Land rights promote self-rule
At the end of the 1980s some of the indigenous groups (which were about 30,000 people) founded the organization FOIRN. After many years of political struggle, the indigenous groups achieved the right to their traditional territories well over 100,000 km2. This opened the possibility for increased self-rule and to reclaim local traditions and values.
Collaboration to develop specially tailored education
With support from Rainforest Foundation, FOIRN and selected indigenous groups initiated the development of education systems that secure that the young receive knowledge about traditional language, values and the management of the rainforest’s resources.
Many of the local languages in the region were only found in spoken form, so newer written languages and teaching books are developed. Now there are several schools started up with teaching in the local languages, lead by local teachers, and with a special curriculum.
In these areas most of the village inhabitants have moved back. School children have during the coarse of a few years become familiar with – proud of – their own language and culture. The program has become so popular that a number of other groups in the area would like to take part in the project. In 2006 there was a great and important political breakthrough: the politicians decided to use the projects teaching model as a template for all of the more than 200 primary schools in the county.
This text is a contribution from the Rainforest Foundation in November 2008.
