Indigenous Organizations Meet in Managua to Discuss Climate Change

On May 24th and 25th, representatives from Indigenous organizations and
networks from across the Americas met in Managua, Nicaragua for the 2nd
Latin American Indigenous Forum on Climate Change. The objective of this
forum, which closely followed the People's
World Conference in Cochabamba in April, was to establish a unified
position on the various issues that are currently being negotiated
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC).

MADRE's partner organization in Nicaragua, CADPI,
organized and played a major role in the conference. Among those who
participated in the meeting were MADRE partners Mirna Cunningham of
CADPI, Tarcila Rivera of CHIRAPAQ
and Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indigenas, Rose Cunningham of Wankgi
Tangni, Monica Aleman of FIMI
and Florina Lopez of Daughters
of the Stars and Red de Mujeres Indigenas y Biodiversidad.

Tarcila
Rivera noted, "Often strategies are discussed by governments in high
level forums. Indigenous Peoples are not participating in those talks,
but the impact of climate change directly affects Indigenous communities
and Peoples. We need to work together so that our proposals,
negotiation strategies and presentations at government forums can be
stronger."

Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately impacted by
climate change. And though Indigenous organizations can agree on what
the impacts have been, there has been disagreement about what the best
long-term strategies and solutions are.

MADRE Program
Coordinator Natalia Caruso was in Managua for the discussions. She
reported that the meeting was crucial to building consensus around
issues of climate change that affect Indigenous Peoples and their
communities. "Hopefully this meeting will contribute to Indigenous
Peoples having a stronger role and position during the upcoming
negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in November in Cancun,
Mexico."