Goldman Environmental Prize Blog

The following is a statement by 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Paul Sein Twa. By Paul Sein Twa Thank you for this award that recognizes the efforts of indigenous Karen communities and local leaders to protect their territories of life and their culture, and to bring about real peace after a war that has afflicted…

On November 30, we announced the six 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize winners in a first-of-its-kind virtual award ceremony (available to watch on YouTube). Whether engaging with their causes internationally or in your own hometown, learn how you can support the work and activism of the 2020 Prize winners. 1. Go green energy with Chibeze Ezekiel…

The following is a statement by 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Chibeze Ezekiel. By Chibeze Ezekiel I would like to thank the Goldman Environmental Foundation for selecting and honouring me with the Goldman Prize. In 2009, I had the rare opportunity to be selected, trained, and certified as a Youth Master Trainer on Climate Change.…

Each year, the Goldman Environmental Prize is honored to recognize six heroes of the environment. Join us tonight, November 30, 2020, at 4:00 pm PST (7:00 pm EST) on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter to meet them and hear their stories firsthand. Hosted by award-winning actress Sigourney Weaver, this virtual award ceremony will feature Robert Redford,…

Dear friends, A challenging and unprecedented year, 2020 has dramatically highlighted our planet’s fragility and humans’ deep connection to nature. This year, more than ever, there is a great need to recognize our greatest environmental champions. I would like to invite you to join me and thousands of others in celebrating this year’s recipients of…

With the COVID-19 pandemic, political mayhem, and natural disasters, the US media has had its hands full with rapidly evolving events. Whereas last year, fires in the Amazon dominated headlines, in 2020 they have been one item on a long list of crises. I was starkly reminded of the Amazonian fires when indigenous Asháninka leader…

By Ellen Lomonico This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, learn how these five organizations are making a direct and positive impact on indigenous communities through grassroots activism. Located around the world, the following NGOs are either run or advised by past recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize. 1. Central Asháninka del Río Ene (CARE) Led by Goldman Prize…

The Birth of a Movement “A march is not a movement.” “It’s just a point in time when people come together. Movements are everyday lived realities and processes. They are about change over time and not change through one moment.” Equating the development of a social movement to a tree’s strengthening roots (slow, sustained, and…

Despite dramatic differences in focus, tactics, and location (one in Germany and one in India), two Goldman Prize winners are united in their ongoing fight against a common enemy––coal. In 2019, the Goldman Environmental Foundation’s grantmaking program was thrilled to support the organizations of Heffa Schucking (Germany, 1994) and Ramesh Agrawal (India, 2014) in their…

Life on a Factory Farm “It’s like putting your head in a sewer pit.” 15 minutes into an interview with Lynn Henning (United States, 2010) this June, this statement stopped me in my tracks. Lynn described the stench that emanates from neighboring concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and wafts over to her backyard. There are…