On 10 October, an environmental defender from Colombia will be in London to deliver a crucial talk about the protection of one of the country’s most vulnerable regions: Chocó. The event, titled “Colombia: Rights of rivers, rights of peoples”, will explore how legal strategies can safeguard this region’s land and the communities that depend upon it.
Zac Liew
In Colombia, regions such as Chocó, have rivers and forests that are vital not just for the environment but for the survival of entire communities who depend on them for food, water, and cultural practices.
Yet these communities are under siege, as Chocó, is rich in minerals and natural resources. This puts the region under great threat from the conflict, national and transnational armed networks, and illicit economies such as coca, mining and logging.
And in the midst of the crossfire, ambitions and deforestation, there are the people who need and demand protection of their resources and ecosystems. But unfortunately, those seeking to defend the rights of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities to land and biodiversity are extremely vulnerable, as Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries for environmental defenders.
Colombian environmental campaigner Rodrigo Rogelis will speak about all this: he will talk about the struggle for the planet, for community and environmental rights in the midst of a brutal armed conflict. He will do so at “Colombia: Rights of the rivers, rights of the people”, an event organised by ABColombia.
Rogelis is a researcher at the Socio-legal Centre for the Defence of Territory (Siembra), which works in defence of indigenous, Afro-Colombian and peasant communities seeking to defend their lands and biodiversity,
Siembra’s work is particulary relevant ahead of COP16, where the global climate crisis will be in the spotlight again. Rogelis and his colleagues are pushing for legal frameworks that recognise the rights of ecosystems —a move that could change how governments and corporations engage with the environment.
This event will provide an opportunity to hear directly from someone on the frontlines of Colombia’s fight to protect its people and environment. For those interested in environmental justice, human rights, or Latin American issues, it will offer insights into how local communities in Colombia are mobilising in the face of huge environmental and sustainability challenges.
Rogelis will be joined by Louise Winstanley from ABColombia.
The event will take place from 17:30 to 19:00 on Thursday at Romero House in London but will also be available online via Zoom.
(Photos: Pixabay)
.jpg)
