Tis time for a quick Update
DECOIN expanded board meets
All quiet on the mining front
The final election results
Yesterday (March 18th) DECOIN’s expanded board met at Nangulvi to talk about the latest event, review our work, and set new goals. In all there were 21 of us from I think 10 or 15 communities and four large organizations. We had hoped to change the board but decided to wait until we could hold an Assembly with more friends and supporters. Some new-and young- faces from Irubi, a community we have a couple of projects, with was refreshing to see.
The meeting started with Decoin members heading the different projects giving summaries of the work they are carrying out, including: creation of Community Reserves by Armando Almeida and Silvia Quilumbango, Environmental Education by Freddy Villalba and Milton Arcos (about 27 communities/ unfortunately, Marcia, the third educator, could not make it), and reforestation and community fruit and tree nursery in Irubi. Meanwhile, I talked about the current situation with the mining threat and what we are doing about it, and updated everyone on the slander campaign by the president of Ecuador against me and Decoin (see previous posts).
The reports on the different DECOIN activities were well received by everyone, and all agreed we need to keep expanding on the activities reported on. Everyone saw the need to focus more on environmental education at all levels. This will be a challenge, as sometimes there’s very little funding for this activity (especially given the need). We were also asked if DECOIN could again help pay for transportation costs for the kids to get to the different high school- a significant need for the communities (expenditure of thousands of dollars for this every year). We said we would try but that it was difficult to focus on this when the government is still breathing Intag’s neck on the mining front…. So, if you are interested in helping out for this particular need, please get in touch
A quick parenthesis is in order: After recent land purchases, thanks to “GEO schützt den Regenwald e.V.” , Rettet den Regenwald and Rainforest Concern, we are nearing 11,000 hectares of community watershed and forest reserves in hands of communities and local governments.
On the mining front, not much activity lately. I suppose the central government is mulling over numbers and evaluating the new state of things after the election. And, say what they will, the election was disastrous for Correa’s party.
Final Election Results The government party lost in all but one county where there is large-scale mining/ including Cotacachi, where Intag is, besides losing in 9 of Ecuador’s 10 biggest cities- including the capital, Quito. In our province, they also lost the Prefecture, which is the highest elected authority in the province. The government’s party did win majority in the Garcia Moreno local township government (Parroquia), where the Junin project is based, but lost majority in five of the remaining six Parish governments (they have a slim and unstable majority in Plaza Gutierrez).
Keep tuned…..
