Mission and Team

What is Plataforma CIPÓ?

Plataforma CIPÓ is an independent, non-profit, women-led Brazil-based think tank dedicated to international cooperation to promote climate action and sustainable development, from Latin American and Global South perspectives.

CIPÓ develops evidence-based research and promotes dialogue and coordination between multiple actors to influence public policies, connecting the local to the global.

CIPÓ was founded in 2020 by Adriana Erthal Abdenur and Maiara Folly and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro.

The word “cipó” means “vine” (the woody, flexible stems that cling to trees) in the indigenous Tupi language and in Brazilian Portuguese. The word connotes three ideas that are central to CIPÓ: practical solutions (cipós are used to make baskets, sieves, and agricultural implements); bridging (because cipós link up trees); and action (these plants are used by animals and insects to move across the forest).

Among the issues currently addressed by CIPÓ are: climate and environmental justice; climate and brazilian foreign policy; global governance and international cooperation; and China in Latin America.

Principles

Inclusion: CIPÓ promotes inclusive normative processes and decision-making structures that are capable of incorporating a wide variety of contexts, experiences, demands, ideas, and concerns

Transparency: CIPÓ adopts and promotes transparency and accountability as basic principles of good governance. We encourage and support governments and the private sector to adopt a more transparent decision-making process and to improve civil society participation and information sharing mechanisms.

Respect for Human Rights: CIPÓ promotes respect for human rights and adopts a people-centered approach as fundamental elements of its political and advocacy activities.

Capacities:

Our team regularly works in the following languages: Portuguese, Spanish, English and French

Examples of products:

  • Technical reports
  • Artigos
  • Policy Briefs
  • Surveys and questionnaires
  • Technical Notes
  • Memos
  • Field Reports
  • Media products
  • Creation and Maintenance of Databases
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Geopolitical and Risk Analysis
  • Capacity-building, Courses and Training (face-to-face and virtual)
  • In-presence events and webinars.

CIPÓ

Directors:

Maiara Folly

Executive Director

Co-founder of Plataforma CIPÓ and specialist in international relations and public policy. She leads and participates in research projects and advocacy initiatives in the areas of climate change, environmental crimes, global governance, peace and security and foreign policy. Folly obtained a master's degree from the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford and a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) in Rio de Janeiro.

Mariana Rondon

Programme Director

Mariana Rondon holds a degree and a master's degree in International Relations from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). She has over 20 years of professional experience and has worked in the public and private sectors, the UN system, think tanks, and civil society organizations in the following areas: project management, research, team management, strategic planning, institutional development, fundraising, and advocacy.

CIPÓ Team:

Beatriz Mattos

Research Coordinator

Holds a PhD in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro and a Master's degree in International Relations and Political Science from the Instituto Universitário de Pesquisa do Rio de Janeiro at Candido Mendes University. She was a Visiting Researcher at the Mistra Geopolitics Program at Linköping University, Sweden. She also worked as Co-coordinator of the Socio-Environmental Platform of the BRICS Policy Center, as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program and as a Senior Researcher at Centro Soberania e Clima.

Marília Closs

Project coordinator

Holds a PhD and a master's degree in Political Science from the Institute of Social and Political Studies at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (IESP-UERJ). She holds a BA in International Relations from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Marília is also researcher at the South American Political Observatory (OPSA) and the Center for Studies in Social Theory and Latin America (NETSAL). Since 2019, she has been working with climate, environment, and international politics in third-sector organizations and in support of the public sector.

Vitória Gonzalez

Project coordinator

Vitória Gonzalez holds a Master's degree in Sociology from the Institute of Social and Political Studies at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (IESP-UERJ) and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), with a period of study at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She is Assistant Editor of Global Dialogue, the public and global sociology journal of the International Sociological Association (ISA), and researcher at the Center for Studies in Social Theory and Latin America (NETSAL).

Max Holender

Administrative and Finance Coordinator

Holds a graduate degree in Business Administration from IBMEC-RJ and an MBA in Sports Management and Marketing from Trevisan. He also has extensive experience in carrying out the financial management of non-profit organizations, having previously worked at the Institute of Technology and Society (ITS-Rio), Igarapé Institute and Coding Rights.

Mariana Franco Ramos

Communications Coordinator

Holds a graduate degree in Communication - Journalism from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), as well as a postgraduate degree in Human Rights and Global Citizenship from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). She worked in several communications companies, such as Folha de S.Paulo, Folha de Londrina, Terra and De Olho nos Ruralistas, and in civil society organizations. She is based in Brasilia.

Augusto Ribeiro

Designer

Holds a graduate degree in Social Communication, Marketing and Advertising, with a specialization in Ux/Ui Designer from the British School of Creative Arts, as well as a postgraduate degree in Digital Design. He produced digital campaigns for companies such as Yamaha, Toyota and Rede Multimercado, as well as acted as a design consultant for Sebrae (helping companies to build strong Digital Communication strategies).

Pernille Madsen

Directorate Advisor and Events Specialist

Holds a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of London and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Swinburne University, Australia. She has resided in various countries operating in event and project management across different continents within the private sector, the creative industry, think tanks, and civil society organizations. Pernille is a faculty member in the MBA program for Direct Diplomacy of States and Municipalities and in the undergraduate courses at the Brazilian Institute of Education, Development, and Research.

Alessandra Beber Castilho

Researcher

Holds a joint PhD in International Relations from the Institute of International Relations at the University of São Paulo (IRI-USP) and King's College London (KCL). She also holds a master's degree in International Relations from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the São Paulo State University (UNESP)

João Cumarú

Researcher

Holds a Master's degree in Chinese Politics and Diplomacy at SIRPA (复旦大学, Fudan University, China). Bachelor and Master in Political Science (UFPE, Brazil). Associate Researcher and Curator of Energy Matrices and Environment at CEASIA (UFPE).

Viviana Porto

Researcher

PhD candidate in Political and Social Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She holds a Master's degree in Strategic Studies from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA). She is based in Mexico City.

Nycolas Candido

Research

Ph.D. candidate in International Relations at IRI/PUC-RIO. Holds a master's degree in International Relations from the same university. Graduated with academic distinction in International Relations from IRID/UFRJ. Volunteered at Preparatório Comunitário Paulo Freire, located in Belford Roxo, Rio de Janeiro, as a Social Educator. He conducts research in the areas of: development and international cooperation, education-pedagogy, international political economy, climate change, and sustainable development.

Vinicius Lopes

Junior Researcher

Graduated in International Relations with a focus on Management and Evaluation of Public Policies from PUC-Rio, with an exchange program at the University of Cologne. He is a climate activist and a Maré native. Co-founder of the Coalition "O Clima é de Mudança", which aims to bring the voices of favelas to decision-making spaces on climate change. He participated in COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh and COP28 in Dubai.

Valentina Calado Pompermaier

Junior Researcher

Valentina Calado Pompermaier, originally from Pará, is a socio-environmental anthropologist, holding a bachelor degree from the Federal University of Western Pará (Ufopa) and a master’s degree from the University of Brasília (UnB). She is currently pursuing her PhD in Anthropology at UnB. With experience in the third sector and consulting firms, Valentina is involved in projects focused on environmental conservation and the empowerment of traditional communities. Her work includes research on protected areas and bioeconomy in the Brazilian Amazon.

Thaís dos Santos Domingos

Communication Assistant

Graduated in Journalism from the Federal University of Ouro Preto, she was a fellow of the YCL Network and participated in trainee programs at Agência Lupa and #Colabora

Igor Loiola

Programme Assistant

Master's Student in International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas), and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations at the Estácio de Sá University (UNESA)

Ingrid Figueirêdo

Volunteer Research

Journalist, lawyer, graduated from PUC-Rio and UFRJ. Winner of the Young Journalist Award in 2021, she works with strategic communication and human rights advocacy.

Júlia Hara Medeiros

Volunteer Research

Holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a socio environmental activist based in São Paulo, Brazil, and has previous experiences in organizations such as UN-Habitat and UN SDSN-Youth.

Fathimath Nayifa Nihad

Research Intern

Is a master's student at the University of Oklahoma. Her MA degree in Global Studies focuses on activism, the climate crisis, and social and environmental justice. Nayifa is the recipient of the Fern Holland Award and William W. Talley II Award.

Founders:

Adriana Erthal Abdenur

Co-Founder of Plataforma CIPÓ. Dr Abdenur is currently Special Advisor on International Relations at the Presidency of the Republic. She was Executive Director of CIPÓ from 2020 to 2023. She is a Brazilian specialist in public policy and International Relations. Since 2019, she has been a member of the UN Development Policy Committee, and is part of the Commission on Climate Governance and the Council of United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS). She earned a Ph.D. in sociology of development from Princeton University (2006) after studying for her Bachelor's at Harvard University and Peking University.

Maiara Folly

Co-founder of Plataforma CIPÓ and specialist in international relations and public policy. She leads and participates in research projects and advocacy initiatives in the areas of climate change, environmental crimes, global governance, peace and security and foreign policy. Folly obtained a master's degree from the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford and a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) in Rio de Janeiro.

Advisory Board

Alcilene Magalhães Cardoso

Advisory Board

Ph.D. candidate in Society, Nature, and Development at the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA), holding a master's degree in Social Sciences - Human Rights and Environmental Citizenship from the same university. She obtained a degree in Law from the Lutheran Institute of Higher Education of Santarém and is registered with the Order of Lawyers of Brazil (OAB) as a lawyer specializing in environmental, land, and social organization issues. She serves as a researcher and regional coordinator (Santarém Headquarters) at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

Eduardo Zanatta

Advisory Board

Councilman, President of the Legislative School, and head of the Education and Culture, Health, and Social Assistance Committee of the City Council of Balneário Camboriú (SC). He holds a master's degree in Territorial Planning and Socioenvironmental Development from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Vale do Itajaí (Univali), as well as a specialization in Political Philosophy from the Federal University of the Southern Border (UFFS).

Izabella Teixeira

Advisory Board

Former Minister of Environment (2010-2016). She is also Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of the UN Environment (IRP/UNEP), member of the High Level Advisory Board of UN-DESA and of the Administrative Council of The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Throughout her career, Izabella Teixeira held different administrative positions in the Ministry of Environment, in the Rio de Janeiro State Government and in IBAMA, where she joined in 1984. She played a key role in the negotiation of the Paris Agreement and was appointed, in 2012, to serve on the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.In 2013, she won the UN Environment's "Champions of the Earth" Global Award for her contribution to reducing deforestation in the Amazon. She holds a Master's degree in Energy Planning and a PhD in Environmental Planning from COPPE/UFRJ.

Richard Ponzio

Advisory Board

Director of the Global Governance, Justice & Security Program and a Senior Fellow at Stimson. Previously, he directed the Global Governance Program at The Hague Institute for Global Justice, where (in a partnership with Stimson) he served as Director for the Albright-Gambari Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance. Ponzio is formerly a Senior Adviser in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he conceptualized and coordinated Secretary Hillary Clinton’s and later John Kerry’s New Silk Road initiative. Earlier he served as a Senior Strategy and Policy Officer in the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations,where he initiated a global network of multi/bilateral peacebuilding and stabilization organizations.

Tatiana Roque

Advisory Board

Secretary of Science and Technology for the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro and a full professor at the Institute of Mathematics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She teaches in the graduate programs on "Teaching and the History of Science" and Philosophy at UFRJ. Roque is the author of several books on science and society. Her most recent work, "The Day We Returned from Mars: A History of Science and Power with Clues for a New Present," was a finalist for the Jabuti Prize in 2022.

Thiago Nascimento

Advisory Board

At 26 years old, Nascimento hails from the Jacaré favela in Rio de Janeiro. He has founded various impact projects, including Jaca contra o Corona, Jacaré Basquete, LabJaca, O Clima é de Mudança, and Próxim8. He was selected for the Leadership of Black Leaders program by the Tide Setubal Foundation, with support from Ibirapitanga and Porticus, and has received awards from the Shell Youth Initiative and LabNip. Nascimento also serves as a board member of the Talanoa Institute and is currently pursuing a degree in Law at the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), with a specialization in Project Management at FGV.

Fiscal Board

Sabrina Evangelista Medeiros

Fiscal Board President

Ph.D. candidate in Society, Nature, and Development at the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA), holding a master's degree in Social Sciences - Human Rights and Environmental Citizenship from the same university. She obtained a degree in Law from the Lutheran Institute of Higher Education of Santarém and is registered with the Order of Lawyers of Brazil (OAB) as a lawyer specializing in environmental, land, and social organization issues. She serves as a researcher and regional coordinator (Santarém Headquarters) at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

Karen Soares Swanborn

Fiscal Board member

Undergraduate degree in Social Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and a joint master’s degree in social intervention, innovation and entrepreneurship from the University of Coimbra and Via University (Denmark). Soares has extensive professional experience in the public, private and third sector, having coordinated several social-economic development projects. She previously worked for the Rio de Janeiro State Government Secretariat for Social Assistance and Human Rights; Education; and Sports, Leisure and Youth.

Bianca Cruz

Fiscal Board member

Specialist in Corporate Finance and Risk Management, Compliance, and Audit, with a degree in Business Administration. With over 20 years of professional experience in multinational companies, she has worked in administrative and financial management, human resources, risk management, and compliance.

Where are we

- Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Brasilia (BR)
- Santarém (BR)
- São Paulo (BR)
- London (UK)
- México City (MX)
- Maldives (MV)
- Shanghai (CH)

Transparency

Plataforma CIPÓ obtained its status as a Non Profit Organization in Rio de Janeiro in June 2021.  The first complete annual report, including financial data, will be made available in the second trimester of 2023.

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