On February 22 and 24, 2022, the Center for Latin American Studies and the Tropical Conservation Development Program facilitated a virtual conference "VOICES FROM THE FOREST: Community-driven strategies and actions for biocultural conservation."
The event brought together 27 Indigenous and grassroots voices as presenters and collaborators from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay, to present their perspectives on how to protect tropical forests and rivers in order to achieve the interdependent goals of biodiversity conservation, climate solutions, and social and environmental justice.
The conference builds on the methodology, lessons, and pan-Amazon network of grassroots organizations, NGOs, and universities jointly developed by the University of Florida's recently completed Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon project (GIA). More than 100 participants included students, professors, grassroots organizations, NGOs and members of the donor community.
The guiding questions addressed were:
1. How can diverse stakeholders collaborate to address climate, biodiversity, and socio-environmental justice challenges?
2. How can Indigenous populations and local communities' rights and appropriate territorial management be effectively guaranteed as integral to conservation and climate solutions?
3. What actions are needed and by whom?
The conference was structured in panels that focused on current challenges and shared a vision for future collaborative activities for conservation of critical tropical forests and rivers. Three working groups were formed, and continue working, on strategies and actions to guarantee basic rights, support appropriate territorial management, and strengthen the capacities of Indigenous and traditional communities. These comprise a conceptual Theory of Change of how grassroots organizations and their partners can address the global challenge to Protect Our Planet through Biocultural Conservation.
Theory of Change (ToC) infographics
Event flyer:
Please access a summary of each Panel visualized as infographics by cliquing each Panel.
Panel 1: Current Challenges
Voices and statements from Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Ruth Alipaz Cuqui, Mancomunidad de Com. Indígenas de los Ríos Beni, Tuichi y Quiquibey, Bolivia
Kar Atamaint Wamputsar, Federación Interprovincial de Centros Shuar FICSH, Ecuador
Lidia Ruiz Cuevas, Tierraviva a los Pueblos Indígenas del Chaco, Paraguay
Nilcélio Jiahui, Associação do Povo Jiahui (APIJ), Brazil
Waira Jacanamijoy, Asociación Tandachiridu Inganokuna, Colombia
Panel 2: Indigenous Perspectives on Inter-cultural Collaboration
Expectations and needs / vision for collaboration
Pí Suruí, Associação de Defesa Etnoambiental Kanindé, Mídia India, e Movimento Juventude Indigena de Rondônia, Brazil
David Gonzalo Barba Vaca, Comité Defensor de la Vida Amazónica en la Cuenca Rio Madera, Bolivia
Thiago Castelano Parintintin, Organização Povo Indígena Parintintin do Amazonas (OPIPAM), Brazil
Flora Macas, Asociación Tandachiridu Inganokuna, Colombia
Lidia Antty Antty, Organización Comunal de la Mujer Amazónica, Bolivia
Panel 3: Supporters’ Perspectives
3a) How would you advise the organizations gathered here to frame, articulate, and present the vision explored here to be successful with the donor community?
3b) How do NGOs and academia see their institutional roles as supporters of this process?
Panel 4: Working Group on Rights and Governance
Kar Atamaint Wamputsar, Federación Interprovincial de Centros Shuar (FICSH), Ecuador
Lidia Ruiz Cuevas, Tierraviva a los Pueblos Indígenas del Chaco, Paraguay
Amdres Ozuma – Union de Comunidades Indígenas de la Nación Ishir, Paraguay
Nilcélio Jiahui e Elton Jiahui, Associacao do Povo Jiahui (APIJ), Brazil
Ruth Alipaz Cuqui, Mancomunidad de Com. Indígenas de los Ríos Beni, Tuichi y Quiquibey, Bolivia
Neiva Araújo e Karen Roberta, Federal University of Rondônia Law School (UNIR), Brazil
Juan David Varela e Diego Hoyos, ACT Colombia
Andrirlei Parintintin e Raimundo Parintintin, Organização Povo Indígena Parintintin do Amazonas (OPIPAM), Brazil
Panel 5: Working Group on Socio-bioeconomy and Territorial Management
Thiago Castelano Parintintin, Organização Povo Indígena Parintintin do Amazonas (OPIPAM), Brazil
Benedita Parintintin, Organização do Povo Indígena Parintintin do Amazonas (OPIPAM), Brazil
Waira Jacanamijoy, Asociación Tandachiridu Inganokuna, Colombia
David Gonzalo Barba Vaca, Comité Defensor de la Vida Amazónica en la Cuenca Rio Madera, Bolivia
Ivaneide Bandeira Cardozo, Associação de Defesa Etnoambiental Kanindé, Brazil
Paola Aguilar Duarte, ACT Colombia
Panel 6: Working Group on Capacities: Education, Knowledge and Communications
Ruth Alipaz Cuqui, Mancomunidad de Com. Indígenas de los Ríos Beni, Tuichi y Quiquibey, Bolivia
Flora Macas, Asociación Tandachiridu Inganokuna, Colombia
German Laserna, ACT Colombia
Ney José Brito Maciel, Instituto Internacional de Educação do Brasil, Brazil
Pí Suruí, Associação de Defesa Etnoambiental Kanindé, Mídia India, e Movimento Juventude Indigena de Rondônia, Brazil
Lidia Antty Antty, Organización Comunal de la Mujer Amazónica, Bolivia
Valney Parintintin, Org. Povo Indígena Parintintin do Amazonas (OPIPAM), Brazil
