I had the privilege of being in Belém for both COP30 and The People’s Summit, where so much of the world’s attention and expectation hinged on what would unfold inside COP during the formal negotiations. But it was outside of the halls of the Blue Zone, in the People’s Summit, where decisive action, bold commitments, and real collective power was demonstrated, showing how movements power the push for climate justice.

The People’s Summit was a resounding reminder that the heart of climate action is alive across diverse communities in the Global South, where people defend land, water, food, and life every single day. More than 30,000 people from 62 countries came together to strategize collectively on essential issues such as food sovereignty, energy transition, and collective care for land and life. In each discussion, the focus was on solutions that center equity and justice. Thousand Currents supported more than 30 movement formations from Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, who participated in organizing the Summit, shared solutions, and marched for climate justice.

For two weeks, Belém became a living map of movement solutions and movement action. Indigenous Peoples, Quilombola communities, women farmers, youth organizers, agroecology collectives, fisherfolk, forest defenders, and movement allies gathered. Set against the backdrop of the Amazon, their presence transformed the city into a territory of struggle and imagination, demonstrating further how movements power the push for climate action.

What stood out most was the clarity with which people affirmed their relationship to land and territory. In speeches, rituals, assemblies, and songs, participants insisted that forests are not just carbon offsets, market commodities, or climate instruments. Forests are home, memory, and a living political subject. This was most poignantly expressed by the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil. “The Amazon is not for sale,” declared an Indigenous Elder during a session on an inclusive and just transition in the Amazon. Another leader said, “We are the forest. We are the river. We are the climate solution.” They spoke these words not as slogans, but as truths passed down through generations, and lived out daily through the choices and actions of peoples who are collectively stewarding territories like the Amazon and preserving the world’s biodiversity. They do this not only as a practice of living in harmony with the planet, but as a core expression of who they are–many putting their lives on the line in the process.

Read the full article about movements leading climate action by Zanele Sibanda at Thousand Currents.