Sarah duPont, United States
"If people do not understand what they could lose, then how can they become activated to save it?"
Sarah duPont
President-Founder
Amazon Aid Foundation
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Sarah duPont, President and Founder of the Amazon Aid Foundation shares her experience working to educate the public about the negative impacts from illegal mining in the Amazon rainforest.
Credit: River of Gold Documentary
What made you decide to establish the Amazon Aid Foundation?
I began traveling to the Peruvian Amazon in 1999 with some of the world’s best Amazonia scientists. It was through their lens that I learned of the value of the Amazon. As an educator and a mother, I felt that there was a need to create a platform that educates global citizens about the importance of the Amazon so they can engage in solutions to protect this critical ecosystem. If people do not understand what they could lose then how can they become activated to save it? In 2009, with this in mind, I founded the Amazon Aid Foundation.
What is Amazon Aid’s mission?
Amazon Aid’s mission is to educate global audiences about the importance of the Amazon, the implications of its destruction, and solutions for protecting it. Our flagship film River of Gold documents illicit and unregulated gold mining in the Amazon, one of the most dangerous threats to the Amazon today. In accordance with our mission to promote the best solutions to protect the Amazon we delved into the complexities of ASGM from the ground to the consumer.
With our deep knowledge base, we have produced curriculum, educational support materials that include consumer and industry guides as well as the Cleaner Gold Network, which is an alliance of consumers, scientists, artists, educators, indigenous communities, NGOs, and companies from the gold sector, engaging in a multi-initiative approach to raise awareness and promote solutions for illicit and unregulated gold mining in the Amazon. We are also committed to building alliances of stakeholders that promote systemic solutions around ASGM.
In your opinion, what are the greatest opportunities for innovation related to ASGM in the region?
Creating pathways for innovations and incentives to produce and implement mercury-free technologies and safer working conditions, along with the regulation of the ASGM sector that includes easier certification processes, and blockchain or chain of custody to get the gold to market.
What are some of the challenges you have experienced since starting the Amazon Aid Foundation?
Creating change to protect the Amazon is in itself very difficult, then tackling the issues of gold even harder. There are many obstacles, yet many amazing individuals and organizations working to mitigate these complex issues. I remain hopeful.
What excites you most about the Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge: the Amazon?
The Grand Challenge is an important pathway to leverage the discussion around the complexities and the need to support better methodologies in the ASGM sector in the Amazon. It has become too easy to demonize the miner, and this challenge not only recognizes these vulnerable populations, but supports real solutions for making the situation better.
