Rights and autonomy for Buen Vivir in the Southern Andes and the Marañón river basin in Peru

Peasant communities in the Southern Andes and native communities in the Marañón river basin, through organisation and alliances defend and exercise their rights and build autonomous initiatives for Buen Vivir, based on the integrated management of their territories, in the face of expanding extractivism. The large scale extraction of natural resources in Andean highland communities and Amazonean communities in the Marañon River basin converts these communities in disputed territories, where two world visions collide: one of community-centered “Buen Vivir”, and one of neoliberal accumulation that imposes the extraction of natural resources. Accompanied by 10 partner organisations, the communities strengthen their internal organisation and capacities to defend their human rights, defend and sustainably manage their territories and build sustainable alternatives that allow them to live with dignity. To this end, ancestral knowledge is recovered and strengthened and agro-ecological principles and practices are implemented to produce healthy food, generating income and food sovereignty. Through training, advice and accompaniment in legal cases, the grassroots social organisations of the communities strengthen their role of uniting and linking communities and dialogue with state and other actors, to advocate for the rights of the communities. The partners work with young people and women to improve their real participation in their communities and organisations. It also includes direct awareness-raising work with men to motivate them to contribute to more equal and just gender relations. The elaboration and implementation of collective protection plans, training in integral care and legal accompaniment help to protect defenders of rights, the environment and territories who are victims of criminalisation and threats. Through sensitization and coordination efforts, local governments are motivated to support alternative territorial proposals with resources and public policies. Finally, the communities and organisations accompanied by the partners participate in broad alliances that, through public campaigns, raise public awareness and influence authorities and political decision-makers at the national and international level in favour of the rights of the communities.