its ability to connect with people on an emotional level. “I think we can use everything within the scope of culture, audiovisual, cinema… we have to take advantage of it at this moment,” she stated. “Culture is made of people; culture is a living thing. For this reason, culture is a great tool to reach people’s emotions,” added the Brazilian minister.
This urgency has led to a groundbreaking collaboration between the UAE and Brazil. On Friday, December 8th at COP28, Salem bin Khaled Al Qassimi, the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Youth, and Menezes co-launched the Group of Friends of Culture-Based Climate Actio
n (GFCBCA). This international coalition of UN Member States aims to recognise culture as a powerful force in combating climate change.
The GFCBCA will work to advocate for culture-based climate action, develop interventions, solutions, and multilateral actions, and provide a space for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
“This group has sought to bring culture to the forefront of actions to be used as one of the tools in raising awareness of climate change, given the potential that culture has for communicating and sensitizing the population to this moment we are experiencing,” stated the Brazilian representative to WAM.
Menezes also praised the UAE’s leadership in the fight against climate change. “The United Arab Emirates has shown sincere commitment to sustainability and climate change,” she said. “It is a strong country that has also sought an approach with Brazil. I think we can leverage some important bilateral actions within culture,” explained the minister.
With time running out, the GFCBCA’s ini
tiative marks a crucial step towards utilising the power of culture to address the climate crisis by harnessing the creativity and influence of cultural expression to inspire collective action and build a more sustainable future.
As Brazil will host COP30 in the city of Belém, in the state of Pará, the Brazilian Minister of Culture hopes to leverage the initiatives created at COP28 in Dubai. She advocates, for example, intensifying the debate on the social inequalities that the world faces along with discussions about the future of the planet’s climate, especially strengthening female presence in decision-making forums and combating so-called climate racism.
“Within the actions of the Ministry of Culture, we are seeking to create projects with quotas to strengthen Afro-Brazilian culture, culture as a whole, and towards quilombola [communities organized by fugitive slaves in colonial Brazil] culture, the culture of indigenous peoples, giving representation to these people. I think balance involves the presen
ce of women in positions of power. It is a collaboration, the coexistence that the feminine experience can help a lot in this moment of reflection that the world needs,” said Menezes.
The Brazilian minister aims for even more. She wants to seek the engagement of indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and youth to enhance COP30 in Brazilian territory. “Brazil is a leader in sustainable fuel, green fuel. We have the experiences of indigenous peoples; we have the experiences of quilombola peoples. I think there is much to take advantage of at this moment. And there is a youth, a new people, who need our help to preserve. Nature has to be for everyone. I believe that youth can assist us a lot at this moment,” stated the Minister of Culture of Brazil.
Margareth Menezes is a singer, songwriter, actress, cultural manager, entrepreneur, and current Minister of Culture of Brazil. In 36 years of work, she has already released 17 works, including LPs, CDs, and DVDs, and completed 23 international tours across all conti
nents. Winner of two Caymmi trophies, two Imprensa trophies, four Dodô and Osmar trophies, as well as nominated for the Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy.
In addition to her artistic career, the Brazilian minister founded the Fábrica Cultural Association 18 years ago in Salvador, in Bahia state, an organization that develops projects in the areas of Culture, Education, and Sustainability.
Margareth is considered one of the 100 black women who most influence the world by the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD), an institution recognized by the United Nations (UN) and she is a member of IOV Unesco as an ambassador of Popular Culture.
Source: Emirates News Agency