JUSTICE FOR DOM & BRUNO'S FAMILIES

Friends of Dom and Bruno is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Friends of Dom Phillips.

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UPDATE: This fundraiser has been closed after an overwhelming global response. Our deepest thanks to everyone who contributed! Your generosity made a huge material difference and, just as importantly, was a reminder of the incredible solidarity that has emerged from this tragedy.

Alessandra and Beatriz have decided to donate part of the proceeds to Univaja, the remarkable Indigenous organization that Bruno was working with and Dom was reporting on when they were taken from us. They are calling on you to contribute to Univaja as well if you are able.

Giving to Univaja is the most direct way you can support on-the-ground efforts to defend the Amazon rainforest and the Indigenous peoples who call it home. Univaja was also essential to the search efforts to find our friends and deserve our thanks. Dom’s sister, Sian, has created a GoFundMe campaign to support Univaja.

Click the link to join Alê and Bea and defend the Amazon rainforest: https://gofund.me/9b373866. And please help spread the word! Thank you!!!

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The courageous British journalist Dom Phillips and legendary Indigenous rights defender Bruno Pereira have gone missing while doing meaningful and dangerous work in the Brazilian Amazon. Their families urgently need our help.

Every penny raised in this fundraiser will go to Alessandra Sampaio and Beatriz de Almeida Matos, the spouses of Dom and Bruno.

Dom was on a reporting trip in a particularly hazardous region, the Javari Valley, to write what was supposed to be an illuminating and uplifting book called “How To Save The Amazon.” He was traveling with Bruno, who has been collaborating with Indigenous communities working together to guard their land from criminal invaders that the government has refused to stop. The two men and their boat disappeared without a trace on the morning of Sunday, June 5, after receiving threats from armed gangsters. who would prefer for darkness to prevail.

We started this campaign while Dom and Bruno were missing, but on June 15 our worst nightmare came true: after 10 days of searching, their bodies were found and two brothers confessed to participating in their assassination and disappearance. Another man later turned himself in to police.

Bruno dedicated his life to defending the rights of Indigenous Brazilians and was nationally revered as a relentless fighter for justice. For years, he received death threats and was persecuted by the government for doing the work he loved. He was a husband to Beatriz and a father to three beautiful children, two, three and 16 years of age.

Dom believed in the power of journalism. Throughout his career, Dom turned down much more lucrative options to do the investigations he felt would make the biggest difference. As a freelance writer, cash was tight for him and his Brazilian wife, Alessandra Sampaio. The couple was relying on Dom to finish the book draft to receive their next paycheck — now, he will never be able to do so, although we hope the book will still be published.

Dom and Bruno loved the Amazon. They heroically put their lives on the line for years to stop criminal loggers, miners, and gangsters from irreparably destroying the rainforest for future generations.

At this tragic moment, when these families have so much to worry about, money should not be another concern. Alê, Beatriz, and their children need our help not only to pay the bills, but also to cover new costs that emerge as they continue their search for justice. In support of Dom and Bruno, even the smallest donation is valuable. Together we can show that these brave souls are not alone and that we are united behind them!

Thank you!

With love,

Friends of Dom and Bruno

(This fundraiser is being organized by friends of Dom and Bruno on behalf of Alessandra and Beatriz with their full permission and support. All funds will be divided evenly between the families, who will decide the best way to use it as the situation evolves.

Since GoFundMe requires a U.S. bank account and social security number to distribute funds, Alessandra and Beatriz have asked Andrew Fishman, a friend, to receive the funds on their behalf and immediately pass along the funds to accounts of their choosing. Other friends have volunteered to help oversee this process to ensure everything is transparent and best practices are followed.)