By Luara Sapará
The meeting brought together representatives of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Peoples and Communities to discuss participation in the construction of the governance of the financial mechanism.
The construction of mechanisms that ensure the effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Peoples and Communities (PIQPCTs) in decisions on forest conservation financing was among the main points discussed during the Governance Dialogue Event of the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), held between October 27 and 29, in Brasília (DF).
The Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), participated in the programming and debates during the days of the event, and was represented by Leirejane Macuxi, assistant of the organization's Indigenous Women's Department, who followed the discussions on the structuring of the fund's governance and the participation of peoples and communities in this process.
During the dialogue, the participants defended the construction of a political articulation between Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Peoples and Communities (PIQPCTs), highlighting the importance of ensuring the participation of these segments from the beginning of the construction of the TFFF governance.
Leirejane Macuxi highlighted the actions of the CIR in the indigenous communities of Roraima and stressed the importance of the process being built together with the peoples and communities from the beginning, respecting their realities and ensuring that the discussions reach the territories.
"The CIR carries out projects in the territories based on the demands presented by the indigenous communities. It is important to reaffirm that the initiatives already take place in the territories. Therefore, we cannot decide for the communities. Each and every project begins to be built from the bottom up, never from the top down. The TFFF needs to be clarified and discussed by the indigenous communities. We cannot decide anything for them and for them without their direct participation in this process,"said Leirejane.
The TFFF is an initiative aimed at conserving tropical forests through annual payments to countries that keep their forests standing. The initiative also raises debates about how these resources will be managed and how peoples and communities that have historically contributed to the protection of territories and forests will participate in decisions.
As a follow-up to the meeting, a Manifesto Letter was collectively built, prepared in a participatory manner with representatives of the PIQPCTs. A Working Group (WG) was also created, composed of representatives of the different segments, with the purpose of continuing the discussions and monitoring the process of building the fund's governance.
The meeting represents the beginning of a broader process of articulation and collective construction. For the participants, it is essential that the next steps are conducted in direct dialogue with the territories, ensuring that peoples and communities are not only consulted, but have effective participation in decisions about a mechanism that involves the protection of forests and the rights of those who have historically cared for them.
Review: Helena Leocádio - Ascom CIR