South Amazon Indigenous delegation visits Roraima to Learn Best Practices

From the 23 - 25 October 2018, twenty-one indigenous people from the South of Amazonas state visited the Roraima Indigenous Council (CIR) to learn more about the organization’s activities and management. The Brazilian Education Institute (IEB) coordinated the exchange as part of the Partnership for the Conservation of Amazon Biodiversity (PCAB) Our Land Project.

The indigenous groups chose to visit CIR because of its mission to promote local cooperation through dialog and agreement with communities. The groups shared their experiences with institutional management, community empowerment, and environmental and territorial management during the visit. The representatives visited CIR headquarters in Boa Vista in the center of the Caracaranã Lake region, located in the Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous territory.

“The close and autonomous working relationship that CIR built with the local communities really stood out to the participants as a best practice”, highlighted Sara Gaia, IEB’s Indigenous People Program advisor.

CIR has for a number of years invested in efficient territorial and environmental management of indigenous territories through the Indigenous Agents for Land and Environment (ATAI). Currently, there are 240 agents across Roraima state, and indigenous associations in southern Amazonas are also applying this format.

Nilcelio Diahui, executive coordinator of the Alto Madeira Indigenous People’s Organization (OPIAM), explained that he chose to participate in the exchange to better understand implementation of Land and Environment Management Plans (PGTAS) in Raposa Serra do Sol. He also was interested in learning about the organizational model used to implement the management plans.

“We learned about a number of best practices, such as how CIR implements indigenous community management planning with input from women, youth and territorial agents,” explained Nicelio.