As part of the Indigenous Rights and Resources Hub that Equitable Origin and COICA have developed, we are launching a variety of tools related to supporting indigenous rights, including cultural rights. In this way we hope to generate information and knowledge on relevant topics. In partnership with COICA, we hope to formally launch this interactive platform soon!
As part of the Indigenous Rights and Resources Hub that Equitable Origin and COICA have developed, we are launching a variety of tools related to supporting indigenous rights, including cultural rights. In this way we hope to generate information and knowledge on relevant topics. In partnership with COICA, we hope to formally launch this interactive platform soon!
On February 29th, 2020, local and international media announced the tragic and concerning news that COVID-19 started to spread to different countries, and the first cases of COVID-19 in Ecuador emerged. The preliminary statistics showed possible COVID-19 infections in Guayaquil, Quito and other major cities in the country. People already knew how lethal this foreign virus could be. At this point, the virus was spreading to all corners of the country, especially to the Amazon region.
In response to the health crisis, the Ecuadorian Government started to promote different solutions, one of which addressed the issue of education. The Ministry of Education proposed telework for teachers and virtual classes for students.
According to official data, “in Ecuador there are 4.6 million students and, according to the educational authorities, 70% do not have access to the internet. In rural areas it is even more complicated since only 16% of households have internet access. The Internet is an indispensable resource to be able to complete this school year, which worries many Ecuadorian families”. Those in rural communities are especially concerned.
The unmet needs in technology have further increased the gaps in educational quality in rural areas. An example is what happened with the Bilingual Intercultural Community Educational Centers (CECIBs). Besides the high rate of illiteracy in rural areas, these communities also lack digital literacy. Few, if any, children or their parents are able to use a computer and most communities lack access to technology due to the absence of electricity and internet. Because of these limitations, it is difficult for them to comply with the provisions established by the Ministry of Education and its governing bodies, such as the Districts of Education.
However, educational institutions located in suburban zones have made significant efforts with their teachers and students to adapt to the new model of virtual education, such as the case of the Gabriel López School, where Intercultural Bilingual Education is taught. This school is located in District 16D02 Arajuno, located in Arajuno in the Province of Pastaza. The teachers of this Institution have made daily efforts to connect to digital platforms, prepare schedules and work plans, and tasks that they send out to students. Parents then wait to receive the assignments for their children through WhatsApp groups and other digital communication platforms. It is worth noting that about 50% of families have access to these essential tools.
Children learning how to use cell phones.
However, the situation is worse in the lower region of the Amazon. The internet is non-existent in these areas of the country. There is a need for the Government to invest in communication technology and infrastructure to be able to offer more opportunities for local communities, including education.
Because of this pandemic, for the first time in the history of Intercultural Bilingual Education, the students in the third year of their Baccalaureate of the Gabriel Lopez Educational Unit (UEGL) have had to take the Pledge of Allegiance (Oath to the Whipala) using the TEAMS digital platform (online). Given the lack of digital tools, only 22 of the 33 students were able to carry out this ceremonial act. The event was held on May 20, 2020 to commemorate the 41 years of foundation of the Association of Indigenous Communities of Arajuno ACIA-AKAT, one of the most important organizations in the province of Pastaza. This organization is a subsidiary of Pastaza Kikin Kichwa Runakuna (Pakkiru), the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (CONFENIAE), the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon RIver Basin (COICA). The event was held in commemoration of the historical struggle of the peoples for life, territory and knowledge (Allpamanta, Kawsaymanta, Yachaymanta).
The challenges that Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador face will be incalculable. The health emergency has highlighted the Government’s neglect of more than 2,000 communities in the Amazon region. The Government has not worked to solve structural problems which has left several Indigenous Peoples and communities in vulnerable situations in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Communities and social organizations were left to deal with these issues (using ancestral wisdom, medicinal plants, etc.). As a result, these organizations and Indigenous Peoples acted effectively to combat this crisis.
Marlon Richard Vargas Santi, President of CONFENIAE, has said that all efforts must be coordinated and programmed in partnership with different organizations, communities and leaders. This way, we can begin to solve the educational, health, educational and basic technological services problems that persist in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
While the digital world is constantly evolving, our communities also have the right to access these services. It is necessary to work with and take advantage of what technology may offer to conserve our heritage and to promote cultural principles and values among the youth through technology and virtual education. Greater governmental investment and attention is needed in rural areas to reduce educational gaps.
I will end with what a Cherokee leader and indigenous activist said:
Being indigenous in the 21st century means networking for the exchange of traditional knowledge and best practices among indigenous communities across the planet, with the iPhone, BlackBerry, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and other available technology tools.
Vilma Mankiller
Written by: Luis Fernando Canelos Vargas, Civil Engineer from the Kichwa Nationality of the Ecuadorian Amazon of the Kichwa ancestral town of Canelos. Luis Fernando is the Co-founder of the Sacha Warmi Foundation – Health, Culture and Nature. Luis Fernando was born in the Kichwa community of Canelos, on the banks of the Bobonaza River, in the Pastaza province, Luis is one of the young Indigenous People committed to his people who seeks to improve the well-being of the communities, peoples and nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Luis is a civil engineer by profession, and has always been involved in social, cultural and environmental issues. He has participated in different national and international UN events on Climate Change and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He believes that the way to «build community» must be rethought. The different social transformations are considerably affecting culture, in the context of modernity. Health, culture and nature must be seen as one and technology must fit in the best way in the daily life of Indigenous People.