30 January 2024
Between 22 and 24 January 2024, the Association of European Border Regions, the European Union ADELANTE programme, the FSC Indigenous Foundation, and the Sixaola Binational Commission organised an international seminar on inclusive river basin governance. The event was attended by Ambassador Izabela Matusz of the European Union in Panama, as well as representatives from the Binational Plan Chapter Ecuador, FSC Indigenous Foundation, Nature and Culture International Ecuador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, the Committee for the Development of the Uruguay River Basin, the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation, and the Assembly of the Sixaola Binational Commission.
The forum discussed various models of Cross-border governance for international river basins, with an emphasis on the participation of indigenous communities in the environmental preservation of these border territories.
This activity is part of the Triangular Cooperation Initiative “Cros-Border Cooperation for the Environmental Preservation of River Basins,” funded by the European Union.
With a different initiative, Binational Plan Ecuador, FELCODE, and AEBR organised an online seminar on heritage education and the management of the archaeological and cross-border heritage of the Mayo-Chinchipe Basin. The event took place on 29 January 2024, with 50 attendees from Ecuador and Peru representing public entities of various natures, such as universities and local governments. Following the opening, a representative from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Culture expressed support for these transborder initiatives.
In the context of the rich heritage of the Mayo-Chinchipe basin, which includes, among other things, the oldest evidence of cacao domestication, this seminar delved into potential management models for this cross-border heritage. It focuses on its potential as a tool for promoting sustainable local development in this border area.
The current situation and history of the archaeological sites in this basin were presented by two archaeologists who initiated the first studies on both sides of the border, along with an archaeologist from FELCODE who visited the area at the end of 2023. This was followed by presentations on different European experiences and good practices in the fields of heritage education and cross-border structures for heritage management by two AEBR collaborators.
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