Founded in 1978, AMDA, the Minas Association for the Protection of the Environment is a non-profit-making, apolitical, Non-Governmental Organization, recognized as a public municipal and state resource.Regarded as one of the most dynamic organizations in the state of Minas Gerais and in Brazil, AMDA seeks to find a balance between protecting the environment and promoting economic activities necessary to the well-being of human beings.AMDA is dedicated to the improvement of environmental policies and the construction of a responsible society

In its commitment to the environment, AMDA is guided by the following principles: awareness of the need to defend life and the common good, and to respect differences; a belief in democracy and passivism; and independence from party political affiliations.Through dialog between various social agents, participation in a network of other Non-governmental Organizations, social mobilization, participation in collegiate bodies linked to Executive Power, cooperation with Legislative Authorities, working with State Ministry and the Judicial Authorities, and through partnerships with companies and institutions concerned with these issues, AMDA has achieved important results, principally in improving government policy in relation to the environment.

Priority:

AMDA’s main priorty is the protection of the forests, which it considers to be of vital importance to the survival and quality of life of human society. Strategies

• Actions intended to improve and consolidate government environmental policy
• Actions which seek to facilitate agreements between companies, governments and civil society and which help to address existing problems and improve the condition of the environment
• Ensuring that legislation and signed agreements are carried out.
• Developing projects with a view to launching new concepts and reinforcing practices which can contribute to the preservation of the environment.
• Environmental education, seeking to change peoples’ attitudes in order that development is “socially just, economically viable and environmentally sustainable”

Principal Projects:„h  MBR-CEA Mata do Jambreiro Centre of Environmental Education, in Nova Lima.
Through an agreement with MBR and located in the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural do Jambreiro (Jambreiro Private Reserve of Natural Heritage), AMDA has developed with teachers and students, educational activities related to the environment and natural resources.„h  VERDE CATAS ALTAS Project
With the support of the Municipal Council of Catas Atlas and FVRD, and through educational programs and alternative economics, AMDA has encouraged the community to exploit its historical and natural resources in a sustainable way in order to guarantee the quality of life of its inhabitants. „h  FUTURO DA ENERGIA (THE FUTURE OF ENERGY) Project
This Project, whose principal partner is CEMIG - Cia Energética de Minas Gerais (the Minas Gerais Energy Company) seeks to provide a forum for discussions and proposals about the energy question and its impact on the environment. It functions through a series of meetings on a given theme and through an annual international seminar, which seeks ideas from different socio-political and economic players concerned with the problem and to create a database which can help in addressing such issues.„h  AMDA website - www.amda.org.br
The website is an interactive space where people and organizations interested in environmental issues can find news and information, express opinions and lodge complaints. It seeks to create a means by which every individual can inform his/herself and participate, in some way, in the environmental struggle.„h  The AMBIENTE HOJE (ENVIRONMENT TODAY) newspaper
AMBIENTE HOJE is an important means of communication, edited monthly with a circulation of 10,000 copies and sent to members and the public in general at schools, universities, in the public sector, the state sector, and private companies among others.An important source of information and research, AMBIENTE HOJE is a respected publication in the environmental community.„h  LISTA SUJA (DIRTY LIST)
Lista Suja (THE DIRTY LIST) is an annual publication which identifies the worst perpetrators of environmental destruction. Published since 1982, the LISTA SUJA is an invaluable tool in the fight against environmental destruction, bait by private companies or public bodies.Campaigns which have marked the history of AMDA

• The Campaign for the Protection of the Amazon.
• The Campaign against the nuclear agreement between Brazil and Germany.
• The Campaign against the Jaíba Project.
• The Revision of the Minas Gerais Forests Law.
• The Revision of the Environmental Licensing process in Minas Gerais.
• The Campaign against pollution and illegal use of coal by the steel industry.
• The Defense of the Rio Doce State Park against the selling off of the land on its borders.
• The Revision of the concept of the administration of urban river basins, proposing an end to canalization and the creation of linear parks.
• Revision of the legislation whereby highway construction is subject to environmental licensing.
• Implementation and consolidation of the Apa-Sul.
• Campaign against deforestation in the state.
• Campaign against unsustainable mining activities.
• Creation of the NGO’s Forum
• Campaign against the transposition of the Sáo Francisco River, in addition to many other campaigns.

Join AMDA

By virtue of its being a non-profit organization, and, due to its modest economic resources, AMDA depends for its survival on the contribution of members. AMDA has been engaged in the defense of environmental causes for over 25 years. In order to continue its work and extend its field of activity, AMDA needs YOUR help. Join us on this path and become part of our community. Our Headquarters:

Av. Álvares Cabral, 1600 - 2º andar Santo Agostinho Belo Horizonte / MG CEP: 30.170-001
Telephone/Fax ( 31) 3291.0661