Empowering Winners, Inspiring Communities: The Impact of the Indigenous Innovative Solutions Photo Contest
Join us in meeting Kevin Ochieng Onyango, a participant in the latest edition of our Indigenous Innovative Solutions photo contest. This is the first in a series of profiles highlighting the winners and exploring their journeys and achievements beyond the contest. Get inspired by their remarkable work and discover the impact they continue to make.
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Kevin Ochieng Onyango, a talented 25-year-old photographer and climate activist, stood out as one of the winners in our “Indigenous Innovative Solutions” photography contest 2022. Specifically recognized in the “Innovation and Climate Change” category, Kevin’s inspiring journey originates from Siaya County, Kenya. He belongs to the Luo Indigenous People, whose ancestral land is intricately intertwined with “Nam Lolwe,” also known as Victoria Lake. In Kevin’s own words, “Nam Lolwe” signifies “something that seems to have no end” in the Luo language. Nam Lolwe forms part of the Indigenous Cultural Landscape of the Luo, serving as a vital resource and a social hub for the local fishing community. “Some of the traditions and some of the beliefs and superstitions are based on the stories from the lake,” says Kevin.
Photography to Inspire Indigenous Innovative Solutions
Kevin’s passion lies in using photojournalism and media tools as a means of social advocacy, shining a spotlight on the issues affecting his community and the environment at large. With a primary focus on climate change, his work aims to educate and raise awareness about the devastating effects it has on Mother Nature. “This can be done in the form of screenings, in the form of exhibitions to my community. This has turned out to be very helpful, because they have come up with some innovative solutions that have been implemented. For example, the regenerative agriculture approach.” Kevin firmly believes in the transformative power of photography, capable of sparking crucial conversations and driving the implementation of policies to safeguard his community’s land from degradation and the vulnerabilities associated with climate change.
Indigenous Cultural Landscape
Deeply rooted in his community, Kevin’s artwork reflects the profound connection that the Luo People share with their Indigenous Cultural Landscape. “Nam Lolwe,” the lake where his ancestors have lived and transmitted knowledge through generations, serves as a source of inspiration and identity. Through his lens, Kevin captures the essence of this ancestral bond and the resilience of his community in the face of environmental challenges.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Kevin is driven by a desire to inspire young Indigenous individuals to use photography as a powerful tool for raising awareness about environmental and social issues. “My dream is to create a network of young photojournalists and storytellers who are advocates and activists of the climate through training them on photo reporting and journalism skills. This will give the younger generation the most important tool which is having a voice for the environment and hence raise a responsible generation,” says Kevin.
“The Last Breath”: A winning photo of the Indigenous Innovative Solutions photo contest
Kevin used a powerful name for the masterpiece that made him a winner. This poignant photograph encapsulates the urgency to address climate change and its impact on Indigenous communities. Admire the winning photo and other compelling images that showcase the captivating world of the Luo community below and see more of Kevin’s work here.
Stay tuned to our social media channels to discover the profiles of the remaining winners, as we continue to highlight the transformative power of Indigenous photography.
Scaling up Indigenous solutions to the climate change crisis
The Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Mesoamerican Climate Week 2023 will convene multi-sector actors to discuss and optimize climate change actions for the protection of our forests, people, and future.
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Climate change is a pressing global issue that demands immediate attention. To shed light on the Indigenous perspective and present Indigenous-led actions to tackle this crisis, leaders from Mesoamerica and around the world will converge in Panama City, Panama, from June 13-16, 2023, for the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Mesoamerican Climate Week 2023. This event will serve as a platform for profound discussions on safeguarding our forests and securing the survival of our communities.
This forum, organized by the Mesoamerican Alliance for Peoples and Forests (AMPB) and supported by the FSC Indigenous Foundation through the Indigenous Peoples Alliance for the Rights and Development (IPARD), is a space designed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities to present their territorial experiences and explore, together with strategic allies, the valuable opportunities for direct territorial investment that will allow the scaling up of ancestral solutions to the climate crisis with a territorial perspective.
United against climate change
There is no single actor that can be successful in fighting climate change. We need collaboration among Indigenous Peoples, civil society, the private sector, and government to reduce climate risk by building on Indigenous-nature-based solutions.
Indigenous Peoples and local communities of the region are experiencing first-hand the impacts of climate change and have developed innovative strategies to adapt to adversity. These communities influence approximately 50 million hectares of forests that host 8% of the world’s biodiversity and store 47% of the region’s forest carbon stocks.
During this week, representatives from Indigenous and local communities will share their experiences of resilience, struggle, and adaptation in the face of increasingly extreme conditions.
This hybrid event will be attended by governments of the region, regional alliances, international cooperation, and philanthropic donors and will be organized by thematic days listed below.
A holistic approach to addressing climate change
At the FSC Indigenous Foundation, we know that Indigenous Peoples are inextricably linked to their lands and natural resources. For this reason, our Global Strategy focuses on Indigenous Cultural Landscaliving landscapes that hold immense value for Indigenous Peoples, who have maintained enduring pes, or relationships with the land, water, flora, fauna, and spirit. This approach recognizes and acknowledges the cultural and traditional way Indigenous Peoples manage their territories on the ground and incorporates a holistic territorial perspective into all our areas of work.
We are supporting Climate Week through our Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program and as part of our collective efforts to strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ organizations at the regional level to achieve self-development, self-governance, and self-reliance. We are working to empower a new generation of Indigenous leaders to combat the challenges of climate change and determine a different course of action for the future of the planet. This week will be an incredible opportunity to advance these goals and connect Indigenous and local communities with the resources they need to scale up their ancestral solutions that have been safeguarding our planet for millennia.
Join us to support ancestral Indigenous and community-based climate solutions for a sustainable future.
Download the full agenda of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Mesoamerican Climate Week 2023 here and find more information on AMPB’s website.
The venue for the week is the Hotel El Panama in Panama City, Panama. Virtual connection and livestreaming of the sessions will be available in English and Spanish here.
The General Council of the Comarca Naso Tjër Di of Panama validates the draft of its Organic Charter
After eight months of work, the Naso Comarca has created an Organic Charter that reflects its cultural values and the protection of Mother Earth.
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The cultural values of the Naso people of Panama are embodied in their Organic Charter. The Charter contains the methods that the Naso people use to preserve the cultural and biological biodiversity of their territory, methods to elect or dismiss their authorities and representatives, divide their lands by family and communities, and how they administer justice related to land and the development of the community economy.
The process to draft the Organic Charter of the Naso Tjër Di Comarca began when the Naso General Council approved the project to Strengthen the Indigenous Agenda of Panama (FAIP) in August 2022. Since then, three training workshops to draft and reach a consensus on the Organic Charter. The first workshop was held in October 2022 in the community of Sieyik, the capital of the comarca, a second workshop was held in the community of Drudi in February 2023, and a third in the community of Bonyik in May 2023.
In each of these workshops over 50 traditional authorities such as the Pjoshwega (traditional justice administrators) and Dboriaga (community representatives before the King) participated and explained to the technical commission of the comarca how the final document should be written.
Second Training Workshop, collection and consensus of information to elaborate the Organic Charter of the Naso Tjër Di Comarca, Drudi community.
METHODOLOGY
The elaboration of a Charter is an open, participatory, and extensive process where authorities and community members must express their experiences, opinions, and suggestions so that The Charter reflects a democratic representation of the principles and ideals of the people who create it.
For this purpose, the Naso King, Reynaldo Santana, summoned the technical commission of the Organic Charter, the Naso General Council, and representatives of the 16 communities of the comarca to the workshops to draft the Organic Charter. The representatives agreed upon the organization chart, the administrative and political body of the territory, and designated functions to each organizational group.
The Naso palace, home of King Renaldo Santana, where his royal throne is located. Sieyik community.
Although the Organic Charter had not been written until now, its procedures, methods, and structures have been in place for centuries through the way the Naso people live in harmony with their land.
ADMINISTRATION OF TRADITIONAL JUSTICE
The technician of the Organic Charter Commission, Adolfo Villagra, clarified that, although there should be a close relationship between local authorities, the No Daga (community police) must comply with the requests of the Pjoshwega, meaning the No Daga is subordinate to the Pjoshwega and they do not have the same powers to administer justice.
Currently, even though Panamanian law recognizes the right of Indigenous traditional authorities to apply justice, the Naso people still use Western justice to resolve community cases, which takes power away from the Pjoshwega and gives those responsibilities to the State.
Technician Adolfo Villagra addresses the audience during the second workshop in the community of Drudi.
CREATION OF COUNCILS FOR WOMEN, YOUTH AND ELDERS
The Organic Charter also opened new political spaces for women, youth, and the elderly, such as the Women’s Council, the Youth Council, and the Council of Elders. These institutions proposed by the community and the authorities will ensure the representation of these populations in the General Council, which is the comarca’s body for consultation, consensus, coordination, and administration.
Some of the women who supported the creation of the Women’s Council belong to the United Women’s Organization of Bonyik (OMUB), including Rosibel Quintero, entrepreneur of the Posada Media Luna, and teachers Yeraldin Villagra and Gerardina Hooker.
(From left to right) Leaders Rosibel Quintero, Yeraldin Villagra, Omayra Casamá, president of AMARIE, and Gerardina Hooker during the validation of the draft Organic Charter of the Naso Tjër Di Comarca in the community of Bonyik.
PROTECTION OF THE GODDESS TJËR
From the beginning, King Reynaldo Santana has always defended the conservation efforts of the Naso Tjër Di Comarca. The Organic Charter establishes various mechanisms and projects to protect the environment, such as recycling projects, reforestation, and the creation of nurseries, herbariums, and sanctuaries for different native species.
In addition, he says the Charter also creates a “double shield” of protection for the goddess Tjër, sovereign of the Naso territory who gives her name to the region, because the Naso people are the true guardians of nature.
For the Naso people, the river is a goddess called Tjër, which also gives the name to the comarca.
One mechanism that strengthens the Organic Charter is the right to consultation and free, prior and informed consent of the Naso people before projects that national or international institutions wish to execute within the comarca. This returns decision-making power back to the traditional authorities.
APPROVAL OF A DRAFT CHARTER
The approval of the draft Charter of the Comarca Naso Tjër Di by the General Council was celebrated in the community of Bonyik on May 2, 2023, in the presence of the King, the technical commission of the Charter, the Pjoshwega and Dboriaga and special guests such as the presidential advisor Andrés Wong and the advisor of the Vice-Ministry of Indigenous Affairs Emir Miranda.
King Reynaldo Santana addresses the public at the closing of the act of validation of the draft of the Organic Charter.
During the last eight months, the authorities, technical commission and residents of different communities worked on 180 articles of the Organic Charter.
According to the president of the General Council, Ignacio Bonilla, the effort to generate the Organic Charter has gone through several setbacks related to the economic capacity of the region to support visitors and supply their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, in addition to convincing its population of the historical importance of the project.
Ignacio Bonilla, president of the General Council of the Comarca Naso Tjër Di, gives instructions on how the methodology for the validation of the draft Organic Charter will be developed.
Partners were also invited to the validation ceremony including the director of the FSC Indigenous Foundation, Francisco Souza, the coordinator of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB), Levi Sucre, the president of the Mesoamerican Coordinating Committee of Women Territorial Leaders (CMLT), Sara Omi, and the president of the Association of Emberá Women Artisans (AMARIE), Omayra Casamá.
On the value of this process, Francisco Souza of the FSC Indigenous Foundation commented, “Recognizing governance is a recognition of the ancestry of the Naso people. Our commitment to share is to start with the Organic Charter as a first step, the second step is the development of Naso culture and self-determination.”
Francisco Souza, director of the FSC Indigenous Foundation addresses the General Council of the Comarca Naso Tjër Di, to his left are Levi Sucre, Coordinator of AMPB, Omayra Casamá, President of AMARIE, King Reynaldo Santana and second King Ardinteo Santana.
Omayra Casamá, President of AMARIE shared, “The Organic Charter is a guide, it is a method of legality, of security, of telling the government that we Indigenous Peoples are organized, we just had to write it down.”
Omayra Casamá, President of AMARIE, addresses the General Council.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
In addition to the Naso Tjër Di Comarca, FAIP covers three additional Indigenous territories and aims to strengthen their political structures by drafting and publication of their organic charters or internal regulations.
The Kuna Comarca of Madungandi drafted the Internal Regulations of the General Congress and in this process, spaces were created for women and youth to share their opinions on the decisions made by the General Congress, which is mostly composed of men.
The drafting of the Internal Regulations of the Tuira Region of the Emberá and Wounaan Collective Lands of Darién has demonstrated, among other things, that there is another Indigenous People in Panama, the Eyabida people who migrated from Colombia due to the armed conflict between guerrillas and drug trafficking. This process also proved that coordination between transboundary communities is possible and necessary for democratic territorial governance.
As for the Organic Charter of the National Congress of the Wounaan People, the only political structure that uses the term “nation” and therefore encompasses all Wounaan communities in the Panamanian territory and the only one led by a woman, Cacica Aulina Ismare Opua, has demonstrated the importance of women participating in these political processes.
FAIP is funded by USAID and FSC, implemented by FSC Indigenous Foundation and framed within the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) program, executed in coordination with AMPB, CMLT and AMARIE.
Ixtlán de Juárez Community: Guardians of Forests’ Biological Diversity
Discover the ancestral practices of the Ixtlán de Juárez community to manage their forests and protect their biological diversity.
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The community of Ixtlán de Juárez in Oaxaca, Mexico, is an international reference for the conservation, management, and sustainable use of its forests. Through long-term community management, they have obtained possession and autonomy over these Indigenous Cultural Landscapes, which safeguard a tremendous biological diversity of ecosystems and a wide variety of climates.
In this area, mountain cloud forests, oak forests, mixed pine-oak forests, and evergreen highland rainforests predominate, hosting various species of endangered flora and fauna.
Preservation of Biological Diversity: A Struggle for Sovereignty
Before delving into the dynamics of “tequios,” it is important to remember that the biological diversity preservation of these forests has been a long struggle to reclaim the rights of the Ixtlán de Juárez Indigenous People to manage their territory. In the 1940s, the Mexican government granted concessions of these forests to private individuals for exploitation. The community of Ixtlán had to resist the fact of working as laborers on their own land while maintaining a constant struggle to regain control of it.
After four decades, the community regained autonomy over the territory, initiating a utilization process that now demonstrates excellent results.
The impact of private companies’ intervention was analyzed in the community assembly, where important decisions were made. For example, the existing road network, previously used for exploitation, was used to enhance forest and aquifer maintenance activities. Techniques for identifying the best seeds, collecting and producing seedlings for reforestation, as well as traditional techniques for pest and fire control—considered major destructive agents of forests—were also defined.
Although it is not possible to completely eliminate the impact on natural resources during the utilization stage, various techniques with reduced impact are implemented. These include directional felling, segregation of vegetation near watercourses, noise reduction, the construction of low-impact roads, and respect for species refuges.
Ecotourism: Another Economic and Biological Diversity Preservation Alternative
Similar to forest usage, the community of Ixtlán has recognized ecotourism as an activity with potential for development, economic and social benefits, and as a means of preserving ecosystems. Therefore, in 1994, the community enterprise ECOTURIXTLÁN was established, offering nature tourism activities.
One of its main attractions is the development of exclusive areas for birdwatching, orchid gardens, trails, and natural sanctuaries that allow tourists to visit while preserving flora and fauna species.
In conclusion, the community of Ixtlán de Juárez has proven to be a prominent example in the preservation and sustainable use of their forests, as well as the protection of biological diversity. Through their community management and internal organization governed by a set of regulations called “estatuto comunal” and the system of “tequios,” they have implemented ancestral practices that ensure the sustainability of natural resources and their economic usage within a sustainable environment.
Alina Livet Santiago Jiménez is a member of the Zapotec community of Ixtlán de Juárez, and vice president of the Permanent Committee of Indigenous Peoples of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). She is also an international individual member of the Southern Social Chamber of the FSC and serves as an administrative advisor to the community of Ixtlán de Juárez, responsible for managing resources with Mexican government agencies for communal enterprises and the Board of Communal Assets. Alina holds a degree in Business Administration and specializes in International Trade.
