Yuturi Warmi – Indigenous Women Resist Gold Mining

Margot Tjolle studied a MSc in Environment and Development at the University of Copenhagen. For her Master’s thesis, she went on field work in the Serena community with her two research partners, Filippo De Rossi and Marie Eenens. They decided to collaborate and live with Yuturi Warmi to conduct a research project aiming to understand how endangered communities can build alternatives to mining and extractivism.

The scourge of industrial gold mining
In recent years, the Ecuadorian Amazon has been increasingly impacted by the scourge of both illegal and “legal” gold mining. However, the mines operated by official companies are often also considered illegal by the local populations, as they notoriously enter their territories without their prior free and informed consent, and operate without environmental permits.

The negative impacts of industrial gold mining start with the deforestation and contamination of the soil and rivers by the toxic chemicals used in the extraction process, predominantly mercury. In addition to destroying the precious biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest, the contamination brings an array of health issues to the communities that depend on the river water to survive, such as skin diseases and cancer. The soil contamination prevents anything to grow, jeopardizing their agroforestry organic farms, a vital part of their lives and indigenous cultures. Mining also sabotages other more environmentally-friendly sources of income such as tourism, as the contaminated land and rivers are not attractive to the foreigner’s eye anymore. Another important impact to mention is the rise of insecurity and delinquency the mine brings to the communities, as the resulting lack of educational or economic opportunities breed alcoholism, prostitution, and drug abuse and trafficking.

“Yes, sometimes I get angry, because these mining companies want to enter our territory, they want to damage the water, especially water is our life. Water is for children to bathe, for cooking and for us to drink. By entering, the miners want to leave the timber trees well damaged. In our territory to plant cassava, banana, those will also be very damaged, when they throw away chemicals. And that’s why we, the women here, from this Community of Serena, stand hard. We stand hard so they don’t enter. That’s why we became the Yuturi Warmi association.” – Corina from Yuturi Warmi

The resistance of Yuturi Warmi
Yuturi Warmi is the first indigenous women’s led guard of the Napo province, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Yuturi Warmi translates directly to “conga woman”, “conga” being a certain species of ants which are considered warriors in the Kichwa culture. Conga ants are peaceful until their territory is threatened: if an unwelcome presence gets close to their nest, they unite and bite the individual to defend themselves. More than 40 Kichwa women are dedicating their daily lives to resist mines from entering their land. By using Indigenous Justice – spears, chili peppers, tobacco and nettles – as arms, they stop the miners from entering the Serena community which is one of the last areas that gold mining has not infiltrated and polluted their rivers, soil and bodies. They also regularly patrol the area, and make traditional artisanal products such as beaded jewelry, weaved bags, and ceramics, as an additional source of income. Together with the support of their families, they march in various protests to raise awareness that there is indeed an alternative to the destructive development path that the mining companies promote.

“In other places or in other communities, they tell us that mining brings money. And if there are some families who turn to mining and sell their land it’s due to lack of money, out of necessity.” – Leila from Yuturi Warmi

Unfortunately, the precarious economic conditions in which many communities live, coupled with the lack of opportunities, forces them to accept leasing or selling their land to the mines, for the meager promise of a short-term economic benefit. It is crucial for communities to have the means to build alternative sources of income to the mine, which do not jeopardize their future. In other words, it is vital for communities to practice their right to say no to extractive projects on their territories and their right to say yes to their chosen way of living and relation with their surroundings.

“For the future of the Yuturi Warmi, we have always been talking about focusing on community tourism. Because if we do community tourism we can bring foreigners to know and respect our territory, know our rivers, our waterfalls, our mountains… And also to provide work for students. Here, our high school graduates are not given work unless they have 2-3 years of experience. And if they do not have a third-level education, they do not have a job. So, doing community tourism would help us a lot because our children can be jungle guides, rafting guides, chefs. So there is work here in the territory and they don’t have to emigrate. That is our dream, that is our future. And with that, resist more because there are people who are getting to know us.” – Elsa from Yuturi Warmi

Community-led resistance tourism
As the president of Yuturi Warmi mentions, their dream is to develop a community-led tourism project. The community envisions building a lodge on the bank of the Jatunyacu River, on their communal land. They also wish to create a botanical garden around the lodge, where they would plant different medicinal and traditional plants and label them, in an effort to conserve and share their knowledge. On this land, they already started building a roofed space dedicated to the practice of the Wayusupina, a traditional early-morning tea ceremony important within the Amazonian Kichwa culture. They plan to finish the construction of this site to have a space where they can celebrate and practise different aspects of their culture, as well as simply meet with the guests. Moreover, the lodge would serve as a venue to sell their traditional handmade beaded jewellery and crafts. This project would provide them with an alternative source of income to destructive gold mining, which would not only help them fight extractivism but also share their culture with visitors.

However, this collective dream is no small task to achieve. Once the funds needed to develop the plans, buy the materials, and build the project are collected, efforts need to be continuous to ensure that the lodge thrives. Different challenges appear when introducing tourism as an alternative source of income. Tourism can be seen as an extractive activity that puts stress on the natural environment and can make local communities dependent on another volatile economic sector. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the touristic project is sustainable and based on the needs of the community. For example, a small-scale sustainable tourist project means limited numbers which means limited financial gains to support the related activities. It is also important that the women and the community itself retain ownership of the project. Although external investments can help fund the project, it can also shift control to other hands, like travel agencies. A monitoring system could be put in place to ensure the continuous sustainability of the project, and respond to emerging issues in a timely manner. Over-performativity and ‘selling’ one’s Kichwa culture and practices to entertain the foreigner’s eye, can also be viewed from a critical lens. The line is thin between the benefits that sharing and reproducing cultural practices can have for the preservation of indigenous knowledge, and its exaggeration to unrealistic standards which could provide a stereotypical and romanticised image of the community. Finally, as the area is surrounded by illegal mining activities, security concerns need to be evaluated, whether concerning the water contamination or the potential tensions with pro-mining groups in the region. 

A financially and informatively well-supported community resistance tourism project can not only allow the women of Yuturi Warmi and the Serena community to achieve their dream of self-subsistence and territorial protection, but also ensure their resilience and adaptivity in the face of such challenges.

The students started an ongoing crowdfunding to support Yuturi Warmi in their first steps towards the development of their dreamed community tourism project. Your contributions will support the organisation in their fight against the mines for the protection of their territory and the Amazon rainforest. The collected funds will support the construction of a tourist lodge, a botanical garden, and a traditional handicrafts shop.

Link to the crowdfunding: https://whydonate.com/en/fundraising/Yuturi-Warmi
For any questions, contact us at: margot.tjolle@hotmail.com

Call closed – ESC Volunteer Vacancies 2024

The deadline for this call has passed the 4th of June 2024 at 23h59. If you are selected for the interviews you will be contacted in the beginning of August. Please try to minimize questions, as there are a lot of interested volunteers. If you still have an urgent remark or question you can contact the relevant Catapista for the volunteering position you applied to:

If you want to learn more about CATAPA, feel free to browse our website.

Campaigning & Movement (pdf download)

Partners & Networks (pdf download)

Communication & Social Media Campaigning (pdf download)

About CATAPA

CATAPA is a movement which strives for a world in which the extraction of non-renewable resources is no longer necessary. The extraction of such materials always entails major social and environmental impacts and fuels conflict. In working towards global social and environmental justice, we focus on mining issues (ecological disasters, human rights violations, etc.). In Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia we work together with grassroots movements and support local communities who are threatened by large-scale mining projects. In Belgium, we activate citizens to denounce the current overconsumption and overproduction of electronics.

Our main activities are:

  • Campaigning on the impact of mining and sustainable production of electronics in Flanders.
  • Supporting partners and local communities in Latin America that are threatened by large-scale mining projects.
  • Creating a movement around sustainable production and consumption of metals.
  • Networking, research & stimulating alternatives.

CATAPA is dependent on the work of volunteers – the Catapistas.

 

Our campaigns

  • The Right to Say No – Mining activities cause devastating environmental impacts and human rights violations across the globe. CATAPA is campaigning on the Right to Say No. Communities opposing extractive projects face severe repression and human rights violations. A just transition requires local communities having the decisive say over extractive projects within their territories.
  • CTRL ALT DEL – Stop#ExpresDefect – Our current linear model of consumption and production is a driving cause of the climate crisis. In this “throwaway” model, electronic products are designed to make repair difficult or unfeasible with limited life spans. This is planned obsolescence. The infinite supply of electronics is at odds with planetary boundaries. We cannot continue extracting more and more metals and minerals. Through our (mainly Dutch) Ctrl Alt Delete: Stop#ExpresDefect campaign we are activating Flemish civilians to advocate for strict regulations to ensure electronic products are eco-designed, repairable, and made to last.
  • Bankswithoutmining – Bankswithoutmining is a newly formed working group aiming to push banks in the Global North to divest from mining activities. This initiative addresses the critical need to tackle the environmental and social impacts of bank investments in mining companies. Our campaign seeks to elevate mining issues in public debates, persuade investors to withdraw support from harmful mining practices, and form equal partnerships with organisations in the Andes and Europe to strengthen our efforts and create impactful change.

Our main campaigning activities are:

  • Our main campaigning activities are:
    • Raising awareness of the broader public: (social media) campaigns, educational activities, public actions, …;
    • Searching and supporting solutions & alternatives;
    • Collaboration & networking with other organisations that focus on mining issues, Degrowth and Circular Economy;
    • Advocating for an end to planned obsolescence via our Ctrl Alt Delete – Stop#Expresdefect campaign; 
    • Collaboration with grassroots organisations in Latin America, defending the rights of affected communities via our campaign on the Right to Say No to mining;
    • Push banks in the Global North to divest from mining activities.

Possible tasks and requirements

Intro

Click on the volunteer opportunity of your preference below to learn more about the possible tasks and requirements.

Campaigning and Movement

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an ESC (European Solidarity Corps) volunteer to support the CATAPA movement, and in particular the campaign Ctrl Alt Delete – Stop#ExpresDefect. The volunteer will be trained to think critically and spread knowledge of these issues and to encourage other people to become active citizens. The tasks are flexible depending on your learning goals and the needs of the organisation.

You will be part of our office team (4 part-time staff + 3 ESC volunteers + variable number of interns) which supports the work of the movement. Since CATAPA is a volunteer movement, you will be working in close collaboration with volunteers with a diverse and broad experience.  

Possible tasks

  • Help with the development and implementation of the campaign strategy, communication and tools for the Ctrl Alt Del – Stop#ExpresDefect campaign
  • Co-coordinate the Ctrl Alt Del – Stop#ExpresDefect campaign
  • Help organise movement activities such as the movement weekends (twice a year) or movement days 
  • Help follow-up the engagement of volunteers in CATAPA.
  • Help with setting up awareness raising and training activities for a variety of target groups (training or movement days/weekends, documentary screenings, workshops, info evenings, public actions, …).
  • Support the Right To Say No activities
  • Support the divestment campaign 
  • Some administrative tasks related to the daily functioning of our office with the possibility to get an insight in the management of a non-profit organisation.
  • Write, revise and proofread articles, blogs, educational tools and reports.
  • Possibility to develop and implement your own projects. 

Requirements

Essential:

  • Motivated to work with volunteers
  • Motivated to motivate others
  • Interest in learning about the social and environmental movement, planned obsolescence, e-waste and mining issues
  • Good command of English 
  • Independent, proactive worker
  • Good communication skills
  • Willing to contribute to positive change in the world we live in
  • Team player with a flexible attitude 
  • Willingness to travel through Flanders and to Brussels
  • Age below 31 years, no residence in Belgium (this is a requirement of the ESC programme)
  • Agreeing with a flexible work schedule where you sometimes will work in the evening or in weekends since events and meetings often take place in the free time of the attendees and our volunteers
  • Ability to learn on the job and DIY spirit 

Nice to have:

  • Knowledge/experience on or interest to learn about:
  •  Implementation and coordination of campaignsDevelopment of campaign strategy 
  • Organising educational or training events and tools
  • Project writing and management
  • Volunteer engagement
  • Advocacy and networking 
  • Activist and movement organising
  • Circular and degrowth economy, environmental movements and/or social movements
  • Knowledge of Dutch and/or Spanish

Interested or more information?

Please send your CV and motivation letter to karlijn.vandenbroeck@catapa.be at the latest the 4th of June 2024 at 23h59. If you have any questions concerning this vacancy, don’t hesitate to contact us. 

More information: www.catapa.be

Partners and Networks

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an ESC (European Solidarity Corps) volunteer to support the CATAPA movement, and in particular the Right To Say No campaign. The volunteer will be trained to think critically and spread knowledge of these issues and to encourage other people to become active citizens. The tasks are flexible depending on your learning goals and the needs of the organisation.

You will be part of our office team (4 part-time staff + 3 ESC volunteers + variable number of interns) which supports the work of the movement. Since CATAPA is a volunteer movement, you will be working in close collaboration with volunteers with a diverse and broad experience.  

Possible tasks

  • Participate in the follow-up of our partners in the Andes region through online meetings
  • Engaging in networks on social and ecological justice and defending our partners demands in these networks
  • Help looking for funds and campaign opportunities for our partners
  • Proofreading and contributing to fund applications and reporting of our partners
  • Actively participating and supporting the CATAPA working groups “right to say no” and “divestment”
  • Helping with the development and actions of the Right To Say No campaign
  • Assist in planning activities on the Right To Say No campaign, which gives the voice to environmental defenders from affected communities to share their stories and build international solidarity
  • Write, revise and proofread articles, blogs, educational tools and reports.
  • Support communication from and with partners in Latin America
  • Some administrative tasks related to the daily functioning of our office with the
  • Possibility to get an insight in the management of a non-profit organisation
  • Help organise movement activities such as the movement weekends (twice a year) or movement days  
  • Support the divestment campaign 
  • Help follow-up the engagement of volunteers in CATAPA
  • Possibility to develop and implement your own projects.

Requirements

Essential:

  • Motivated to work with volunteers
  • Motivated to motivate others
  • Interest in learning about the social and environmental movement, planned obsolescence, e-waste and mining issues
  • Good command of English 
  • Independent, proactive worker
  • Good communication skills
  • Willing to contribute to positive change in the world we live in
  • Team player with a flexible attitude 
  • Willingness to travel through Flanders and to Brussels
  • Age below 31 years, no residence in Belgium (this is a requirement of the ESC programme)
  • Agreeing with a flexible work schedule where you sometimes will work in the evening or in weekends since events and meetings often take place in the free time of the attendees and our volunteers

Nice to have:

  • Knowledge about/experience in or interest to learn about:
  •  International Cooperation and Human Rights
  • Fundraising
  • Project writing and management
  • Organising educational or training events
  • Advocacy and networking
  • Volunteer engagement
  • Circular and degrowth economy, environmental movements and/or social movements 
  • Latin-American politics
  • Knowledge of Dutch and/or Spanish
  • Volunteering experience

Interested or more information?

Please send your CV and motivation letter to karlijn.vandenbroeck@catapa.be at the latest the 4th of June 2024 at 23h59. If you have any questions concerning this vacancy, don’t hesitate to contact us. 

More information: www.catapa.be

Communication and Social Media Campaigning

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an ESC (European Solidarity Corps) volunteer to support the CATAPA movement, and in particular the communication within the campaigns on the Right to Say No and Planned Obsolescence. You will be working alongside our communications officer. The volunteer will be trained to think critically and spread knowledge of these issues and to encourage other young people to become active EU citizens. The tasks are flexible +depending on your learning goals and the needs of the organisation.

You will be part of our office team (4 part-time staff + 3 ESC volunteers + variable number of interns) which supports the work of the movement. Since CATAPA is a volunteer movement, you will be working in close collaboration with volunteers with a diverse and broad experience.

Possible tasks

  • Contribute in managing our social media channels and create content for those channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn). We mainly communicate in Dutch, but also regularly in English and Spanish. 
  • Help with the communication and promotion for events. 
  • Assist with the social media aspects of our central campaigns. 
  • Help in keeping our website updated. 
  • Write, review and proofread articles. 
  • Create low-threshold graphic design (for example for a poster, a flyer or for a social media post). 
  • Support communication from and with partners in Latin America
  • Support the Right To Say No activities
  • Co-coordinate the Divestment working group 
  • Build and support the Communication Working group of volunteers with the help of the movement and communication officers
  • Some administrative tasks related to the daily functioning of our office with the possibility to get an insight in the management of a non-profit organisation.
  • Possibility to develop and implement your own projects. 
  • Possibility to support other working groups you’re interested in

Requirements

Essential:

  • Interested in learning about the social and environmental movement and mining issues
  • Good knowledge of English (written and oral)
  • Independent, proactive worker
  • Motivated to work with volunteers
  • Good communication skills
  • Willing to contribute to positive change in the world we live in
  • Team player with a flexible attitude 
  • Age below 31 years, no residence in Belgium (this is a requirement of the ESC programme).
  • Agreeing with a flexible work schedule where you sometimes will work in the evening or in weekends since events and meetings often take place in the free time of the attendees and our volunteers

Nice to have:

  • Knowledge/experience on or interest to learn about: 
  • Communication strategies and campaigns
  • Design and layouting 
  • Circular and degrowth economy, environmental movements and/or social movements
  • Volunteer engagement
  • Managing social media and websites
  • Knowledge of Dutch and/or Spanish
  • Movie editing skills
  • Ability to work with a camera
  • Volunteering experience

Interested or more information?

Please send your CV and motivation letter to koerian.verbesselt@catapa.be at the latest the 4th of June 2024 at 23h59. If you have any questions concerning this vacancy, don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are selected for an interview, it will take place on the 24th, 25th or 26th of June, please keep that in mind when making your schedule.More information: www.catapa.be

What do we offer?

  • A warm welcome in our horizontally organized movement with plenty of learning opportunities and new connections.
  • A dynamic & motivated team of employees and volunteers.
  • Monthly fee: cohousing accommodation of your choice (with a max. rent contribution of 500) and a reimbursement to cover daily expenses of €550.
  • A personal learning trajectory coached by one of CATAPA’s employees, one language course (Dutch, English or Spanish) and opportunities for personal development.
  • Work-related expenses are paid by CATAPA.

CATAPA is committed to diversity, inclusiveness and equal opportunity. 

! Important: This call is part of the European Solidarity Corps, a European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer in projects abroad. This means people based in Belgium can’t apply for this vacancy. If your current residence is in one of the countries in this list, then you are able to apply.

The best farewell gift to Frauke? Stop #ExpresDefect to the rescue! Here is what you can do.

I hope you are all happy and well. First of all I have some sad news. April was my last month working for CATAPA. A replacement is foreseen in mid August. Meanwhile Maud will continue to coordinate the Stop #ExpresDefect campaign. But now more than ever, we need you all on board to keep the campaign rolling and not lose momentum. 

Success
Last year we achieved a lot. We developed several campaign tools, we organised or participated in many events, and several new and old catapistas joined our campaign. Many people put an amazing effort in Stopping #ExpresDefect! Big huraaay for all!

Help us keep the train rolling
So let’s keep this train rolling! Not having an overlap with someone coordinating these efforts is complicated,  but CATAPA is a non-hierarchical volunteer movement, what we achieve depends on all of us. I am confident we can make this work if we make it a joint effort! Hopefully you are confident too!

Help us promote this campaign and CATAPA at events and places in your area or community. Pick a campaign tool that suits you, and take it to your local library, community center or favourite ICT shop. Bring it to your amazing birthday-, family- or tupperware party.  Get it to a lecture, workshop or any other event and place you can think of. 

Small or big action, doesn’t matter. Help us take CATAPA and Stop #ExpresDefect out there, together we stop mining and planned obsolescence! 

What can you do?

  • Follow, share and like our campaign posts on CATAPA’S social media
  • Organise or promote a quiz with questions relating to mining, e-waste, planned obsolescence.
  • Share our flyer. 
  • Find a nice spot for our amazing roll-up banner. 
  • Find another nice spot for our selfie-mirror, and have people post on social media. 
  • Pick and choose some slides and give a presentation or workshop
  • Find a new home for our e-waste installation after the expo at MIAT finishes in September. 
  • Organise or promote a photo-exposition with amazing contributions from Catapistas Camilla Del Fabro, Dayana Corzo, Brendan Brown and Simon Lenskens. 
  • Pitch CATAPA or the campaign to your friends, family of colleagues. 
  • Take out our CATAPA infostand
  • Write a contribution for our newsletter or website
  • Follow up and share Stop #ExpresDefect related topics.
  • Join our monthly campaign meetings! contact maud.marcial@catapa.be
  • Propose something yourself!!

Spread the Stop #ExpresDefect Charter
Last but not least, if you cannot do any of these, just help us spread our Charter. It is finally ready to overtake all local municipalities in Flanders. The goal of this whole campaign is to convince local authorities to sign our Charter and commit to stop this throwaway culture, specifically the planned obsolescence of ICT products. We want to achieve this by reaching out to a handful of citizens in municipalities all over Flanders who want to convince their local or favourite politicians to sign our Charter. Just once a year we all meet to evaluate the progress. Want to help out to reach this goal? 

We decided to have an extra campaign meeting with all those amazing catapistas that want to Stop #ExpresDefect and discuss how we can assure the continuity of this campaign. On Tuesday the 30th of April @ 19u in the Catapa office or online. You are very welcome to join! It’s my very last day, it would be the best farewell gift to see many of you there!

Carolina and the Right to Say No

Carolina is an environmental defender from Falan, Colombia. She fights for the right to say no to extractivism and yes to a strong and resilient community. Along with Don Wilder she will tour Belgium this March during the Right to Say No Tour. Join the events to hear about the experiences of these environmental defenders, how our “green” trasition is impacting their lives and how degrowth might help their struggle.

My name is Carolina Monje and I am a land defender. To me, this place is not only a geographical space but a home that holds our history, culture and traditions. I defend our territory because I believe in the importance of preserving our identity and the legacy we have inherited from our ancestors. My role in defending the territory is multifaceted. Not only do I work to protect our common good and ensure environmental sustainability, but I also advocate for the rights of our communities. As an activist, I take on the responsibility of being the voice of those who cannot be heard, fighting for the right to say “yes” to a future that respects our needs and values. 

The right to say “yes” means empowerment for our community. I seek not only to preserve what we have, but also to ensure that we have the ability to decide our own destiny. I believe in self-determination and the importance of being the protagonists of our own history. Collaboration with activists from international organizations is crucial in our struggle/fight. Their support can help provide resources, visibility and diplomatic pressure to strengthen our position. Together we can build alliances that address the common challenges we face.

As I look to the future of our land, I see challenges, but also opportunities for positive change. I believe in the ability of the community and of activists and defenders to inspire meaningful transformations. With the continued support of international organizations and global awareness, I envision a future where our territory/land flourishes, protecting its cultural and natural richness for generations to come.

Report Encuentro del Derecho a Decir No


Picture of the road blockade that lasted over two years against a mine in the Chocó Andino. Photo by Danila, Red de Jóvenes del Chocó Andino

Between the 15 – 23rd November environmental defenders, organizations and social movements from across South America met in Quito for the ‘Encuentro del Derecho a Decir No’, organized by CATAPA. A report by Connor.

The metropolitan district of Quito, including the Chocó Andino biosphere reserve, was deliberately chosen so that we could celebrate and learn from the success of the popular referendum, and the Quito Sin Minería campaign, which successfully prohibited mining from the area. 

One of the most important aspects of the Right to Say No is also the Right to Say Yes, and this is fundamental to the Quito Sin Minería project. The campaign was focused around saying YES. Yes to life, yes to the Chocó Andino, yes to the Andean Bear which is native to the area, and yes to an economy that respects and values nature. 

Most impressive of all, in the wake of the popular referendum there is a coordinated effort within the Chocó Andino to promote an alternative vision of the biosphere reserve, based upon eco-tourism and agroecological production of coffee, panela, sugar cane and other fruits and vegetables. 

During the week, accompanied by the Red de Jóvenes del Chocó Andino, a network of  young people that were pivotal in the fight against mining projects within the biosphere reserve, we visited several centers of resistance within the Chocó Andino. 

In one particular visit, we went to Las Taguas, an eco-tourism farm project that teaches visitors about the process of making products such as panela and sugar cane juice agro ecologically, without chemicals or fertilizers, that respects nature and ensures that future generations can enjoy it. We also went for a nature walk with student guides in training, in of itself a vital process that involves young people in the protection of the biosphere reserve, swimming in a nearby waterfall that is protected and cared for by the project.


Photos from the visit to Las Taguas, an agritourism farm. Photo: CATAPA

In another symbolic visit, we visited the site where several communities of the Chocó Andino organised a road block for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for over two years against an illegal mining project.

By focusing on visiting centers of resistance, participants not only theorized what an alternative to mining and extractivism could look like, but saw with their own eyes a very real example of popular alternatives based on agroecology, community tourism and solidarity. 

Environmental defenders face daily threats and a constant struggle to protect their territories. Understanding this, the various visits across the Chocó Andino provided an opportunity for participants to relax, recharge their batteries and reaffirm their commitment to the protection of their territories in the fight against extractivism. 

In combination with this, a part of the meeting also focused on self-care and protection. During one particular workshop, we shared the measures we are taking individually and collectively to protect ourselves and others in our territories. However, we acknowledged that self-care and protection measures can only go so far. We collectively agreed that it is the responsibility of governments at every level to provide the necessary protection for environmental defenders, so that they can protect us without fear of violence and retaliation. 

The Quito Sin Minería campaign was not born overnight. As we learnt during the trip, it is the culmination of years of struggle against mining projects in the region – a social process that has taken place across the Chocó Andino and the city of Quito to build a collective consciousness about the impacts of mining, the importance of the reserve as a place of super biodiversity, and the need to protect it.

Aside from the visits, we based ourselves in the cantón of Pacto for several days of workshops and activities. We began by creating a collective map of the context regarding mining within each of the countries represented in South America.

In general, we concluded that the political situation in the region is increasingly dangerous, with governments at the local, regional, national and international level looking to facilitate the opening and expansion of new and existing mining projects, perpetuating economic dependence on the extraction of limited natural resources. This development model is marked by an escalation of violence and assassinations of environmental defenders and leaders of anti extractivist social movements. For example, Perú is still under the dictatorship of Dina Boluarte, the former vice president who took power in a violent coup beginning in December 2022, which resulted in the murder of over sixty protestors and the injury of thousands. In recent months, Dina Boluarte’s government has visited Canada and other western countries to declare Peru open for business, and is looking to ‘reactivate’ several mining projects, originally prevented by social movements, such as Minas Conga and Tia Maria.


Workshop focused on analyzing the context of mining in South America. Photo: CATAPA

The vast majority of mining projects in the region of South America are owned by multinational corporations with horrific, bloody histories. This includes the support of genocide, forced displacement and assasinations of environmental defenders to gain access to such territories, such as Newmont in the case of Minas Conga, Cajamarca, Peru and Anglo Gold Ashanti across Colombia – a scandal which is touched upon by the Quitale La Mascara Campaign.

During the week, we also organized a virtual team building activity with CATAPA volunteers that were taking part in the Movement Weekend in Belgium at the same time. In order to confront extractivism as a political project, we must form and strengthen international movements in order to make the connection between the extraction of resources from the ‘Global South’, which serve to manufacture products such as electric cars that are enjoyed only by a small minority of the world’s (predominantly western) population, whilst local communities receive little benefit.


Activity with Catapistas. Photo: CATAPA

As a result of the gathering, and in response to the current social, environmental and political context, the Network of Territories for the Right to Say No (Red de los Territorios por el Derecho a Decir No) was formed. This network will serve as a platform to share information about struggles against mining projects, and to develop and diffuse tools to strengthen the capacity of communities to say No to mining and other extractive activities in their respective territories.


Offering to the land that remained during the entirety of the meeting. Photo: CATAPA.