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Late this morning, Wednesday (29), in a ceremony at the Itamaraty Palace, in Brasília, the Socioenvironmental Institute (ISA) and his executive secretary Adriana Ramos were honored with the Order of Merit of Rio Branco, one of the main decorations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The honor aims to "distinguish meritorious services and civic virtues, and encourage the practice of actions and deeds worthy of honorable mention." It was created in 1963 in homage to the patron of Brazilian diplomacy – Baron of Rio Branco.

At the same event, other personalities and organizations also received the distinction, such as filmmaker Kléber Mendonça, actress Fernanda Torres, singer Daniela Mercury, jurist Oscar Vilhena, the National Movement of the Homeless Population, and the Bei Collection of Indigenous Benches.

"I was very honored to receive the insignia, on behalf of..." ISA “And from the hands of the Vice-President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin,” says the institution's president, Márcio Santilli. “This is a very important recognition at this moment in the institution's life, and one that we want to share with all our collaborators, our supporters, and those who directly follow our work. Thank you all very much,” he concludes.

“Receiving the Order of Rio Branco is an important recognition for the work carried out in recent decades in favor of a more just and sustainable Brazil. It demonstrates that the country understands the importance of valuing its socio-environmental heritage,” says Adriana Ramos.

ISA

The award was granted to ISA Days after its 32nd anniversary, on April 22nd. For three decades, the organization has worked alongside indigenous, quilombola, and extractive communities to develop solutions that contribute to the protection of their territories, the strengthening of their culture and traditional knowledge, the promotion of their political protagonism, and a sustainable economy.

Since its founding, it has established itself as a benchmark in the collection and systematization of information about indigenous peoples and lands, maintaining sites with up-to-date information and analysis on the subject, including one specifically designed for children and young people..

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During this period, he also supported indigenous peoples in their claims for recognition of territorial rights, such as the demarcation of the Indigenous Territories of the Rio Negro (AM) and the return of the Panará people to their traditional territory in Mato Grosso.

He also contributed to the studies that underpinned the creation of the Conservation Units of Terra do Meio (PA), actively participated in the development of the BR-163 Sustainable Plan, and led the Campaign. Y katu Xingu, which leveraged forest restoration efforts in the Xingu River Basin and led to the creation of Xingu Seed Network.

Under the leadership of ISAIt was also created that Amazonian Network of Georeferenced Socio-environmental Information (Raisg), composed of organizations from 6 Amazonian countries (Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru), which has become a benchmark in the integration of data on the Pan-Amazon region.

Headquartered in São Paulo, the organization now has seven other offices: Brasília (DF), Manaus and São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM), Boa Vista (RR), Altamira (PA), Canarana (MT), and Eldorado (SP).

Adriana Ramos

Adriana de Carvalho Barbosa Ramos, a communicator and expert in environmental policy, is the executive secretary of... ISA since 2023, when he began sharing the role with agronomist Rodrigo Junqueira. 

Adriana is a true Carioca (native of Rio de Janeiro) and a Botafogo fan at heart, mother of Ana and Tales, grandmother of Arthur, and wife of Henyo Trindade Barreto Filho, professor of Anthropology at the University of Brasília (UnB).  

She is part of the office team at ISA Based in Brasília since 1995, working in political advocacy in different areas of knowledge and socio-environmental public policies.

She was directly involved in the debates and mobilizations that led to some of the main achievements on the socio-environmental agenda in the country in the last 30 years, such as the institution of the decree that regulates the demarcation of Indigenous Lands (1.775/1996), the Law of the National System of Conservation Units (SNUC, 9.985/2000), the Law on the Management of Public Forests (11.284/2006) and the implementation of the Amazon Fund.  

Adriana is part of the coordination team at the Climate Observatory (OC), the largest network of environmental organizations in the country, and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Podáali Fund. She was a member of the Executive Board of the Brazilian Association of NGOs (Abong), a representative of civil society on the National Environment Council (Conama), and on the Steering Committee of the Amazon Fund (Cofa).

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