Indigenous leaders, teachers of intercultural bilingual education and indigenous university students belonging to the Awajún indigenous people, from the Amazonas region, participated in the intercultural program “We are heritage that builds the future” of the GEF ABS Nagoya Project, promoted by the Ministry of the Environment, UN Environment and Profonanpe, with the aim of strengthening their capacities on the conservation and enhancement of their traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity.
The Awajún indigenous people possess valuable knowledge about the use of biological resources such as medicinal plants, which could contribute to the future development of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other products. For this reason, the Nagoya Project developed the intercultural training program "We Are Heritage that Builds the Future," which allows them to recognize the value of their knowledge through collective learning, enabling them to replicate what they have learned in their communities and other settings.
“This workshop is very important because it helps us to value and understand our own culture and that of our brothers and sisters. I like it a lot because here we come to share what we know and to learn from the other people with whom we share our lives,” said Claudia Kinin Tajin, from the Awajún native community of Shug Shug.
For her part, Yohannaliz Vega Auqui, head of the Indigenous Peoples Unit at Profonanpe, highlighted the work with the communities: «At Profonanpe, we are strengthening our efforts to design a capacity-building program for Indigenous peoples. This workshop allows us to gather valuable experiences that we can replicate in our interventions.»
The workshops, which were conducted in the Awajún language, took place over three days in the city of Bagua Grande, and included the participation of indigenous leaders from the native communities of Shushug, Pakui and Wawas, which belong to the ECA Chayu Naim, as well as teachers of bilingual intercultural education and indigenous students from the Fabiola Salazar Leguía Intercultural University of Bagua.
“We are a legacy that builds the future”
This is an intercultural training program that was developed in a participatory manner with the organizations and representatives of indigenous and peasant communities, under the coordination and direction of the GEF-ABS-Nagoya project.
About the GEF-ABS-Nagoya Project
This project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Ministry of the Environment, Profonanpe and UN Environment, It aims to strengthen national capacities for the effective implementation of access regimes to genetic resources and traditional knowledge in accordance with the Nagoya Protocol and thus contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and the well-being of people in the country.
