Applications are now open for the Get Ready for the COP training initiative, an opportunity designed for community communicators, indigenous communicators, and journalists from Latin America. This program, organized in the run-up to the UN Climate Conference (COP30) taking place in Belém do Pará, Brazil, in November 2025, aims to strengthen the capacity of local voices to cover climate issues with depth, accuracy, and impact.

The world is facing an escalating climate crisis that threatens human life and the planet’s ecosystems. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned, “If we do not urgently change our way of life, we endanger life itself.” Scientific consensus now confirms what indigenous and traditional communities have voiced for generations: unchecked human activity has accelerated global warming, producing devastating effects such as rising sea levels, desertification, biodiversity loss, and the extinction of species. In the Amazon basin, where the world’s largest rainforest is at risk, communities are at the frontline of these impacts, pushing governments, civil society, and institutions to search for urgent solutions.

In this context, Get Ready for the COP will offer a six-week online course between September and October 2025 for 50 selected communicators across Latin America. The training will equip participants with essential knowledge and skills to effectively report on climate change, environmental conflicts, biodiversity, human rights, and the dynamics of international climate negotiations. Those who successfully complete the program will receive official certificates of participation.

To further support impactful journalism, 12 of the strongest proposals developed during the course will be awarded scholarships to produce in-depth reports. These reports will focus on the climate crisis, territorial defense, and monitoring the commitments made by countries at COP30. This initiative ensures that voices from the region are not only present but actively shaping the narrative on one of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Eligible applicants must be working in media—whether traditional, indigenous, community-based, or independently—in Latin America. They must also have access to a computer and internet connection, be available for at least five hours per week over the six-week period, and present a research topic related to climate change and human rights.

The DW Akademie team will review applications, and selected participants will be informed by email and through the official website. This is a unique chance for Latin American communicators to amplify their voices, strengthen their role in climate storytelling, and contribute to building a more sustainable future.

Scroll down for more details and click on the official link attached below to apply for this opportunity