As we move towards the Solstice, we are still warm with the glow from the recent Embedding Diversity for a Flourishing Future event we co-hosted in collaboration with Earthed, Flourishing Diversity, Synchronicity Earth, and six extraordinary Indigenous leaders and land defenders from Brazil during Earth Week.
Among 200 others gathered in Soho, London, we bathed in the wisdom held by Claudelice dos Santos, Angela Mendes, Asháninka leaders Moisés and Shãtsi Piyãko, and Mbya Guarani leaders Arnildo Werá and Juliana Kerexu. We were moved by heartfelt music, changed by stories of joy and grief, outraged by tales of violence, and inspired by the persisting resistance of these incredible grassroots changemakers. Together, we remembered what it means to be human, to be an active participant in Gaia’s resplendent web of life.
It was an evening of deep reflection and learning in solidarity with frontline defenders, platforming the voices of forest peoples from the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest. Indigenous wisdom and Traditional Ecological Knowledge are rich with the diversity, stewardship, and community we deeply need to reawaken ourselves to in the face of the mounting crises of these times. It felt incredibly powerful and important to hold this opportunity for listening and realignment, and we are deeply grateful to all who contributed and shared in this space.
Gaia’s roots formed in the Amazon around forty years ago, accompanying forest peoples in defending their Indigenous and traditional communities’ lifeways. This work continues today through the convening of the Alliance for the Amazon and Beyond, through which Lead Convenor Grace Iara Souza nurtures long-term friendships with Earth defenders, including those who contributed to this vibrant evening.
Inspired by the Flourishing Diversity series in 2019, when we relaunched the Alliance for the Amazon and Beyond, we gathered again in London to hear, celebrate, and renew affectionate alliances. It was a truly moving evening that will continue reverberating in the hearts and minds of those attending for a long time.
– Grace Iara Souza
You can watch the full event here.
Among those sharing were two Asháninka leaders, whose people, land, and culture have faced centuries of violence from settlers, missionaries, governments and guerrilla movements, and with whom Gaia shares a long history of affectionate alliances. Moisés Piyãko Ashaninka is a spiritual leader and protector of the Ashaninka people’s culture and land who has dedicated his life to preserving Ashaninka traditions, strengthening his people’s autonomy, and protecting their territory. Moisés was joined by his sister Shãtsi Piyãko (Maria Alexandrina), known for her deep spiritual knowledge of Ashaninka art and culture.
“We came across the ocean not just to share our pain, but to share our way of being. Our biggest weapon has always been listening. Looking. Dialogue. That is how we resist.”
– Shãtsi Piyãko
Angela Mednes, friend of Gaia and daughter of Gaia Ancestor Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper assassinated for his tireless defence of the rainforest, also imparted her wisdom upon attendees. Angela is a socio-environmental activist and technologist in Environmental Management, chairing the Chico Mendes Committee that supports young voices from the forest.
Mbya Guarani leaders, who Grace Iara works alongside, joined the discussion. Despite being one of the largest Indigenous peoples in Brazil, the Guarani people have historically had more of their land taken from them than any other Indigenous ethnicity. Juliana Kerexu Mirim is a chief and prominent leader of the Mbya Guarani, who is known for expressing the importance of women’s political participation and elevating the voice of Indigenous peoples in international forums. Arnildo Werá is a shaman, community leader, and an Indigenous teacher in the Itapuã Indigenous Land. They are also an Executive Coordinator for the Commission Guarani Yvyrupa, an autonomous Indigenous organisation bringing together collectives of the Guarani people that Grace accompanied at COP16 earlier this year.
The final Amazon forest member present on the night was human rights defender Claudelice da Silva Santos. Claudelice is the General Coordinator of Institute Zé Claudio & Marias, recognised for her struggle for justice following the killing of her brother and his wife; denouncing human rights violations resulting from land grabbing, logging and crimes against the environment.
Each with their own reflections about our collective belonging to the Earth and one another, and stories which were both shocking and deeply enriching, the six forest peoples created a truly magical atmosphere which touched every member of the audience. Wera and Ju Kerexu invited us to welcome another day, celebrating the joy of being alive (chant).
“We are running out of time. We don’t have time to doubt. We need to fight together, or we will see the end of Mother Earth.”
– Juliana Kerexu Mirim
Every day, week, month, forest peoples are met with fatal violence on their journey of defending the Earth those we share Her with. But it is in moments like the Embedding Diversity for a Flourishing Future event that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our pathway to flourishing.
Below is an extract from a poem by Hot Poet Liv Torc, reflecting on the event.
Meeting here,
where colonisation has breached
the territory of the mind,
and political predators circle
with iron and lies.
Teachers, torch bearers on the path,
holding the light of our ancestors
like a weapon against a war we did not start.
It starts at the corners,
the edges of territories torn apart,
on the front lines of resilience
galvanised by our struggles and our brilliance.
It starts in the forests,
with the spirits, we believe.
Indigenous love isn’t something we do—
it’s something we breathe.
