Empowering Indigenous Communities: Digital Solutions for Climate Justice in the Amazon
In our three-part series spotlighting Cisco Foundation grantees in the Amazon and South America region, we aim to introduce you to eight organizations supported by the Cisco Foundation Climate Impact & Regeneration initiative. These grantees are dedicated to safeguarding and preserving the Amazon basin through three primary approaches: Empowering Indigenous Sovereignty, Fostering Sustainable Livelihoods, and Expanding Innovative Financing.
Collaborating with our partners at the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance and Digital Democracy, we delve into the significance of the Amazon, a vast tropical rainforest stretching across nine South American countries. Its unparalleled biodiversity and cultural richness underscore its importance, with staggering statistics: spanning 6.7 million square kilometers, housing over 47 million inhabitants (including approximately 2 million Indigenous peoples), sequestering an estimated 200 billion tons of carbon, and harboring around 10% of the world's remaining biodiversity (World Wildlife Fund: Living Amazon Report, 2022). Furthermore, the Amazon's atmospheric rivers play a crucial role in stabilizing global climates and rainfall patterns.
Despite its ecological significance, the Amazon faces severe threats from activities like gold mining, oil extraction, and rampant deforestation for agricultural and logging purposes. Scientists caution that continued unchecked degradation could push the Amazon past a critical "tipping point," leading to irreversible ecological collapse within decades. However, amidst these challenges, there exists a spirit of resilience, optimism, and opportunity emanating from the region, inspiring a collective vision for a sustainable and inclusive future.
Aligned with Cisco's commitment to sustainability, the Cisco Foundation endeavors to foster resilience and regeneration within social and environmental systems. Our initiatives in the Amazon region reflect these values, as we proudly support a diverse array of partners striving to enact positive change from within the Amazon and South America.
The Amazon's ecological importance is widely recognized, yet its profound biocultural richness often receives inadequate attention in contemporary discussions. Any conversation about preserving the Amazon must prioritize Indigenous perspectives and emphasize the imperative for Indigenous communities to exercise self-governance over the territories they inhabit. Globally, some of the most well-preserved and resilient ecosystems are found in areas inhabited by Indigenous peoples. For instance, Indigenous-managed lands harbor an astonishing 80% of the world's biodiversity. In the Amazon region alone, more than 500 Indigenous groups have occupied over 300 million hectares of land since time immemorial, with satellite imagery confirming that territories fully controlled by Indigenous nations tend to be the most effectively preserved.
The Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) serves as the primary organizational entity representing all 511 Indigenous groups in the Amazon region (Please note: COICA primarily operates in Spanish).
Despite this compelling evidence, minimal funding for conservation and climate mitigation reaches Indigenous territories globally, including in the Amazon. To truly invest in and safeguard resilient ecosystems, it's imperative to shift the dominant paradigm of ecosystem preservation and protection into the hands of the forest's original custodians: Indigenous peoples. Two recipients of Cisco Foundation grants are leading the charge towards this transformative future by prioritizing Indigenous sovereignty through initiatives focused on governance and digital accessibility.
The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (ASHA), a recipient of grants from the Cisco Foundation, was established in 2017 through a collaboration among Amazon Indigenous federations in Ecuador and Peru, notably including COICA. Its primary objective is to safeguard and rehabilitate 86 million acres of rainforest situated within the Amazon headwaters, spanning across the Napo, Pastaza, and Marañon basins. Since its inception, the alliance has expanded its membership to encompass 24 Indigenous organizations along with the participation of three non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
According to Uyunkar Domingo Peas, the President of ASHA’s Board of Directors, these organizations are “joining together to mobilize significant financial and technical resources to ensure that our voices are heard, our rights are recognized, and our territories are protected.”
Domingo explains that comprehensive alliance is vital for the region, because “we all belong to the same interconnected web of rivers and forests. We are all kin, and when we unite, we can better protect our lands and our rights.” The guiding vision for ASHA, and many people within the region, is Buen Vivir, or the concept of collective well-being. To bring Buen Vivir to life, the Alliance co-created the Bioregional Plan 2030, which seeks to address five shared objectives: “improving living conditions, advancing Indigenous rights and territorial governance, stopping deforestation and degradation, conserving forests and restoring degraded areas, and stopping the advancement of extractive industries (ASHA).”
The Bioregional Plan emphasizes working closely with government leaders to promote a new economic paradigm, where extractive industries are foregone in favor of what Domingo describes as a “regenerative standing forest bioeconomy.” This future, according to Domingo, is not actually a sacrifice but instead a “Win-Win-Win: For Indigenous peoples, the Earth’s biosphere, and the nation’s long-term economic prosperity.” And how to practically bring Buen Vivir to life? Well, according to ASHA, it will take “significant levels of international funding, investments and financial mechanisms (e.g. debt forgiveness, climate and biodiversity adaptation and mitigation funds, philanthropy) can be mobilized and leveraged to incentivize the protection of the Sacred Headwaters region.”
Digital Democracy, a recipient of support from the Cisco Foundation, is dedicated to collaborating with remote frontline communities to tackle climate change and advocate for their rights using accessible technology. Central to Digital Democracy's approach is the concept of "co-creation," where Indigenous partners play a significant role in leading product development through extensive listening practices. As they describe it, co-creating digital tools with Indigenous land defenders is crucial due to the lack of technology that meets their specific needs. Instead, existing technology often serves as a hindrance to Indigenous Peoples striving to protect their territories from destructive industries.
According to Co-Director Jen Castro, when Digital Democracy was established in 2008, their partners required technology that was not yet available, such as offline mapping tools that allowed for collaboration without internet access and supported data sovereignty. In practical terms, Indigenous environmental defenders in the Amazon needed tools to document threats like oil spills or illegal logging, which could then be utilized in legal proceedings or resource allocation. Digital Democracy's flagship product, Mapeo, addresses this gap by offering a free, open-source digital toolkit for offline documentation, monitoring, and mapping of various data types. Their efforts have contributed to 70 projects in nearly 40 countries, resulting in the defense of 7 million hectares of territory.
Looking ahead, Digital Democracy envisions a future characterized by abundance and climate justice, wherein Indigenous communities have full sovereignty over their territories and digital futures. They aspire for the tools co-developed with Indigenous partners to lay the foundation for this vision.
The shared goal among the Cisco Foundation, Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, and Digital Democracy is a thriving and resilient Amazon ecosystem, with local Indigenous communities as proactive leaders who possess full sovereignty over their lands, shaping the narrative of preservation and protection.
What binds these diverse organizations together is their commitment to this vision, whether through concepts like Buen Vivir, Digital Sovereignty, or Resilient Ecosystems. To achieve a future where environmental systems flourish, it is essential to safeguard human rights, promote diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunities, and empower local communities.
Stay tuned for the forthcoming article in our series, which will explore ecosystem restoration and regeneration through sustainable livelihood opportunities in the Amazon and South America.
Collaborating with our partners at the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance and Digital Democracy, we delve into the significance of the Amazon, a vast tropical rainforest stretching across nine South American countries. Its unparalleled biodiversity and cultural richness underscore its importance, with staggering statistics: spanning 6.7 million square kilometers, housing over 47 million inhabitants (including approximately 2 million Indigenous peoples), sequestering an estimated 200 billion tons of carbon, and harboring around 10% of the world's remaining biodiversity (World Wildlife Fund: Living Amazon Report, 2022). Furthermore, the Amazon's atmospheric rivers play a crucial role in stabilizing global climates and rainfall patterns.
Despite its ecological significance, the Amazon faces severe threats from activities like gold mining, oil extraction, and rampant deforestation for agricultural and logging purposes. Scientists caution that continued unchecked degradation could push the Amazon past a critical "tipping point," leading to irreversible ecological collapse within decades. However, amidst these challenges, there exists a spirit of resilience, optimism, and opportunity emanating from the region, inspiring a collective vision for a sustainable and inclusive future.
Aligned with Cisco's commitment to sustainability, the Cisco Foundation endeavors to foster resilience and regeneration within social and environmental systems. Our initiatives in the Amazon region reflect these values, as we proudly support a diverse array of partners striving to enact positive change from within the Amazon and South America.
The Amazon's ecological importance is widely recognized, yet its profound biocultural richness often receives inadequate attention in contemporary discussions. Any conversation about preserving the Amazon must prioritize Indigenous perspectives and emphasize the imperative for Indigenous communities to exercise self-governance over the territories they inhabit. Globally, some of the most well-preserved and resilient ecosystems are found in areas inhabited by Indigenous peoples. For instance, Indigenous-managed lands harbor an astonishing 80% of the world's biodiversity. In the Amazon region alone, more than 500 Indigenous groups have occupied over 300 million hectares of land since time immemorial, with satellite imagery confirming that territories fully controlled by Indigenous nations tend to be the most effectively preserved.
The Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) serves as the primary organizational entity representing all 511 Indigenous groups in the Amazon region (Please note: COICA primarily operates in Spanish).
Despite this compelling evidence, minimal funding for conservation and climate mitigation reaches Indigenous territories globally, including in the Amazon. To truly invest in and safeguard resilient ecosystems, it's imperative to shift the dominant paradigm of ecosystem preservation and protection into the hands of the forest's original custodians: Indigenous peoples. Two recipients of Cisco Foundation grants are leading the charge towards this transformative future by prioritizing Indigenous sovereignty through initiatives focused on governance and digital accessibility.
The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (ASHA), a recipient of grants from the Cisco Foundation, was established in 2017 through a collaboration among Amazon Indigenous federations in Ecuador and Peru, notably including COICA. Its primary objective is to safeguard and rehabilitate 86 million acres of rainforest situated within the Amazon headwaters, spanning across the Napo, Pastaza, and Marañon basins. Since its inception, the alliance has expanded its membership to encompass 24 Indigenous organizations along with the participation of three non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
According to Uyunkar Domingo Peas, the President of ASHA’s Board of Directors, these organizations are “joining together to mobilize significant financial and technical resources to ensure that our voices are heard, our rights are recognized, and our territories are protected.”
Domingo explains that comprehensive alliance is vital for the region, because “we all belong to the same interconnected web of rivers and forests. We are all kin, and when we unite, we can better protect our lands and our rights.” The guiding vision for ASHA, and many people within the region, is Buen Vivir, or the concept of collective well-being. To bring Buen Vivir to life, the Alliance co-created the Bioregional Plan 2030, which seeks to address five shared objectives: “improving living conditions, advancing Indigenous rights and territorial governance, stopping deforestation and degradation, conserving forests and restoring degraded areas, and stopping the advancement of extractive industries (ASHA).”
The Bioregional Plan emphasizes working closely with government leaders to promote a new economic paradigm, where extractive industries are foregone in favor of what Domingo describes as a “regenerative standing forest bioeconomy.” This future, according to Domingo, is not actually a sacrifice but instead a “Win-Win-Win: For Indigenous peoples, the Earth’s biosphere, and the nation’s long-term economic prosperity.” And how to practically bring Buen Vivir to life? Well, according to ASHA, it will take “significant levels of international funding, investments and financial mechanisms (e.g. debt forgiveness, climate and biodiversity adaptation and mitigation funds, philanthropy) can be mobilized and leveraged to incentivize the protection of the Sacred Headwaters region.”
Digital Democracy, a recipient of support from the Cisco Foundation, is dedicated to collaborating with remote frontline communities to tackle climate change and advocate for their rights using accessible technology. Central to Digital Democracy's approach is the concept of "co-creation," where Indigenous partners play a significant role in leading product development through extensive listening practices. As they describe it, co-creating digital tools with Indigenous land defenders is crucial due to the lack of technology that meets their specific needs. Instead, existing technology often serves as a hindrance to Indigenous Peoples striving to protect their territories from destructive industries.
According to Co-Director Jen Castro, when Digital Democracy was established in 2008, their partners required technology that was not yet available, such as offline mapping tools that allowed for collaboration without internet access and supported data sovereignty. In practical terms, Indigenous environmental defenders in the Amazon needed tools to document threats like oil spills or illegal logging, which could then be utilized in legal proceedings or resource allocation. Digital Democracy's flagship product, Mapeo, addresses this gap by offering a free, open-source digital toolkit for offline documentation, monitoring, and mapping of various data types. Their efforts have contributed to 70 projects in nearly 40 countries, resulting in the defense of 7 million hectares of territory.
Looking ahead, Digital Democracy envisions a future characterized by abundance and climate justice, wherein Indigenous communities have full sovereignty over their territories and digital futures. They aspire for the tools co-developed with Indigenous partners to lay the foundation for this vision.
The shared goal among the Cisco Foundation, Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, and Digital Democracy is a thriving and resilient Amazon ecosystem, with local Indigenous communities as proactive leaders who possess full sovereignty over their lands, shaping the narrative of preservation and protection.
What binds these diverse organizations together is their commitment to this vision, whether through concepts like Buen Vivir, Digital Sovereignty, or Resilient Ecosystems. To achieve a future where environmental systems flourish, it is essential to safeguard human rights, promote diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunities, and empower local communities.
Stay tuned for the forthcoming article in our series, which will explore ecosystem restoration and regeneration through sustainable livelihood opportunities in the Amazon and South America.
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