Rainforest Foundation US supports Indigenous peoples at the frontlines of forest protection to secure and assert their rights at local, national, and international levels and foster networks, alliances, and platforms that strengthen their voices.
We partner with Indigenous communities to obtain legal rights to customary lands and to protect them from deforestation through technical training, legal and negotiation support, and advocacy.
We work with Indigenous peoples’ organizations, NGOs and leaders to build the institutions, governance structures and technical skills to advance their policy and development objectives.
In her latest article, Akola Thompson, advocacy coordinator at Guyana’s South Rupununi District Council, delves into the impacts of carbon offsetting on the Indigenous peoples of Guyana. She highlights the government’s persistent refusal to acknowledge Indigenous communities’ claims to their customary lands.
Guyana has added almost all its forests to the carbon market, signing a $750 million carbon credit deal with petroleum company Hess Corporation, of which 15% will go to Indigenous communities. However, climate experts and Indigenous leaders are questioning the scheme’s accuracy in measuring carbon emissions and whether communities were properly consulted.
In this newsletter, you will learn about why our work—protecting rainforest in partnership with Indigenous peoples—is crucial in combating climate change, as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Additionally, we provide updates about our work in Guyana, Brazil, and Panama.
Rainforests absorb and store more carbon dioxide than all other types of forests, making rainforest protection one of the most effective solutions to climate change. Support Indigenous peoples on the frontlines of rainforest protection.
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Didier Devers
Chief of Party – USAID Guatemala
gro.y1685335006nffr@1685335006sreve1685335006dd1685335006
Didier has been coordinating the USAID-funded B’atz project since joining Rainforest Foundation US in April 2022. He holds a Master’s in Applied Anthropology and a Bachelor’s in Geography. Before joining the organization, Didier worked for 12 years in Central and South America on issues of transparency, legality, governance, and managing stakeholders’ processes in the environmental sector. Prior to that he worked on similar issues in Central Africa. He speaks French, Spanish, and English, and is based in Guatemala.
