Peace activists from Colombia honor indigenous communities

In the facilities of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) in the center of Bogotá, more than 12 non-profit organizations attended a conversation under the theme "Indigenous peoples, peacebuilding and vision of compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals".

In the event, the participants pointed out that in Colombia there are 102 indigenous communities of the 5,000 that exist in the world. For its part, the GEAP presented the work it carries out through the social program Children of Mother Earth, before the ONIC Secretary-General, Higinio Obispo González.

With the musical interpretation of the ancestral doctor Julio Villabón and the princess of the Los Tunjos indigenous council, the celebration began at the Soledad Rengifo library in Ibagué, an activity that counted on the presence of Pijao indigenous governors, Amerindian communities, Quintín Lame, Pijao cacique Ibagué and Cutucumay.

Also in attendance, the Secretary of Rural Development and Environment, César Picón; the secretary of Ethnic Affairs of the municipality, Luz Dary Tapiero; and representatives of the Municipal Institute of Sports and Recreation of Ibagué (IMDRI).

The Guardians for the Peace of Mother Earth spoke on "The indigenous peoples in Colombia", and read the Declaration of the International Day of the Indigenous Peoples.

To conclude the event, the indigenous governors touched on topics of social interest in the area of health, education, land, among others. The cultural part was in charge of the musical group Amerindios, who presented dances and traditional music of its authorship and the IMDRI interacted dynamically with the audience.

With exhibitions in the Bolivar Park, on the importance of indigenous peoples, their rights, their ancestral knowledge and a brief overview of the communities that inhabit the region, the GEAP volunteers from Cartago joined the celebration.

 

Around 200 Cartagüeños visited the photographic exhibition of the Encounters of the Children of Mother Earth, which took place from July 2015 to April 2017. This activity was supported by the CNC and NotiRegión media.

With the visit to the Valle Verde stereo stations 91.0 FM of Guacarí and Voces de Occidente 860 AM of Buga, as well as on the newscast of the Yumbo Stereo station, the Guardians for the Peace of Mother Earth, promoted the indigenous ancestral culture in the framework of the 10th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the rights of these peoples.

In order to strengthen and defend the rights of indigenous peoples, members of the Wayúu, Arhuaco, Kogi, Mokaná, Embera Katio and Kankuamo communities, together with students, representatives of mayors, the National Army and deputies, joined this celebration in the Atlantic Coast.

In the Córdoba Battalion in Santa Marta, through a conversation about the artisan culture of the indigenous peoples, leaders of different communities met, who made known the ways in which they relate to the environment.

The Governor of the Inga people, Fernando Cachasoy, participated in the activity; Governor Felix Mendinueta de Chimila; the leader of Kogui, Vangelio Sauna Zarabata; Alcira Villafaña, leader of Arhuaco; and Angélica María Melgarejo, leader of the Wayúu community.

Captain John Beltrán Quintero, in charge of Indigenous Affairs of Magdalena, also attended; and the national coordinator of the Children of Mother Earth Program, David Peluffo.

The GEAP, the Governorate of the Atlantic and the City Hall of Galapa organized a parade and gathering that included the participation of the six peoples of the Mokaná ethnic group.

More than 1,000 members of these towns of Puerto Colombia, Malambo, Tubará, Usiacurí, Baranoa and Galapa attended the event that had the support of Governor Edison Martínez.

For his part, the deputy of the Assembly of the Atlantic, Gelser Perez, added that with the creation of the Ethnic Affairs Management, the rights of all the ethnic peoples of this region will be strengthened.

In the Pozo, 20 neighborhood sports center in Villavicencio, leaders of the Cubeo, Desano, Sikuani, Wounaan communities, as well as delegates of the Indigenous Affairs of the Gobernación del Meta, and members of the Santo Tomás University, met to celebrate the indigenous event.

Authorities of the Ombudsman's Office, officials of the National Police, representatives of the Municipal Cultural Corporation of Villavicencio (Corcumvi), as well as educational institutions also made an appearance.

The opening was in charge of the Inga people with a ritual of harmonization. In the same way, they presented musical performances and dances. The Inga governor, Jaime Jajoy, socialized the resolution in which the Ministry of the Interior gives the Inga people the right to live as a settlement in an urban area.

In their speech, the GEAP presented the work they carry out with indigenous peoples, as well as the programs, projects, and campaigns they carry out in the country.

In the library of the Jorge Isaacs Educational Institute of El Cerrito, Valle; The Guardians for thePeace of Mother Earth, gave talks to students about the importance of learning from indigenous peoples and the practices they perform to preserve Mother Earth.

Through the module "Indigenous peoples of Colombia", the volunteers and a student talked about the places where these communities live and presented a historical review.

The activity began with the intonation of the anthem of the Indigenous Guard interpreted by the Yanakuna ethnic group. This event was attended by 110 students from pre-school through 11th grade, along with their teachers.

For its part, the GEAP was invited by the rector of the Ethno Educational Institution Yachay Wasi Runa Yanakuna, Alirio Córdoba. During the event, they socialized the International Children of Mother Earth Program.

The activity ended with the presentation of plays and traditional indigenous music.

Allilla, shamuscagui huaha kuna hashpaman (welcome, children of mother earth), with this message in the Quichua language they received the representatives of the indigenous communities who attended the Peace for Mother Earth Fair, installed in Armenia's Plaza Bolívar.

 

This event was supported by Bibiana del Pilar Cruz, advisor for Ethnic Issues of the Family Secretariat, Population Directorate of the Governorate of Quindío.

The governors Sabulón Burucuara, Milena Siagama and Rodrigo Arce, belonging to the Embera Chami community, participated in the celebration; also, Reimundo Congacha, Quichua governor; Margori Bueno, Inga governor; and Carlos Osorio, governor of the department of Quindío, who arrived in the company of 80 members of their villages.

The coordinator of health and ancestral medicine, José Bayardo Jiménez of the Yanacona community, made a symbolic act of the representation of the Pachamama and its four spaces; using elements of the worldview of the Yanacona people, such as the figure Kylla Chakana.

The activists visited several media with the purpose of promoting the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. In this media tour, they visited RCN Radio, the Noticiero Telecafé, Magazine El Yipao, the newspaper La Crónica del Quindío and the Office of Communications of the Government.