September 2010
Sept. 21, 2010 – The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) today was named a Tech Awards
Laureate; one of 15 global innovators recognized each year for applying technology to benefit
humanity and spark global change. The Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech
Museum, and presented by Applied Materials, Inc., selected the Amazon Conservation Team
from hundreds of nominations representing more than 50 countries.
Since 1996, ACT has been partnering with local tribes to train and empower indigenous
communities to map, manage and protect their traditional lands, creating legal and recognized tools for use in land rights negotiations and natural resource management policies. These tools have proven to be essential when collaborating with governments and other institutions, providing the necessary data to design and implement land management plans. In addition to working in Brazil, ACT has been working with indigenous peoples throughout the Amazon to help them protect their forest, and has successfully partnered in the mapping of more than 70 million acres of indigenous lands.
The Tech Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity is one of the premier annual humanitarian
awards programs in the world, recognizing technical solutions that benefit humanity and
address the most critical issues facing our planet and its people. The awards program honors
15 scientists and innovators annually alongside the recipient of the Global Humanitarian Award.
This year’s Global Humanitarian Award will go to Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan.
Laureates are selected by a prestigious panel of international judges organized by the Center
for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University, and made up of Santa Clara
University faculty as well as leaders from educational and research institutions, industry and the public sector around the world.
“To be recognized by the Tech Awards is an incredible honor. Being part of a prestigious group
of organizations and individuals whose ideas, actions, and entrepreneurial spirit is making
the world a better place provides all of us with a tremendous sense of accomplishment,” said
Dr. Mark Plotkin, President, Amazon Conservation Team. “No one does more to prevent
deforestation than indigenous leaders like Chief Almir Surui who is known for partnering with
Google and ACT to help protect his people’s forests. ACT will continue to partner with the
indigenous people of the Amazon to manage and protect the rainforest and preserve the overall well-being of its people.”
“The global challenges of the day have become increasingly strident, more deeply rooted,”
said Peter Friess, president of The Tech Museum. “Still, there is hope. These incredibly
impressive Laureates have all proven to be equal to, or better than, the challenge to make the world a better place. By celebrating their accomplishments today, we are encouraging future innovators to work toward solutions to make the world healthier, safer and more sustainable.”
Established in 2000, The Tech Awards recognizes 15 Laureates in five universal categories:
education, equality, environment, economic development and health. These Laureates have
developed new technological solutions or innovative ways to use existing technologies to
significantly improve the lives of people around the world. One Laureate in each category will
receive a $50,000 cash prize during the annual Awards Gala in Santa Clara, California on
November 6.
This year, the Laureates represent the truly global vision of the program, spanning countries
such as Brazil, Bangladesh, the Philippines and the Bay Area. Their work impacts people in
many more countries worldwide.
The Tech Awards collaborates with humanitarian, educational, and business partners through
global outreach efforts, giving people around the world the opportunity to benefit from the
successful technologies recognized through The Tech Awards. The selected Laureates’
projects address multiple humanitarian efforts including developing alternate ways to generate
electricity, irrigate land, creating free educational tools, offering affordable solutions for learning English, and helping indigenous people in the Amazon eliminate deforestation on their territory.
Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Inc., Intel Corporation,
Nokia, Microsoft, The Swanson Foundation, BD Biosciences, Polycom, Genentech, Wells
Fargo, SAP, eBay, KPMG, Accenture, The Quattrone Foundation, Google, NBC11, Ogilvy
Public Relations Worldwide, The Fairmont San Jose, Montgomery Hotel, Marriott San
Jose and American Airlines. Key partners include Santa Clara University’s Center for
Science, Technology, and Society, World Federation of United Nations Associations, United
Nations Development Programme, World Bank Institute, Catholic Relief Services, The
CORE Group, National Center for Technology Innovation and Opportunity International.
For more information about The Tech Awards, visit www.techawards.org. Nominations for 2011
will be accepted beginning October 1.
Press Contact:
Jourdan Clandening
Amazon Conservation Team
jclandening@amazonteam.org
703.522.4684 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 703.522.4684
