COICA, June 21, 2018.- The energy issue is one of the matters addressed by the IV Cumbre Amazónica (IV Amazon Summit) in the city of Macapá, Brazil, that brings together indigenous leaders from nine Amazonian countries.
On Monday afternoon, a round of presentations was held and a call to reflect on the need to build an energy proposal from the Amazonian indigenous peoples, both for them and for society in general.
The need for an energy proposal responds to indigenous peoples which is one of the most vulnerable sectors and affected by the large dams and energy infrastructure that drive the various states within the framework of an extractive and consumerist model.
The motivators of this debate are members of the Climate Alliance, the largest network of European cities dedicated to combat climate change that articulates 1700 member municipalities, local governments, NGOs and other institutions in 26 European countries.
The representatives of the Climate Alliance present in Macapá raised the need to examine various concrete energy initiatives of the Amazonian peoples.
Likewise, the representative of the WWF highlighted the need to build an energy proposal from indigenous peoples considering that they are a relevant actors in the care of the forests.
Solar Lamps
For example, they detailed the project that seeks to encourage the use of small solar or photovoltaic lamps to save energy and improve quality of life in rural households.
Thus, a workshop will be developed for the installation of said lamps in the city of Iquitos, in the Amazonian region of Loreto.
The project seeks to improve the living conditions of indigenous communities, strengthen environmental awareness and promote renewable energy, create new jobs and reduce CO2 emissions.
The initiative evolves in collaboration with the program for indigenous teachers training (FORMABIAP - Training of Bilingual Teachers of the Peruvian Amazon) and the national indigenous organization AIDESEP (Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon) and creates a valuable experience of cooperation between communities and schools in Europe and the Amazon.
Solar Xingú
The Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) of Brazil, presented the Solar Xingu experience that faced the challenge of providing clean energy to the homes of more than 6,000 indigenous people.
Through the use of photovoltaic or solar energy it was possible to reduce dependence on oil or diesel, an expensive supply for the communities and, furthermore, a contaminant.
With new associations, the ISA, the Asociación Terra Indígena Xingú (Atix - Xingú Terra Indigenous Association) and the Institute of Energy and Environment of the University of São Paulo (USP) will provide solar power to 55 schools, 22 health posts and more than a dozen community places supporting productive activities.
The Clean Energy project in Xingu aims to be a reference model for decentralized solutions that are easy to operate in isolated communities, especially in the Amazon, based on renewable energy.
Kara Solar
The representatives of CONFENIAE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon) presented the innovative Kara Project of the Shuar people, a fluvial solar transportation system in the Amazon.
A Latin American Association for Alternative Development (ALDEA) in partnership with the Achuar Nationality of Ecuador (NAE), based on canoes that move with solar energy.
In the language of the Achuar people of Ecuador and Peru, "kara" means "a dream that comes true". For more information visit: http://www.karasolar.com/homepage/.
In Summary
The day allowed us to conclude that the energy issue is crucial for the fight against climate change and there are not only different approaches but also a lot of resistance to approach this adequately and consistently.
Although solar energy is the most democratic and is within the reach of all people and communities, strong interests prevent a change in the energy matrix that allows us to overcome the use of fossil fuels.
One way to manifest a change of attitude is the consensus among the member organizations of COICA is to install solar panels in their headquarter offices in order to generate economic and energy savings, an initiative sponsored by the WWF.