Within the framework of the nationwide advocacy actions carried out by the Interreligious Initiative for Tropical Forests, on May 7, the coordinator of the Initiative, Blanca Lucía Echeverry, and the president of the Interreligious Council of Colombia, Monsignor Francisco Duque, met with Senator Lorena Ríos Cuéllar, specialist in environmental law and human rights and member of the Parliamentary Alliance for the Protection of the Amazon, of IRI-Colombia.
The objective of the meeting was to explore a partnership to develop a formative event aimed at senators of the Republic and representatives to the Chamber, in order to generate a space for dialogue and political analysis on the urgency of all sectors of society being linked to the objective of protecting the Amazon rainforest. as a response to the severity of deforestation.
As a result of the meeting, it was agreed to hold the meeting “Congressmen for the Life of the Amazon: Academic Forum on Deforestation and Climate Change”, aimed at congressmen, but also academics and civil society organizations.
One of the special guests will be the Brazilian scientist Carlos Nobre, with extensive experience in studies related to climate change and a staunch defender of the Amazon. Germán Poveda, professor at the National University of Colombia and member of the Scientific Panel for the Amazon, will also be part of the panel of experts.
Initially, the Forum was scheduled for June 11, as part of the celebrations of World Environment Day; however, due to the closure of the Congress of the Republic as a result of water rationing in the center of the capital, it was necessary to postpone it and it will be carried out in the second half of the year.
The closure of the facilities of the National Capitol would make it difficult for congressmen to attend and their presence is necessary to continue advancing on the path that allows us to preserve our Amazonian tropical forests healthy, of vital importance not only for Colombia but for the entire world.
