|
Dear allies & friends,
Between the 8th and 11th of December in Panama City, delegates from 15 Indigenous organizations and NGOs from 7 countries got together to discuss the protection of Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation (PIACI) in the Amazon, Brazilian Cerrado, and Gran Chaco regions.
After two years of challenges generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected many Indigenous territories, leaders, and institutions, we were able to hold our annual meeting to establish a work plan for the upcoming years and to share updates on the national and regional situations regarding the protection of the lives and territories of Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation.
There is still a lot to be done to improve the state of protection of PIACI. Various threats are deepening the vulnerability of Indigenous territories, as revealed in the meeting’s presentations from each country. The expanding drug trade and illegal mining remain a constant threat across the Amazon region. Increasing deforestation and wildfires are destroying the forests, which for the Ayoreo, who inhabit the Gran Chaco between Bolivia and Paraguay, has immensely limited their living conditions and poses growing concerns to their livelihood.
As the GTI-PIACI, we collectively were able to achieve the following during the four-day meeting:
- We identified the importance of a methodology for protection, including territorial, cultural and technological aspects, as well as confirmation from Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation. The methodology will be unique to each region.
- We recognized the possibilities and limitations of national and international legal frameworks in developing strategies for protection in each country, as well as in international human rights systems.
- We conducted learning sessions with experts on newly developed resources that provide us with a more comprehensive understanding of areas of destruction from deforestation, including its impacts and damages.
- We agreed upon establishing a system of early warnings regarding development plans and projects that are threatening areas where presence of Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation has been identified.
With this, as the Secretariat for the GTI-PIACI, we want to thank all the Indigenous leaders for their participation and dedicated work for the protection of Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation. The collaborative nature of our Working Group allows us to be strategic with our efforts towards protecting all those who live in voluntary isolation.
In solidarity,
Land is Life, The Secretariat of the GTI-PIACI
|
