Via MongaBay.com
In a guest commentary published by MongaBay.com, Aura Tegría, legal advisor to the Association of U’wa Councils and Authorities – ASOU’WA in Colombia, describes her experience at the IUCN Conservation Congress, currently being held in Hawaii.
MongaBay.com provided bullet points from Tegría’s commentary:
- “For the first time, the U’wa Nation participated in the world’s most important conservation event, the Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.”
- “We brought a clear message from our traditional authorities, called Werjayas, that we must maintain a harmonious relationship with our territory, respecting and taking care of Mother Earth.”
- “We also came to bring visibility to the situation being faced by our Mt. Zizuma, in Colombia’s El Cocuy National Park.”
The IUCN Conservation Congress is ongoing through Sept. 10. The meeting is held every four years, and “helps shape the direction of conservation and sustainable development,” according to the IUCN website.