Seminar: "Global Contributions and Local Compensations: Territorial Voices for Climate Justice in the Amazon"

On Thursday, June 6th, the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) hosted the International Guest Seminar titled "Global Contributions and Local Compensations: Territorial Voices for Climate Justice in the Amazon." 

This event brought together significant research in the field of climate justice and advocacy, fostering crucial dialogue on the role of local communities in the fight for climate justice in the Amazon region.

Entre las ponentes del seminario estuvieron la Dra. Claudia Horn, Becaria posdoctoral de la Universidad de Brandeis, quien provocó discusiones con su conocimiento en el campo. 

Also contributing was Célina Marie Scülfort, a PhD candidate in Rural Development from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and PUCP, enriching the debate with her on-the-ground experience.

The event, held from 12 pm to 2 pm in the Large Meeting Room on the 9th floor of the PUCP Social Sciences Complex, attracted a diverse audience interested in exploring innovative and collaborative solutions to address climate challenges in the Amazon.

Dr. Maritza Paredes, a principal professor at the Research Group on State and Society (GIES) and the Department of Social Sciences at PUCP, explained the objectives of the "Indigenous Visions for Climate Justice" project, emphasizing the importance of incorporating ancestral wisdom in seeking sustainable solutions.

The International Guest Seminar was made possible through the collaboration and joint efforts of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC - CRDI), the Research Group on State and Society (GIES), the Academic Department of Social Sciences, and the Sociological, Economic, Political, and Anthropological Research Center (CISEPA) of PUCP. This institutional alliance demonstrates a shared commitment to working towards a more just and sustainable future for the Amazon and its inhabitants.

More value for the forest, but not for the labor that protects it?

Dr. Claudia Horn from Brandeis University presented her case study on international cooperation and payments for ecosystem services in the Brazilian Amazon. 

During her presentation, she highlighted two positions reflecting international environmental divisions regarding the "polluter pays" principle in climate finance. She noted a growing influence from financial and agro-industrial sectors advocating for compensations over economic incentives.

Dr. Horn underscored the formal discursive recognition of local communities while also pointing out the absence of effective structural recognition of the reproductive social labor that protects the environment. This situation reveals an unjust compensation for green workers, including "forest guardians," who are not direct beneficiaries of individual projects but are collective actors demanding and proposing alternatives for territorial rights and food sovereignty.

Commodity frontiers and micropolitics of land demands: What future for small forest owners in the Peruvian Amazon?

Célina Marie Scülfort, a PhD candidate in Rural Development at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, presented initial findings from her research focusing on rural communities. She emphasized the need for a more detailed understanding of land documentation and titling processes at the family level, highlighting a heterogeneous landscape in land ownership among these communities, which could lead to potential social conflicts.

Additionally, she highlighted that land allocation and access are not always tied to ownership, as communal and familial rules influence this aspect. She also stressed the difference between accessing land and having a title, as well as the implications of exercising control over space, such as sharing or lending it in practice.

Scülfort also emphasized the complex relationship between land titling, zoning, and government policies, highlighting the need for a better understanding of different land rights documents, such as "possession certificates" and "use assignments." Finally, she highlighted the role of recent changes in legislation, such as amendments to forestry and wildlife laws, in this context.

Final Reflections

Maritza Paredes concluded the event by opening a dialogue, inviting participants to share their thoughts and questions. She ended the meeting with a brief comment, emphasizing the importance of continuing to explore the complexities and challenges surrounding the topics discussed. She underscored the need to continue collaborating and building inclusive and sustainable solutions to promote rural development and environmental conservation.