Representatives of 21 indigenous communities unify proposals of solution against the environmental crisis in the 2nd International Encounter of Children of Mother Earth

In Uribia, the Indigenous Capital of Columbia, 21 representatives from indigenous communities of six Latin American countries gathered, with the purpose of socializing, discussing, and unifying their proposals in benefit of Mother Earth and the harmonic restoration of human beings with their environment.

On August 9th, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP), through its International Program “Children of Mother Earth,” achieved to summon more than 3,000 people in the 2nd International Encounter of Children of Mother Earth, everyone was interested in contributing to the collection of ancestral knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the Americas; a proposal that was led by the global ambassador William Soto Santiago during the International Day of Indigenous People.

Nine subjects that favor life and the continuation of human beings

Nine parallel tables were prepared so that the indigenous people could develop their proposals regarding: the conservation and restoration of water sources; the conservation and restoration of Earth; counteracting the effects of climate change; the conservation and restoration of biodiversity; the rescue and promotion of cultural values and ancestral music of our indigenous people; the vision of women of our indigenous people; prevention of ethnocide; the restoration of the original food of our peoples; proposals of our indigenous peoples to achieve peace and integral happiness of the Children of Mother Earth.

During the plenary session and before the participants, according to the dynamics of the Encounter, there were designated leaders at each table who made their public proposals, which were then handed over to the executive president of the GEAP, for the unification of the results of other Encounters carried out throughout Latin America.  

Some proposals exposed by leaders in the plenary session were:

Table #1: Conservation and restoration of the water sources.

• Virilization of their rights in the conservation and restoration of the water sources for their promotion and fulfillment, for they consider water as the blood of Mother Earth.
• The unification as communities to gain space in public participation.
• Educate new generations so that they identify themselves as indigenous and thus implement a role inside of society.

Table #2: Conservation and restoration of Earth

• To take into account the indigenous people in all the decision making in regards to the management of natural recourses.
• Create a school on the Chair for the Governments of the world, to give them knowledge on dealing with the indigenous people of our Mother Earth.
• Create juridical tools of social responsibility according to the thoughts of the people and their habitat.

Table #3: To counteract the effects of climate change.

• Divulge the ancestral commandment, making an emphasis on the respect toward climate.
• Implement programs based on the knowledge of the Law of Origin and the Greater Ancestral Right.
• Reproduce memories of the life of the original peoples as a means of education.

Table #4: The conservation and restoration of biodiversity.

• Respect to the sense of the cycle of water from its birth until it reaches the sea.
• Create ecological and educational movements that promote the original customs.

Table #5: The rescue and sharing of cultural values and ancestral music of our original peoples.

• Strengthen and rescue the ancestral and cultural musical instruments, and its perfect construction.
• Maintain our system of tuning and our musical structure.
• Achieve spaces in medias of communication to share our musical culture.

Table # 6: The vision of women of our original peoples.

• Create programs lead and organized by women and grandmothers for the transmission of knowledge.
• Create spaces in the encounter to build their voice in the strengthening of their races.

Table #7: Prevention of Ethnocide

• Respect towards their uses and customs, including their spiritual beliefs, although they assist Government colleges.
• Typify ethnocide as a crime, to preserve the cultural identity of the peoples and their territories.
• That the language of the indigenous people become an official in Columbia.

Table #8: The restoration of the original food of our peoples.

• Rescue Mother Earth through the creation of banks of seeds.
• Abolish the existing legislation about the monopoly of native seeds and implement campaigns of socialization of our laws, uses, and customs of differential focus in the native seeds.

Table #9: The peace and integral happiness of the Children of Mother Earth

• Through education, as the main basis to live daily, starting with the nuclear family and the quality of education in institutions, besides having dialogue as a way to resolve problems in our community.
• Fulfill completely what our parents taught us.