Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon 2021 Q3 Quarterly Narrative Report Approved Date: Version: 1 Implemented by: Pact, Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 Program purpose and approach 3 Status of program progress 3 Major achievements from current reporting period (April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021) 4 Key Result 2: IPOs’ capacity gaps addressed and strengths cultivated 4 IPOs' understanding of strengths and weaknesses increased 4 Development of institutional strengthening plans 5 Addressing capacity gaps and cultivating strengths 5 Key Result 3: IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational performance 7 Design, development and monitoring of small grants 7 Key Result 4: At least one key tool or resource identified and developed to be shared with other IPOs facing infrastructure and extractives development on their lands 11 Individual Country Context and Trends 12 Social inclusion strategy – women and youth 13 Challenges and Lessons Learned 14 Project tools 14 Outcome harvesting 14 Project Events and Communications 15 Major Activities for Next Period (July 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021) 17 Attachments 20 Appendix I: Acronyms and Abbreviations 20 Appendix II: Updated SCIOA Results Chain (September 2020) 21 Appendix III: SCIOA Partners Table 22 Appendix IV: SCIOA IPO Small Grants Overview and Status 23 Appendix V: Success story. 28 Appendix VI: Social media published content (FY21 Q3) 31 Page 2 of 33 Human Rights Support Mechanism Associate Award: 72052718LA00001 – Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon Primary Partner: Pact Quarterly Narrative Report: Year 4 Q3 Report Period: April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 Contact: Vanessa Coronado Mena Organization: Pact, Inc. Address: Calle 49B #64C – 35 Oficina 111, Medellin, Colombia Email: [email protected] Executive Summary Program purpose and approach The “Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon” (SCIOA) project is a 3.5-year activity to build the capacity of at least ten Indigenous People’s Organizations (IPOs) in the Amazon region (at least two each in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname), so they can directly access international funding to more effectively advocate for indigenous peoples’ governance of the Amazon, particularly in relation to significant infrastructure and extractive activities; ensure that indigenous peoples’ rights to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) are respected; and mitigate the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of these development projects. To this end, Pact has designed a set of activities under four Key Results areas: Key Result 1: Activity design adapted by incorporating Applied Political Economy Analysis (APEA) results, social inclusion strategy, and indigenous organizations’ input. Key Result 2: IPO’s capacities gaps addressed and strengths cultivated. Key Result 3: IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational performance. Key Result 4: At least one key tool or resource identified and developed to be shared with other IPOs facing infrastructure and extractives development on their lands. Status of program progress The reporting period, covering April through June 2021, continued to be a period of uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A transition to a “third-wave” of contagion marked this period all over the world. Although governments launched vaccination programs in many countries, new COVID-19 strains continued to threaten peoples’ lives. Local governments in SCIOA’s target countries also made efforts to bring vaccines to their communities, while continuing to implement measures, such as curfews or closures of borders, to prevent or curb contagion. Within this operational context, the SCIOA team continued to exercise caution and avoid international travel. Most of the capacity development organizations (CDOs) continued to work remotely, and remained in communication with IPOs, mostly through WhatsApp and virtual meetings, which are now possible as a result of the installation of satellite internet services that SCIOA supported during this fiscal year. Over this period, as part of their Institutional Strengthening Plans (ISP), the IPOs from Guyana and Suriname began the implementation of their small grant projects. In Peru, Brazil and Colombia, the IPOs worked to finalize the Page 3 of 33 implementation of their small grants. One of the IPOs from Colombia, the Nonuya-Villazul Reservation, concluded its small grant activities to support traditional medicine and design a governance structure, which was presented to Colombia’s Ministry of Interior for endorsement. The remaining IPOs are expected to conclude and close their small grants during the next reporting period. During the reporting period, SCIOA held its second virtual event called “A Amazônia Indígena Propõe” (“The Amazon Proposes” in English).1 The virtual conference convened IPO leaders from Brazil via Zoom, as well as Pact and USAID representatives, to put into practice the IPOs’ virtual abilities and to make visible their efforts to advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon. Additionally, during this quarter, the SCIOA team participated in the annual Organization Development Network (ODN) Virtual Conference,2 held June 1-4, 2021 under the theme titled “Evolving with Impact: The Future is Now,” which focused on how to stay connected in a disconnected world. SCIOA’s Regional Capacity Development Activity Manager (RCDAM) and Knowledge Management Specialist, as well as Pact’s Capacity Development Officer supporting the Activity, led a session focused on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” and shared insights on ways to remain connected with local organizations, such as the IPOs. The SCIOA team also continued the Outcome Harvesting process begun during the prior reporting period to carry out a qualitative evaluation process to identify positive and negative, intended and unintended results of the Activity. The exercise is expected to conclude in August 2021, with plans to report findings to USAID by the end of the FY 21. Finally, the SCIOA team submitted an updated program description and corresponding budget packet for USAID’s consideration of an expansion of the Activity’s budget and timeline until September 2022, as well as the inclusion of Ecuador in its scope. Major achievements from current reporting period (April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021) Key Result 2: IPOs’ capacity gaps addressed and strengths cultivated IPOs' understanding of strengths and weaknesses increased ● Brazil – Evaluating organizational performance of IPOs and SCIOA’s impact on their work “We believe that the project is being carried out according to plan and has been helping to strengthen the organization, During the reporting period, the CDO in Brazil, Instituto associations and indigenous territories. It is unfortunate that the COVID 19 pandemic ran over some essential actions that needed Internacional de Educação do Brasil (IEB) organized a on-site action, but it is noteworthy that it has managed to meeting with the three IPOs - Uniâo de Mulheres mobilize young men and women and grassroots associations. Indígenas do Amazonas (UMIAB), Organização dos Povos Indígenas do Alto Madeira (OPIAM) and We feel strengthened and ready to continue working for the collective of the territories of the region. Despite the ongoing Conselho Indígena de Roraima (CIR) - to evaluate the pandemic, we created a mechanism to continue with the impact of SCIOA on the performance of these three execution, which was the media meetings to facilitate dialogues IPOs and, specifically, reasses the Organizational and exchange of information with our bases to carry out the project's actions.” OPIAM´S leaders about SCIOA. 1 https://www.facebook.com/PactColombia/videos/415184633045865 2 https://www.odnetwork.org/page/2021-schedule Page 4 of 33 Performance Index (OPI). The results of the reassessment will be shared during the next reporting period. Development of institutional strengthening plans ● Colombia – Asociación Zonal de Consejo de Autoridades Indígenas de Tradición Autóctona (AZCAITA) works towards ISP As mentioned in the previous report, the most recently added IPO, AZCAITA, had completed its ITOCA in January of 2021, where the organization identified health as the capacity area it was strongest in and culture as the priority capacity area. During this period, the organization made progress towards its ISP by leveraging its strengths and focusing on its priority areas to research and analyze approaches to strengthen and continue traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, which would also support the strengthening of culture. AZCAITA aimed to re-ignite the youth’s interest in indigenous affairs by creating spaces to meet among generations of practitioners of traditional medicine and talk about the organizational situation, which involves multiethnic groups of Muirui, Tikuna, Yucuna, and the Bora people. Addressing capacity gaps and cultivating strengths ● Guyana – Operationalization of financial manuals During the reporting period, SCIOA’s CDO in Guyana, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), facilitated a capacity development activity in Georgetown with the Upper Mazaruni District Council´s (UMDC) Chairman and technical personnel to operationalize the approved financial manual developed during the previous quarter. During the workshop, participants of the workshop learned about the procurement processes outlined in the manual, including