Cooperation with the world's most generous country
The Shipibo ambassador Roger Bardales visited the Turkish Embassy to consult with the first secretary Elvan Ünal Erdem about a collaboration to support the indigenous people in Ucayali.
The diplomats listened with interest to the situation and needs of the indigenous peoples in Ucayali and the concepts for a new future without losing their ancestral roots.
The Indigenous Embassy's vision and projects
The Indigenous Embassy was founded by Roger Bardales, who has been fighting for the equality of the indigenous peoples for 10 years and who was officially appointed as Ambassador of the Shipibo-Konibo Indigenous Nation with regional executive resolution No 551-2023-GRU-GR of the regional government and recognised by the Peruvian state.
He presented the concept of an innovative integration of the indigenous peoples, not only for the Shipibos, but for all ethnic groups in the Ucayali region. The vision includes the protection of their lands and forests, thus saving nature and the climate; the preservation and dissemination of their culture with its crafts, music and dances; the revaluation of their medicinal knowledge and the creation of a modern educational system.
The planned projects are reforestation with agroforestry concepts, an institute of Amazonian medicine, an indigenous cultural centre with a crafts market, a secondary school and a language school to prepare for international exchanges and studies.
Help from the world's most generous country
The Turkish embassy showed compassion and signalled its willingness to help. Turkey is the most generous country in the world in terms of GDP, as First Secretary Erdem explained. She encouraged the Shipiba embassy to submit its specific projects to the Turkish cooperation and development agency, TIKA, which deals with these issues. The embassy will report back to the agency and also to the ministry on the visit and make a recommendation.
It was a very cordial and open meeting, and it was found that the culture of the Turks and the Shipibo is similar in many respects, for example in terms of hospitality, friendliness and cultural identity.
The embassy looks forward to further developing cooperation with Turkey and hopes that they will accept the invitation to Ucayali to get to know the indigenous culture.
A historic moment for indigenous people
The meeting was a historic moment, as it was the first time that an indigenous ambassador was received by the ambassador of another country. It is a great sign that indigenous peoples are being heard at the international level.
La tercera secretaria de Turquía, el embajador Shipibo Roger Bardales, la primera secretaria Turquía Elvan Ünal Erdem y la primera secretaria Shipibo Simone Reshénoma
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