Members from Indigenous, peasant, traditional and Afro-descendent peoples from countries of the Amazon region and Central America, who met from 9-11 of July in the indigenous territory Alto-Turiaçu in the Maranhão state, in Brazil, call organizations and social movements all over the world to endorse this declaration rejecting carbon projects and programs in their territories, also often referred to as REDD.
The objective of their meeting was to exchange experiences about and strengthen the resistance against such projects and programs. The declaration states: “We concluded that we are facing two projects, where one is the project of death that oil, mining, hydroelectric, agribusiness, and large infrastructure companies are promoting, along with States and now offset projects like REDD, and the other one is a project of life that we the peoples and communities are promoting through the respect and care for our territories.”
Knowing that REDD-type projects are a threat for many more communities, not only in Latin America, but also in Africa and in Asia, participants would like to invite other grassroots organisations, movements and collectives that are facing such projects in their territories to sign-on, as well as other groups and organisations that want to express solidarity with these struggles in order to strengthen the declaration´s final message: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We say NO to REDD.
Endorse the declaration by filling the form. Deadline: 18 August 2024
DECLARATION OF REJECTION OF REDD IN TERRITORIES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND PEASANT, TRADITIONAL AND AFRO-DESCENDENT COMMUNITIES OF LATIN AMERICA
Alto Turiaçu – July 2024
This July 9-11, in Alto Turiaçu-Aldeia Ararorenda – the indigenous territory of the Ka'apor people in the state of Maranhão, Brazil – we held our first gathering as indigenous, peasant, traditional and Afro-descendent peoples, and indigenous rights defense organizations from different countries of the Pan-Amazon region and Central America where REDD+ projects have been implemented (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). Hereinafter we will refer to this as REDD, and in this reference include other projects that were created following the same logic as REDD (for example, forest carbon projects, nature-based solutions projects, jurisdictional REDD programs implemented by state or national governments, and others).
After three days of sharing experiences and analyzing what REDD+ really means for our peoples and territories, we concluded that we are facing two projects, where one is the project of death that oil, mining, hydroelectric, agribusiness, and large infrastructure companies are promoting, along with States and now offset projects like REDD, and the other one is a project of life that we the peoples and communities are promoting through the respect and care for our territories.
In light of this, we issue the following declaration, so that our brothers and sisters of different peoples and communities do not fall into the trap of REDD:
THE REDD DEATH PROJECT
1. Breaks the unity and harmony of our peoples and engenders conflicts, even within our own families and cultures.
2. Threatens the lives of women, children and the elderly – by depriving us of the means we have in our forests to feed ourselves and access water.
3. Criminalizes the ways of life of our peoples and communities.
4. Manipulates our leaders into signing contracts without the consent of our peoples.
5. Seeks greater economic benefit for its business and incentivizes deforestation, because more deforestation means more business for companies that sell carbon credits.
6. Appropriates our territories and robs us of our autonomy.
7. Is a greenwash. Like other false solutions to the climate catastrophe, such as “unconventional oil exploration,” “biofuels,” “responsible mining or green gold,” or “energy transition,” REDD allows companies to continue with their business whilst polluting.
Furthermore:
8. Offset mechanisms like REDD allow companies to continue polluting, and these mechanisms do not reduce emissions from said pollution.
9. REDD drives the creation of new protected areas – which even have new modalities to include private areas – dispossessing and exiling us from our territories.
10. We reject the 30x30 goals that seek to meet conservation targets by affecting our territories, all while protecting the interests of large companies.
11. Governments are violating their constitutions and changing laws that protect our territories, in order to facilitate and give priority to extractive companies and REDD-type projects.
REDD projects are death projects, because instead of protecting, they are destroying nature and our peoples.
OUR LIFE PROJECT
1. We defend our territories, our rivers, our forests, our sacred sites, the spirits with whom we have a relationship (so that both they and we can live), our ancestral knowledge and culture, our medicinal plants, the materials for our homes and for the handicrafts that provide us with sustenance, and our food.
2. We demand and fight for the recognition of our territories through titling.
3. We recognize and respect the rights of nature in harmony with the peoples.
4. We reclaim the self-governance, self-determination and autonomy of peoples.
5. We defend and respect our ways of life, which are what guarantee the defense and care of our territories.
6. We demand that the fundamental right to free, prior and informed consent – including the right to veto – is effectuated, taking into account ILO Convention 169 and various agreements and declarations of international law.
7. We recognize and respect traditional knowledge as a fundamental condition for life.
8. We respect and fight for health and education that is differentiated in our languages and for our cultures.
9. We fight for peaceful territories, free of companies and government policies that pollute and destroy.
10. We work to create opportunities for our youth, based on our knowledge and wisdom.
11. Our territories have no economic value. They are financially invaluable.
12. We highlight the central role of women in the defense of our territories.
13. We urge human rights organizations to speak out and take actions to guarantee that the territorial rights of our peoples are respected.
They have been killing us since colonization. Currently, it is oil, mining, and agribusiness companies; dams and other infrastructure projects; carbon offset projects like REDD; and State policies which continue with the ethnocide of our peoples – killing our cultures, languages, identities, knowledge and wisdom.
ENOUGH is ENOUGH! We say NO to REDD!
Signatories:
- Coordinadora Nacional de Defensa de Territorios Indígenas Originarios Campesinos y Áreas Protegidas CONTIOCAP - Bolivia
- JUMU'EHA RENDA KERUHU - Centro de Formação Saberes Ka'apor, Brazil
- TUXA TA PAME - Conselho de Gestão Ka'apor, Brazil
- Associação das Mulheres Munduruku Wakoborun, Brazil
- Movimento Munduruku Ipereg Ayu, Brazil
- Movimento dos Pequenos Agricultores -MPA, Brazil
- Rede intercomunitaria Almeirim em Ação – RICA, Brazil
- Associação Comunitária dos Trabalhadores Rurais, Extrativistas, Hortifrutigranjeiros da Comunidade Morada Nova do Jarí – APROMOVA, Brazil
- Associação dos Mines e Pequenos Produtores Rurais e Extrativistas da Comunidade de Repartimento dos Piloes-ASMIPPS, Brazil
- Proceso de comunidades negras de Colombia PCN, Colombia
- CORPORACIÓN CLARETIANA NORMAN PEREZ BELLO, Colombia
- TEJIDO UNUMA DE LA ORINOQUIA, Colombia
- Frente Nacional de Pueblos Indígenas -FRENAPI, Costa Rica
- Talamanca por la vida y por la tierra, Costa Rica
- FECONAFROPU, Loreto, Peru
- FEPIKECHA (Federación de Pueblos Indígenas Kechwa), Peru
- Colectivo Ambiental del Resguardo del gran Cumbal, Pueblo de los Pastos - Colombia