An Alliance of Amazon Indigenous Peoples Takes the Gulbenkian Foundation's One Million Euro Prize for Humanity

The Alianza Ceibo, an alliance of four Indigenous peoples of the upper Amazon, has won the 2026 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, the Lisbon-based Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation announced on Wednesday. The prize is worth one million euros, one of the largest awards in the field of sustainable development and climate action.

The jury, chaired by the former German chancellor Angela Merkel, chose the winner from 304 nominations from 73 countries. The foundation said the choice recognises the central role of Indigenous peoples in safeguarding one of the world's most important ecosystems, at a time when Indigenous land defenders face hostility and political interference.

Who the winners are

The Alianza Ceibo is a non-profit organisation that brings together the A'i Kofán, Siekopai, Siona and Waorani nations, protecting more than two million hectares of tropical forest in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. According to Lusa, it represents about 6,500 people in 85 communities. Its work runs from courtrooms to rooftops. Among the achievements the foundation lists:

• a court ruling that gave the Siekopai people title to their ancestral territory;
• a ruling that annulled 52 illegal mining concessions in A'i Kofán territory, protecting the whole upstream system of the Aguarico river;
• court victories that set a national precedent on free, prior and informed consent, a tool Indigenous peoples use to challenge extractive industries;
• 1,164 rainwater filtration systems, giving drinking water to more than 6,500 people affected by oil contamination in the Ecuadorian Amazon and Colombia;
• 200 solar power systems supplying 208 households, three women's associations, seven schools and 14 territorial patrol posts;
• community-led curricula, officially recognised by the Ecuadorian government this month, that bring ancestral knowledge and languages into state schools in A'i Kofán, Siekopai and Waorani territory.

The alliance also runs a school of entrepreneurship and leadership for women, which the foundation says has trained 260 Indigenous women in the past ten years, and a school of Indigenous communication that teaches young people storytelling, photography, film and journalism.

What was said

The foundation's president, António Feijó, called the winner "a powerful example of Indigenous leadership in the fight for climate justice in one of the most precious ecosystems on Earth". Merkel said the prize "distinguishes those who show an exceptional commitment to the Earth" and is a reminder that a single action, when it inspires others, "can become a powerful force for change".

Nemonte Nenquimo, a Waorani leader and co-founder of the alliance, said the award recognised a struggle inherited from their ancestors. "The Amazon is vital for the balance of the planet and yet it continues to be destroyed," she said. "We have to stand firm in its defence, because our lives depend on it."

The prize and the foundation

The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity was launched in 2020 to reward people and organisations whose climate action has proven impact. The foundation says it has distributed six million euros through the prize since then. It is one of the flagship initiatives of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Lisbon institution best known to residents for its museum, gardens and orchestra on the Avenida de Berna, which also funds programmes in science, education and social welfare. The money, the foundation says, will help the Alianza Ceibo sustain and expand its Indigenous-led model, protect the forest and invest in education and leadership for the next generation.