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FORMING PROPOSALS FOR GOOD LIVING
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE STATES
As indigenous women, we play a crucial role in the governance of our ancestral lands and
natural resources. Our territories are an integral part of our lives: it is Mother Earth who provides us
with resources and food, and it is the environment in which we develop our sacred, spiritual, social,
economic, and cultural activities in order to preserve the lives of our people. Mother Earth is not an
individual, intangible possession but the collectively owned common heritage in which our
knowledge is embodied and our ancestors legacy is protected.
Our communities are comprised of men, women, young people, boys and girls. We
indigenous women are the pillars of sustainability for our families and peoples; we are the vital
foundation for maintenance and recovery of land and territory. Yet our right to the land is not
acknowledged, and the laws of the states legitimize this discrimination, granting authority of
ownership of the collective land exclusively to men. While the states are party to international
agreements, they have not made sufficient efforts to enforce the rights that indigenous women have to
land and territory, resulting in historical discrimination which has persisted for over five hundred
years.
Given that our lands boast great natural and cultural biodiversity, the global debate on climate
change has placed our sovereignty of these territories and our resources at the center of the discussion.
Nevertheless, the subdivision and fragmentation of our collective lands due to politics and economic
interests eradicates our indigenous communities and people.
With regard to policies on climate change, the states declare that indigenous peoples and
communities are important, yet in practice they still do not recognize the significance of the specific
role that we as women play in protecting and preserving the lands and forests, as well as the ancestral
wisdom that we possess which allows us to develop sustainable practices with Mother Nature. It is
worrying to see that in discussions between states and international entities, taking place in the forums
for public participation and decision-making on public policies, land management and natural
resources, there is an absence of critical and purposeful participation of indigenous women and
people.
Climate change requires a new political and economic order, the transformation of the
economy, and the abandonment of dependency on hydrocarbons and other extractive industries. As
many scientific studies have shown, indigenous people and their communities have a close and special
relationship with Mother Earth, particularly with forests. If the industrialized countries and our
governments wish to use the forests in the fight against climate change, it is unavoidable for
indigenous peoples and communities, particularly the women, to be an integral part of the talks on
agreements, laws and financial mechanisms.
At the International Indigenous Womens Workshop-Forum, Land and Climate Change:
Challenges and Opportunities towards COP20 which took place on the 15-16th July in Lima, Peru, we
brought together more than 60 women from different countries and continents (Guatemala, Costa
Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, The Philippines, Liberia, Cameroon,
Senegal and India) to discuss and develop recommendations on three topics: a) The collective rights
of women to land and territory; b) the vision of indigenous women and communities for public
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policies on the integral management of natural resources and forest resources; and c) effective
participation of indigenous women and communities in decision-making on climate change policy at
both national and international levels.
The outcome of our reflection and group discussion was the agreement upon the following
recommendations to the states, for the integral and effective exercise of our rights:
Ensuring compliance and effective application of international standards and laws that protect the collective rights of the indigenous people and women, our right to self-determination and
free, prior and informed consent.
Prioritizing land tenure and collective land titling so as to guarantee equal participation of women, strengthening the cultural and spiritual diversity and nature found in the lands of
indigenous or native peoples.
Promoting incorporation of the vision of indigenous women into the design, management, implementation and evaluation of policies, plans and programs that apply to our lands, people
and communities, through a gender-sensitive approach.
Revising and updating legal frameworks to guarantee active and effective participation of indigenous women in all stages and at all levels of decision-making, management and
representation, under equal conditions and securing the necessary financial and human
resources to do so.
Creating appropriate mechanisms to develop and strengthen our abilities as indigenous women and our organizations, as well as ensuring equal participation in the different aspects
of decision-making.
Promoting integral management of our territories and natural materials through the incorporation and acknowledgment of our ancestral wisdom and the worldview of indigenous
people and communities, in particular women, who, in our culture, have been primarily
responsible over the years for passing on all of their ancestral knowledge to future
generations.
Reviewing, managing and regulating the extractive process and industrial contaminants, emitters of greenhouse gases.
Promoting Good Living and sustainable economic activities in relation to the environment. Respecting and recognizing our peoples vision and worldview and the self-determination of
our lands, which have been built over thousands of years, through participation in public
policies on natural assets and forests.
Ensuring the participation of women in public policies, strategies, plans and adaption and mitigation projects at every level of operation.
Demanding that the states prioritize Community-based Adaption on the indigenous peoples land with the active participation of women, in order to ensure conservation and recovery of
ecosystems and biodiversity.
In policies and strategies on climate change, emphasizing water, agriculture and food as basic features for health and sustainable human development.
Governments must guarantee participation of peoples and communities, with gender equality incorporated into the design and application of the legal and financial mechanisms of the
policies on climate change. These policies must take into account the historic debt
governments have with the people and communities; the design of the mechanisms should
respect traditional worldviews and cultures.
We request that the Peruvian government in particular incorporate the participation of indigenous women into national and regional round-table discussions on forest policy; as well
as including indigenous leaders in the official delegations of the state, with autonomy and
proposal ability for representation in United Nations system international forums, conferences
and meetings and those of other organizations that ensure compliance of human rights and the
rights of the people.
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We demand the repeal of Law 30230, which creates a bad precedent of policy incoherence, ahead of the COP20 in Peru in its violation of national and international regulations that
protect the lives, environment and rights of indigenous people.
Respect the collective rights of indigenous women!
Self-determination of our land in harmony with Mother Earth!
We demand the right to participate in decision-making regarding the future of our
peoples in the face of climate change!
Lima - Peru, July 16th2014
We support the above:
Organizacin Nacional de Mujeres Indgenas Andinas y Amaznicas del Per/ National
Organization of Indigenous Andean and Amazonian Women of Peru - ONAMIAP (Peru)
Asociacin Intertnica del Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana/Interethnic Development
Association of the Peruvian Rainforest AIDESEP (Peru)
Iniciativa para los Derechos y Recursos/Rights and Resources Initiative RRI
Indigenous Asia Womens Network - Fundacin Tebtebba (Phillipines)
Foundation for Community Initiatives FCI (Liberia)
Rseau des Femmes Africaines pour la Gestion Communautaire des forts/African Women
Network for Community Management of Forests REFACOF (Cameroon)
Asociacin de Forestera Comunitaria de Guatemala/Community-based Forestry Association
of Guatemala - Utz Che (Guatemala)
Asociacin de Comunidades Forestales de Petn/Association of Forest Communities of Petn
ACOFOP (Guatemala)
Alianza de Mujeres Indgenas de Mxico y Centroamrica/Alliance of Indigenous Women of
Central America and Mexico (Guatemala)
Centro para la Autonoma y Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indgenas/Centre for Autonomy and
Development of Indigenous Peoples CADPI (Nicaragua)
Unin Nacional de Mujeres Kunas/National Union of Kuna Women NISBUNDOR
(Panama)
Alianza Mesoamrica de Pueblos y Bosques/Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests
AMPB (Costa Rica)
Red Indgena Bribri y Cabecar de Costa Rica/Bribri and Cabecar Indigenous Network of
Costa Rica RIBCA (Costa Rica)
Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indgenas/Andean Coordinating Committee of
Indigenous Organizations CAOI
Coordinadora de las Organizaciones Indgenas de la Cuenca Amaznica/Coordinator of
Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin COICA
Instituto para el Hombre, La Agricultura y Ecologa/Institute for Man, Agriculture and
Ecology IPHAE (Bolivia)
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Confederacin de Pueblos Indgenas de Bolivia/Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of
Bolivia CIDOB (Bolivia)
Confederacin Nacional de Mujeres Indgenas de Bolivia/National Confederation of
Indigenous Women of Bolivia CNAMIB (Bolivia)
Proceso de Comunidades Negras/Process of Black Communities PCN (Colombia)
Consejo Comunitario Mayor de la Asociacin Campesina Integral de Atrato/Community
Council of the Integrated Farmers Association of the Atrato COCOMACIA (Colombia)
Asociacin Tandachiridu Inganokuna/Tandachiridu Inganokuna Association (Colombia)
International Center for Tropical Agriculture CIAT (Colombia)
Organizacin de Pueblos Indgenas de la Amazona Colombiana/Organization of Indigenous
Peoples of the Colombian Amazon - OPIAC (Colombia)
Confederacin Kichwa del Ecuador/Kichwa Confederation of Ecuador ECUARUNARI
(Ecuador)
Confederacin de Nacionalidades Indgenas de la Amazona Ecuatoriana/Confederation of
Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon CONFENAIE (Ecuador)
Pacto de Unidad de Organizaciones Nacionales Indgenas del Per/Pact of Unity of National
Indegenous Organizations in Peru
Unin de Comunidades Aymaras/Aymara Communities Union UNCA (Peru)
Confederacin Nacional Agraria/National Agricultural Federation CNA (Peru)
Confederacin Campesina del Per/Rural Confederation of Peru CCP (Per)
Federacin Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas, Artesanas, Indgenas, Nativas y Asalariadas
del Per/ National Federation of Rural, Artisan, Native and Working Women of Peru
FENMUCARINAP (Peru)
Central nica Nacional de Rondas Campesinas del Per/ Central Organization of Rural Self-
Defense Groups of Peru CUNARC (Peru)
Red de Comunicadores y Comunicadoras por la educacin y defensa ambiental/Network of
Communicators for Education and Environmental Defense RECOEDA (Ancash)
Federacin Regional de Mujeres Indgenas de Ayacucho/Regional Federation of Indigenous
Women of Ayacucho FEREMIA/FEDECMA (Ayacucho)
Federacin Provincial de Mujeres del Valle de los Ros Apurmac, Ene y Mantaro/Provincial
Federation of Women from the Apurmac, Ene and Mantaro River Valley- FECMA VRAEM
(Ayacucho)
Red de Jvenes Quechuas oqanchik/Network of Young Quechua oqanchik People
(Ayacucho)
Federacin de Rondas Campesinas Femeninas del Norte del Per/Federation of Female
Rural Self-Defense Groups of the North of Peru FEROCAFENOP (Cajamarca)
Federacin de Mujeres Campesinas de Anta/Federation of Rural Women of Anta FEMCA
(Cusco)
Federacin Departamental de Comunidades Campesinas de Huancavelica/Departmental
Federation of Rural Communities of Huancavelica FEDECH (Huancavelica)
Central de Comunidades Nativas de la Selva Central/Central Organization of Native
Communities of the Selva Central Region CECONSEC (Junn)
Comunidad Campesina Originaria San Juan de Caaris/Indigenous Rural Community of San
Juan de Caaris (Lambayeque)
Federacin de Mujeres Shawis de Alto Amazonas/Federation of Shawis Women of the Upper
Amazon - FEDEMUSHAAL (Loreto)
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Organizacin de Comunidades Indgenas de Mujeres Shiwilu/Organization of Indigenous
Communities of Shiwilu Women OCIDMUSHI (Loreto)
Asociacin de Mujeres de Melgar/Association of Women of Melgar AMUAME (Puno)
Organizacin Regional de Mujeres Indgenas de la Regin Ucayali/Regional Organization of
Indigenous Women of the Ucayali Region - ORDEMI (Ucayali)
Federacin de Mujeres de los Pueblos Amaznicos de la Provincia de Atalaya/Federation of
Women of the Amazonian Peoples of the Province of Atalaya FEMUPA (Ucayali)
Federacin de Pueblos Indgenas Kechwas de la Regin San Martn/Federation of Indigenous
Kechwa Peoples of the San Martn Region - FEPIKRESAM (San Martn)
Organizacin regional de Aidesep Ucayali/Regional Organization of the Aidesep Ucayali
ORAU (Ucayali)
La Federacin de Pueblos Indgenas kechwas de la Regin San Martn Asociacin Regional
de Pueblos Indgenas de Selva Central/ Federation of Indigenous Kechwa Peoples of the San
Martn Region Regional Association of Indigenous People of the Selva Central Region
ARPI (Junn)
Central Ashninka del Ro Ene/Central Organization of Ashninka People of the Ene River
CARE (Junn)
Federacin Nativa del Ro Madre de Dios y Afluentes/Indigenous Federation of the Madre de
Dios River and its Tributaries FENAMAD (Madre de Dios)
Pueblo indgena Jaqaru de las comunidades de Aiza, Colque y Tupe/Indigenous Jaqaru
Communities of the Aiza, Colque and Tupe Districts (Lima)