The Kanindé Association for Ethno-environmental Defense received, from April 25 to April 29, the First Governance Seminar of the Protection Project for Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of Brazil. O encontro accomplished in Porto Velho (RO) reuniu, entre others instituições, a Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (Ensp/Fiocruz), a Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnic School of Health (EPSJV/Fiocruz) e a WWF-Brasil, parceiras na iniciativa. Fiotec was represented by Project professionals Aline Silva, Renata Corrêa, and Sara Junker.

The project is the result of an international consortium coordinated by WWF-Germany and WWF-Brazil, financed by the German Ministry of Cooperation and Economic Development. Inserted in the bigger goal of protecting Indigenous and traditional territories, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) will be in a work front focused on the mitigation of the effects of mining in the Baixo Amazonas region. Researchers of the Foundation will be responsible for evaluating exposure to mercury among Indigenous populations, situational health diagnosis, and monitoring of pregnant women and children under two years old.

On the other hand, Fiotec also signed a contract with the German ministry, thereby having an integral seat in the project’s governance group. “We work together with the coordination of the project, in the continual planning of all actions, directing financial follow-up and accountability”, says Corrêa.

The Protection Project for Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of Brazil also relies on the participation of the Kanindé Association for Ethno-Environmental Defense, of the Pro-Indigenous Peoples Committee of the state of Acre (CPI Acre), of the Chico Mendes Committee, of the Waters Pact, the Health and Joy Project, the Institute for Forest Handling and Certification (Imaflora), in addition to several local organizations and indigenous associations.

With information from the Ensp/Fiocruz portal.