Above: Lizardo Cauper, President of the national Amazonian indigenous peoples’ organization AIDESEP, speaks with Fabiola Martha Muñoz Dodero, Minister of Environment, and Liliana La Rosa, Minister of Social Inclusion and Development, at the launch event of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative in Peru, December 2018
Lima, Peru
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Peru country program was launched in December 2018 in Lima after three eventful days of dialogue to find new ways to collaborate for the protection of Peru’s rainforests and indigenous peoples. 125 leaders participated from multiple religious denominations as well as leaders representing 10+ indigenous peoples’ communities, and leaders of NGOs, science, multi-laterals and government. Participants participated in interactive briefings and discussion on issues of deforestation, the links between tropical deforestation and climate change, and the contributions of indigenous peoples in protecting the forests. While Peru has a small carbon footprint relative to other developing economies, investment to conserve its great wealth of biodiversity and unique ecosystems could make a significant contribution to climate solutions within and beyond its borders.
A public event, hosted by the Servicio Nacional de Meterología e Hídrología del Perú (SENAMHI) had the participation of the high-level religious leaders of Peru’s churches, the Inter-Religious Council of Peru, Religions for Peace, the World Council of Churches, national indigenous peoples’ organizations, UN and the Norwegian Embassy in Lima. The Honorable Fabiola Muñoz Dodero, Peruvian Minister of Environment Liliana La Rosa, Minister of Development and Social Inclusion concluded the event with powerful statements of support of the initiative and its key strategy to effect change through the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights, vowing to engage the Executive Office of the government to correct the oversights in safeguarding those rights. The event was closed with spiritual and cultural expressions of the indigenous faith communities in attendance.
- The full declaration can be found here
- The Executive Summary of the event can be found here
- Press release of the event can be found here
- A full report of media coverage of the event can be found here
For more information on the IRI Peru program, contact: peru@interfaithrainforest.org
