Nia Tero Annual Report 2023 ENGLISH Single pages - Flipbook - Page 23
Colombia
Guyana
Nia Tero has played an important role in
strengthening Indigenous governance
in Colombia by progressing the
implementation of Decree 632, created
in 2018 to advance the establishment of
Indigenous municipalities and governance
structures. We supported the National
Organization of Indigenous Peoples of
the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), the
Papunahua Indigenous Council, and
the Yurupari Jaguars Macroterritory
in this movement.
Nia Tero helped to establish technical units
to strengthen Indigenous District Councils,
enhancing their coordination, management,
and strategic planning capacities. Further,
Nia Tero supported capacity-building
initiatives through mentorship in key
technical areas and training of Indigenous
communities on legislation that directly
impacted Indigenous Peoples – the
Amerindian Act of 2006. Over the years,
Indigenous Peoples have advocated
for revision of this legislation to ensure
that their rights are recognized and
fully protected.
We are currently supporting the creation
and formalization of high-level dialogues
involving all Indigenous Councils to
advance their advocacy efforts for the
implementation of the Decree. We also
support an emergency fund that serves
more than 50 communities in the region.
The fund supports the protection and
security of Indigenous communities,
authorities, leaders, representatives,
defenders, and activists managed
directly by Indigenous organizations of
the Colombian Amazon. They focus on
providing legal assistance, medical and
psychological assistance, relocation, social
assistance, security training, and community
protection initiatives.
Ecuador
Nia Tero partnered with the Shuar People’s
campaign against Canadian and Chinese
mining companies aiming to install
extractive projects within their territory.
Continuing from 2022, Nia Tero also
supported the Ecuadorian Indigenous
Peoples’ historic win to protect Yasuní
National Park and lands of Waorani
communities and isolated peoples.
$17.5M
2023 GRANTS
Peru
Nia Tero’s support of the Regional
Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the
East’s (ORPIO) Platform for Indigenous
Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial
Contact (PIACI) program and platform
was key to shelving the proposed Law
3518/2022, which could have weakened
protection of major forest landscapes
where uncontacted Indigenous Peoples
live in the Peruvian Amazon. The bill aimed
to shift responsibility for creating Indigenous
reserves from the national to the regional
governments and to re-evaluate existing
reserves. The decision to halt the bill
was a major victory for Indigenous
organizations in Peru.
Suriname
Nia Tero partnered with Indigenous
organizations and traditional leaders to draft
a proposed Indigenous and Tribal Lands
Rights bill, advocating for recognition of
Indigenous rights at the National Assembly
and international policy spaces, and
supported territorial mapping projects for
the Wayana and Trio Indigenous Peoples.
The Wayana peoples also advanced their
plans to improve transportation in their
territories using solar powered boats,
with Nia Tero’s support.
Thriving Peoples. Thriving Places.
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