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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/22/indigenous-people-basic-income-protecting-rainforests-amazon-peru>
"“At the beginning, there was a lot of fear and disbelief,” said Ketty Marcelo.
“There was a perception from the communities that this was another scam, that
it was only looking to steal information or our integrity.”
Indigenous communities in the Amazon have grown weary of people coming in from
outside with plans that could mean them losing their land or way of life. When
a team from Cool Earth, a climate action NGO, came to the Amazon communities of
central Peru in October 2022, local people were hesitant. “These fears caused
some families not to participate,” Marcelo said. “And we, as an organisation,
were afraid this would be another project that would seek to impose activities
without respecting the autonomy of the communities.”
But what developed instead was a collaboration between Cool Earth and two
all-female Indigenous-led organisations – the National Organisation of Andean
and Amazonian Indigenous Women of Peru (Onamiap), of which Marcelo is
president, and the Organisation for Indigenous Women of the Central Selva of
Peru (Omiaasec).
Together, they created a groundbreaking basic income pilot project to give £2 a
day – with no strings attached – to 188 people across three Asháninka and
Yánesha communities in the Avireri-Vraem reserve.
“It’s the world’s first basic income pilot for Indigenous peoples who live in
rainforests with a link to protect the forest and fight the climate crisis,”
said Isabel Felandro, the global head of programmes for Cool Earth, who leads
the organisation’s work in Peru. “There are other basic income initiatives
around the world but most are focused on humanitarian or social issues. In the
communities we work with, their activities are very linked to the protection of
the forest.”
She continued: “Poverty is the biggest driver of deforestation in these areas.
These communities in very remote areas not only face a lack of access to basic
needs – healthcare, food, education – but on top of that they face the climate
crisis. There are more fires in the forest and more droughts. There are also a
lot of illegal economies going into these places: illegal logging, illegal
mining and drug cartels. Growing drugs is one of the main drivers of
deforestation in the areas of the Amazon where we work.
“When people are in urgent need and want to take their children for medical
care or to school, sometimes these cycles of poverty lead them to take on roles
in those illegal activities, or to sell their land or allow their trees to be
cut down. Giving them financial support gives them a choice to have a more
sustainable way of living.”"
Via
Positive.News
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
