Young Indigenous, Afro-descendant and Local Latin American Communities United for the Defense of Ancestral Territories

Abstract

On September 6 and 7, 2023, a group of 18 young Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community leaders from RRI Coalition organizations met for the first time in Bogota, Colombia. The youth leaders, who came from 10 Latin American countries, had one goal in common: to defend the ancestral lands and territorial rights of their peoples and communities, for the sustainable management of these territories and the protection of their ecosystems. These leaders also share a desire: to strengthen links among themselves and with other youth networks in the region to strengthen their leadership skills and knowledge around land rights processes, community-led conservation, and climate change adaptation. After two days of candid dialogue, the participants created a joint Manifesto that expresses their mutual priorities with respect to the rights-based conservation and sustainable land management processes that they have been part of in their communities. This Manifesto represents the youth representatives’ desire and commitment to continue developing their leadership skills and knowledge to be active agents of change in the defense of their peoples’ ancestral territories and the planet as a whole. The Manifesto will also serve as a guide to RRI’s global coalition, which has committed to incorporating youth leadership and engagement in its regional and global activities going forward.