Shaping Climate Influence: Amazonian Indigenous Alliances and Transnational Strategies
This presentation examines the evolution of alliances between Amazonian Indigenous organizations and key environmental actors, highlighting their rise as a force in global climate governance. From emerging solidarity with human rights activists and environmentalists in the 1970s to navigating exclusion in science-driven conservation programs, these alliances reflect shifting priorities and challenges over time.
In the 21st century, Indigenous People's organizations have become indispensable in shaping Amazonian environmental policy, challenging the limits of market-driven approaches like nature-based offsets, pushing for greater accountability in climate finance, and reimagining approaches to conservation and sustainability. Yet, the tension between Indigenous autonomy and the constraints of ecological modernization persists. Can these alliances transcend market-driven frameworks to foster transformative strategies that prioritize effectiveness, autonomy, and justice?
Deborah Delgado Pugley is Craig M. Cogut Visiting Professor at Brown University and Associate Professor of Sociology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. She is also a research associate for the Andes Amazon Program at the Field Museum in Chicago. Her scholarly work primarily investigates environmental and climate policies in the tropics. With her extensive fieldwork across the Amazon regions of Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil, Delgado-Pugley has spearheaded research initiatives focused on climate change, Indigenous Peoples movements, human rights, natural resource management, conservation, and gender.Beyond academia, Delgado Pugley is engaged in the global climate policy arena, having participated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change discussions for over a decade. She has also collaborated with Indigenous organizations in the Amazon, and her applied research has supported environmental NGOs and international agencies such as the FAO and UNDP.