January 17, 2017
At the end of last year, we asked for your feedback on what you would like to hear most from us as we continue to honor and celebrate heroic environmental activists from around the world. We are pleased to share the results, and let you know how we plan to address your preferences through our communications efforts.
While many of you were happy with us sharing ways to get involved with Prize winners and their causes and hearing personal stories from these activists on the ground, it became clear that you are also concerned about the bigger picture of what is happening in the broader field of environmental activism.
We recognize threats to activists are a growing problem that requires urgent action and remain committed to raising awareness of environmental defenders’ plight where heightened recognition helps improve their safety. We are conducting threat assessments, providing urgent defense grants and other forms of assistance to support Prize winners at risk. We will continue to join our allies in support of the wider movement, including standing with Prize winners resisting development projects that will harm their natural environment.
When we asked how you prefer to take action in support of Prize winners, we heard your strong desire to show your solidarity through messages and letters of support. We also heard from you the need for easier ways for you to share Prize winners’ stories on social media. This year, we will be launching an interactive map which will bring you closer to the activists we award, as well make it easy for you to share their stories online. Stay tuned!
We also know that you are prepared to take direct action to support Prize winners, including signing petitions and donating to their causes — and we’re grateful that so many of you have done so already! Where possible, we will continue to share online actions where you can directly support the activists we award (as seen in the ‘get involved’ section of Máxima Acuña’s profile page, for example.)
We are humbled by your interest and grateful for your responses. As we continue to bring you the content that resonates most with you, we remain committed to our core mission: inspiring you through the stories of the activists we award.
“We were one of the first schools who brought students to the Goldman Prize ceremony, and it became an important tradition at our school. It inspired our students to design a similar ceremony honoring alumni who are ‘change-makers.’”
— Prospect Sierra School on the annual Prospect Sierra Alumni Action Award in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.
