Indigenous people of Central America gather during the 3rd International Encounter of the Children of Mother Earth
Indigenous people from Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador gathered to strengthen their commitment for the wellbeing of Mother Earth.
San Salvador, El Salvador – The event took place at the Bicentennial Park, and counted with the presence and participation of movements, associations, communities, indigenous advisors and government institutions, who contributed towards the construction of proposals within the eleven topics presented by the International Program Children of Mother Earth for these Encounters, and which are developed in worktables.
With the traditional act of invocation and gratitude towards Mother Earth, the indigenous representatives opened the Encounter, and the children’s chorus of Izalco sang the National Anthem of the Republic of El Salvador in the Nahuatl tongue.
The executive president of the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP), William Soto Santiago; Mr. Jesus Amadeo Rodriguez, high advisor of the Central American Indigenous Council; Betty Perez from the El Salvador Indigenous Coordinating Council (CCNIS) (coordinators of the encounter); Mirna Cunningham, consultant of the United Nations on Indigenous Issues, special ambassador of the year of agriculture and president of the Center for the Autonomy and Development of Indigenous Peoples; Dr. Cesar Salazar Grande, president of the Central American Court of Justice; Dr. Jorge Jimenez, representative of the Chancellery of El Salvador; and the national coordinator of the GEAP, Samuel Escobar, were all present in the installation table.
Ambassador William Soto stated the objectives of the Encounter and its purpose of seeing in projects and proposals the contributions obtained as a result of this encounter, to present them before international organizations with the purpose of defending the Rights of the indigenous peoples and of Mother Earth, the same way he did so when delivered the Inter-American Environmental Charter to the general secretary of the Organization of American States, in October, during CUMIPAZ 2016, in Paraguay. (read press release)
“It is important to broaden the ways the indigenous peoples can participate in the formulation and execution of public policies, in educational and cultural programs, and in the justice system, among others; to protect Mother Earth, re-establish harmony with her; especially in these times where we are living the consequences of the uncontrolled actions of the human beings.” – William Soto.
In the interventions, the situation of the indigenous peoples was discussed, in regards to contributing to the processes of harmonization between man and Mother Earth. They emphasized that their ancestral knowledge is the way to strengthen local, national and regional processes of the restoration and conservation of the Earth.
“We are convinced that the current, extractive, development model will not guarantee our survival, nor the survival of our planet; and in that context, it is extremely important to be able to articulate all of our efforts to be able to change that development model, to be able to take advantage of the ancestral, traditional knowledge of the indigenous peoples.” – Mirna Cunningnam
At the end of the encounter and in the plenary, representatives from each table delivered the documents that contained the proposals obtained in the different work tables to the ambassador of the Activists for Peace.
This is the third International Encounter organized by the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace and gives continuity to the ones developed in Mexico and Colombia, during this current year. (see related events)
A cooperation and alliance agreement for the conservation and restoration of Mother Earth.
With the purpose of strengthening the bonds of cooperation, the signing of a framework agreement between the Central American Indigenous Council (CICA) and the GEAP to consolidate joint work agreements with the International Program of the Children of Mother Earth and based on strengthening the rights of the indigenous people, the protection and restoration of Mother Earth and the recognition of her rights.
“We, as indigenous peoples in Central America, are sure that this alliance that we are going to make with the Global Embassy will strengthen all those processes that we have in the territories for the defense of the rights of the indigenous peoples and the defense of natural resources and of our Mother Earth.” – Jesus Amadeo Rodriguez, high advisor of CICA.
This agreement becomes a working accord for Central America, and one in favor of recovering the environmental knowledge and rights.
