Empower Indigenous Youth Activist Association

Given the recent events involving the rapid spread of COVID-19, the Peruvian government has taken various measures to try to contain this pandemic that has been present for almost half a year now. The vulnerability of the Shipibo people has been shown to be unaddressed by the Peruvian state, and in some cases has even been worsened.

For this reason, Alianza Arkana has developed an emergency fund, with which it is possible to attend priority cases, which were affected directly or also indirectly by the current pandemic. Either for serious cases of coronavirus, but also for accidents, or diseases that require immediate intervention, which cannot be provided by the over demand of hospitals.

For this reason our colleague Ruth, who is 20 years old, is in charge of this fund as an emergency coordinator. Ruth is a young Shipibo woman from the native community of Paoyhan and is in charge of attending the cases, as well as accompanying the families in the different emergency situations. Given the sensibility of the situation, we have decided not to publish photographs of the individual cases but rather to concentrate on providing all the help possible to overcome this tragedy that is affecting the indigenous communities in a devastating way.

So far, funds have been provided to help 38 families from different indigenous communities and from the region, including Nueva Era, Bena Jema, San Francisco, Puerto Belen, Paoyhan, Tushmo, Santa Clara and Yarinacocha. Although this project is planned until the end of August, we will do our best to help and reach more indigenous families who require immediate assistance.
Because of these events and more than ever, the Amazon must remain united in this struggle.

Between 5^{th _} 8^th May, five members from the Santa Clara Community Youth Association of the Ucayali region, took part in the pilot workshop on methodologies for participation with a territorial focus. It was organized by Alianza Arkana with the aim of expanding and strengthening knowledge and promoting actions for Climate Change within the Santa Clara community.

Four steps for climate change

The workshop was divided into three phases, with one day dedicated to reflection and feedback. The first phase was focused on the identification of the socio-environmental problems that have occurred over time. We used games and group exercises to draw up the common daily activities and routes that were used ten or more years ago which today are no longer viable due to territorial transformations. We then looked at the losses and lack of basic services that is needed for the environmental, and therefore social health, of the community.

In the second phase we deepened our understanding of the territory. We learnt how to construct a geographic memory map by recalling day to day interactions within the landscape and this allowed us to identify who the key players in the community might be.

In the third phase, we learnt the basic tools for the identification of socio-environmental problems and then how to outline areas for transformation and objectives which would then be the cornerstone of future projects. To finish, we reflected on the importance of thinking about our collective space: its dynamics, its strengths and weaknesses and most importantly, how to do this as young people, supporting and finding solutions together.

This workshop has been facilitated by our colleague and friend David, political scientist and specialist in territorial planning, whom we thank for his practical and didactical way of transmitting knowledge to the group.

The Future is positive

A week after the workshops, young people from the community joined in assembly to define the board of directors for the year 2020. Our next step is to come together to outline how we can replicate this pilot workshop in the community, with the intention to deepen the work in each phase. Our goal is to create a socio-environmental analysis of the territory in order to be better prepared for climate change and create a regenerative movement within the community.

With your support, we will be able to create workshops with better material and human resources. Help us sustain young people and their communities in order to help raise awareness about climate change.

Thank you for supporting us!

*The Youth Association of Santa Clara  (Asociación de Jóvenes de Santa Clara) is an initiative that comes from the necessity for young people from the community of Santa Clara to strengthen their Shipibo identity, and to develop skills in order to become multi-sectoral change agents (health, environment, education, economy) in their own territory.