In the course, promoted by an inter-institutional alliance between FILAC, COICA, the University Rey Juan Carlos of Spain, and Conservation International, Indigenous youth of the region will strengthen their leadership skills in territorial defense and sustainable development from the approach of Life for the Common Good.
La Paz, Bolivia, October 27, 2022.- Indigenous youth leaders from 8 countries of the Amazon Basin (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela), the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), Conservation International (CI) and the University Rey Juan Carlos of Madrid, will meet this Friday, October 28, at 10:00 am (Bolivian time) to launch the “Skill-building course in Territorial Defense and Sustainable Environmental Management, for Amazonian Indigenous youth”.
This course seeks to empower 80 female and male Indigenous youth leaders for the conservation and defense of the Amazon. It is promoted by an inter-institutional alliance between FILAC, COICA, the University Rey Juan Carlos of Spain and CI and it is part of the project “Our Future Forests – Amazonia Verde (AV) “. AV Project is implemented by CI and supported by French government funds within the Alliance for the Preservation of Tropical Forests.
Starting on November 14, the course will take students on an educational journey through life on the web. In this journey, the Indigenous youth will strengthen their leadership skills in territorial defense, conservation, sustainable development, and management of natural resources with a Life for the Collective Well-Being approach.
In their journey, the Amazonian Indigenous youth will be involved in the development of five major themes:
- Indigenous peoples and interculturality
- Sustainable environmental management, defense, and management of indigenous territory
- Indigenous youth leadership and collective rights to territory and sustainable development
- Formulation of projects related to sustainable environmental management and territorial defense
- Replicating what they have learned in their communities or social validation of an advocacy project contributibution to territorial defense and forest
The course will last 10 weeks and will be conducted virtually. It comprises both synchronous sessions in which students will interact with their facilitators and each other and asynchronous sessions with self-learning activities. The journey will take students through an attractive and user-friendly virtual learning platform where learning materials are available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. The synchronous sessions will also feature simultaneous interpretation. Throughout the course, tutors will support participants.
As described by the Scientific Panel for the Amazon, which consists of at least 150 scientists globally, “the forests in the Amazon act like a giant air conditioner, reducing the temperature of the earth’s surface and generating rainfall. They strongly influence the atmosphere and circulation patterns, both inside and outside the tropics”.
According to the report “Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Forest Governance” by FAO and IDFAC, between 2019 and 2020, the Amazon lost at least 3 million forest hectares, severely damaging the ecosystems, and threatening the livelihoods of over 500 Indigenous Peoples that depend on its natural resources. This was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an alarming increase in the rate of deforestation in primary forests in the nine countries of the Amazon Basin.
Several studies document the fundamental and legendary role of Indigenous Peoples in defending and conserving the Amazon and its forests. Still, despite this contribution, their perspectives and rights over decision-making in their territories have been historically silenced.
This course’s organizers believe that this initiative will significantly contribute to encouraging young people to be at the forefront in the processes of defense of the Amazon and the individual and collective rights of their Peoples.
To be part of this journey’s start, we invite you to follow the opening event. In this event you will have the opportunity to learn more about the 80 scholarship holders through the live broadcast of the event on Facebook, using the following links: :
IDFAC: indigene.fund Coica: coica.org
CI: CIColombia
CI: ConservacionInternacionalBolivia
DIRECT LINK
https://facebook.com/events/s/inauguracioncurso-fortalecimie/675258354153079/
Contacts:
wendy.medina@filac-web.net raul.medina@filac-web.net
jessika.garcia@coicamazonia.org
