AMAZON FRONTLINES

BUILDING AUTONOMY AND SCALING PARTNERSHIPS: AMAZON FRONTLINES IS EXPANDING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES TO ACHIEVE A MUCH WIDER IMPACT IN PROTECTING THE UPPER AMAZON. AS WE SCALE OUR FRONTLINE MODEL WITH NEW ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE REGION, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE STAY TRUE TO OUR CORE MISSION OF ENSURING THAT OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS ARE LEADING, LEARNING, AND OWNING THE PROCESSES THAT DIRECTLY RESPOND TO THEIR OWN VISIONS FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TERRITORIES. OUR PARTNERSHIP DEPARTMENT WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND STAFF OF REGIONAL INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY THROUGH TAILORED TRAINING IN PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCOUNTING, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THEM IN ACCESSING GLOBAL NETWORKS AND FUNDING TO STRENGTHEN THEIR FIGHT TO PROTECT THEIR CLIMATE-CRITICAL TERRITORIES.IN 2023, WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR NEW GRANTMAKING FACILITY TO DIRECTLY PROVIDE INDIGENOUS LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO SUPPORT A WIDE ARRAY OF ACTIVITIES, RANGING FROM CONVENING EVENTS AND COMMUNITY ASSEMBLIES CRUCIAL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHENING AND COMMUNITY COHESION, TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLS IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATION MATERIALS AND TERRITORIAL DEFENSE TRAINING PROGRAMS. WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE MAKING GRANTS FOR HUMANITARIAN AID IN RESPONSE TO REGIONAL CONFLICTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRISES. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RAPIDLY REGRANT EMERGENCY FUNDS TO INDIGENOUS SIONA COMMUNITIES IN RESPONSE TO THE ONGOING ARMED CONFLICT IN COLOMBIA'S PUTUMAYO PROVINCE WHICH IS CURRENTLY DISPLACING AND THREATENING THE LIVES OF SIONA COMMUNITIES.

SECURING RIGHTS AND LAND TENURE: WE CONTINUE TO WAGE HARD-HITTING LEGAL BATTLES AND ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS WITH OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS THAT UPEND BAD LAWS AND CLOSE LOOPHOLES, JAM DESTRUCTIVE PROJECTS, AND ADVANCE INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, REGIONALLY AND GLOBALLY, THROUGH LEGAL PRECEDENT AND IMPROVED LEGAL FRAMEWORKS. IN 2023, WE SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZED AND CAMPAIGNED WITH ECUADORIAN CIVIL SOCIETY TO PERMANENTLY BAN OIL DRILLING IN THE YASUNI RAINFOREST IN EASTERN ECUADOR AND PROVIDED ON-THE-GROUND EMERGENCY RELIEF AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO SIONA COMMUNITIES IN THE MIDST OF ARMED CONFLICT IN SOUTHERN COLOMBIA. WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE KOFAN AND WAORANI NATIONS TO UPHOLD THE INDIGENOUS RIGHT TO FREE, PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT (FPIC) - OR THE RIGHT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO DECIDE THE FUTURE OF THEIR TERRITORIES - AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IN ECUADOR. IN 2023, WE LAUNCHED A NEW LAND-TITLING PROGRAM IN ECUADOR CALLED "ALLPAMANTA" (TERRITORY IS LIFE IN KICHWA), ALONGSIDE INDIGENOUS FEDERATIONS CONAIE AND CONFENIAE TO RECOVER INDIGENOUS TENURE OVER GOVERNMENT HELD LANDS IN NATIONAL PARKS WHICH SPAN 1.5 MILLION HECTARES OF FORESTS NATIONWIDE, THEREBY ENFORCING INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND RETAINING PROTECTED STATUS, BUT WITH GREATER INCENTIVES FOR INDIGENOUS USE, PROTECTION AND LAND MANAGEMENT. IN PERU, WE ARE ALSO ADVANCING LAND-TITLING PROCESSES ALONGSIDE THE AMAZONIAN INDIGENOUS FEDERATION AIDESEP, WITH THE REGIONAL INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATION ORPIO, THE SIEKOPAI NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OISPE, AS WELL AS NONPROFITS LIKE INSTITUTE FOR LEGAL DEFENSE AND RAINFOREST FOUNDATION US, IN ORDER TO FORM A BROAD COALITION EFFORT TO SECURE A NATIONAL IMPACT ON POLICY THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN PERU IN RECOVERING AND PROTECTING THEIR TERRITORIES.