Leaders from Peru and Ecuador reunited in Bomboiza

Hundreds of indigenous leaders and NGO representatives from northern Peru and southern Ecuador met on the 5th and 6th of July in the parish of Bomboiza, province of Morona Santiago, Ecuador for a “Binational meeting to discuss Border Mining”.
Peru and Ecuador in defence of the territory against the mining on their frontiers.
Communities situated on both sides of the Ecuadorian/Peruvian border are threatened by the same problems. Both governments are irresponsibly promoting the devastation of territories through mining, oil extraction, hydroelectric dams and colonization of the indigenous lands by Transnational Corporations. The companies are committing Human Rights abuses and violate economic, social and cultural rights. They violate civil rights and ignore International and National law.
Indigenous Nationalities, Confederations, Rural Development Agencies, Associations and Assemblies made declarations and created agreements and resolutions.

Declarations

  1. The Governments of Ecuador and Peru have taken a model of a state based on the capitalist doctrine, of private property, individualism, consumption, globalization and the homogenization of their citizenry.

  2. These Governments are irresponsible and have promoted the devastation of territories through mining, oil extraction, hydroelectric plants, the growth of big business, and a new type of colonization by transnational corporations.

  3. These transnational corporations promote the devastation of  territories, do not respect life,  violate the rights of people, violate economic, social and cultural rights, violate civil rights and ignore Constitutional, International and National Law.

  4. The Governments of Ecuador and Peru are threatening the values of “Kausai Sumak”, the true “good” life, through their false, inefficient, inequitable and unjust acceptance of “government led” development.
    Public Policy and Regulatory Production is inconsiderate. These Policies and Regulations  do not take into account the pluridiversity of our countries, and they lack a “multinational” approach.

  5. Biodiversity, Water, our Forests, our Culture and our Territories are the real Wealth of our countries. These realities are being destroyed and permanently threatened by an adopted “extractive” model of “development”.

  6. Our “rights”, are being trampled as mining projects, oil exploration, and hydro-electric projects are being instigated and executed on our National lands and in our Ancestral territories.
    We are stating this as “legitimate authorities”, and as citizens with rights to self-determination and autonomy.

Agreements

  1. To strengthen the processes of territorial autonomy. To strengthen our organizational, and political self-determination according to our Worldview and our Ancestral life forms.To not allow mining, oil, and  hydroelectric projects to enter our territories, trampling our rights and attacking life.

  2. To design our territories  without limits, coming from the unity and brotherhood of First Nations.

  3. Reaffirm our unity of action and resistance to all attacks and violation of our rights.

  4. To build, strengthen and accompany resistance  for all groups threated by abuses to Human Rights and the Rights of Nature.

  5. To participate together with our leaders in the autonomous construction of our “Sumak Kausai” (Good Living). We will do this in a true committed and responsible manner.

  6. To re-evaluate  the concept of integrating economic relationship to the worldview, taking into account  aspects of  land, production, solidarity and true “Kausai Sumak”, as enshrined in the Constitution.

  7. To retrieve a community economic model, to recover what has been ours, and to eat well and live well, prioritizing the feeding of the family, and to regain the practice of barter as a form of “exchange.

We reject Agrochemicals and GMOs.

Resolutions

  1. To not allow companies involved in mega projects, oil extraction,  mining, logging, and hydroelectric schemes, to enter into our territories.

  2. To eject companies involved in “extractive industries” from our territories.

  3. To demand that  the Governments of Peru and Ecuador  change their attitudes and accept a Bi-National Commission made up from the frontier towns to hear their demands.

  4. To declare ourselves in permanent RESISTANCE to the extractive industries that are irresponsible, thoughtless, and illegal, and that threaten all life in our region. To exercise our resistance with the full force of “our rights”, as autonomous peoples of the First Nations, and to exercise those rights without fear of reprisals.

  5. To require the Governments of Ecuador and Peru to respect our experience, our Ancestral Wisdom, our Worldview and our real education; to recover the relationships between the primal elements of Earth, Fire, Water and Air, and of our Mothers and of the natural sustenance of life.

  6. We require that the governments of Ecuador and Peru, respect the exercise of our ancestral justice, and that they fully guarantee the effective enforcement of our resolutions.

  7. To “sue” States for damage being caused by “extractive policies” and the entry of National and Transnational Corporations.

  8. Draw Worldwide attention to  the situation faced by the Indigenous peoples and Nations, and citizens of Ecuador.

  9. We require the  governments of Ecuador and Peru to guarantee  our holistic, ideological Worldview, beginning in the womb and developing into family.

  10. Form a Binational Commonwealth to erase borders thus integrating First Nations of the Amazon territory in resistance against extractive projects, and the struggle for the defense of our rights and the legitimacy of our justiciable rights

  11. Create networks for an economy of local production and regional marketing.

  12. To hold cultural dance, music, and theater, in defense of our rights.

  13. To establish a Binational Commission with legal Advocacy to stand against threats to the Amazon territories caused by  the “extractive industries”.

This assembly shall:

  1. Submit to the public institutions of Ecuador and Peru the resolutions of this meeting.
  2. Develop an action plan to be spread and discussed at the next Binational meeting.
  3. Organize, in the next 6 months a Binational meeting in defense of life and against “extractive industry” in the territories of our brothers, the Nation Awajún, in Peru.
  4. Publicize and inform people of the effects and consequences of “extractive policies” in our territories. Strengthen our social fabric and foundations.

The following organizations are united in this Declaration:

Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon – CONFENIAE

Confederation of the Peoples of the Kichwa Nationality of Ecuador – ECUARUNARI

Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador – CONAIE

Border Regional Organisation of Cajamarca-ORFAC Awajún

Regional Organization Awajún San Ignacio – orasi

Regional Office for the development of rural indigenous communities and peasant patrols in Cajamarca Regional Government

Indian Affairs Liaison Office of the Provincial Municipality San Ignacio

New Association KUNCHIN

Nationality provincial Federation of Shuar of Zamora Chinchipe – FEPNASH

Women Coordinator Pastaza nationalities – COMNAP

Arutam Shuar

Assembly of the Peoples of the South

Shuar Association Tayuns

The Shuar Association Pangui

Shuar Association TUNA

Kakaram Shuar Association

Shuar Association Bomboiza

Shuar Association Arutam

Chiguasa Association

Taisha association

Lemon Association

Sucu Shudhufindi Shuar Association

Shuar Federation of Pastaza

Shuar Federation Nashe

ODECINAC Association

Federation of  Huampis Communities from Rio Santiago  FECOHRSA