Weaving Life

Indigenous women’s organizations of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, Guatemala gathered to share knowledge, experiences, and strategies, and dialogue with stakeholders.

FSC-IF

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala – The FSC Indigenous Foundation, in collaboration with Hivos and the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB), through the Coordinating Committee of Women Territorial Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT), organized a National Meeting of Indigenous Women’s Organizations of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, Guatemala. This significant event, part of the Indigenous Women’s Economic Empowerment (I-WEE) Initiative, took place on August 8 and 9, to strengthen the empowerment and advocacy of Indigenous women.

The event brought together more than 100 delegates from over 30 Indigenous women’s organizations participating in the I-WEE initiative and key stakeholders from international cooperation and private and public sectors. It served as a platform to explore new solutions and strategies for Indigenous women to be at the center of economic and political actions.

Participants shared knowledge, experiences, and strategies on three crucial topics:

Indigenous women’s political participation and advocacy
Addressing violence against Indigenous women
Economic empowerment of Indigenous women

The Mayan cosmovision was the foundation of the event, opening each day with an offering of gratitude and closing with a spiritual moment. Participants sat in a circle around an altar in the center with offerings of candles symbolizing the four cardinal points, as well as the Heart of Heaven, the Heart of the Earth, and flowers. The slogan for the event was “Weaving Life.”

Day 1: Empowerment and recognition among Indigenous women

During the first day, delegates of Indigenous women’s organizations connected, shared wisdom, and discussed their experiences on the three key topics.

In the first word circle, “Indigenous women and their participation in politics, in decision-making spaces and the challenges and opportunities encountered,” Indigenous women emphasized the importance of being recognized as active subjects in politics and decision-making. They shared challenges such as violence, machismo, competition between women, and discrimination, for example for wearing their traditional clothing. They proposed solutions for increasing the visibility of Indigenous women, starting in the family, all the way to participation in politics. Media and communications can be a tool for change. Another solution proposed was the need for workshops for men to understand how to treat and work with women. One conclusion was clear – the need for regulations promoting parity and alternation, not just in the political sphere.

Those who did not have the opportunity to speak added their ideas with post-it notes to the wall, and this information was collected and incorporated into the dialogues the following day with stakeholders.

The next word circle, “Advocacy actions that can be implemented by communities to reduce violence against Indigenous women,” featured two life stories of Indigenous women survivors of violence who have managed to leave abusive relationships. They have taken on leadership roles in their communities, helping others to overcome violence.

Solutions were proposed at all levels, including the need for justice; training for women on rights and for the staff of institutions that guarantee women’s rights on how to provide dignified, respectful, accessible, and culturally relevant care; and the importance of self-love.

“I feel fortunate to be a Mayan woman,” said one participant.

Participants also discussed the importance of healing processes and ceremonies, and Nan Graciela Velasquez Chuc led a healing process with plants.

The final word circle of the day, “What is being done for the economic development and entrepreneurship of Indigenous women” included interventions from women involved in various economic projects, from textiles to chocolate and tomatoes. In the absence of political participation due to racism, economic development was noted as a key channel for Indigenous women’s empowerment.

Women shared their stories to create businesses, highlighting key challenges such as water scarcity, harvest loss, sanitary licenses, organizational strengthening, production equipment, and the need for increased technical knowledge. Indigenous women’s organizations have been overcoming these challenges through knowledge exchanges, healing from the Mayan cosmovision, and articulating exactly what they wanted to achieve. One participant noted that this is the definition of empowerment – knowing what you want and seeing the path to achieve it.

As a closing of this word circle, Patricia Chuc led a self-care and wellness activity that incorporated breathing, motion, and water.

The day concluded with a cultural evening with a performance by the Maya Kaqchikel group Sotz’il Jay and a reading by Mayan poet Negma Coy. It invited a reflection on how art can be healing and a uniting force.

Day 2: Collaborative dialogues with key actors

On the second day, key actors from communities, Indigenous Peoples’ authorities, local and national governments, UN agencies, implementing partners, multilateral organizations, businesses, and civil society joined the event for inclusive dialogues. The contributions and insights from Indigenous women gathered the previous day were organized into prioritized topics. These were then shared during the dialogues to ensure the creation of impactful actions and strategies that consider the identity and culture of Indigenous women.

The first dialogue “Actions to promote the political participation of Indigenous women” highlighted the importance of Indigenous women’s own mobilization and advocacy. Participants also noted the need for transparent information on resources directed to them, and for projects and programs that respond to Indigenous women’s realities, priorities, and leadership.

Indigenous women’s power and valuable contributions were highlighted, especially in the promotion of peace. Women have different ways of seeing and making decisions, and this complementarity is needed at all levels. One Indigenous woman participant noted the “wealth of the struggles we have in common.”

At the end of this dialogue, the Indigenous women participants read the demands they had formulated the day before, which included: reform of the Electoral and Political Parties Law, promoting that each political party has at least 50% participation of Indigenous women; creation and promotion of opportunities for women by the State to participate in socio-political environments under equal conditions; strengthening and financing of institutions created to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous women.

The second dialogue “Actions to prevent and reduce violence against Indigenous women” highlighted the importance of education of women and youth on their rights.

The women’s demands included: a judicial system that responds effectively to complaints of violence with cultural relevance; better medical and psychological health care for survivors of violence, as well as training for health personnel; mass visual and radio awareness campaigns aimed at the entire population to promote a culture of peace and prevention of violence; culturally relevant care for women in Mother languages with respect for their culture, beliefs, and way of life; laws, policies, plans and programs in favor of women respond to their needs and emerge from the grassroots level.

The final dialogue of the day “I support economic development and Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship” highlighted the need for concrete and transparent funding, beyond words of commitment.

The women read their demands in this area, mentioning: facilitating market access for Indigenous women’s products; providing women with seed capital to strengthen their enterprises; providing Indigenous women with new technologies and capacity building for their use, together with their Indigenous knowledge; promoting spaces for the exchange of experiences at the local, national, regional and international levels with Indigenous women entrepreneurs; and that implementing partners do not duplicate efforts, but rather develop integral processes according to their specialties to support enterprises.

To close the two-day event, participants received recognition awards created in wood with the name of the event in ancient Mayan epigraphic writing, before an energetic closing before the alter to end the two-day meeting.

Pioneering elements of this initiative

The FSC Indigenous Foundation introduced several pioneering elements at the event, emphasizing an Indigenous women’s cosmovision perspective.

One of the key innovations was providing simultaneous interpretation in the Mayan languages K’iche’ and Mam, in addition to Spanish and English, to facilitate participation in the women’s mother languages. The FSC-IF, in collaboration with Angloservicios, provided training for the K’iche’ and Mam interpreters on using Zoom’s virtual interpretation booths. This likely marks the first time simultaneous interpretation of Indigenous languages has been included in a national event in Guatemala.

Another crucial element was childcare provision, recognizing that many women cannot attend activities and workshops due to childcare responsibilities. The FSC-IF has incorporated childcare in all I-WEE workshops so mothers participate fully while their children engage and learn together. Facilitators used a ludo-pedagogical methodology, incorporating elements of the Mayan cosmovision for the children.

The way forward

This event underscores the commitment of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and its partners to support Indigenous women’s organizations in Guatemala to lead their development. The Meeting initiated concrete actions to promote Indigenous women’s economic, political, and social empowerment.

FSC-IF will consolidate the results of the dialogues of the meeting together with the demands articulated by Indigenous women. We will return this information to the Indigenous women’s organizations to accompany them, together with partners and allies, in positioning in different spaces and mechanisms of decision-making, resource mobilization, and design and implementation of programs and projects.

We are continuously seeking technical and financial partners to expand our work with I-WEE and other crucial initiatives. If your organization or business is interested in collaborating with us and with Indigenous women for sustainable change, we invite you to connect at fsc.if@fsc.org.

About I-WEE

The I-WEE initiative works with Indigenous women and girls in Guatemala and Honduras to promote their economic empowerment by strengthening capacities, generating enabling environments for their active participation and advocacy, and strengthening productive initiatives led by Indigenous women. It is implemented by FSC-IF in collaboration with partners AMBP, Hivos, UNDP, FAO, and UN Women / Indigenous Women’s Platform and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) with private sector partners.

About FSC Indigenous Foundation

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is a global Indigenous organization promoting Indigenous-led actions for their development and self-reliance. We work to elevate Indigenous Peoples in their contribution to the protection of Mother Earth and recognize them as providers of solutions and partners to fight against global challenges.

About AMPB

The Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB) is a network of Indigenous Peoples and local communities that protect the largest forested areas from Panama to Mexico, seeking solutions for a balanced coexistence with nature safeguarding ancestral knowledge and combining it with innovative ideas. The AMPB promotes capacity building for Indigenous women through the Coordinating Unit of Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT).

About Hivos

The Humanist Institute for the Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos) is an international organization working for a world in which people can realize their full potential and unleash their ingenuity and creativity to build just and sustainable societies for themselves and future generations. Hivos’ mission is to amplify and connect voices that promote social and environmental justice and challenge power imbalances.

Panama’s President signs decree adopting the Indigenous Women’s Empowerment Plan

Indigenous women’s leadership and teamwork were important to achieve his historic act

FSC-IF

On the occasion of Indigenous Women’s Day, President of the Republic of Panama Laurentino Cortizo Cohen signed the Executive Decree adopting the Plan for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women of Panama (PEMIP 2025).

“We don’t want to be in the statistics of vulnerability. We want to be in the statistics of empowered women, breaking barriers, women who fight every day to develop their territories,” said Sara Omi, PEMIP 2025 Coordinator and Emberá leader.

It was a historic act in which for the first time in the Republic of Panama a public policy of gender inclusion was established, aimed at promoting the integral development of Indigenous women within and outside the Indigenous territories.

“With this sanction, for the first time a public policy is established for the integral development of Indigenous women, important pillars for the conservation of their culture, demonstrating great leadership and capacity to contribute to the development of the nation,” said President Cortizo.

About PEMIP

The Economic Empowerment Plan for Indigenous Women of Panama (PEMIP 2025) is a pioneering initiative that seeks to unite commitments between Indigenous women and public, private, and civil society actors, to carry out concrete actions that provide more and better opportunities for Indigenous women to fully develop their potential and capacity to contribute to the development and well-being of their families, territories, and country.

Its objective is to advance the autonomy, full inclusion, and effective exercise of the economic rights of Indigenous women, without any type of discrimination and based on their protagonism and self-determination, with a timeline from 2022-2025.

Signing ceremony

The key message of this event was teamwork. The Plan is a multisectoral initiative with the participation of 69 entities, such as public sector institutions governing economic-labor policies (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Labor and Labor Development, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Authority), private sector (CECOM), development of Indigenous Peoples (Advisory Committee of Indigenous Women of Panama – CAMIP), NGOs (FSC Indigenous Foundation, City of Knowledge, AECID) and multilateral banks (Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations Development Program).

At the event, we heard from Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, President of the Republic, Roger Tejada Bryden, Minister of MINGOB, Briseida Iglesias, Guna Ancestral Sage, Sara Omi Casamá, National Coordinator of PEMIP 2025, Meybi Chamarra, Coordinator of CAMIP, Aulina Ismare Opua, Cacica of the National Congress of the Wounaan People and member of the National Council for the Integral Development of Indigenous Peoples of Panama (CONDIPI), Ana Grigera, Gender and Diversity Specialist of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and María Ángeles Sallé, member of the PEMIP Technical Assistance Team and ENRED Panama.

A success factor to reach this day was that all stakeholders listened to Indigenous women and were open to working with different communities and empowering Indigenous leaders.

The Ministry of Government acknowledged that the FSC Indigenous Foundation plays an important role in facilitating this process.

How we support PEMIP 2025

The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) is supporting the governance and implementation of this plan through the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program, working with Indigenous women and guided by their wisdom, knowledge, innovation, and leadership. IPARD is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and other private sector partners.

FSC-IF has a leading role in the PEMIP Strategic Sustainability Committee, working together with the IDB, CAMIP, the Ministry of Government, and ENRED, achieving many advances for the institutional strengthening of PEMIP and the implementation of CAMIP, such as workshops to expand their knowledge, manage the governance of PEMIP, empower their role in the Plan and be multiplier agents of change within their territories.

We also support i) the institutional strengthening of CAMIP, ii) the implementation of PEMIP in coordination with the government and CAMIP, to carry out the implementation of PEMIP at the local and community level, iii) the promotion of the implementation of PEMIP and other basic policies such as the implementation of Law 37 and Law 301, the organic charters of different comarcas and collective lands, iv) expansion of other issues to other areas to be inclusive in social, education and health issues and security of their rights, v) strengthening alliances and governance of the PEMIP, creating operational manuals and creating a network that strengthens and can ensure the sustainability of the Plan.

We consider this Plan to be not only a pioneering but an integral initiative that supports all actions promoted for and by Indigenous Peoples, supporting PEMIP 2025 and CAMIP as safeguards for the future and for Mother Earth.

Virtual event: USAID & Indigenous Peoples: Co-creation Efforts and Lessons Learned

Sara Omi, Coordinator of the Economic Empowerment Plan for Indigenous Women of Panama, will speak about the FSC Indigenous Foundation and our Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program

FSC-IF

To commemorate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET, USAID’s Inclusive Development Hub will host the virtual event, “USAID & Indigenous Peoples: Co-creation Efforts and Lessons Learned.” This event will showcase the impact of co-creation efforts that support Indigenous Peoples issues in Latin America.

You will hear from Agency partners and USAID staff working on the ground with Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala, Panama & Colombia. Speakers will include:

Aj’bee Jimenez, Senior Advisor for Indigenous Peoples Issues, USAID/Guatemala
Sara Omi, Coordinator of the Economic Empowerment Plan for Indigenous Women of Panama, FSC Indigenous Foundation
Karina Ballén, Senior Manager in Mental Health and Psychosocial Care, International Organization for Migration
Diana Aguas, Differential Approach Specialist, International Organization for Migration

USAID Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen and Senior Advisor on Indigenous Peoples Issues Stephanie Conduff will provide opening remarks.

If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact reasonableaccommodations@usaid.gov.

For questions on this event, please contact idcommunications@usaid.gov

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.

FSC-IF

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.

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