We are proud to be launching our first episode of Entre nos!
We are proud to be launching Entre Nos as part of our Education and Science Diplomacy Project. Entre nos is a video series in which social or regional actors, researchers, decision-makers, etc., will discuss key issues for peacebuilding in Colombia. These are small encounters in which participants’ words and ideas are intended to  explain particular topics to do with the armed conflict.

On this occasion, we were in Florencia, Caqueta, and spoke with Mercedes Mejía (activist and researcher at UniAmazonía) and Fabio Valderrama (director of the Foundation and the Mambe Festival) about environmental peace and the reality of the region. We discussed topics such as the hydroelectric dam to be built in the Embera Chamí territory, the challenges faced by the indigenous communities in the region, and how the conflict has affected the communities in the region, among many other topics.

“Environmental peace encompasses well-being, good living, being at peace, and having optimal conditions for the development of life” — Mercedes Mejía. 

Mercedes’ efforts are based on “working with the people who work”; that is, with organisations in the region that are committed to strengthening the environmental and social fabric.

“For us, it is important to be able to preserve the ancestral knowledge of the indigenous people. But we also need to raise awareness about all the environmental problems that we are facing in the territory. How can we make sure that those who are leading these strategies do not falter along the way?” — Fabio Valderrama

Find out more about Fabio’s work at the Mambe 2021 Festival  here.