Am I a Caiçara?  

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2026. “Am I a Caiçara?” CAMAMAZON. Available at: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2026/07/20/am-i-a-caicara/ (accessed: xx/xx/xxxx). This is the third and final blog in a series that has explored the making of Guarujá, and it’s people. I feel a deep sense of belonging to this territory. Whenever someone asks me where I’m from, READ MORE

Journey for a better life: a migration from Rio Grande do Norte to Guarujá.  

To be cited as: Menezes Asseff, Matthaeus. 2026. CAMAMAZON. LINK: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2026/07/09/journey-for-a-better-life-a-migration-from-rio-grande-do-norte-to-guaruja/ (accessed XX/XX/XX). I met Raimundo Novo Sarmento (75) and Irismar Alves de Oliveira Sarmento (71) through their grandson, and my best friend, Matheus Oliveira. We met at school at the age of 11, and grew up playing sports and video games together. He started READ MORE

My Grandmother’s Territorial Memories as a Caiçara on the Transformation of Guarujá  

The house that my grandmother has lived in for the past 30 years. To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2026. “My Grandmother’s Territorial Memories as a Caiçara on the transformation of Guarujá” CAMAMAZON. Available at: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2026/07/01/my-grandmothers-territorial-memories-as-a-caicara-on-the-transformation-of-guaruja/ (accessed: xx/xx/xxxx). This blog is the first in a series of three texts that addresses territorial transformations in and of READ MORE

Six questions for Brazil’s COP30 Youth Climate Champion

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2026 “Six questions for the Brazil’s COP30 Youth Climate Champion” CAMAMAZON. Available at: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2026/02/16/key-questions-for-brazils-cop30-youth-climate-champion/ (accessed xx/xx/xxxx) In this blog, I present the questions that I put to the Presidency Youth Climate Champion (PYCC), Marcele Oliveira, before and after COP30. Marcele was appointed by the President of Brazil, Luiz READ MORE

COP30: Expectations, hopes, and the reality I experienced at yet another COP. 

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2026. “COP30: Expectations, hopes, and the reality I experienced at yet another COP” CAMAMAZON. Available at: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2026/01/06/cop30-expectations-hopes-and-the-reality-i-experienced-at-yet-another-cop/ (accessed xx/xx/xxxx). According to André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 would be the COP of implementation, of change, and the one that would bring deep reflections and concrete actions among countries. In one READ MORE

An Analysis of the COP30 Presidency’s Strategy

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2025. “An Analysis of the COP30 Presidency’s Strategy” CAMAMAZON. Available: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2025/10/31/title-an-analysis-of-the-cop30-presidencys-strategy/ (acessed xx/xx/xxxx) In the last blog posted, I shared the responses that Brazil’s COP30 Presidency provided to questions I sent them as part of my Master’s research. These questions aimed to better understand how Brazil is navigating READ MORE

Key questions I put to the Brazilian COP30 Presidency on agribusiness, oil extraction, and Indigenous Participation

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2025. “Key questions I put to the Brazilian COP30 Presidency on agribusiness, oil extraction, and Indigenous participation” CAMAMAZON. Available at: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2025/10/16/key-questions-i-put-to-the-brazilian-cop30-presidency-on-agribusiness-oil-extraction-and-indigenous-participation/ (accessed xx/xx/xxxx) As part of my MA dissertation research into Brazil’s presidency of COP30 and Brazilian leadership, I was able to formulate and send to the COP30 READ MORE

What are the key issues surrounding COP30 for those leading the process?

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2025. “What are the key issues surrounding COP30 for those leading the process?” CAMAMAZON. Available at: https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2025/10/14/what-are-the-key-issues-surrounding-cop30-for-those-leading-the-process/ (accessed xx/xx/xxxx). The next UN climate conference is only weeks away. With COP30 nearly upon us, are you wondering what the thorniest issues shaping the negotiations and potential outcomes are?  In READ MORE

My participation in the COPs transformed my outlook, helping me understand my role as a young person in the fight against climate change

To be cited as: Menezes Assef, Matthaeus. 2025. “My participation in the COPs transformed my outlook, helping me understand my role as young person in the fight against climate change” CAMAMAZON. https://camamazon.aber.ac.uk/2025/05/15/my-participation-in-the-cops-transformed-my-outlook-helping-me-understand-my-role-as-a-young-person-in-the-fight-against-climate-change/ (accessed xx/xx/xxxx) My first COP was COP26. I went with the goal of understanding exactly what a Conference of the Parties or COP READ MORE