sulafa victoria
The
Project:
Quilotoa Lagoon
Cotopaxi, Ecuador
🌍 Building Support for an Ecuadorian Water Defender! 🌍
This is a heartfelt opportunity to make a difference in the life of a dedicated water defender in Ecuador, Manuel, his family, and his community. He urgently needs dental care and support for his newborn’s childcare and his wife’s post-partum necessities because he was shot in the jaw during a confrontation with a mineral mining corporation. In light of powerful corporate interests, advocating for the rights of nature, the preservation mountains, waters, and forests, and indigenous sovereignty, environmental activists like Manuel face great dangers.
Here’s how you can help:
❤︎ Donate: Your contributions, no matter the size, will go directly to ensuring he receives the urgent dental care and supports his family during this critical time.
❤︎ Spread the Word: Share this page with friends and family. Every share helps raise awareness and brings us closer to the goal!
❤︎ Get Involved: Consider hosting a small event or gathering (virtual or in person) to raise funds or discuss the importance of water protection and community support.
Together, we can show our solidarity and support for those who stand up for the rights of nature and their communities. Click the link below to donate and make a difference today and continue reading on to learn about the issue.
Thank you for your kindness and support! 🙏✨
The
Why:
To bridge urban & rural, Global North & Global South through solidarity, love of nature, and care for those who put their lives on the line to care for & defend Her.
THE ANDES MOUNTAINS OF ECUADOR
&
THE ROLE OF WATER DEFENDERS
Cotopaxi Volcano
Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Mountains are rich in minerals and, as a result, they represent money and profits given the desire of big corporations to extract minerals for global trade. However, the importance of mountains should not be measured by its dollar value. Instead, mountains should be revered for their contribution to the homeostasis of our planet and their cultural significance.
Mountains host diverse ecosystems and a wide range of plant and animal species. Mountains are crucial for water resources, as they capture moisture from the atmosphere and store it in glaciers and snow, acting as natural water towers. They feed rivers and streams that provide water for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Mountain ranges influence local and global climates. They can create barriers to wind and weather patterns, affecting precipitation and temperature in surrounding areas. Mountain ecosystems, including forests and peatlands, store significant amounts of carbon. Protecting and restoring these areas helps capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and in turn, helping to cool down the planet. In short, from a scientific perspective, mountain ranges are essential to the health of our planet and human survival.
The Andean cosmovision holds that mountains hold deep spiritual and cultural significance because they are seen as the dwelling places of gods and ancestral spirits. Further, mountains and mountain ranges are to our planet and climate what muscles and muscle mass are to our human body and longevity because the health of mountain ranges influences local and global climates.
Per the Ayurvedic lens, mountains represent strength, stability, and nourishment and an analogy is made between the role of mountains and our muscles. The analogy is that mountains are to nature what muscles are to humans. As to human anatomy, muscles are vital for longevity and vitality because they support metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, and enhance overall strength and mobility. Strong muscles help maintain bone density, reduce the risk of falls and injuries, and support cardiovascular health. Additionally, muscle tissue contributes to hormonal balance and aids in recovery from illness, promoting overall well-being as we age. Weak muscles lead to reduced muscle mass, which slows down metabolism and results in chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Decreased stability and strength leads to loss of mobility, accelerating aging. Low muscle mass is associated with higher levels of inflammation in the body, which can contribute to chronic diseases and accelerate the aging process. Mountains, as to the natural world are like muscles to our internal anatomy: we need them for stability and vitality.
Defenders of water are those who advocate on behalf of water bodies and mountains, which greatly contribute to water storing and supply. In advocating for the preservation of ecosystems that sustain communities and biodiversity, water defenders put their lives on the line to protect these “Sources of Life” because they face powerful corporations seeking to exploit land for mining. These activists face significant risks, including threats to their safety, harassment, and even violence. That is the case of Manuel Mesias, whose jaw was shattered by a rubber bullet when law enforcement, on behalf of a Canadian mining company, shot him during a protest. It's crucial to support environmental defenders right now. In 2023, it has been documented that 196 people were murdered for doing this work. (See Global Witness Report). The courage and commitment of water defenders and other environmental activists deserve our attention and respect, especially now, as environmental activists challenge powerful interests in the pursuit of justice and sustainability. (See Mining Watch Canada article).
Manuel has devoted his entire life to protecting the environment. His advocacy supports the health of his local community who depend on these natural bodies for clean water, food, and cultural heritage. In Ecuador, the communities mostly affected by extractive industries and the loss of water supply are rural, indigenous, marginalized by the Ecuadorian government and exploited by the Global North. Supporting water defenders like Manuel is essential because their work helps safeguard our environment and ensures that future generations have access to clean water and healthy ecosystems.
Rumiñahui Volcano
Pichincha, Ecuador
The importance of water defenders:
The importance of protecting Home:
Banner translation:"Together, urban and rural, against extractivism."
Much like the tenants in urban areas mobilizing for safe and affordable housing, environmental activists in rural areas of the world are rising to ensure the land they live on is respected and kept healthy.
Environmental activists face great risks when protecting the places they call home, including mountains, forests, and precious water bodies. Organizers like Manuel are courageous. Tenant organizers in cities know that it is risky to stand up against a landlord because landlords by and large hold more power over a tenant. It is similarly risky if not more, to oppose a mining project encroaching in the place you call home because in our society, extractive industries, such as oil and mining corporations, hold great power over Indigenous communities. Water defenders, forest guardians, and mountain stewards often confront powerful forces, including police brutality and military force because the corporate interests of oil and mining companies hold much power in our society. This is not any different than what tenants face in urban environments where homelessness is criminalized and tenants who cannot afford to pay rent are subjected to eviction by sheriffs. This is not a coincidence. This is due to the significant influence that private property ownership and oil and mining companies wield in our society.
Like tenant organizers opposing luxury developments and gentrification in urban areas, environmental activists in rural areas know that there is great value in opposing extractive projects because these sorts of economic projects prioritize profits over the inevitable displacement of Black, Brown, Indigenous, working-class, and immigrant populations. Grassroots organizers like Manuel play a key role in empowering community members to stand up for their right to remain in a place they call home. As the climate crisis gets worse, so does the housing crisis. Just as tenants advocate for their right to safe housing amid the global housing crisis driven by luxury developers’ displacement, environmental activists are fighting for their right to a healthy environment and Indigenous sovereignty in the face of growing pressures to drill, frack, and exploit natural resources from their lands. Notably, both movements are comprised of people who share a belief that protecting Home is a worthy cause to fight for. But they can't do it alone, this is why community support and solidarity is important.
By donating to the campaign below, you're joining an initiative that seeks to bridge urban and rural communities, as well as the Global North and the Global South, through solidarity, love of the environments we call Home, and care for those who put their lives on the line to care for and defend Nature, which essentially is the place all of us call Home.
ACTION STEP:
Donate to or share this fundraiser.
To learn about Manuel's story,
click here.
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