Amazon Frontlines wins top humanitarian prize for defending ‘lungs of the planet’

In a day recognizing both the gravity of climate change and celebrating humanity's ability to overcome challenges through confidence and hope, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awarded its Hilton Humanitarian Prize for the first time to a South American Indigenous organization.

Amazon Frontlines, founded in 2011 and which works on conservation and climate activism in the Upper Amazon, was chosen specifically because its efforts focus on “protecting the Amazon rainforest, which is essentially the lungs of the planet,” said Peter Laugharn, the foundation's president and CEO during an all-day humanitarian symposium and prize ceremony held Oct. 9 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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