Support Shipibo-Konibo Change Makers

Over the past three months, Alianza Arkana’s ecosocial justice programme has been active across a wide array of areas.

First, we conducted research on the Amazonian Economy in the native community of Nuevo Saposoa within our broader aim of encouraging sound management of natural resources and sustainable economic activity in Shipibo communities. Based on that research and in response to community demand, Alianza Arkana supported Nuevo Saposoa in its efforts to officially classify its forest as a ‘recurso turistico’. This work aimed at promoting ecotourism in the community, which is located at the very edge of the Sierra del Divisor national park. Thanks to our engagement, the regional government body responsible for commerce and tourism, DIRCETOR (Dirección Regional de Comercio Exterior y Turismo), included Nuevo Saposoa in the national inventory for touristic resources.

In the same vein, Alianza Arkana has assisted the community as it aims to gain access to electricity. We are working together with the regional government in order for each household in the community to have solar panels for lighting. As a result of our concerted efforts, installation of the panels in Nuevo Saposoa is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

 Moreover, we organised a 3-day video-editing workshop in conjunction with the indigenous communicators network REDCIP (Red de Comunicadores Indígenas de Perú) and youth of the regional indigenous organisation FECONAU (Federación de Comunidades Nativas de Ucayali) in our offices at Yarinacocha. Drawing on footage of the indigenous peoples’ march in Pucallpa on the 5^th of June taken by volunteers of Alianza Arkana as well as our collaborators, we supported 15 talented Shipibo men and women both young and old in creating their own story of the event. Using free and easily accessible software (Windows Movie Maker), we strived to empower participants with fundamental skills that can serve them in promoting Shipibo culture and advocating for their rights.

Finally, Alianza Arkana together with two independent Shipibo collaborators led a workshop in the native community of Pahoyan over the course of one day, preparing the ground for a multi-day workshop on climate change and alternative sustainable sources of income scheduled for fall this year. The workshop helped to identify core needs as well as matters of concern of the community, and set in motion the preparations for discussing potential solutions to these later this year. As part of the workshop, a diverse group made up of more than 20 women, men, children, adolescents and elders participated in drawing their very own maps of the community, as well creating a communal map as a tool to identify the priority areas they would want to work on.