Land is Life condemns the killings of civilians in Nagaland, India
14 coal miners, belonging to the Konyak Naga, were shot dead by an army patrol on December 4th in Oting village in the Nagaland State, Northeast India. According to the Indian Army, its troops mistook the civilians for insurgents, but the locals reject this claim. The killing of unarmed villagers has evoked wide protests. The devastating incident was by far not the first time that Indian security forces have been accused of arbitrarily targeting innocent residents in their operations in the area. Nagaland has witnessed armed conflict since India gained its independence from Britain in 1947. Naga groups have been demanding self-determination and autonomy regarding their homelands, to which the Government of India responded by enacting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 1958. The act grants special powers to the security forces to maintain public order in so-called “disturbed areas”, declared under Section 3 of AFSPA. It protects the soldiers by legitimizing any action they may take, such as the killing of civilians, even by mistake. The act thus violates fundamental human rights and is misused as a repressive tool to discriminate and oppress indigenous peoples in Northeast India. For decades, AFSPA has been a subject of severe criticism by UN bodies, human rights activists and organizations, and called for its repeal. Land is Life joins the condemnation of the Nagaland killings and supports the demands for the Government of India to take immediate action to repeal the AFSPA. Comprehensive and independent investigations of the incident should be ensured, to punish those army officials involved in the violations, and provide restitution to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of North East India who are tirelessly fighting for justice and human rights.
Land is Life congratulates Blanca Chancoso for winning a prestigious literature prize
Pioneering leader of the Indigenous movement in Ecuador, María Blanca Chancoso Sánchez, has won the José Peralta literature prize for her autobiography Los hilos con los que he tejido mi historia. The prize was awarded by the municipality of Quito as part of the annual celebrations that recognize the work of the most remarkable artists, writers, and researchers of Ecuador. Land is Life supported the writing process of the book that not only tells the story of an Indigenous woman but also describes the history of the Indigenous movement in Ecuador. Blanca narrates the story from a unique perspective of a daughter of Indigenous parents who moved to a city, a woman leading the Indigenous movement, a tireless Indigenous defender, and a mother. “Estoy muy agradecida porque es un gran estímulo para seguir trabajando. El reconocimiento que me han dado en la vida es hermoso. Es un cumplido. A finales de los 90 se intentó hacer un folleto con mi trabajo y el de otros líderes. Ahora bien, este libro es grande, donde se incorporan más historias. Siento que el impulso está ahí para continuar con lo que hemos estado haciendo.” [I am very grateful because it is a great stimulus to continue working. The recognition that they have given me in life is beautiful. It’s a compliment. At the end of the 90’s, an attempt was made to make a brochure with my work and that of other leaders. Now this book is a big one, where more stories are incorporated. I feel like the momentum is there to continue what we’ve been doing.] Blanca Chancoso Land is Life honors the remarkable work of Blanca and warmly congratulates her for the award. Please find here the link to purchase Blanca’s book.
Land is Life Raises Awareness for Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation at COP26
As COP26 nears to its close, Land is Life and our delegation has been able to participate in a number of dialogues and events around climate change solutions for Indigenous communities and their territories. Last Friday, Land is Life, alongside FENAMAD, COICA, and other members of the PIACI Working Group, brought Peoples Living in Isolation to the discussions at COP. The event addressed how the COP26’s 30 by 30 pledge towards ending deforestation must include Indigenous Peoples in the discussion, those who both take care of and depend on the forests for their livelihoods. The side event focused on how special attention should be paid to securing the rights of the most vulnerable – Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI). At the side event, we heard from four key leaders of the PIACI Working Group. Julio Ricardo Cusurichi Palacios, President of the Federación Nativa del Río Madre de Dios y Afluentes (FENAMAD), started the panel by stating that the recognition of the rights and the protection of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation are almost entirely lacking in the discussions held at the COP26. Cusurichi emphasized the environmental, social, and cultural vulnerability of the PIACI groups. He noted that Indigenous organizations are constantly working hard on threat monitoring, contact prevention, and emergency assistance; however, much more needs to be done, especially from the state’s side. “Even though we, the Indigenous Peoples, have governed our territories for thousands of years, we still feel like we are not in an effective position in these big events. When decisions are made, we are pushed aside and given the role of observers. However, as we are supporting the world, this planet, with our territories, we should be where the decisions are made.” – Julio Ricardo Cusurichi Palacios, President of FENAMAD Alicia Cahuiya, Leader of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), called on the international community for support in halting the invasion of oil companies on Waorani and Taromenane lands of Ecuador. She emphasized that oil extraction is one of the most alarming threats faced by Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, with 11% of the total surface of indigenous territories in Latin America having been invaded by oil lots. Alicia, on behalf of the Waorani and Taromenane peoples, calls for the international community for support in giving recognition to the territorial rights of the Waorani and Taromenane, Indigenous groups living in voluntary isolation, as the guardians of the forest. Francinara Baré, the General Coordinator of Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira (COIAB) joined the conversation to share specific threats affecting Indigenous Peoples in Isolation within Brazil. Francinara explained how the territories of people living in Isolation are often not considered protected lands in Brazil, explaining that there are at least 40 references of isolated Indigenous that the Brazilian State does not recognize because they are outside Indigenous Land. “This territory is part of our life, it is not separate. So when it comes to climate, when it comes to environmental preservation, when it comes to preserving indigenous territories, the Amazon forest, you can’t see only the forests, without the people, and especially our relatives who are still in voluntary, free form.” – Francinara Baré COIAB General Coordinator. Brazil José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, General Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), closed the event by calling on the international community to take urgent action and establish a program of support for the PIACI, urging for a strong document to safeguard “the lives of our brothers and sisters who are unable to make themselves heard here.” “The struggle of our brothers and sisters in isolation is the same struggle that we have for our territories, for life, for the rivers, for the mountains, for our children, for our families.” – José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, General Coordinator of COICA
Land is Life Applauds the Historic $1.7 Billion Pledge to Support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Globally
Yesterday, on the second full day of the UN’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the governments of the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and 17 funders announced the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to support Indigenous Peoples and grassroots communities globally. The decision was based on a recognition that grassroots Indigenous communities, organizations and leaders play a vital and proven role in combating deforestation that fuels climate change. Land is Life applauds these governments and funders for this historic commitment, and urges policymakers tasked with implementing these funds to prioritize the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples when making decisions. For millennia, Indigenous Peoples have been constructing social and economic systems – ways of living – that allow them to live in harmony with the Earth. Where they have managed to maintain control of their ancestral territories is where we can still find clean rivers, healthy ecosystems and over 80% of the Earth’s remaining biological diversity. We are grateful for the ongoing support from several members of the pledge group, including Ford Foundation, The Christensen Fund, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Nia Tero and Re:wild. These partners allow Land is Life to support its Indigenous-led, international coalition working to advance the self-determination and collective rights of Indigenous peoples. We look forward to supporting the grassroots work required to achieve these critical, historic goals.
Join GTI-PIACI & Land is Life at COP26 to Discuss Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Global Commitments on Climate and Biodiversity
LIVE STREAM THE EVENT HERE From October 31st – November 12th, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) will be held in Glasgow, where decision makers, world leaders, and the civil society from all over will meet to redefine strategies to tackle climate change on a global scale. COP26 will be a defining moment of the year, especially as Land is Life’s side event brings Indigenous peoples in isolation (PIA) into the discussion of climate change challenges and solutions for the first time. On November 5th, Land is Life will be co-hosting a side event, alongside members of the GTI-PIACI (a coalition of 11 Indigenous organizations and 8 non-governmental organizations working to ensure the protection of Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI) from extractive industries, mega-projects, legal and illegal logging, the expansion of large-scale agriculture, forced assimilation, and acts and processes of genocide) that will hold a dialogue on the importance of PIACI protection in the context of climate change. Land is Life (as Secretariat of the GTI-PIACI), along with COICA, COIAB, FENAMAD, and AIDESEP, will present on the panel discussion and answer questions from the audience. Our panelists will have the chance to provide their unique perspectives on specific cases where PIA groups’ way of life are under threat, as well as their arguments on why it’s critical to consider PIA territories as a special type of conserved area. The event will introduce the regional context of Indigenous peoples in isolation, utilizing maps and visuals to illustrate the wide geographic distribution of the PIA territories across South America’s Amazon, Cerrado and Gran Chaco regions. EVENT DETAILS DATE: Friday, November 5th, 2021 TIME: 10:00 AM BST LOCATION: COP26, Glasgow, Scotland, The Indigenous Pavilion DETAILS: In-person translation will be available for Spanish, English, and Portuguese MODERATOR: Vanessa Barham, Maria Jose Andrade, Land is Life – Member of the GTI-PIACI Secretariat. COMMENTARY: Daniel Rodriguez, FENAMAD – Presentation of the Maps PANELISTS: Julio Ricardo Cusurichi Palacios: Federación Nativa del Río Madre de Dios y Afluentes (FENAMAD) / Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP) Francinara Baré / Elcio Manchineri: Coordenação das Organizações Indigenas da Amazônia Brasileira (COIAB) José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal: Coordinadora de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica (COICA) Alicia Cahuiya, Waorani leader: Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (CONAIE)
GTI PIACI lanza su nuevo Centro de Conocimiento Digital para la Protección de los Pueblos Indígenas que Viven en Aislamiento Voluntario en ocho países de América del Sur
El Grupo Internacional de Trabajo de Pueblos Indígenas en Aislamiento y Contacto Inicial (GTI PIACI) presentó su nuevo Centro de Conocimiento Digital, para la protección de 185 grupos indígenas que resisten en la Amazonía, El Cerrado y Gran Chaco de Sudamérica. Estas comunidades viven en aislamiento voluntario en varias regiones de Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Paraguay, Venezuela y Surinam. Con el objetivo de visibilizar a estos pueblos y la constante violación de sus derechos, GTI PIACI creó el nuevo sitio web que contiene información centralizada como informes, publicaciones, imágenes y videos que retratan la situación actual del PIACI. Durante el seminario web de lanzamiento, el grupo de trabajo compartió detalles de ocho mapas infográficos regionales que identifican las principales amenazas que enfrentan constantemente estas comunidades. Varios líderes indígenas y expertos de organizaciones aliadas e indígenas discutieron la urgencia en la protección de los PIACI y sugirieron varias acciones. “Es muy importante fortalecer estrategias, crear esfuerzos unidos, binacionales y trinacionales para proteger a nuestros pueblos y sus vidas”, afirmó Julio Cusurichi Palacios, Presidente de la Federación Nativa del río Madre de Dios, FENAMAD de Perú. Por su parte, Tina Oliveira Miranda, Coordinadora del Programa de Monitoreo Ambiental, Fundación Wataniba de Venezuela, explicó, “la realidad de los PIACI es una respuesta a procesos de colonización, conflictos y violencia, y, por lo tanto, en el transcurso de su historia adoptaron el aislamiento como estrategia para asegurar la supervivencia y preservar su autonomía e integridad”. Ocho amenazas principales GTI-PIACI ha identificado al menos ocho amenazas contra los territorios indígenas y los PIACI: Actividades extractivas como la minería; hidrocarburos (petróleo y gas). El avance de la frontera agrícola, con especial énfasis en la agroindustria. Extracción de madera (tala). La construcción y operación de represas hidroeléctricas. Construcción de carreteras. Desarrollo de vías navegables. Narcotráfico. Actividades de los misioneros fundamentalistas. Juntas, estas amenazas han causado un aumento en la deforestación y los incendios forestales que están destruyendo áreas cada vez más grandes dentro del territorio indígena e invadiendo territorios de los PIACI. Las zonas más afectadas son el Gran Chaco, la Amazonía y El Cerrado, hogar de 61 Áreas Naturales Protegidas que están sufriendo todo tipo de violaciones. Cada una de las 185 comunidades identificadas enfrenta muchos de los peligros mencionados. “Yuri Passé, por ejemplo, es la única comunidad indígena que vive aislada identificada en Colombia. Las principales amenazas que enfrentan son la minería ilegal y los misioneros religiosos”, reiteró Brian Hettler, geógrafo del Equipo de Conservación de la Amazonía Colombia, ACT. “En 2020, encontramos que entre las cinco tierras indígenas más deforestadas de la Amazonía, hay cuatro grupos indígenas que viven en aislamiento voluntario. Más de 24.000 hectáreas de sus tierras han sido desmanteladas en lo que va de 2021”, dijo Angela Kaxuyana,Coordinadora de la Coordinación de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Amazonía Brasileña, COIAB. Hizo una nota importante del hecho de que hay muchas áreas de difícil acceso y, por lo tanto, hay una falta de información. “Sabemos que hay mucha devastación oculta”, afirmó Kaxuyana. José Gregorio Mirabal, líder indígena de los Pueblos Kurripaco en la Venezuela amazónica y presidente de COICA, fue el último en hablar durante el webinar y señaló con vehemencia, “las políticas invasivas y extractivas están poniendo en peligro de extinción no solo a los Pueblos Indígenas en Aislamiento Voluntario, sino a todos los pueblos de la Amazonía”. Sin duda, unir esfuerzos entre organizaciones aliadas e indígenas, medios de comunicación y otros actores, ayudará a visibilizar esta realidad con el objetivo de desarrollar estrategias y sistemas de protección con un alcance regional y transfronterizo. Para ello, Mirabal sugirió las siguientes acciones: “Uno-presionar por una estrategia global que garantice la vida de nuestros hermanos y hermanas y sus territorios. Dos-continuar monitoreando y exigiendo a los gobiernos de la Amazonía sudamericana que brinden salvaguarda y mecanismos legales que garanticen la vida. Que se respeten los derechos que tenemos como pueblos indígenas. Tres- fortalecer un programa permanente de acción urgente en los territorios que funcione a nivel global, territorial. Cuatro- debemos hacer una estrategia de vigilancia, de protección contra: mineros, buscadores de petróleo, narcotraficantes, madereros, misiones religiosas, forasteros de los territorios. Cinco- tiene que haber una estrategia nacional y transfronteriza. Hay una ausencia del Estado, del gobierno en estos territorios. Pero hay una presencia permanente de una economía ilegal y criminal que está haciendo mucho daño”. Siga a GTI PIACI en redes sociales: GTI PIACI Twitter GTI PIACI Instagram GTI PIACI Facebook
GTI PIACI launches its new Digital Knowledge Center for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation in eight countries of South America
The International Working Group of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (GTI PIACI) presented its new Digital Knowledge Center for the protection of 185 Indigenous groups who resist in the Amazon, El Cerrado and Gran Chaco of South America. These communities live in voluntary isolation in various regions within Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Paraguay, Venezuela and Suriname. With the objective of making visible these peoples and the constant violation of their rights, GTI PIACI created the new website that contains centralized information such as reports, publications, images and videos that portray the current situation of the PIACI. During the launch webinar, the working group shared details of eight regional infographic maps that pinpoint the main threats these communities face constantly. Various Indigenous leaders and experts from allied and Indigenous organizations discussed the urgency in the protection of the PIACI and suggested various actions. “It is very important to strengthen our strategies, to create conjoined, binational and trinational efforts in order to protect our peoples and their lives,” stated Julio Cusurichi Palacios, president of Federación Nativa del Río Madre de Dios (FENAMAD) from Perú. On her behalf, Tina Oliveira Miranda, Program Coordinator for Environment Monitoring, Wataniba Foundation of Venezuela, explained: “The reality of the PIACI is a response to processes of colonization, conflicts, and violence, and, therefore, in the course of their history they adopted isolation as a strategy in order to ensure survival and preserve their autonomy and integrity.” Eight Main Threats GTI-PIACI has identified at least eight major threats against Indigenous territories and the PIACI: Extractive activities such as mining; hydrocarbons (oil and gas). The advancement of the agricultural frontier, with particular emphasis on agribusiness. Timber extraction (logging). The construction and operation of hydroelectric dams. Road building. Development of waterways. Drug trafficking. Activities of fundamentalist missionaries. Together, these threats have caused an increase in deforestation and wildfires which are destroying increasingly large areas within Indigenous territory and invading PIACI lands. The most affected areas are Gran Chaco, the Amazon and El Cerrado, home of 61 natural protected areas that are undergoing all kinds of violations. Each one of the 185 identified communities faces many of these dangers. “Yuri Passé, for example, is the only Indigenous community living in isolation identified in Colombia. The main threats they face are illegal mining and religious missionaries,” said Brian Hettler, a geographer with Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) in Colombia. “In 2020, we found that among the five most deforested Indigenous lands in the Amazon, there are four Indigenous Groups Living in Voluntary Isolation. Over 24,000 hectares of their lands have been dismantled so far in 2021,” said Angela Kaxuyana, Coordinator of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB). She also noted, importantly, that many areas are hard to access and, therefore, there is a lack of information. “We do know that there is a lot of hidden devastation,” stated Kaxuyana. José Gregorio Mirabal, Indigenous leader of the Kurripaco Peoples in Amazonian Venezuela and President of COICA, was the last to speak during the webinar and vehemently pointed out, “invasive and extractive policies are placing in danger of extinction not only the Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation, but all the peoples of the Amazon.” Without a doubt, joint efforts among allied and Indigenous organizations, the media, and other actors will help make the objectives of developing strategies and protection systems with a regional, cross-border scope a reality. For this purpose, Mirabal suggested the following actions: “One—to press for a global strategy that guarantees the lives of our brothers and sisters and their territories. “Two—continue monitoring and demanding the governments of the South American Amazon provide safeguard and legal mechanisms that guarantee life. That the rights we have as Indigenous peoples be respected. “Three—strengthen a permanent program of urgent action in the territories that works at a global, territorial level. “Four—we must make a strategy of vigilance—of protection against miners, oil diggers, drug traffickers, loggers, religious missions, overall outsiders of the territories. “Five—there has to be a national and cross-border strategy. There is an absence of the state, of the government in these territories. But there is a permanent presence of an illegal and criminal economy that is doing a lot of damage.” Be sure to follow GTI PIACI on social media: GTI PIACI Twitter GTI PIACI Instagram GTI PIACI Facebook
Land is Life Congratulates The Christensen Fund on Appointing Casey Box as Director of Global Strategy
We are pleased to announce that Land is Life’s outgoing Executive Director, Casey Box, will join The Christensen Fund as its new Director of Global Strategy. This is an exciting moment for both Land is Life and the movement for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, as Casey will continue to dedicate his energy towards our shared mission of supporting the self-determination of Indigenous peoples globally. We believe that the experience that Casey has gained during his years with Land is Life – first as a volunteer, then field staff, and for the past eight years as Executive Director – places him in a unique position to carry out his new role at the Christensen Fund, as well as to have a positive influence for the greater philanthropic community. We are excited to continue partnering with Casey and TCF moving forward. Our Board and team have collectively decided to elevate long-time Land is Life Latin America Program Director, Jose Proaño and Chief Financial Officer, Ana Jerolamon, to the roles of Interim Co-Directors. Jose and Ana are uniquely qualified to lead Land is Life as we prepare to enter our fourth decade. Jose has been working with Indigenous communities throughout South America for nearly three decades, and has played a central role in Land is Life’s work for nearly fifteen years. Ana joined Land is Life in 2018 and has developed tools and put systems in place that have been essential in strengthening the work of our organization. Ana and Jose will work closely with Land is Life’s global team, our Board and our grassroots partners to continue to develop Land is Life as an organization, and to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of our programs. This is an exciting time for Land is Life, and we look forward to updating you on our continued progress in the coming months.
Webinar Invitation: new Digital Knowledge Center to support the Protection of Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation
Versión en español abajo The International Working Group for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (GTI-PIACI) is excited to invite you to the webinar and launch of their new Digital Knowledge Center with the most complete and centralized information on PIACI. GTI-PIACI has set out to make visible the presence of 185 PIA (Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation) living in the forests of the Amazon, Cerrado and Gran Chaco of South America. A regional analysis of the group reveals that these communities, often ignored by the States of the region, face serious violations of their human rights by living in voluntary isolation in Indigenous territories sought after by extractive industries and illegal groups. With the aim of strengthening and advancing in the protection of these peoples, GTI-PIACI, made up of 15 Indigenous and civil organizations from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Suriname, will present its Digital Knowledge Center on Wednesday, September 29 at 10:00 a.m. EST. The meeting will be broadcasted live via streaming through the Facebook groups @LandisLife and @GTIPIACI. During the event, Indigenous leaders and expert speakers from the region will also share eight regional infographic maps, designed by GTI-PIACI, containing 185 identified PIACI records, as well as the proximity to the threats they currently face. The Digital Knowledge Center, freely accessible to anyone interested, collects reports, publications, news, regulations, images and videos about PIACI that help to better understand their situation. If you would like to participate in the dialogue and join us on Zoom during the event, please register through this link: https://bit.ly/3CjItta Español Invitación al seminario web: nuevo Centro de conocimiento digital para apoyar la protección de los pueblos indígenas que viven en aislamiento voluntario El Grupo de Trabajo Internacional para la Protección de los Pueblos Indígenas en Aislamiento Voluntario y Contacto Inicial (GTI-PIACI) se complace en invitarlo al seminario web y lanzamiento de su nuevo Centro de Conocimiento Digital con la información más completa y centralizada sobre los PIACI. GTI-PIACI, se ha propuesto hacer visible la presencia de 185 PIA (Pueblos Indígenas en Aislamiento) que viven en los bosques de la Amazonía, Cerrado y Gran Chaco de América del Sur. Un reciente análisis regional del grupo revela que estas comunidades, a menudo ignoradas por los Estados de la región, enfrentan graves violaciones de sus derechos humanos al vivir en aislamiento voluntario en territorios indígenas apetecidos por industrias extractivas y grupos ilegales. Con el objetivo de fortalecer y avanzar en la protección de estos pueblos, GTI-PIACI, conformada por 15 organizaciones indígenas y civiles de Brasil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú, Venezuela y Surinam, presentará su Centro de Conocimiento Digital el miércoles 29 de septiembre a las 10:00 a.m. EST. La reunión se transmitirá en vivo vía streaming por medio de los grupos de Facebook @LandisLife y @GTIPIACI. Durante el evento, líderes indígenas y oradores expertos de la región también compartirán ocho mapas infográficos regionales, diseñados por GTI-PIACI, que contienen 185 registros PIACI identificados, así como la proximidad a las amenazas que enfrentan actualmente. El Centro de Conocimiento Digital, de libre acceso para cualquier persona interesada, recoge reportes, publicaciones, noticias, regulaciones, imágenes y vídeos sobre PIACI que ayudan a comprender mejor su situación. Si desea participar en el diálogo y unirse a nosotros en Zoom durante el evento, por favor regístrese acá: https://bit.ly/3CjItta
Co-Development of FPIC Protocols: From the Ecuadorian Amazon to the Forests of Kenya
Knowledge exchange and collaboration is one of the most effective and innovative ways we can support Indigenous peoples and their rights to self-determination. At Land is Life, we seek to empower our partners by providing inclusive methodologies that involve all members of a community. On that note, we are excited to share a recently launched partnership with Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program in Kenya as part of our program for developing Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols with Indigenous communities. FPIC is a necessary legal and political tool that promotes self-determination and enables Indigenous peoples to protect rights to their lands, territories, identity, cultural patrimony, and overall cosmovision. It is based on each community’s own norms, vision of development, and systems of communal decision-making and justice—all fundamental rights protected by ILO Convention 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. FPIC protocols promote political participation and ensure that Indigenous peoples themselves are the first to decide on projects or other initiatives that may affect their territories and rights. From Latin America to Africa After a successful co-development process of FPIC protocols with the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Land is Life has begun working with Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP), an Indigenous grassroots partner based in Kenya, with the goal of jointly elaborating a protocol specific to the Ogiek Peoples. The core of Land is Life’s unique and innovative approach on FPIC is based on the fact that the protocols are developed for and by the Indigenous communities themselves in an all-inclusive manner. “For us, consent is an expression of self-determination,” explains David Suarez, Land is Life’s FPIC Program Coordinator. “It is not simply a process of consultation to say yes or no to a project, but a way of balancing the dialogue between Indigenous societies and states. It is the recognition of the right of Indigenous peoples to make their own decisions and generate through dialogues the exercise of consent. This in itself is a process of historical reparation of their condition of subjects as Indigenous peoples.” The first phase of the initiative, led by the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku, took place over the course of eight months. The process involved the participation of all Sarayaku community members and included a series of in-depth interviews with authorities, political and spiritual leaders, as well as roundtable discussions with women and youth groups of the Sarayaku community. Process in Kenya The Ogiek Peoples are one of the last groups of hunter-gatherers in Kenya and have a leading role as guardians of their local ecosystem, conserving and protecting land and natural resources in the Mau Forest. The expansion of agricultural cultivation, logging, and charcoal production, among others, have disrupted the community’s peaceful existence in their ancestral land. Massive exploitation of their forest resources is often carried out without any prior consultation or participation of the directly affected population. OPDP works to promote and advocate for the participation, self-determination, and human rights of the members of the Ogiek community for sustainable development. By increasing the Ogiek Peoples’ knowledge of FPIC, they will have the means to better defend their territories and rights from invasive practices and industries. In August, the collaborative partnership kicked off for developing FPIC protocols for the Ogiek Peoples. This initiative is jointly designed and implemented by the teams of OPDP and Land is Life, which is providing technical expertise based on the mentioned successful experience among Indigenous peoples in Latin America. Suarez has led two virtual workshops for OPDP as a first step to exchange experiences and understand the Ogiek Peoples’ current consultation and consent processes. During the second virtual session, Daniel Santi, member of the Governing Council of the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku, shared two of the main challenges faced during their process: “We had trouble trying to decipher a way of obtaining consent from the protective beings that live in our territory. Many times, the State doesn’t understand the relationship we have with the Kawsak Sacha or Living Jungle,” Santi said. “Another great challenge was mobilization due to our geographic zone.” On his behalf, Daniel Kobei, Executive Director of OPDP, acknowledged that “FPIC protocols will be an advocacy tool for the Ogiek Peoples’ negotiations, especially for their benefit when sharing their natural resources with others. Ours will be a very inclusive process where opinion leaders, women, and youths will be involved. We are pleased with the support of Land is Life and the guidance of the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku.”