The event highlighted the expansion of community funds and the streamlining of access to resources, in accordance with the realities of indigenous peoples and traditional communities.
The discussion on community funds brought together a full room in the Brazil Pavilion, in the Blue Zone of the 16th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16), which is taking place in Cali, Colombia, until November 1st. The event, entitled Funding the Guardians of the Planet: Territorial, Local and Activist Funds, Funding Nature Protection from Communities in the TerritoriesThis initiative, launched by the Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur, aimed to highlight the essential role of funds from the Global South in securing resources for communities that protect ecosystems and biodiversity, demonstrating the importance of financial support for the continuation of this work.
The meeting was led by Juliana Tinoco, executive coordinator of the organization. Speakers included Fábio Vaz, from the Ecos Fund (Brazil); Josimara Baré, from the Network of Community Funds of the Amazon (Brazil); Cláudia Gomes, from the Casa Socioambiental Fund (Brazil); Levi Sucre, from the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities/Shandia Platform (Brazil, Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico); and Juan Sabino, from the Emerger Socioambiental Fund (Colombia). The discussion focused on the role of funds from the Global South in financing communities that protect ecosystems and biodiversity.
Autonomy and decolonization in financing.
Cláudia Gomes, from the Casa Socioambiental Fund, explained that her organization focuses on directly supporting communities working in environmental conservation, and has been active for over 20 years. She also emphasized the need for better distribution of this financial support to regions and biomes where investments are still low relative to their importance, such as the Atlantic Forest and the Pampas. She highlighted the challenge of bringing cities into the environmental and climate discussion through support for projects where high energy and resource demand puts pressure on biodiversity.
“Thinking about cities implies understanding the challenges that citizens and workers face, such as public transportation, education and health systems, urban violence, among others. How can we discuss environmental conservation in the face of such a complex scenario?” he emphasizes.
Josimara Baré emphasized that community funds are developed "by the communities and for the communities," and that support mechanisms are adapted to local realities.
“We don’t see environmental protection as an obligation, because it is our home,” said Josimara, highlighting the essential role of the funds in indigenous autonomy and adaptation to climate change.
Sustainable model for supporting community development.
Fábio Vaz, from the Ecos Fund, explained that ISPN's approach of directly supporting communities involves not only financial resources, but also training and technical assistance.
"Generating income and improving quality of life strengthens the role of communities in biodiversity conservation, since most projects are geared towards socio-biodiversity products that are culturally and socially important to these communities," he stated.
Vaz highlighted projects focused on the sustainable use of biodiversity, such as the processing of native fruits in the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Amazon biomes, and noted that the Institute also invests heavily in knowledge exchange among communities. He also emphasized that many of these projects contribute, through their results, to the improvement of public policies relevant to their realities at various scales: local, regional, and national.
Autonomous and sustainable financing
Levi Sucre, from the Shandia Platform, reinforced the need for direct funding for actions to combat climate change and conserve biodiversity in indigenous territories, respecting identity and traditional knowledge. This is the model adopted by the platform, whose members are the following organizations: Coordenadoria de las Organizaciones Indigenas de la Cuenca Amazonica – COICA (Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana and Ecuador), Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil – APIB (Brazil), Alianza Mesoamerica de Pueblos y Bosques (Mexico), Rede de Populações Indígenas e Locais para a Gestão Sustentável dos Ecossistemas Florestais da África Central – REPALEAC (Africa) and Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (Indonesia).
Finally, Juan Sabino, from Fondo Emerger, stressed that the development of projects should reflect the needs and worldview of the communities.
"We need to understand and respect different worldviews," he explained.
Fondo Emerger is dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainability in Colombia, managing resources for environmental programs run by community-based and non-governmental organizations.
Shared commitment: strengthening the leadership of communities.
All panelists emphasized the importance of expanding the quantity and reach of community funds, with autonomous management and active participation of local communities. They also highlighted the need for funders to understand and respect the specificities and management models of the territories, seeking to overcome bureaucracies that often disregard the realities of the people.
About the Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur
A Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur It is a network of 15 institutions focused on strengthening local communities and protecting the environment through community philanthropy. Composed of independent funds from countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the network stands out for its South-South collaborative approach and support for social and environmental justice initiatives, promoting sustainable solutions that protect both the rights of communities and the ecosystems in which they live.
By Andreza Baré, ISPN communications advisor