Cachoeira Sagrada Nambikwara, Utiarity. ©Marcelo Fortaleza Flores

ONE THOUSAND VILLAGES

português | english

Where: All the threatened Brazilian ecosystems.
Adopt a village and donate enough to make real change


The “One Thousand Villages” campaign aims to support sovereignty actions in indigenous and traditional communities committed to sustainable solutions. The protection of the environment begins with the involvement of the local community and its leadership. Sovereignty implies a high degree of independence in spite of the strains of the present environmental crisis, autonomy from local politics or economy, and being the masters of their own destiny. The main objective of the initiative is to raise funds to finance projects developed by local community leadership, in addition to a series of initiatives aimed at protecting their lands, cultures and ecosystems.

The One Thousand Villages campaign has been created by activists and artivists. Among the indigenous activists who have inspired it are Ailton Krenak and Benki Piyãko. Over thirty musicians, photographers and filmmakers have participated in the making of a music video about the culture of indigenous peoples, quilombolas and riverine communities by the acclaimed director Marcos Prado. The song "The Doomsday Clock", byBrazilian composers Carlos Rennó, Makely Ka and Rodrigo Quintela was performed by artists like Margareth Menezes (the present Minister of Cultureof Brazil), Arnaldo Antunes, Zélia Duncan and Nando Reis. The campaign also counts with releases from work by photographers like Araquém Alcântara, Maureen Bisilliat and Claudia Andujar, among others.

Ailton Krenak
ilton Krenak. ©Dantes Editora.
Xavante dancing the sunstroke dance
Xavante Sun Dance, Eteniritipa Village. ©Marcelo Fortaleza Flores
Xavante young man shooting an arrow
Xavante warrior hunting with a bow. ©Marcelo Fortaleza Flores

A THOUSAND VILLAGES' STRATEGIC AXES:

Why are the campaign pillars focused on sovereignty actions?
The Boa Foundation believes that sovereignty starts with initiative and autonomy. Therefore, it engages in listening to community leaders and working together with local leaders to support their priorities, their sustainability projects, their networks of exchanges and relationships, in addition to seeking partnerships inspired by mutual interest with the presen tand future of the planet.

The campaign will support projects in the axes of
1) territory and reforestation.
2) food (or water) sovereignty.
3) traditional health practices and systems.
4) and communication (of local culture and identity).

These four axes are the pillars that keep communities under the aegis of conservation: of the territory and its guardianship, of the environment and the sustainable practices to make culture and nature thrive, of human and human/nature relations, and of culture and identity.

With sovereignty over territory, traditional or newly acquired for reforestation, people can show a preserved ecosystem improves the local economy generating greater autonomy.

With food and water sovereignty, people, land and ecosystem are preserved.

With health sovereignty, there is no dependence or vulnerability in the well-being of these peoples.

With sovereignty in communication, communities can devise their own destinies, and with sovereignty in culture based on a strong local identity, a community can inspire new generations and stop the engines of colonialism.

Next villages whose sovereignty actions will be supported by the campaign:

TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY :
1- Huni Kuin (near Rio Branco and Sena Madureira, AC): support for the acquisition of new land for reforestation and projects for reconnecting local youth to indigenous culture in order to free them from drug and alcohol dependence. 2- Maxakali (Minas Gerais): implementation of reforestation project.
3- Ashaninka (Institute Yorenka Tasorentsi): ongoing negotiation for acquisition of land for the reforestation projects and cultural program of theInstitute.
4- Waurá: establishment of a new village in demarcated territory so as to protect isolated region prone to invasions.

FOOD AND WATER SOVEREIGNTY :
1- Tupinambá (Serra do Padeiro): support for the Cacau Caboclo cooperative—a local women's empowerment project. 2- Guajajara (Araribóia): implementation of the muffled beans project. 3- Pataxó (Dois Irmãos): capture and purification of local water sources.
4- Waurá (Ulupuene): implementation of a fish farm to prevent the consumption of fish contaminated by soy and agribusiness in the region.

HEALTH SOVEREIGNTY :
5- Ashaninka, Kuntanawa and Ribeirinhos (Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute): support for the start-up of the installations of the essential oil distillation plant in the Amazon.
6- Action in support for people with disabilities within their communities.
7- Ribeirinhos do Alto Murú: support for the beginning of the installation of an agroforestry with medicinal plants.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE SOVEREIGNTY :
8- Resex Chico Mendes: installation of satellite Internet to strengthen a network to strengthen local cooperatives. 9- Quilombo de Samucangawa: installation of satellite Internet to publicize the community's claims to its territory. 10- Yawanawá (Amparo): installation of satellite Internet to start educational activities at the Nixiwaka School and University. 11- Kaiowá (village whose name will remain confidential): construction of the local prayer house with the support of the community.
12- (several villages): Support for the creation of an application for selling indigenous, quilombola and riverine handicrafts without intermediaries.
DONATE NOW