October 2021 – Equitable Origin (EO) and Fundación Raíz arrived in Lima, Peru for a series of activities to strengthen the presence of the Resource Hub to Strengthen Indigenous Rights (Resource Hub) in Peru. The main objective of this visit was the meeting on AIDESEP´s new administration October 14th. The team met with President Apu Jorge Pérez Rubio, who gave the go-ahead for the renewal of the framework cooperation agreement between both organizations. This cooperation agreement was ratified on October 21st.
During the meeting, both organizations analyzed possible areas for cooperation. These included: connectivity initiatives, in person and virtual workshops to strengthen indigenous rights, and to create a network of indigenous experts to support the defense of indigenous defenders in the Amazon rainforest. The meeting allowed the team to familiarize themselves with the problems that Indigenous Peoples in the Peruvian Amazon have been facing throughout the pandemic. Furthermore, the team started to put together a work plan that is aligned with AIDESEP’s priorities during the next 5 years.
In addition to the meeting with AIDESEP, the EO team held virtual meetings with Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (DAR), CooperAcción and José Arévalo, Professor at PUCP and expert in communications projects with vast knowledge regarding the state of community radios in Peru. Also, coincidentally, the Amazon Frontlines team that supports the Secoya communities of Peru and Ecuador was in Lima for a series of meetings with authorities from the Ministry of Culture and Agriculture of Peru. The team met briefly with a few of their representatives to analyze possible spaces of cooperation.
The meeting with DAR served to present and coordinate collaboration for the possible application of the FPIC 360 Tool and a space for feedback with the main stakeholders. On the other hand, CooperAcción, an organization with 25 years of work on issues related to human rights and extractive industries, was willing to build a work agenda with EO to promote the strengthening of indigenous rights. Finally, José Arévalo, shared information of great help for the radio programs that will be promoted through the Resource Hub throughout next year.
