A conversation with two Indigenous-led Funds from the Brazilian Amazon, Podáali and FIRN, and International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, which serves as the secretariat for the Global Alliance of Indigenous-led Funds.

As an ally organization to Indigenous Peoples, committed to exclusively supporting projects by small grassroots organizations, Azimuth World Foundation has had the opportunity to see first-hand the countless barriers that Indigenous communities face in accessing mechanisms to fund their projects.

This is an alarming reality, given the enormous challenges faced by Indigenous communities globally. Challenges that stem from the destructive legacy of colonialism, or the from the continuation of colonial practices to this day, which exert enormous violence and marginalize these communities. Challenges related to Western consumption patterns, which lead to savage extractivism in Indigenous territories and which are responsible for climate change, felt first and foremost, and most intensely, in the territories of Indigenous communities. However, it is equally clear that solutions derived from Indigenous cosmovisions, ways of life and traditional knowledge play a key role in the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises. That against this backdrop only 0.6% of donations from global funds reach Indigenous communities is astonishing and demands deep reflection.

This figure was published in a recent report commissioned by International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP), a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous funders dedicated to directly supporting Indigenous communities. Azimuth is proud to be an IFIP member. This network is deeply committed to decolonizing philanthropy. One of the central elements in this search for a more just, effective and humane philanthropy is the strengthening of Indigenous-led Funds.

Like Indigenous communities themselves, Indigenous-led Funds are characterized by enormous diversity, and each Fund has its own unique aspects. Bearing in mind the impossibility of a rigid definition, the IFIP-organized Indigenous-led Funds Working Group came up with the following definition: “Indigenous-led Funds are guided by Indigenous worldviews and led-by and for Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous-led Funds strengthen self-determination and support a process that empowerment of communities, at the local to the global level, to be able to change paradigms and shift power relations addressing the asymmetry of powers and resources to recognition and reciprocity”.

Indigenous-led Funds are now an integral part of the landscape, and their work deserves to be widely recognized. That’s why we’re delighted to have Claudia Soares (Baré), Secretary Director of Podáali – Indigenous Fund of the Brazilian Amazon, Josimara Melgueiro de Oliveira (Baré), Coordinator of the Rio Negro Indigenous Fund (FIRN) between 2021 and 2024, and Monica Wigman, who coordinates IFIP‘s Indigenous-led Funds department. Three testimonies that we are sure will help us better understand the crucial importance of Indigenous-led Funds, particularly in Brazil.

Play the video version below (English subtitles available), or scroll down for the podcast version (dubbed in English) and the transcript in English.

Image Credit: FIRN

ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT

MARIANA MARQUES – AZIMUTH WORLD FOUNDATION

Claudia, Josimara and Monica, welcome to Connecting the Dots.

As I mentioned in the introduction, it is very difficult to arrive at a closed definition for Indigenous-led Funds. Claudia and Josimara, could you help us define Podáali and FIRN a little better?

CLAUDIA SOARES (BARÉ) – PODÁALI FUND

Good morning, thank you for the invitation. Podáali is always happy to have these conversations and to spread the word about this innovative mechanism, which is a financial mechanism in the Brazilian Amazon.

Podáali was created by Indigenous Peoples, for Indigenous Peoples and it is managed by Indigenous Peoples. Podáali’s foundation was overseen by COIAB, which is the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon. So Podáali is an achievement of the Indigenous movement in the Amazon and its partners. We are building this together, and we serve as fundraisers to support Indigenous Peoples, communities and organizations.

We emerged as an urgent response to the crisis faced by Indigenous communities throughout the Brazilian Amazon. Our territories are suffering from a lack of resources and adequate support. This has several consequences: environmental degradation, the loss of ancestral territories, the violation of fundamental human rights.

Podáali was created with the mission of promoting and strengthening autonomy, Indigenous rights, territorial and environmental management, and it is a reference in attracting, managing and transferring resources to Indigenous Peoples, communities and organizations in the Brazilian Amazon.

JOSIMARA MELGUEIRO DE OLIVEIRA (BARÉ) – FIRN, RIO NEGRO INDIGENOUS FUND

Purãga ara, relatives. Purãga ara, relative Claudia, from the Baré People. My name is Josimara, I’m also from the Baré people. I’m speaking from the northwest of the Amazon, from a municipality called São Gabriel da Cachoeira. It’s on a triple border with Colombia and Venezuela.

I was the coordinator of the Rio Negro Indigenous Fund between 2021 and 2024, which I’m very proud to say is a fund also created by Indigenous Peoples, through the struggle of the Indigenous movement here in Rio Negro. We often say that the fund, FIRN, is also a result of the Rio Negro Indigenous movement’s struggle for land and culture.

We started our activities in 2021, by putting together an Indigenous team to operate the fund, this being the first Indigenous-led fund to directly support communities through calls for proposals. We currently operate in 12 Indigenous Territories, in an area of approximately 23 million hectares, covering three large municipalities here in Amazonas: Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, Barcelos and São Gabriel da Cachoeira. This is an area that overlaps with FOIRN‘s, which is an organization that is extremely well known as part of the Indigenous movement in Brazil. FOIRN is a grassroots organization with 37 years of history and activity.

We work with 23 Indigenous Peoples here. We say that we continue to resist, despite the invasions, despite the cycles of exploitation that we have suffered throughout our history. We continue to resist. We keep fighting for our rights.

Our mission is to promote the well-being and territorial management of our Peoples here in Rio Negro. Through projects designed by the communities and managed by the communities themselves. Our first call for proposals was launched in 2021. And FIRN is currently running its second call for proposals, and this has been a very fruitful and very challenging experience.

MARIANA MARQUES

Indigenous-led Funds are an essential element in the movement to decolonize philanthropy and to defend the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. In your opinion, what barriers do Indigenous communities face in accessing traditional funding mechanisms? And what makes Indigenous-led Funds unique, and how do they enable Indigenous grassroots organizations to overcome these barriers?

CLAUDIA SOARES

Within the discussion of the Indigenous movement at the Amazon level, Indigenous Territories have historically faced barriers. Excessive bureaucracy, and the lack of information about funding opportunities are some of these barriers. Or prejudice and distrust on the part of the funders, regarding the way resources are executed.

Indigenous-led Funds, like Podáali and I believe FIRN, are unique. Firstly, because they are managed by Indigenous Peoples. And what does that mean? It means that we are focused on strengthening the communities’ autonomy, and that of our territories. Because we come from these territories. We understand how they work, we understand how our societies are organized.

And also, these Indigenous-led Funds offer more accessible funding, which respects Indigenous worldviews, facilitating the development of the communities’ life projects, meeting the real needs felt in their territories. Here at Podáali, we say that when we talk about self-determination, or the autonomy of the territories to manage or execute these life projects, we don’t mean that we’re going to train professionals in project execution. No, we’re not looking at it that way. We’re showing that the territories themselves do have the capacity to manage projects and resources that address the needs there, the grassroots needs that exist in that territory.

So these barriers that I mentioned at the beginning are gradually being overcome. And we can measure this by looking at our first calls for proposals. In 2023, Podáali carried out its first call for proposals. We had a budget of about 1,600,000 reais. Still a small budget. Very much with the aim of us all learning how to handle it, because this is a new reality, having the Indigenous movement directly managing the funding.

I can say that we are experts, when it comes to our political advocacy for land demarcation, health and education. So we are very confident in our political advocacy. And with the funding, we now want to be experts in this too. We want to feel confident. But in order to do this, we have to deal with the issue of Indigenous temporality. Because at the same time as we are carrying out all these activities, all these tasks, we are also learning. Little by little, we are improving.

And, little by little, we’re also showing how we can be trusted. Trusted by Podáali’s financial backers. But also Podáali must be trusted by the territories. The territories must trust Podáali, they must believe that bureaucratic requirements won’t stay the same, with us. They must believe in accessibility, believe that the territories will be able to carry out their life projects more easily. And that these resources will allow them to reach their full potential.

Because this work, all these life projects, they are already being carried out on a daily basis, in the territories. But with financial resources earmarked for this, they will further enhance the work that is being done. Both in terms of sustainability and keeping the forest standing. The resources will help us take care of our rivers, when we say “No” to illegal mining. They will help with food sovereignty, allowing us to have healthy fish and meat.

Let’s put it this way, we’re managing to overcome these barriers that we see, through the work of Indigenous-led Funds.

JOSIMARA MELGUEIRO DE OLIVEIRA

There’s a phrase that a relative of ours says: “Who better than ourselves to talk about ourselves?” So this is a great differentiator for Indigenous-led Funds, as Claudia mentioned. This worldview, which is ours alone, which only we understand. Our territories have specificities and particularities that only we know about. It’s so important to have Indigenous-led Funds, led by Indigenous Peoples who understand this sensitive vision. We have a technical vision, but we also have a vision that is sensitive to our territory.

Another point I’d like to mention as a barrier we’re breaking down is related to our relationship with the territory. We, as Indigenous-led Funds, can build very different relationships. And we often say that Indigenous-led Funds were created to reach the places other funders won’t reach. We reach the fringes. We reach those communities that have no legal status, no legal structure. They may not even speak or write in Portuguese. So how can we, as Indigenous-led Funds, create strategies to reach these territories?

We encourage autonomy, but at the same time we are very committed to being a true partner. We help the territories, so that they are prepared to receive this funding. And we find ways to support them in that process.

MARIANA MARQUES

Both Podáali and FIRN work with Indigenous-led grassroots organizations in the Amazon region. Could you share with us some examples of projects that you have been supporting, and also tell us a bit more about how these projects uphold the communities’ self-determination?

CLAUDIA SOARES

Podáali supports projects along 8 thematic lines, as we call them. 8 main axes. And these axes are aligned with the COIAB’s guidelines. COIAB is the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon. They are also aligned with the SDGs. And with PNGATI, which is a national policy on Indigenous Lands.

And these thematic lines are Indigenous territorial and environmental management and protection, sustainable economy and food sovereignty, institutional strengthening and promotion of rights, Indigenous education and professional training, ancestral medicine and Indigenous health, cultural strengthening and traditional Indigenous knowledge, gender, generations and Indigenous people with disabilities, and guaranteeing the rights of Indigenous Peoples in isolation.

We work with Indigenous organizations that have an active legal status, and we also have projects with collective groups, as we call them, which are those groups that don’t have legal status. These can be youth groups, midwives’ groups, teachers’ groups, women’s groups.

We are implementing a project that was funded through an award, in the Xavante territory. So this award was put together with the Xavante People. Podáali has different models, regarding how funds reach the territories. It can be through calls for proposals, or through invitations, or through spontaneous requests, and awards are included in this latter model. So they decided to receive the funds through an award, in a way that allowed the 14 ethno-regions to receive these financial resources, which they themselves managed to raise. So, the way they registered their intiative, the way in which the funds were transferred, everything was done through this close work with the Xavante, and they defined the best way for these funds to reach their territory.

So, in the Xavante territory, with this support from Podáali, not only are they protecting their Indigenous Territory from illegal invasions, they are also implementing sustainable land management practices. That’s what they presented as their needs and aspirations, and that’s what they’ve been working on.

We are also developing projects, for example, that help, or enhance, or implement life projects related to the demarcation of Indigenous Territories. We have projects already underway, through which Indigenous organizations partner with Podáali, so that we can help them with the physical demarcation of their territories. Because nowadays, in Brazil, we still have a very serious issue, when it comes to the Brazilian State lacking the resources to carry out demarcation work, for example.

What I just described are some of the important elements within Podáali that characterize our current work. Because Podáali was built by Indigenous Peoples. And that involved both representatives and leaders who were already part of the Indigenous movement, as well as young leaders. And also leaders who were just starting out, who had never taken part in the movement. So, when Podáali was built, all these people were brought in, so that they could think together about how we wanted this financial mechanism to work, so that it could really reach the territories.

And with that in mind, I can tell you that the territories themselves are some of the biggest fundraisers, in the case of Podáali. And the leaders themselves, who are part of our governance structure, are also fundraising. And our executive board itself is also fundraising. So we are all working together so that these resources, financial and otherwise, can reach the frontlines, and are able to – I’ll use the same word again – enhance the work that is already being done.

JOSIMARA MELGUEIRO DE OLIVEIRA

There’s also something that I always like to point out, regarding these projects specifically, in the Amazon. And that’s how much things cost in the Amazon. The cost of accessing these places, these territories. Many funds don’t understand how difficult it is to move around, to get there. Even moving supplies to the territories, which are necessary for projects to be implemented.

We pay attention and care a lot about these difficulties. We were brought up on these difficulties. So these projects could face, with other funds, exactly this lack of understanding. They tackle issues that are extremely important for the territories, but that may not be so important for a call for proposals from other funds.

As for projects I can mention, for example, the revitalization and rescue of the crajiru plantation, which is a medicinal plant. It’s a traditional plant for our People, and it was disappearing, it was becoming almost extinct in our territory. So when we received this proposal, it was a very beautiful project, which we promptly decided to support.

I could also mention that the difference between Indigenous-led Funds and other funds lies in the relationship we have with these associations, with these organizations. Here at FIRN, we do monitoring. I’d say that’s a key point in making our fund successful. We monitor these projects, we support the development of activities, we provide guidance. And we are also there, alongside them, in a very technical way, developing, supporting, facilitating the activities within the territory.

We don’t just transfer resources. That’s very important to highlight. We also facilitate these processes. So that the territories and these small organizations feel supported. This is so important. That’s a very important detail, one that differentiates us from other funds.

MARIANA MARQUES

I’d like to shift now to the current political situation in Brazil. We know that, since the election of President Lula, there has been a great strengthening of institutional Indigenous representation. Not only have a record number of Indigenous deputies been elected to Congress, but the President himself created the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, led by Sônia Guajajara, an Indigenous leader, and he also appointed the first Indigenous woman to the presidency of FUNAI, Joênia Wapichana. However, there are still many reports coming in every day about the challenges that Indigenous communities in Brazil continue to face, even after Jair Bolsonaro’s destructive government has come to an end. How important is the existence of Indigenous-led projects, and the strengthening of funding and capacity building for grassroots and community organizations, so that the gains at the institutional level really have consequences at the local level and in improving the living conditions of the different Indigenous communities?

CLAUDIA SOARES

I’ll make an analysis of the general situation. It’s no use having these big government structures if there’s no funding. So, in fact, there needs to be – this will certainly take some time – but there needs to be a strengthening of these government bodies, so that they can really boost projects in Indigenous territories.

And Indigenous-led Funds come in as a complement. They help in that department. Because the more resources they have, and the more they reach the territories, the better. It’s better for these territories to have the autonomy to manage their life projects.

There’s are no conflicts in this situation. Because within the government itself, we have Indigenous relatives. Relatives who, for many years, were part of the struggle and contributed to the many achievements we have today. They are competent people, who are there, and who also look after and work on behalf of Indigenous communities.

And why am I saying that there is no conflict? Because, strategically, we are also allying ourselves with other funds that work in the Amazon. I’m talking about the Brazilian Amazon Network of Funds, which not only has indigenous-led Funds, but also quilombola and extractivist funds. And why am I bringing this up, too? Because we are looking strategically at the whole region, not at a specific territory.

And by doing that, if we can organize ourselves, help each other, we can also help other biomes. Because, in Brazil, we don’t have just the Amazon Rainforest. We also have the Atlantic Forest, we have the Cerrado, we have the Pampas, in short, we have other biomes in Brazil. So, if we can organize ourselves here, in the Amazon Rainforest, which, looking at Brazil, is 23% of all of Brazil – 23%, it’s the area that is most preserved – then we can organize ourselves here, so that we can also help other biomes.

This doesn’t mean that we’re in favor of everything that’s being done by the government. But, looking back – we came out of a devastating, dark and openly anti-Indigenous government, which shed a lot of Indigenous blood – so with that in mind, little by little, we are also strengthening ourselves, and strengthening our relatives who have an important mission within the Brazilian State, within the Brazilian government. I think I wanted to bring this broader view of the whole political situation.

JOSIMARA MELGUEIRO DE OLIVEIRA

The Rio Negro Indigenous Fund was created exactly during Jair Bolsonaro’s government, where we had an anti-Indigenous ruler, where we had enormous challenges regarding the protection of our territory and the well-being of our communities. So our movement here in Rio Negro, in a very pioneering and strong way, created this fund as a form of resistance to the government.

Although today we have a different situation, with a President who supports our cause, with the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, we can say that supporting the government, regardless of whether it’s this government now, or the next government, doesn’t necessarily mean supporting the Indigenous communities. Our support is different. I think everyone has their own role.

The government has the role of implementing public policies, of exercising social control, of taking a broader look at all the territories. And we, as an Indigenous organization independent of the government, we work with our communities, raising funds through philanthropy and international cooperation. Our current resources are not government resources. These resources come from international cooperation, and they are meant to support communities.

So I think that today we have an opportunity to work together with the current government, given the experience we have accumulated. And I think that’s what we’re hoping for. That we, as a fund, are consulted, that we, as funds, are also remembered as consolidated mechanisms that actually work. So that the current government can strengthen this relationship with grassroots organizations. With community organizations. So that’s the message I’d like to share: funding the government doesn’t necessarily mean funding Indigenous communities.

MARIANA MARQUES

FIRN and Podáali are already the result of long journeys in the struggle for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and for the strengthening of these communities. Looking at your history and the growth of the Indigenous movement in Brazil, how would you both like the work of Indigenous-led Funds to evolve in the coming years?

CLAUDIA SOARES

We hope that Indigenous-led Funds continue to grow, to strengthen their capacity to support these projects within the territories. We also hope for increased recognition and funding, which is important. This will allow us to have a wider reach and a greater impact. Because Podáali is dedicated to the Brazilian Amazon, but our regulations also allow us to receive funding for other biomes here in Brazil. Or for the non-Brazilian Amazon, for other countries.

And I hope that we are, in fact, respected. And that our leading role continues to be evident. And that our work makes people happy. I think I’d use those simpler terms. That it cheers the hearts of the people who fund it. That it cheers the hearts of those who are in partnership with us, helping us, too. Our partners. In short, may this work be light. And that this work keeps reaching the territories.

JOSIMARA MELGUEIRO DE OLIVEIRA

In 2022, I participated with Valéria Paye, Podáali’s executive director, in the IFIP Global Gathering of Indigenous-led Funds in Mérida, Yucatán. This was a crucial space for us to see how important these mechanisms are today at a global level. We had started a discussion here in Brazil, but this IFIP event was a space for us to really consolidate our vision of the future, the vision that we have for Indigenous-led Funds.

We could see the importance that Indigenous-led Funds have in tackling climate change. We must reinforce that these funds are one of the most effective ways of tackling climate change. So I hope these funds, these mechanisms are recognized as such.

And I also hope that we have more of these national and international, global spaces for exchanging experiences. So that we can connect with other relatives, and so that we can strengthen ourselves as a large movement, as a large advocacy group.

And I would say more: I hope that we can have a sit at the table. That we are not just invited, but that we are central to any debates on direct funding for Indigenous Peoples. We must be at these debates. Not just listening, but also speaking. Speaking with authority, based on the experience we have.

MARIANA MARQUES

Monica, IFIP has done extraordinary work to strengthen and make visible the work of Indigenous-led funds all over the world. Could you tell us a little bit more about the role of Indigenous-led funds in the movement to decolonize philanthropy, and also how IFIP has carried out its work to support Indigenous-led funds?

MONICA WIGMAN (IFIP, INTERNATIONAL FUNDERS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES)

First, I wanted to thank you for having us here today. And then also thank our colleagues here, for championing the work that they are behind, and just really showcasing what Indigenous leadership looks like.

IFIP stands as the sole global philanthropic network that’s dedicated to Indigenous Peoples worldwide. We execute our mission by cultivating deep relationships. And those relationships are grounded in respect and trust, with both the philanthropic sphere and Indigenous leaders.

We also champion direct funding to Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, as well as Indigenous-led initiatives. This is achieved by establishing that solid network, which serves global Indigenous Peoples and philanthropy.

And IFIP also creates spaces that allow Indigenous-led funds to share knowledge and drive paradigm shifts. And all this within the field of global philanthropy itself.

And I know that this only makes sense with a little bit of historical context. Back in 2018, IFIP hosted the first Global Gathering of Indigenous-led Funds, in New Mexico, in the United States. We initiated a dialogue on Indigenous-led funds by Indigenous-led funds. So this dialogue sparked the formation of an ILF Working Group, and then two subsequent Indigenous-led fund gatherings. And I think Josimara mentioned the third gathering, and that was in Mexico. And this gathering for Indigenous-led funds established the Global Alliance for Indigenous-led funds.

And IFIP, we serve as the secretariat, aiding the global ILF Alliance through workshops, future planning of more Indigenous-led funds gatherings. We serve through communication for this Alliance, and advocacy. And we do all of this, while supporting the larger movement, the broader movement.

And then I just wanted to touch base a little bit on the context of ILFs and their role within philanthropy. The first thing that we can think of is the 5 Rs: Respect, Relationships, Responsibility, Reciprocity and Redistribution. Those are what we believe, at IFIP, are the foundation of Indigenous-led funds, and Indigenous philanthropy, as a giving practice.

And shifting westernized methods of funding and philanthropic measurements of impact by supporting Indigenous-led funds. But it’s funding directly in the hands of the people who are closest to the challenges their communities are facing. Those leaders know what’s best for their communities, and we really should ground our relationships and respect in that.

ILFs are Indigenous-led-and-guided. Therefore, they can have that much larger and deeper impact that we’re all looking for, which drives the movement as well. And the last thing I really want to mention is that promoting self-determination, autonomy in governance, those are all pieces of ILFs’ role in the Indigenous philanthropy movement.

And lastly, our website – internationalfunders.org – we have several articles and several publications that I would just really suggest people to read and look at, because there’s so much there that will empower this movement, and it’s really what IFIP stands behind.

MARIANA MARQUES

And now we’re almost wrapping up this conversation. And I wanted to ask Claudia and Josimara: how does building bridges and alliances with Indigenous-led Funds in other parts of Brazil and the world, as well as with other allied organizations, strengthen your work? And do you believe that these alliances are changing the global philanthropy landscape?

JOSIMARA MELGUEIRO DE OLIVEIRA

As I mentioned before, these spaces that IFIP promotes are very important for exchanging experiences. They allow us to see the challenges that other territories are facing and how we can tackle them.

I would also like to mention again, as Cláudia has already mentioned, that we are currently part of an alliance, a network, called the Brazilian Amazon Network of Community Funds. This network includes 8 funds, community funds, that come from different parts of the Amazon. These are Indigenous-led, quilombola and extractivist funds. We get together with the aim of really strengthening each other, exchanging experiences, sharing about the challenges we face in our territories, and finding ways to face up to these challenges.

So these alliances are very important. And in these spaces, we also have profound discussions about the philanthropic landscape. What does philanthropy mean to us? How can we access the resources that come from philanthropy? How should we understand philanthropy’s role? So these are very important spaces, where we can look at ourselves.

At the beginning of this interview, I mentioned the creation of other Indigenous-led Funds in Brazil. Today, we have FIRN and Podáali as consolidated funds, and we have funds that are currently being created in various other Indigenous territories. So how can IFIP, how can we, as already consolidated funds, support these other funds that are being created? This is also important. That these funds, these Indigenous-led Funds, don’t become something trivial. That they become something really important. That they are created in a very responsible way, so that they have an impact, so that they achieve their goals in the best possible way.

CLAUDIA SOARES

Indigenous-led funds play a central role in decolonizing philanthropy, as they guarantee that resources reach the territories at the grassroots level. This promotes the autonomy and even the self-determination of these territories, of these Peoples. Establishing alliances strengthens the work of Indigenous-led Funds by promoting the exchange of experiences, project collaborations, and an expansion of support networks. IFIP itself provides these conditions, this networking, which also gives the funds greater global visibility.

These alliances also help us overcome a lot of traditional philanthropic practices, which often marginalize Indigenous communities.

I can say that these alliances are effectively changing philanthropy’s global landscape. By giving these funds greater visibility, by showing that they make funding more accessible and fairer for these communities, for these territories, by showcasing this way of working, we end up actually changing the landscape of philanthropy.

Recently, we participated an exchange. Funds from Brazil and from other countries went to Africa to help partners there understand the dynamics of what it means to be an Indigenous-led Fund. Here in Brazil, we have Indigenous Territories. And when we compare our situation to the situation in some other countries… We think our lives are difficult, but in other countries it’s a bit worse. So how can we help, in this sense of strengthening the struggle, the political struggle, so that partners there can actually protect their lives? So that they are not afraid to protect their lives and the lives of their communities? Because when threats come, they come with a brutal force. Often, people give up out of fear. So how can we strengthen our partners so that they are not afraid?

So I think that’s what I’d like to share as a final message. We can work on building these networks together. But global funds, – nowadays we have calls for global funds, territorial funds, regional funds – they shouldn’t distance us from the roots of the beautiful work we do, which is protecting life. It is a work of collective construction, truly aimed at making the lives of communities better.