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
Signatures in solidarity:
350 Vermont, United States
Acción Ecológica, Ecuador
Agroecological coaching education and advocacy, United States
Agua Yala y Observatorio del Agua - Universidad Nacional de Patagonia, Argentina
AITSP – Associação Indígena de Serra do Padeiro, Brazil
Amazonia Collective, Brazil
APDDH-Assistance, Droit de l'Homme, Cameroon
Articulação Agro é Fogo, Brazil
Articulação de Mulheres Brasileiras, Brazil
Asociación Amigos de los Parques Nacionales, Argentina
Asociación de Sobrevivientes de la Unión Patriótica Huila Sur ASUP, Colombia
Asociacion Ecologica del Oriente, Bolivia
Asociación Panameña de Lectura, Panama
ASOQUIMBO, Colombia
Associação da’uk, povo munduruku, Brazil
Associação Guapé, Brazil
Associação Indígena Tembé do Vale do Acará, Brazil
Associação quilombola Terra da Liberdade, Brazil
Biofuelwatch, United Kingdom
Brighter Green, Colombia
Cáritas, Brazil
Cáritas Brasileira Regional Norte II, Brazil
Censat Agua Viva, Colombia
Centre for strategic litigation, Tanzania
Centre tricontinental – CETRI, Belgium
Centro de Desarrollo Ambiental y Humano, Panama
Centro Flora Tristán, Peru
Centro integral de educación ambiental, Colombia
Cepasp, Brazil
CIMI, Brazil
CIMI MT, Brazil
CINEP, Centro de Investigacion y Educacion Popular, Colombia
Coalizão Pelo Clima, Brazil
Codeate, Colombia
Colectivo Runapacha, Colombia
Coletivo Amazônia MA, Brazil
Coletivo Casa Ilharga; Brazil
Coletivo estudante indígena munduruku alto e médio tapajós-muraycoko, Brazil
Collectif pour la défense des terres malgaches – TANY, Madagascar and France
Comité Nacional para defensa de Los Chimalapas, Mexico
Comunidade quilombola Rio Tauera-Açú , Brazil
Cooperation Vermont, United States
COPINH, Honduras
Ecor.Network, Italy
ERA/FoE Nigeria, Nigeria
Escola Dendê da Serra, Brazil
Federación regional de mujeres indígenas de Ayacucho - FEREMIA , Peru
FETAGRI Regional Marajó, Brazil
FIAN Indonesia, Indonesia
Forests and Finance, Internacional
Fórum de Mulheres da Amazônia Paraense -FMAP, Brazil
Forum Ökologie & Papier, Germany
Frente Ambientalista do Vale do Paraíba SP, Brazil
Frente cívico tonalteco, Mexico
Frente de Lucha Ambiental Delia Villalba, Uruguay
Fundación Otway; Chile
Fundación Solidaridad, Bolivia
Gbolekekro Women Empowerment And Development Organization (GWEDO), Nigeria
Global Forest Coalition, International
Global Justice Ecology Project, United States
Green Element, United Kingdom
Grow More, Waste Less, United States
Grupo de Trabalho de Educação Escolar Indígena do Maranhão (GTEEI-MA), Brazil
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nigeria
Icra international, France
Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India
Informationsstelle Peru e.V., Germany
Initiative Pour Le Developpement Local, DRC
Instituto Estudios Ecologistas TM, Ecuador
Instituto Teko Porã, Brazil
JA!Justica Ambiental, Mozambique
Jakinmina, Colombia
KruHA, Indonesia
La Voix Des Fermiers, DRC
Land Care Cooperative, United States
LandWEB, United States
Maderas del pueblo del sureste, AC, Mexico
MARBE SA, Costa Rica
MayuFilmes, Brazil
Met(t)areach, United Kingdom
Missão Tabita, Mozambique
MNU - Movimento Negro unificado, Brazil
Montes Nativos, Colombia
Movimento Leste Maranhense-Cerrado, Brazil
Movimento Xingu Vivo; Brazil
Movimiento Ciudadano Por la Defensa del Territorio, Colombia
Muyissi Environnement, Gabon
Nheeporã, Brazil
No REDD in Africa Network, Nigeria
NOFA-VT, United States
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, United States
OAB/Pará, Brazil
Observatorio de Conflictos Ambientales (OCA). Universidad Nacional, Colombia
OFRANEH, Honduras
Oilwatch Africa, Nigeria
Oilwatch Latinoamerica, Brazil
Organização dos Educadores Indígenas Munduruku-Arikico, Brazil
Otros Mundos Chiapas/Amigos de la Tierra México, Mexico
Ottauquechee Water Protectors Association, United States
Partner Suedmexikos e.V., Germany
Pensamiento y Accion Social-PAS, Colombia
PLANT (Partners for the Land and Agricultural Needs of traditional Peoples), Ireland
PPL- Pastoral Popular Luterana, Brazil
Probios.org, Suriname
Proyecto Gran Simio (GAP/PGS- España), Spain
Proyecto Lemu Asoc. Lihuen-Antu, Brazil
PTC, Colombia
Puanifesto, Indonesia
RADD, Cameroon
Rainforest Action Network – RAN, United States
Red de Acción sobre plaguicidas y Alternativas en México (RAPAM), Mexico
Red de Mujeres, Colombia
Red de Vigías y Defensorxs del Bosque de Galilea (Tolima), Colombia
Red Solidaria Colmena RSC, Colombia
Rede De Mulheres Das Marés E Das Águas, Brazil
Reentramados para la vida, defendiendo territorios. Chiapas, Mexico
Regeneration Corps, United States
Rettet den Regenwald e.V. Germany
Rural Vermont, United States
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth Malaysia), Malaysia
Salva la Selva, Spain
SDE, Indonesia
Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE), Cameroon
SYNAPARCAM, Cameroon
The Corner House, United Kingdom
The Grassroots Center, United States
Tienda De Artesanías, Defensores Voluntarios Tudaray Ixiamas, Bolivia
Tremembé aldeia engenho 8, Brazil
tsijilba bij, Mexico
União de Mulheres de SP, Brazil
Veeduría a la gestión pública y ambiental del Bosque de Galilea, Colombia
Veeduría Ambiental Huila Macizo, Colombia
Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition, United States
Waman Wasi, Peru
White River Natural Resources Conservation District, United States
Windrose Fund, United States
Winter Center for Indigenous Traditions, United States
Women's Leadership and Training Progamme (WLTP), South Africa
World Rainforest Movement (WRM), International