Around 80 indigenous youth gathered in a space that inspired reflection and analysis of the situation of their territories, charting a course to safeguard the legacy of their ancestors and the heritage for their descendants.

The “National Meeting of Indigenous Youth from the Lowlands of Bolivia for the Forests and Territories” symbolically brought together 31 indigenous organizations and youth groups who found the ideal moment to express themselves and commit to their regions: Chiquitanía, Chaco, Amazonía, Guarayos and Pantanal.

The participants shared and learned about a substantial part of the country's natural and cultural wealth, with the event providing an opportunity to widely promote the appreciation of forests and their connection to local knowledge. This experience, combined with identifying and discerning the threats facing their regions, as well as analyzing and debating solutions, motivated the young people to draft a statement conceived by themselves, as a "starting point" to guide their steps in defending their territories.

The participation of young people was highlighted, among them those who had already migrated to the cities, such as Diana Peña of Monkox origin, who represented the JIASC (Indigenous and Afro-Bolivian Youth of Santa Cruz), and who delivered a speech that left its mark due to the depth of its message., “…apart from our clothing, our language and the knowledge we bring from our villages to the city; what characterizes us as an organization is that the main thing is that we unite based on diversity…”.

Savia, as a co-organizing body, made possible the representation of the Guaraní-Isoseño People through Marcelo Vivero Montenegro, Henry Arriaga Méndez and Wendy Sánchez Justiniano, Environmental Multipliers who joined the delegation from the Chaco, a group that proudly presented its protected areas created in spaces that since their ancestors maintain a historical, cultural and sacred meaning, such as the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and ANMI, the largest in Bolivia.

The institutional contribution to the educational objectives of the event was carried out within the framework of programs conducted in conjunction with the PPD/UNDP and GLA II/IUCN_NL, and was led by the Environmental Education Coordinator of Savia, who spoke about the benefits of conserving protected areas and the threats they face daily.

On the other hand, to encourage photographic creativity among young people and to enhance their understanding of the culture-nature relationship, a photography contest was launched that managed to capture the essence of the Chiquitano territory they were visiting, such as the Zapocó Dam.

The event took place on November 23 and 24 in the Municipality of Concepción, and was organized by IBIF, SAVIA, WWF, PROCESO, APCOB and CIPCA, with the support of the JUMA Concepción Youth Organization.

See more information in the medium The Region:

Indigenous youth mobilize to talk about territory and the care of forests