SHAMANIC AND ECOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION of COLOMBIA
Ecological Community Project.
Above: Part of the Farm, Yurayaco, Caqueta, Colombia.
After living for many years in the jungles of Caqueta and Putamayo The Association has designed an Integrated Ecological Community project that aims to create a model community based upon sustainable management of the local eco-system.
"The SEAC considers that sustainable development is an alternative lifestyle and a solution to the multiple social and economic problems of the Colombian Amazon and will be enabled when there is a real compromise on the part of the Colombian government and the developed countries in order that the resources can be invested for its implementation.
The proposition for this project is precisely to make a pioneer community based on the politics of sustainable development that permits self management and develops ecological projects that serve for investigation and will be a model in our country for the organization of future communities."
Project for the Recuperation & Regeneration of Natural Eco-systems in the foothill region of Caqueta:
Implementation of Agroforestry systems in lands acquired by the community:
As previously stated, the Amazonian region has suffered many negative impacts
due to the bad use of land. These impacts have led us to an interest in other
forms of use that permit sustainable development without leaving aside the agricultural
activities that permit the sustenance of the community.
The AGROFORESTRY system combines tree species with crops and
animals in the same area of land. Our plan is to introduce this system on a
30-hectare site of suitable terrain, planting native trees, fruits, cocoa, yucca,
plantain, sugar cane, borojo, chontaduro, araza, cashew, pineapple, and papaya.
This system will be implemented with appropriate technical knowledge so that
it is socially, ecologically and economically sustainable with the double proposition
of;
A; Reforestation of native species of the zone and in order to maintain an area
as a natural reserve for the community with the aim of making ecological investigations.
B; Crops for the consumption of the community and as a future source of income.
The application of the Agroforestry system in our community
is the best way of responding to the requirements that we have given. It has
been well demonstrated that the Amazon is best suited to forest cover, agroforestry
is, therefore, the system that comes closest to replicating the natural environment
of the zone in question.
This kind of system is the best use of the land and guarantees a diverse production
with minimum ecological impact and the conservation of biodiversity.
Other benefits are that it is a source of alternative energy, providing firewood,
timber and forage for animals. It improves the soil structure due to the biomass
contributed by the trees and helps the retention of nutrients. Biodiversity
lessens problems of plague and diseases and the variety of products improves
the diet of the community.
Other aspects of the project include plans for a PLANT NURSERY where a stock of useful plants can be built up serving as a centre that can be open to local people for education and demonstration.
Fish Farming, beekeeping, craft workshops and a school are also part of the overall plan of the Association.
Up until now the community has developed its projects on a shoestring budget and has so far received no funding from the government or any NGO. We are convinced, however that a project that takes in and addresses ecological, social and cultural issues, drawing from the wisdom of the ancient Indigenous peoples and their social-ecological - and religious organisation into one whole is a project of great benefit to the region concerned.
For this reason we are looking for the appropriate financial support from an NGO or other funding group in order to expand and further develop the project.
We have a document entitled INTEGRATED PROJECT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR A COLONIST/CAMPESINO AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IN THE COLOMBIAN AMAZON.
that outlines in detail the proposals made by the SEAC. Please contact us if you would like to know more.