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

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.

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)

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)

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)