The CNTI accompanies Inga communities and authorities of Villagarzón in territorial defense and prior consultation

CNTI

On August 17 and 18, 2021, the team of the Indigenous Technical Secretariat of the National Commission of Indigenous Territories (STI-CNTI) and the Observatory of Territorial Rights of Indigenous Peoples (ODTPI) accompanied the Inga communities and authorities of the Association of Indigenous Cabildos of the municipality of Villagarzón, Putumayo (ACIMVIP).

The activity began with the presentation of the training space that ACIMVIP has been developing as part of strengthening the work of the guardians of the ancestral Indigenous territory of the Inga People in the municipality of Villagarzón. The purpose of this training space is to strengthen the capacities of the communities that are part of the Indigenous guard, as well as the new leadership seedbeds in territorial defense of the Indigenous communities of this region of Putumayo.

In this process of training and strengthening the political, technical and conceptual capacities of the guardians of the Indigenous territories of Villagarzón in the exercise of territorial defense, the work team of the Indigenous Technical Secretariat of the CNTI and the ODTPI presented the structure of this consultation body and the work it has been carrying out regarding the defense of the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples in Colombia.

Likewise, the team emphasized the work carried out by the area of support and geographic information systems, in relation to the registration and consultation of formalization requests made over Indigenous territories.

Following the STI-CNTI presentation, a participatory activity was carried out with the Indigenous communities and authorities present. This activity consisted of a mapping exercise of their ancestral territories; to that end, working groups were formed which, with the respective maps of their territories, identified the places most representative for the community, especially their sacred sites, ceremonial spaces, farming areas and community spaces.

Likewise, places were identified that are being threatened or are at risk, whether due to the implementation of illicit economies, extractive agendas and usurpation of the territory, among other situations or activities that have caused disharmony and imbalance in the territories and life plans of the Inga People of Villagarzón.

Subsequently, an educational activity on Free and Informed Prior Consultation was carried out with the Indigenous community of ACIMVIP. It consisted of a role-play with the participants and the STI-CNTI team on how the phases usually unfold or how consultation processes are carried out by companies and/or government entities, what strategies they usually develop to achieve the implementation of their initiatives, as well as the alliances or tricks used in these settings to impose the development of particular interests on the communities.

The purpose of this educational activity was to give tools to the guardians of the Inga Indigenous People of Villagarzón to face the arrival of projects that may impact the territory and the life of Indigenous communities, especially those who need to carry out processes within the framework of the fundamental right to Prior, Free and Informed Consultation.

Originally published by Comisión Nacional de Territorios Indígenas (CNTI) on August 19, 2021

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