Indigenous leader Patricia Gualinga lives in the middle of the Amazon rainforest013 Archives where oil, minerals and lumber are abundant. She says her people, the Kichwa people of Sarayaku, are one with the land.
It's land companies and miners are hungry to destroy. But Gualinga won't let that happen.
SEE ALSO: Indigenous leaders hold powerful press conference on climate action in ParisFor the past 25 years, Gualinga has been tirelessly dedicated to keeping oil, mineral and lumber extraction off of Sarayaku land.
At the 2016 Social Good Summit on Monday, Gualinga -- who is the international representative for the Kichwa of Sarayaku of the Ecuadorian Amazon -- spoke with actor and advocate Alec Baldwin about her fight to keep indigenous land pure, while also curbing climate change. Gualinga's answers were translated into English for the discussion by Leila Salazar-López, executive director of Amazon Watch.
"These are spaces that are sacred."
Environmental activism is known for being dangerous -- and even deadly -- around the world, with attacks on activists on the rise as conversations around climate change intensify. According to Amnesty International, about 65 percent of activists murdered for human rights work are advocating for the protection of land, territory or the environment.
In the face of this violence, Gualinga has emerged as a fierce and fearless advocate for her community of about 1,200 people hailing from the south-central area of the Amazon rainforest. The community is passionate about protecting their land that is mostly made of primary rainforest -- land that is lush and almost completely untouched by harmful human activities and pollution.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable But keeping that land pure has come with a lot of pushback, especially from the Ecuadorean government, which tried to claim some Kichwa land for oil in 1992. The government's efforts -- after a decade-long fight -- were ultimately unsuccessful.
"When the the government has disrespected us, we have taken them to court," she said. "We had a human rights case against our government for 10 years -- and we won. At least, with this case, we gained back a little bit of the respect that they had taken away from us."
"We aren't just poor indigenous people who have these complaints."
Over the past year, the Kichwa people developed a Living Forest proposal to permanently protect the Sarayaku rainforests, keeping them free from extraction. Gualinga said this proposal is essential to respecting Mother Earth and living on land responsibly.
"These are spaces that are sacred," she said. "They're alive -- and we want to keep them protected forever."
Gualinga said what her people want most is simply to be heard and have their proposals implemented. With that, she said, comes recognizing the contributions of the Kichwa people to the climate -- and to the world.
"We aren't just poor Indigenous people who have these complaints," she said. "We are contributing valuable contributions to the world by protecting our rainforests."
"This is not just our problem; this is your problem, too."
About Social Good Summit
The Social Good Summit is a two-day conference examining the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world. Held during U.N. Week on Sept. 18 and 19, the Social Good Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders and grassroots activists to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time. You can watch the event live at socialgoodsummit.com.
This year's summit is brought to you by Mashable, the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme and the 92nd Street Y. For complete event details, visit https://mashable.com/sgs.
Topics Social Good
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