FSC Indigenous Foundation

08/10/2026

Como parte del proyecto Impulsando Modelos de negocios indígenas basados en la naturaleza en el Darién, el Community Thriving Narrative (CTN) ha brindado herramientas para que los jóvenes puedan contar sus historias desde su auto determinación y propias perspectivas. Conozcan su trabajo 👇🌺📽️

08/10/2026

Nos enorgullece ver el trabajo de comunicaciones de las y los jóvenes Emberá-Wounaan en el Darién y estamos felices por ser parte de su crecimiento.
Conozcan más sobre esta iniciativa: 🛶🌺👇

25/09/2026

Five years ago, governments and philanthropic donors committed $1.7 billion through the COP26 Forest Tenure Pledge to advance the forest tenure rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and support their role in protecting and sustainably managing forests. As the five-year pledge concludes, the final results show that this commitment was exceeded, reaching $2.35 billion between 2021 and 2025.

During Climate Week NYC, the Forest Tenure Funders Group met in New York to review this progress and reflect on lessons learned.

But numbers tell only part of the story. What also matters is how funding reaches Indigenous Peoples and their territories, responds to their priorities, supports their decision-making, and contributes to advancing collective land rights.

As we look beyond the pledge, the world will be watching for direct action and real change on the ground.

🔗 Read the final COP26 Pledge report:https://www.tenurepledge.org/ftfg-annual-report-2025.pdf

📷 Photo credits: Johnson Cerda

24/09/2026

“Thriving forests mean healthy communities.”

This was the rallying call shared by Minnie Degawan, our Managing Director, at the side event Rooted Value: Successful Carbon Markets Built on Fairness and Equity for Communities, co-organized by Conservation International, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and United Nations Development Programme - UNDP during Climate Week NYC, convened by Nature4Climate at the Nature Hub.

A thriving forest is alive with biodiversity. It is cared for through knowledge and practices that adapt as the forest changes. And it is connected to the people who depend on it, especially Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral knowledge, cultures, livelihoods, and ways of life have been shaped by their relationship with forests across generations.

As carbon markets evolve, how can we ensure fairness and equity while recognizing the rights, knowledge, and stewardship of the people behind the landscapes?

Photo credits: Leandro Viana/Nature4Climate

22/09/2026

“Forests are more than carbon sinks. Carbon is, in fact, a co-benefit. For Indigenous Peoples, forests are home and relatives.”

This message from our Managing Director, Minnie Degawan, reminds us that the value of forests cannot be measured only by the carbon they store.

For Indigenous Peoples, forests are part of life itself. They are connected to identity, culture, knowledge, livelihoods, spirituality, and relationships that have been nurtured across generations. When carbon becomes the main measure of a forest’s value, these relationships can be pushed to the margins.

Minnie shared this perspective during “Beyond carbon payments: Understanding the co-benefits of Jurisdictional REDD+ benefit-sharing,” hosted by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Emergent during Climate Week in New York.

Credits: Minnie Degawan, FSC Julian Manrique & Jonathan Perugia.

22/09/2026

Happening today. Register and join the conversation. There are different sessions throughout the day. 👇

19/09/2026

“As an Indigenous Pastoralist woman from Africa, being part of COP17 was both a privilege and a deeply meaningful experience,” reflects Aehshatou Manu on her participation at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia.

For Kalea Aquino, the experience also carried a deeply personal meaning:

“For me, it meant learning that I belong in that room, not as a guest brought in to observe, but as one voice in a long line of Indigenous Peoples who have carried this work far longer than I have. I learned from sitting beside elders and delegates from other regions and watching how they hold their positions with patience and dignity.”

Through different experiences, both witnessed the strength of Indigenous Peoples coming together, while also seeing the challenges that remain in turning participation into real influence.

Their reflections remind us that recognition is important, but it cannot be where the work ends.

Learn more about what Aehshatou and Kalea are carrying forward from Ulaanbaatar, and what governments, donors, and partners should be watching between now and the next UNCCD COP.

🔗 Read their reflections: https://www.fscindigenousfoundation.org/from-recognition-to-action/

Photo credits: UNCCD and Indigenous Peoples Caucus

18/09/2026

El turismo indígena puede ser más que una actividad económica. Puede convertirse en una herramienta para fortalecer la gobernanza, conservar la biodiversidad y mantener vivos los conocimientos y la cultura de los pueblos indígenas.

Esta semana, líderes, lideresas y jóvenes representantes de la Comarca Emberá Wounaan, los Territorios Colectivos Emberá Wounaan y el Congreso Nacional Wounaan participaron en un espacio de diálogo para avanzar en la construcción de una ruta de turismo indígena.

Como parte del proyecto “Impulsando Modelo Económico Indígena Basado en la Naturaleza”, la propuesta busca conectar comunidades, atractivos naturales, expresiones culturales y emprendimientos locales para crear experiencias que permitan conocer el territorio desde la perspectiva, los conocimientos y la cosmovisión de sus propios habitantes.

La visión es impulsar un turismo que genere oportunidades económicas y, al mismo tiempo, contribuya al cuidado de los bosques, la biodiversidad y la cultura. La participación de jóvenes y mujeres es fundamental para fortalecer el diálogo intergeneracional y dar continuidad a estas iniciativas.

🔗 Conoce más sobre el proyecto: https://www.fscindigenousfoundation.org/es/impulsar-modelos-de-negocio-indigenas-basados-en-la-naturaleza/

17/09/2026

What is FPIC? It’s more than a checkbox. It is a rights-based process that must respect Indigenous Peoples’ own governance structures, decision-making processes, cultures and realities.

During the annual Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification Bodies Meeting, we joined fellow panelists to discuss the importance of FPIC during the session Understanding FPIC: Aligning Intent with Certification Reality.

Minnie Degawan, FSC-IF Managing Director, shared that FPIC at its core is about relationship building and not so much about legalities.

Niila Inga, FSC-IF Council member, also commented on how mutual respect and understanding are a good basis for working together.

Putting FPIC into practice requires listening, building trust, and respecting how Indigenous Peoples make their own decisions. This is a conversation that must continue.

Learn more about Certification Bodies (CBs) in the FSC certification system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3OnSaIqAi4&t=147s

15/09/2026

A new Mongabay article highlights the work of our brothers and sisters from the Emberá-Wounaan communities of Alto Playón, Arimae, Emberá Puru, and Puerto Lara, and the incredible biodiversity found within their territories. 🌿

“It’s our forest, and we already know it,” says Samuel Cheucarama of Puerto Lara.

We are proud to work alongside these communities as they explore Indigenous-led economic opportunities connected to their forests, biodiversity, and ancestral knowledge.

“This proposal stems from the voices of these communities with very specific needs,” shares Hayro Cunampio of the FSC Indigenous Foundation.

We invite you to read the article and learn more about their amazing work.

🔗

When Elsa Quiroz saw the spotted body of a jaguar appear on her son’s computer screen, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “I’d only seen them in books,” she said. In late 2025, a camera captured the animal crossing a semi-abandoned path in Puerto Lara, a an Indigenous Wounaan village north of ...