For centuries, indigenous communities have successfully thrived in the Amazon regions, and with respectful collaboration using the forests and river resources. In the last decade, however, threats against these communities have increased throughout the Amazon basin. Illegal logging, illegal mining, and drug trafficking have led to the murder of 33 indigenous people defending their territories and common resources. Because of ineffective governmental support, these defenders, their organizations and communities have proposed communitarian and traditional strategies as well as innovative measures to protect the Amazonian “commons”. In this session we will share the experiences of these indigenous defenders as they try to protect their common territories, and will present feasible and realistic options for their survival.
