About the Program
The Program was implemented in Ecuador and Peru between March 2018 and June 2020, by Hivos (general coordination), the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and the Ecuadorian Andean University Simón Bolívar (UASB), from the financial contribution of the Swedish Lottery (Swedish Postcode Foundation). The Program was executed within the framework of the All Eyes on the Amazon (AEA) program with the goal of “strengthening the leadership capacities of young Amazonian Indigenous peoples, men and women,”.
Components of the Program
- Certificate on Climate Change and Sustainability (blended modality), offered by the UASB: Training program with a duration of 12 months, organized under a postgraduate academic structure, with a focus on “popular education” and through a virtual and face-to-face modality. The training modules included subjects of Development, Equality and Sustainability; GIS (Geographic Information System) and Chartology; Biodiversity; Climate Change; Oil; Rights of Indigenous peoples; and Negotiation.
- Face-to-face training workshops, offered by COICA: Activities carried out in the field aimed at practically applying the theory received during the Certificate such as cartography and GIS, the development of participatory community maps, among others.
- Social learning through regional and national exchanges, coordinated and led by HIVOS: Participatory capacity building workshops with young people through face-to-face exchanges, participation in international events and virtual meetings. internacionales y encuentros virtuales.
This Program was aimed at 44 young people from the Indigenous communities of the Amazon region of Ecuador and Peru, between 18 and 30 years-old. To ensure the integration of this program with All Eyes on the Amazon, the participation of young people from Indigenous communities who would simultaneously benefit from this program in Ecuador and Peru was considered. Gender equity was also prioritized and it was ensured that at least 50% of the total participating students were young female leaders.
Below, some of the lessons learned during the program (available in Spanish):
The program impacted:
44 young Indigenous people from Ecuador and Peru
24 Indigenous nationalities and organizations
54,5% female participants
26,5 average age