Activism
Kilcher has made a commitment to human rights and environmental activism. She speaks on behalf of various causes to achieve what she regards as environmental justice and basic Human Rights. Traveling frequently to speak at youth events, colleges and universities, Kilcher has been a featured keynote speaker for organizations such as Amnesty International, the I.F.G. International Forum on Globalization, Amazon Watch IFIP and The United Nations panel discussions entitled "Indigenous Peoples: Human Rights, Dignity and Development with Identity", in collaboration with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
She also lends her celebrity, voice and energy as spokeswoman, collaborator and supporter to several international and national N.G.O.s and organizations such as Youth Ambassador Amnesty International (Global Youth Ambassador for woman's Rights) AIDESEP (Spokesperson and Voice) Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest Federations) The Community School for the Arts foundation (volunteer/spokesperson) and Thursdays Child (youth counselor) Turning The Tides ((volunteer/spokesperson) Save Americas Forests, IDEM (South Dakota Youth Project) and is a spokesperson for the American Literacy Campaign.
Working with the National Endowment For the Arts on their "The Big Read" Campaign, she will record a book review. Kilcher has read Howard Zinn's The People Speak staged readings. She joined the cast for the first People Speak Film Series.
Kilcher recently launched her own youth-driven human rights and environmental organization "On-Q Initiative", to connect young Hollywood with youth activist leaders and projects from around the world, in support of environmental sustainability, corporate accountability, and basic human rights. Through her production company, IQ-Films, Kilcher is also producing several cause-driven documentaries and youth-programming projects.
On June 11, 2009 she visited Lima to support indigenous peoples' rights in the Amazon Bagua, Peru. In 2007, Kilcher won the Brower Youth Award, a premier environmental award, for her work in persuading Occidental Petroleum to withdraw from the Peruvian Amazon valley. She received the Young Hollywood Green Award.
On June 1, 2010, Kilcher and her mother were arrested after Kilcher chained herself to the gates in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. while her mother poured black paint on her to signify oil. Kilcher was protesting President Barack Obama's meeting with Peruvian President Alan García, accusing him of selling land in the Amazon rainforest to corporations while suppressing indigenous protests. She and her mother were charged with disorderly conduct. The charges were dropped on June 6, 2011 after they completed community service.
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