The Ecuadorian indigenous activist Helena Gualinga _who together with Greta Thunberg and other young militants seeks new forms of mobilization against climate change_, calls for an end to the exploitation of fossil fuels.
“We have to leave the oil underground, stop exploiting indigenous territories, and for that, the rights of indigenous peoples, collective rights, are extremely important.”, he said in an interview with AFP during the World Economic Forum (WEF), where this week he participates in several of the debates.
Gualinga, 20, belongs to the Kichwa community of Sarayaku, in the province of Pastaza, and has become the spokesperson for a people who are demanding rights and autonomy from the states and the big oil companies.
Together with the Swedish Greta Thunberg and the activists Vanessa Nakate (Uganda) and Luisa Neubauer (Germany), Guaringa launched this week, coinciding with the forum, a petition calling on the big companies to stop exploiting fossil fuels. In a few days it already collected more than 800,000 signatures.
“We are from different parts of the world but we are fighting for the same purpose. It is a call to say ‘Enough is enough!’ Enough is enough because we have said it many times, we need urgent action”it states.
The petition, which takes the tone of a legal document, personally calls on the heads of big companies to “immediately stop opening new oil, gas or coal extraction fields.”
“If you don’t act immediately, know that citizens around the world will consider taking any legal action to hold you accountable.”, adds the text.
Lack of indigenous voices
When Gualinga attended Davos last year, as a youth ambassador for the science advocacy group Arctic Base Camp, he was surprised by the lack of indigenous voices at the meeting.
“There are so many decisions that are having an impact on indigenous communities that are happening,” Gualinga told Business Insider. “When we talk about climate change and the protection of biodiversity, we cannot exclude the rights of indigenous peoples”.
The activist, who this Tuesday participated in the Open Forum: Protecting the Vulnerable Climate, believes that it is vital that indigenous peoples are part of the type of decision-making that occurs in Davos.
“Significant is the participation from the beginning to the end. It is not when decisions are already being made. It’s not just having a small consultation with indigenous peoples“, said.
But in addition, he said that indigenous forms of decision-making and governance must be taken into account “because we have a different worldview, and because we have different experiences in our territories.” Gualinga said: “Many times, we have not had access to these spaces. So we need to create a process that suits our communities.”
The activist will also participate in the Keeping the Pace on Climate and the Don’t Let Greenwashing Fears Stall Credible Actionwhich will take place on Wednesday, in addition to the Dinner: Custodians of Our Planet, on Thursday.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, began on January 16 and will run until January 20. It will bring together some 2,500 attendees, including heads of state and government, corporate CEOs, civil society representatives, global media, and youth leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
