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November 02, 2023
This blog was originally written in English and automatically translated using artificial intelligence.
As another year comes to an end, we reflect on the work that we’ve done and where we are headed. Please find here some of TINTA’s key moments of 2023:
1) Women’s rights – In July we accompanied the Coordination of Indigenous Peoples Organisations of French Guiana (COPAG) on its “Indigenous Women’s Health Canoe” mission to the Wayana villages of the Upper-Maroni River, where more than 50 women took part in a series of workshops on women’s rights and domestic violence, traditional medicine, and entrepreneurship. TINTA has accompanied COPAG’s institutional consolidation process since 2021.
Arrival of the Indigenous Women’s Health Canoe at Elahé. Elahé, French Guiana. Credit: Eric Louis | COPAG
We also celebrate the growing leadership of Indigenous and community women in climate and environmental spaces by supporting the work of the Articulation of Indigenous Women Warriors of Ancestrality (ANMIGA), who led a massive campaign in Brazil with seventeen Indigenous candidates in elections for federal and state deputies, leading to Célia Xakriabá’s historic victory as a federal deputy and Sônia Guajajara’s win, first as a deputy and then as Minister of Indigenous Peoples.
Sônia Guajajara at COP28. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Credit: Leo Otero | Ascom MPI
2) Territorial funds – In November, the TINTA team had the pleasure and honour of contributing to facilitate the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC) and Charapa-led workshop on Tracking Funds for Indispensable Partners. The workshop broached a timely topic; how we can improve funding access for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in order to support their roles as indispensable partners for reaching the targets of agreements like the Paris Agreement on climate change or the Global Biodiversity Framework. The unifying thread of the two-day conversation was core to TINTA’s values. Transparency, trust, dialogue, and complementary coordination are what is needed to accurately monitor the funding flows to Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Earlier this year the Nusantara Fund was launched in Indonesia, backed by the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN), the National Agrarian Reform Movement (KPA) and Walhi, the country’s largest environmental organisation. The aim of the Nusantara Fund is to channel direct funding to the territories. Taking into account the experience of the Nusantara Fund, TINTA facilitated a gathering of representatives of territorial funds from Latin America, Asia and Africa to exchange experiences on this pressing subject, vital for the self-determination of indigenous organizations.
Nusantara Fund Launch. Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit: TINTA
3) Youth-led projects – Young people are boosting their creativity to preserve sustainable forestry practices, diversify sustainable production and promote local initiatives, some of them innovatively supported by technology such as mapping, energy or self-managed communications systems.
Intranet workshop. Petén, Guatemala. Credit: Red Compa | ACOFOP
Last May, on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, we accompanied three young women leaders from Indigenous and local communities from Mesoamerica, for an exchange of knowledge with peers from Indonesia who are actively involved in the ‘Homecoming Movement’, an initiative to bring back and involve youth in community life, developing resilient and self-sustaining practices to protect, care for and manage their customary territories. In Guatemala our team has facilitated hands-on workshops on connectivity, networks and open internet for young community leaders seeking to preserve their history and culture. This project fosters the development, shaping and use of free, open and sustainable digital technologies and platforms to address digital exclusion.
Homecoming Movement Exchange. Gowa, Indonesia. Credit: TINTA
4) New York Climate Week – In September, TINTA was once again invited to coordinate the interpretation team for the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities at New York Climate Week (NYCW). The week provided an important opportunity for Indigenous and local community leaders to ensure that climate solutions, and action, are led and guided by their knowledge and world visions. Our team has spent time crafting relationships and building trust with those for whom we are providing language support and even longer understanding the issues at hand. It is these acquired skills that allowed us to contextualize how and what we interpreted at Climate Week, in the best interest of our allies of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Dani Setiawan, Chair of the Indonesian Traditional Fishers Association (KNTI) participates at an event at COP28. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Credit: TINTA
5) COP 28 – Our team has just returned from the COP with important lessons and experiences. This year’s #COP28 was a fruitful space for learning and exchange on a variety of issues. One of our main missions at this year’s event was to be of support to a delegation of small-scale fishers with our colleagues at Movilizatorio. We also provided important and essential language services support and accompanied a youth delegation to the event. Keep on the lookout for some of our reflections from the conference in the coming days!
Thank you for following along our journey, we look forward to working together in 2024. Wishing you all a happy and peaceful holiday season.
