More than 800 trained leaders, an Amazon Scientific Immersion Workshop for members of Congress, and the creation of the Ad Hoc Commission for the Protection of the Amazon—the result of a long advocacy process with House representatives—are some of the achievements made in 2026, which IRI-Colombia presented to the members of its Advisory Board, during the meeting held on October 2 at the Radisson Hotel in Bogotá.
“The Amazon is much more than a landscape; it is a web of interconnected relationships involving water, biodiversity, communities, cultures, and decisions that can either protect or harm it. That complexity demands a response that brings together diverse knowledge and capabilities. IRI-Colombia works to foster that coordination,” said Blanca Lucía Echeverry.
The Initiative’s director presented the organization’s key achievements in the areas of territorial intervention through local chapters; advocacy through engagement with the legislature and the private sector; communications through awareness campaigns, advocacy, and institutional positioning; and training.
IRI-Colombia’s educational strategy is based on the “learning by doing” methodology, noted Carlos Augusto Lozano. “Our training workshops are not limited exclusively to keynote lectures; we also seek to build knowledge together with the communities,” added the Initiative’s national advisor, who leads the capacity-building strategy.
In addition, during the meeting, Blanca Lucía Echeverry presented the book *Environmental Bible Lessons*, a guide for pastoral work on the environment, and the booklet on the rights of indigenous peoples, *Caring for the Amazon Means Caring for Life*, aimed at religious leaders and faith communities.
These two educational tools are intended to strengthen the environmental pastoral work of religious leaders so they can continue to promote actions to protect the Amazon and defend the rights of indigenous peoples.
“IRI-Colombia is a great ally because it helps connect our Climate Justice program with all the churches,” said Pastor Vilma Yanez Ogaza, a pastor in the Presbyterian Church and a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.
The meeting was also attended by Julieth Rojas Guzmán, deputy director for technical and policy affairs at the Gaia Amazonas Foundation; Lizeth Rayo Sánchez, from the ONIC’s Department of Territory, Natural Resources, and Biodiversity; David Ricardo Flórez, policy advisor for the Colombia and Peru programs at Rainforest Foundation Norway; Elkin Daniel Rodríguez, technical secretary of REPAM Colombia; Gunhild Oland, Climate and Forest Advisor at the Norwegian Embassy in Colombia; Tito Arturo Gaitán and Ángela Torres Tamayo, from the Territory Coordination Office of OPIAC; Alfonso Valderrama, from Pastoral Social Cáritas Colombiana, part of the Colombian Episcopal Conference; Pastor Lyda Elena Arias, president of CEDECOL; and Bishop Francisco Duque, president of the Interreligious Council of Colombia.
The support and guidance provided by the organizations that make up the Advisory Council are essential to strengthening IRI-Colombia’s work and advancing the fulfillment of its objectives. Their experience, knowledge, and institutional backing enrich training, advocacy, and communication strategies, and help consolidate partnerships for the protection of the Amazon and the defense of indigenous peoples’ rights. This support will be key to effectively guiding and implementing the actions planned for the remainder of 2026, in a joint effort to expand the Initiative’s reach and impact.
