Informe de evaluación del proyecto “Territorio indígena, vigilancia ciudadana y defensa de la identidad de los pueblos Asháninka y Kakinte” y del papel de CIPA en el proyecto

Background:
The RFN Project “Indigenous Territorio, Citizen Vigilance, and Defense of the Identity of the Asháninka and Kakinte Peoples” began in 2008, and now, after four years of implementation, needs an evaluation for the purpose of planning a possible follow-on initiative over five additional years, 2013-2017.

The implementing organization, Amazon Center for Research and Community Development (CIPA) is an NGO with 34 years experience of work with indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. The Project is centred in the Tambo River Valley of the Central Selva in Río Tambo District, Satipo Province, Junín, Perú, in seven indigenous communities of the área of influence of the Asháninka Communal Reserve (RCA) and the Otishi National Park (PNO), two critical national protected áreas on the western edge of the Vilcabamba-Amboró Biological Corridor, one of the few remaining areas of standing primary forest with unusually high biological diversity in the Amazon Basin. It works directly with these indigenous communities and their organizations, EcoAsháninka, the Asháninka Organization of the Tambo River (CART) and the Organization for the Development of the Kakinte people (ODPK).

Purpose/objective:
a.  To evaluate the relevance, performance, functionality and results of CIPA´s project in Rio Tambo, and to recommend terms for a future cooperation, 2013-17.

b. To analyze the political-institutional relations between CART and other actors in the region.

c. To analyze four major threats to both the biological diversity of the area and the rights and identity of the indigenous peoples in the region: 1) the proposed new large-scale hydroelectric plants that would flood important areas of the indigenous peoples’ lands; 2) the ongoing development of hydrocarbons by the Spanish company Repsol in the project area; 3) illegal timber extraction from the indigenous territories leading to serious deforestation; and 4) new patterns of land rental that threaten the integrity of these lands.

Methodology:
The evaluation included careful studies and analysis of the project and organizational documents as well as strategies and other relevant material. Additionally, visits to the region involving CIPA staff in the evaluation work. Interviews of partners, other organizations, government agencies and target groups were conducted.

Key findings:
The evaluation records important advances toward project results in most of its areas of intervention. These are territorial defense, community vigilance, organizational strengthening, and sustainable production at the family level. When the project began, illegal timber extraction was considered the major threat. Now, with a new road built to the west of it, the pressure from the timber extraction companies has diminished somewhat in the immediate Project area, although it could return in force, once the timber is depleted along that road. The newer threats, particularly the proposed hydroelectric dams and exploration for oil and gas in the indigenous territories, are becoming more critical, as is a pattern of land rental to non-indigenous colonists, while the threat of illegal timber extraction remains serious.

Recommendations:
The report recommends focusing attention during 2012, in order of priority in time, on:

1) The participatory design and planning for a modified continuation of the Project for the 2013-2017 period;

2) Emphasis and greater effort on land titling, formal recognition of two new communities that have applied for it, and recording of the deeds for all titled lands in the Public Registry; 

3) Support for an ODPK proposal for independent monitoring of oil and gas exploration activities in their communities’ territories. This activity would require obtaining some additional funding, since it is not currently contemplated as a Project activity.

4) Consolidation of progress to date on community vigilance, through strengthening the CVC, and continued training;

5) A greater level of effort in support to CART in the organization of their Congress, scheduled for August 2012 in the Chembo Native Community. By ensuring effective and representative participation of the member CN in the Congress, as well as democratic and transparent procedures in the Congress itself, the Project will have strengthened CART organizationally and facilitated its capacity to more effectively and forcefully represent its membership and attain its collective goals, as well as to assume responsibilities and budget management in the Project itself.

6) Support to the indigenous organizations CART, ODPK and ARPI-SC, in their preparation for consultations planned by Government ministries and agencies for new legislation and for future contracts or concessions in indigenous territories. This would involve technical assistance and training by existing staff; logistics costs are to be covered by the Government;

7) Project coordination with CARE on dissemination of information about the proposed new hydroelectric plants among the communities and their organizations and to the public at large;

8) Promotion of Project communities’ participation in the National Program for Forest Conservation (PNCB), and progressive withdrawal from Project support for coffee and cacao production by itself; and

9) Revisit the agouti and collared peccary domestication project turned over to the San Ramón de Pangoa community in 2008 to assess its effectiveness and future potential. 

Comments from the organisation, if any: