It was quite an effort: six months of work, researches in two countries, trips to the Amazon and the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, and dozens of interviews with Brazilian and Australian researchers — both academics and/or owners of the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous peoples.
This is a very brief summary of the adventure that our team of journalists, led by Environment Editor Luciana Julião, undertook to produce “Voices from the South”, The Conversation Brazil’s first podcast, made in collaboration with the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), funding from the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR), and strategic consulting from The Conversation Australia.
“Voices from the South” emerged from the natural connection between The Conversation Brazil and Australia, the country where our scientific dissemination project through collaborative journalism, carried out in direct partnership with scientists, began 14 years ago. This connection is also evident in the historical characteristics of Brazil and Australia — relatively young continental nations in the Southern Hemisphere that share similar colonial legacies, possess immense ecosystem diversity, boast a wealth of natural resources (especially in agriculture, livestock, and mining), and have great potential for renewable energy production.
