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Intercultural Dialogue brings together indigenous leaders to strengthen governance in Biosphere Reserves
In the face of growing environmental emergencies, experts and communities around the world are reinforcing a critical warning: rethinking humanity’s relationship with nature is an urgent necessity. It was with this goal that the Intercultural Dialogue of the Biosphere Reserves took place at the Memorial of Indigenous Peoples in BrasÃlia on April 7.
The meeting brought together 36 Indigenous leaders from 20 different ethnic groups, representing nine states and the Federal District, to discuss the role and rights of Indigenous peoples over the next decade.
The event was organised by the National Working Group of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages in Brazil (Working Group of Decade), the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the Brazilian Network of Biosphere Reserves (RBRB), the Cerrado Biosphere Reserve, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with logistical and cultural support from the Government of the Federal District and the Espinhaço Institute. The dialogue was held during the Acampamento Terra Livre (ATL).
"The event saw broad and diverse participation, with high-level discussions and Indigenous representatives sharing the concerns of their territories, emphasising the importance of Indigenous languages as part of Brazil's cultural heritage, and highlighting how Biosphere Reserves can serve as a tool for valuing Indigenous peoples," said Sérgio Monforte, Project Officer for the Natural Sciences Sector at UNESCO in Brazil.
Internationally recognised by UNESCO, Biosphere Reserves are areas of environmental and social importance that seek to reconcile biodiversity conservation with socioeconomic development. In 2023, UNESCO launched the Framework for the Implementation of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants in the Biosphere Reserves of Latin America and the Caribbean, based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and UNESCO’s Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples.
The Framework outlines three primary objectives: to enhance the participation of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in the governance of Biosphere Reserves; to ensure the respect and implementation of their rights; and to promote sustainable development models that integrate the well-being of these communities with environmental conservation.
Based on this Framework, the Intercultural Dialogues in Biosphere Reserves are participatory spaces that promote active listening and value the leadership of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and traditional communities. These gatherings aim to generate inputs for the development of a National Action Plan, with a 2035 horizon, focused on the effective implementation of their rights within Brazil’s Biosphere Reserves.
The initiative held in BrasÃlia aimed to listen to the main demands of these populations; promote dialogue and cooperation among Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and the Biosphere Reserves; create spaces for listening and exchanging experiences that foster trust-building and the strengthening of networks; encourage the political and economic participation of Indigenous peoples; and ensure their full and effective presence in the bodies responsible for the creation, management, and decision-making processes.
The participants—representing the Apurinã, Guarani Kaiowá, Guarani Mbya, Guató, Haliti Paresi, Huni Kuin (Kaxinawá), Jaminawa Arara, Kadiwéu, Kamayurá, Kokama, Maxakali, Mehinako, Memlrtumre Kanela, Nukini, Pataxó Hãhãhãe, Pataxó, Terena, Tupinambá Fulkaxó, Tuxá, and Waurá ethnic groups—came from the states of Acre, Bahia, Amazonas, Rio Grande do Sul, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal District.
"This world today will only be possible if non-Indigenous people also act, if they understand that their lives depend on our Mother Earth. They depend on pure springs, on crystal-clear waters, on clean air, on food free of genetically modified organisms. They depend on sharing. They depend on our way of being — a respectful way that seeks harmony, both in what is visible and what is invisible," said Iberê Guarani, from Acre.
During the event, participants discussed challenges such as the lack of land demarcation, the need to increase Indigenous representation on advisory councils, and the creation of mechanisms to value local economies. The importance of recognising territorial rights, traditional knowledge, and effective participation in the governance of Biosphere Reserves was also emphasised.
"From the understanding of Indigenous peoples about what Biosphere Reserves are, and the identification of potential partnerships and participatory processes, it is only legitimate to propose any management process based on this active listening," said Miguel Andrade, President of the Brazilian Network of Biosphere Reserves.
In this context, aiming to foster synergies and build a positive agenda that mutually strengthens Indigenous peoples and Biosphere Reserves in the development of the 2026-2035 Action Plan, the participants outlined paths and actions. During the sharing of results, Altaci Rubim Kokama honoured the group with a poem titled "Indigenous Languages," written by her and inspired by the conversations in the meeting, in which she asserts that keeping Indigenous languages alive ensures an ancestral future and true well-being.
Without Indigenous languages, there is no ancestral future.
There is no real Biosphere Reserve.
Let us all fight together and prevail, keeping our languages alive.
That is well-being.
Without Indigenous languages, there is no ancestral future.
Among the topics discussed was the proposal to create the Brazilian Network of Indigenous Peoples of the Biosphere Reserves, whose validation is expected at the next meeting of the Brazilian Network of Biosphere Reserves. Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of exchanging knowledge and practices to promote territorial development that respects cultural and biological diversity, in alignment with international agendas and legal frameworks.
