Indigenous leaders to discuss climate change and human rights at exclusive University event

Organised in collaboration with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the event - From the Heart of the World: Voices from Indigenous People - will feature discussions on work to defend the community's human rights, the climate emergency, and staying safe in spite of a growing tourism industry, other extractivism, and armed conflict surrounding their home in the Nevada mountains, where they have lived for over 2000 years. The event will also explore how CAFOD employs resources such as drones to protect and support the Wiwa people.

The audience will hear from representatives of the Wiwa Yagumaiun Bunkuanarrua Tayrona Organisation (OWYBT), which advocates for the rights of the Wiwa people, and Programa por la Paz (CINEP/PPP), a non-profit Colombian Jesuit organisation that promotes social change.

Edilma Loperena Plata, the Women's Commissioner of the OWYBT, will speak about how the climate crisis is impacting the Wiwa community, especially women, due to the disappearance of sacred feminine sites like springs and water sources. The absence of such sites is now generating illnesses that were not previously present, such as cancer, skin diseases and infertility.

José Félix Martínez, the Secretary General of the OWYBT, will share his extensive knowledge of armed conflict, climate and environmental emergencies to give insight into the measures being taken to protect the Wiwa people's territory, where they have lived for over 2000 years.

Jenny Ortiz, who leads CINEP/PPP's Mobilisation, Human Rights and Interculturality programme, will reflect on how she has worked alongside the Wiwa people for over a decade on matters including integral protection of life, investigating extractive impacts on the territory, and the defence of human rights.

Ulrike Beck, Colombia Programme Officer for CAFOD, said: "Our partner, the Jesuit organisation CINEP in Colombia, has been working with the Wiwa Indigenous Peoples for many decades supporting them to defend their ancestral lands, which are in a unique ecosystem. It is comprised of sacred mandates that keep the existence of the peoples in harmony with the physical and spiritual universe and is through which the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is kept alive. It is at risk due to the climate crisis, as well as the ongoing armed conflict and the threat of extractives. We will have the privilege to have the visit of Edilma and José Félix of the Wiwa Peoples, and Jenny from CINEP, where we will hear more about their lives in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and how they are defending their home."

Dr Ann Marie Mealey, Director of Catholic Mission at Leeds Trinity University, said: "We are honoured to be hosting this evening in person at our Main Campus in Horsforth. This event will help us gain an understanding of the complex issues facing indigenous communities globally, and how the support of organisations such as CAFOD, which works directly with the Directorate of Catholic Mission at Leeds Trinity University, can lead to a greater sense of safety for the Wiwa community."

Taking place in the Auditorium at Leeds Trinity's Main Campus in Horsforth, From the Heart of the World: Voices from Indigenous People will be delivered in both Spanish and English, with interpretation provided. The event is open to all and free to attend.

For more information and to book, visit Leeds Trinity University's eventbrite page.