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June 03, 2005
Introducing Fundacion Pachamama
Work has been good and so far really interesting. I’m interning at Fundación Pachamama, an NGO that is the Ecuadorian counterpart to The Pachamama Alliance, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, CA. It’s located in the center of the modern part of Quito, right next to the Olympic Futbol Stadium (which is chaotic right now because Ecuador is playing Argentina there tomorrow afternoon!).
On my first day, Christina Santacruz, the 2nd in command, gave me and overview of the organization and the organizations with which Pachamama works. The mission of Pachamama is as follows:
Fundación Pachamama is committed to the indigenous Amazonian peoples in their processes of self-determination, with an emphasis on the defense of their territories and their ways of life. (“The Institutional Policies of Fundación Pachamama, January 2005).
Pachamama primarily works with FINAE, formed in 1993 as the indigenous political and cultural organization of the Achuar nation, but also works with Shuar nation groups called FIPSE and FICSH. These three groups came together in 1996 to form the Comité Interferderacional (Inter-federation Commmittee) through an understanding of shared goals of fighting to protect their territories. They also realized that a broader base would give them greater political support and leverage in regional and national politics (however, they are certainly not a political party). Pachamama also works with the Sarayaku, who are Kichwas of the Pastaza province and with ONZAE, the organization representing the Zapara nation.
Pachamama primarily operates under three programs, and coordinates with a variety of other NGOs like HIVOS (Netherlands), IBIS (Denmark), CDES (Center for Economic and Social Rights in Ecuador), Centro Lianas (Ecuador), Rainforest Foundation (DC), Amazon Watch (San Francisco), SNV (Netherlands), and many others. They are also part of the Amazon Alliance, based in DC, with many of these organizations. The first program is institutional strengthening of the indigenous organizations, by which Pachamama helps provide money for regional offices of these organizations in Puyo, the closest city to these indigenous communities. They also provide technical assistance for organizational needs. Furthermore, they provide funds for travel for various indigenous leaders of these organizations to and from Quito and abroad. Aiding the advancement of indigenous education is an additional component to this program.
Pachamama’s second program involves land titling and the collective rights of these indigenous communities, especially over the self-management of their lands. Pachamama bases its struggle in the Ecuadorian constitution which upholds the collective rights of indigenous nations over the management of their territories. Pachamama aids indigenous organizations in gaining official land titling so that these rights will be protected.
Pachamama´s third program involves promoting sustainable alternatives in these indigenous communities. Most of these communities are only approachable by foot or by plane, and each community has a small dirt landing strip nearby. Pachamama has helped FINAE set up Aerotsentak, an Achuar-run aerial service which allows them to control the flow of people and goods to their lands. It gives them funds for their survival and to aid them in their struggles to protect their lands and obtain services like good educational resources and medical supplies that they have often been lacking (although these goods and services have been promised by the government). Pachamama also runs an ecotourism lodge called Kapawi, which is a fairly sustainable project and brings in a small amount of tourists every year. Currently, the Achuar make up 80% or more of the staff, and Pachamama is working towards a full transference of ownership to FINAE by 2011. With this grand change, these communities will thus have full control over the project and receive 100% of the profits. Finally, Pachamama is working on a theoretical level to promote dialogue about sustainable alternatives to petroleum. Calling it Project Green, Pachamama hopes to support the indigenous communities in discovering economically sustainable alternatives to petroleum. Though not yet affected by petroleum extraction, these indigenous nations are continuously pressured by the Ecuadorian government and by multinational corporations to open up their lands to drilling. FINAE and the Sarayaku are especially opposed to exploration and extraction, and Pachamama supports them financially and through the dialogue of Project Green to protect their lands.
My first task was to translate Pachamama’s recently re-written institutional policies into English (I translated the above quotation of Pachamama’s mission!). While theoretical, I think I did a pretty good job and my superiors seemed to be impressed that I did it so quickly. Apparently, the speed at which business is conducted in Ecuador is much slower, especially at NGOs. I have noticed this in my first week here, although one observation denying this observation is the sheer number of people who come in and out and hold meetings in our office. I have already met the president of CONFENIAE the larger indigenous political and cultural organization representing all of the indigenous nations of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the president of UNIDAE, the only indigenous university in the entire Amazon basin, the president of FINAE, and the deputy of education for FINAE. While at times slow, Pachamama is a pretty exciting place to work. Indeed, Pachamama seems to be a very highly regarded NGO for its effectiveness in executing its goals and policies and aiding its partnered organizations.
You can read my translation of Pachamama´s institutional policies here.Download file
Posted by Lee Gilman at June 3, 2005 12:05 PM
