Sponsor Shipibo Youth Permaculture Training

While the national government makes decisions that do not take into account the needs of indigenous people, the indigenous youth are joining acts of solidarity for the health security of their community.

Alianza Akana has been working with the Community of Santa Clara for the past 5 years through various projects, and many of these have been implemented in collaboration with The Youth Association of Santa Clara (AJSC), some of which were more successful than others.The majority of members and ex members have continued to work with Alianza out of a strong sense of trust and friendship that we have managed to create together during this time. These young people are motivated by a strong sense of solidarity with their community, and they are well aware of the importance of their role in the development of the community. They realise and wish to employ their physical and mental strength in any activity that supports their people.

The State of Emergency declared by the national government due to the global propagation of Covid-19, obligated indigenous authorities to close their borders and establish strict security measures. In the case of Santa Clara, the head of the community, alongside all local authorities, decided to implement strict health control measures for entering and leaving the community, denying access to any person not from there. Furthermore, a Security Committee was formed, including 35 volunteers patrolling and protecting community borders on a daily basis.

In such a difficult moment, it is relevant to highlight the active participation of youth, many of which are members of the AJSC. The majority take part in security patrols, while others assume important roles in the house, such as buying food from the local market, where a true and effective system of prevention does not exist, so as to protect more vulnerable members of the family such as the aged, sick and children.

During this time, Alianza Arkana organized a donation campaign in order to support our friends from and within the community, as well as other Shipibo families in need of food and medicines, after more than 50 days of unemployment due to the quarantine. The successful fundraising activity was organized in association with the authorities, that created an Audit Committee with the aim of managing the donations, to which the president of the AJSC was invited to participate. This news makes us happy because it implies the legitimization and recognition of the Association within the community. It also illustrates that youth participation becomes stronger in organized spaces by producing in its members a social consciousness for political action. The experience they acquire from a very young age such as these, is invaluable in creating leadership qualities. The development of such agency and political and social involvement will expand their capacities for making better decisions for their communities now and in the future. Furthermore, they will be an example for younger people and their actions will be recognized and valued from an early age, developing trust in their capabilities as community leaders. Today, the actual head of the community, who is facing the pandemic, is a young man aged 30. Last year, he was elected president of the AJSC and due to his good management, he was recognized by the community and elected by the majority as president for the period between 2020/2021. We are encouraged to hope and wonder if this demonstrates possibilities for what could be for the other youth as active participants and leaders within their community.