THE AMBASSADORS OF PACHA MAMA
Three weeks with a female delegation from Sarayaku (Amazonia, Ecuador)

In 2002, the oil extraction company CGC entered Sarayaku without permission, escorted by the army to explore the subsoil. Some women from the town in defense of your territory manage to hold them back from disarming them, leaving them dumbfounded and amazed… This is just one example of the exceptional resistance capabilities of the Kichwa people of Sarayaku: 1,200 people who practice direct democracy, implementing the use of resources of subsistence traditionally.
Sarayaku embodies and carries the word of many native peoples of the Amazon and more, reminding us of their essential role in preserving the jungle, vital carbon sinks for the planet. Their proposal: a new category of Kawsak Sacha protected area, or living forest that includes their rights, their worldview, their culture, their own development projects and a dialogue between all the living beings of Pachamama.

As in 2015, four "ambassadors" will present their testimonies in Liège, Brussels, Namur, Germany and Luxembourg. At the end of COP 23, they will talk about their struggles for the protection of their environment, their bicultural education model, their daily life in harmony with the jungle, their alternatives to climate change.

In the presence of: Mirian Cisneros, president of Sarayaku – Abigail Gualinga, “Youth” leader – Samaï Gualinga, “Communication” leader – Sabine Bouchat, project coordinator and translator.

Agenda with Mirian Cisneros, president of Sarayaku:

– 11/13-10 a.m.: Meeting in the cabinet of the Minister of the Walloon Region of the Environment, Carlo Di Antonio + 12:30 p.m. press conference on climate solidarity projects supported by Wallonia through the AwAC of which the “Sarayaku Project ” with the Casa Nicaragua de Liège. (Ilot Saint Luc, Salle 7, Namur) http://www.awac.be/index.php/presentation# – http://casanica.org/le-peuple-kichwa-de-sarayaku-se-lance-…/

– 11/14- 9 a.m.: School screening of “Voice of Amazonia” + debate
(Cinéma Sauvenière, place Xavier Neujean, Liège) – with Athénée d'Ans, Grignoux, IAI, Barricade and Casa Nicaragua.
– 11/14 -2pm to 4pm: Workshop with students in anthropology and international cooperation “The point of view of the Observed on the observers (University of Liège, place du 20 Août, Liège) – with UniverSud and Casa Nicaragua.

– 11/15 – 6:30 pm: Lecture “Exploit the land at any price? ”
with also Anna Bednik (journalist and author of the book Extractivism) and Nicolas Pinet (researcher Paris-Diderot University and editor of DIAL magazine) (Catholic University of Louvain, Auditorium Agora 14, Louvain-la-Neuve) – with the Commission Justice et Paix, le CETRI et Kot Amnesty.
http://www.justicepaix.be/Des-technologies-an-importe-quel…
Schedule the four Sarayaku representatives:
– 11/20-1:30 p.m.: Female knowledge exchanges: wituk-henna, ceramics, wayusa-it'tẳy, struggles and life of women in the Amazon and in the world (Maison des Femmes d'ici et d'ailleurs, rue Alfred Magis 16, Liège) – with the FPS-Solidaris
http://blogmaisondesfemmesdicietdailleurs.blogspot.be/
– 11/22 – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Meeting and debate at the Ans college (Rue Georges Truffaut 37, Alleur) + local press invitation
– 11/22 – 6:00 p.m.: Dinner and carte blanche, Word to the Pachamama ambassadors, a whole night to listen to them as they wish. (Barricade and Casa Nicaragua, rue Pierreuse 19 et 23, Liège) http://casanica.org/ – http://www.barricade.be/

– 11/23 – 9am: Boucle de l'Ourthe, a protected area –site visit and planting of the first tree (//Sisa ñambi) (Esneux) – with Vert et Vie https://www.vert-et-vie.be/

– 11/23 – 5pm: Screening of “Kawsak Sacha, canoe of life” and debate with Audrey Pulvar – President of the Fondation pour la nature et l'homme
François Gemenne – Director of l'Observatoire Hugo (migration and climate change)
Thierry Michel – Cinéaste
Jacques Dochamps – Cinéaste et President of the Frontière de Vie association
Carlo Di Antonio – Walloon Minister for the Environment
(ULg, Salle Gothot, Place du 20 Août, Liège) – with the Observatoire HUGO
http://labos.ulg.ac.be/hugo/festival-hugo/

– 11/23 – 8pm: Concerto supporting Atayak – Sarayaku by Sacha Toorop and Music 4 a While (Brasserie du Sauvenière, place Xavier Neujean, Liège) – avec les Grignoux et Frontière de Vie http://grignoux.be/concerts/2525 – https://www.frontieredevie.net/

– 11/24 – 10 a.m.: Press conference in the presence of Princess Esmeralda (Institut des sciences naturelles, rue Vautier 23)
– 11/24 – 7pm: Conference “Women fighting for the defense of the Amazon” (Ecsadi, Av. d'Auderghem 77, 1040 Bruxelles) – with FIAN and MATM
http://www.matm-belgique.org – http://www.fian.be/

– 27 and 28/11 – Press conference + several visits + lunch debate (Luxembourg) – with ASTM http://astm.lu/

Organized by Casa Nicaragua, Barricade and Frontière de vie
in collaboration with FIAN, MATM, ASTM, Oro Verde Tropenwaldstiftung, Le Cetri, Commission Justice et Paix, Universud, IAI, Klima Bündnis, Vert et Vie, Festival HUGO, les Grignoux, l'Athénée d'Ans, les FPS- Solidaris, the Maison des Femmes d'ici et d'Ailleurs,
With the support of the Province de Liège, the Wallonie-AwAC and the FWB

Appointments for interviews, contact: tania@casanica.org or +32 497 06 51 14
(Photos and visual materials available upon request)