Global partnerships

Bridges between Europe and Amazonia

Climate justice requires sustainable, local solutions that allow a good life for all. At the same time, climate justice means assuming responsibility together – fairness and sustainability instead of injustice and exploitation. We need to acknowledge existing global relationships and interdependencies as per the principle of joint but differentiated responsibility with a focus on achieving on equitable systemic change. A sustainable transformation must be based on cooperation of all actors.

Climate Alliance facilitates global partnerships as one way of shouldering global responsibility. These provide Climate Alliance members with a valuable chance for direct exchange with indigenous communities. They offer insights into the global challenges indigenous peoples are facing and create greater awareness for other realities. This both stimulates joint action and encourages the strengthening of existing collaboration.

Selected Partnerships

City of Constance (DE) – The Borari people (Brazil)

This partnership began in December 2019 with an annual budget of €10,000. It provides the Borari with moral and political support in the defense of their land and human rights. The partnership is coordinated by ProAmazonia Konstanz e.V, which offers advise to further municipalities interested in indigenous climate partnerships. In May 2020, the partnership helped produce an aid package for 220 Borari families to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus in the region. Illegal clearings, which have multiplied during the pandemic, are also being recorded and reported to the authorities. Learn more.

_{Photo: Climate Alliance}

City of Munich (DE) – The Asháninka people (Peru)

Regular visits of Asháninka representatives make an important contribution to the City of Munich’s educational work. During their visits, the guests raise awareness of the impact both climate change and natural resource extraction has on their lives. Munich also supports the Ashánika through publicity work and helps strengthen their territorial and cultural rights with numerous smaller projects. In May 2020 Munich supported the Asháninka who have been hit particularly hard by the Covid 19 pandemic with emergency aid amounting to 15,000 euros. Learn more.

_{Photo: Climate Alliance Hungary}

City of Cologne (DE) – FECONAU/Community of Yarinacocha (Peru)

The partnership between the City of Cologne, the community of Yarinachocha and the association of the indigenous peoples of the Ucayali (FECONAU) has been in existence since 2017. Its goal is to strengthen the Shipibo-Conibo communities and to support them in their fight against the encroachment of palm oil plantations on their lands. The State reserves the right of use despite legal recognition of their territory and grants licenses for the planting of monocultures. Learn more.

Climate Alliance Austria – FOIRN (Brazil)

Since the 1990s, Climate Alliance Austria has maintained a partnership with the umbrella association of the indigenous organisations of the Rio Negro. The State’s recognition of 122,000 km² of rainforest as indigenous territory is one of this partnership’s greatest successes. Apart from securing land rights and protecting resources, both the promotion of democracy and human rights as well as political participation are joint goals of the partnership. Learn more.

_{Photo: Climate Alliance Austria}

Climate Alliance Vorarlberg (AT) – Chocó (Colombia)

Since 1993, the Vorarlberg Climate Alliance communities and the Austrian province of Vorarlberg have been working in solidarity with the inhabitants of the rainforest region of Chocó. The cooperation includes several projects in the fields of education, environmental protection and ecological agriculture. In addition, the partners carry out political advocacy on environmental and human rights issues out and promote the territorial self-government of indigenous and Afro-Colombian organisations. Learn more.

_{Photo: Carolina Osorio}

Climate Alliance Luxembourg – Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM)

In Luxemburg, Climate Alliance municipalities choose projects delivered by ASTM in Latin America, Africa or Asia that they want to support. In connection with these projects, ASTM carries out educational work in the respective community as well as important political work, uncovering far-reaching connections between Luxembourg and the Global South. ASTM forms part of Climate Alliance’s national coordination in Luxembourg. Learn more.

_{Photo: Climate Alliance Luxembourg / ASTM}

Climate Alliance – Local projects in the Amazon

Besides the political and institutional support of COICA, Climate Alliance also funds smaller projects of indigenous communities as well as local and regional organisations in the Amazon region. This support ranges from grants to support community tourism, to the provision of travel expenses for indigenous representatives to participate in strategic meetings, or the financing of seminars. Even with relatively small funds, indigenous peoples can be strengthened in their rights - your municipality can also make an important contribution.

_{Photo: Climate Alliance}

City of Rostock (Germany) – The Harakmut people (Peru)

The City of Rostock has supported a project on natural resource conversation in the Amarakaeri protected area in 2014, thereby linking local climate action with rainforest protection. In addition to climate protection, the project helped to preserve the Amarakaeri communal reserve with the involvement of local indigenous residents.

_{Photo: AMARAKAERI}