When one conjures up an image of Chilean Patagonia, towering mountains, snow-capped volcanoes, and pristine forests come to mind. While Chile most often makes headlines for the spectacular scenic beauty of the Andes and Patagonia, tensions over natural resource development remain at the forefront of the grassroots struggle to build and sustain a successful environmental movement there. Chile’s free market economy is largely dependent upon natural resource exploitation, and as its economy continues to expand and foreign investment increases, both fragile ecosystems and the communities that depend on them suffer.
At the same time, Chile’s current political stability means that community organizations and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have greater freedom than before to pursue their goals. Over the past 15 years the environmental movement has slowly made its way into the mainstream. The networks among local organizations are strong – strength that is needed in light of the government’s reluctance to confront the multi-national giants that monopolize Chile’s economy. While Chile is often described by economists as a “success” in terms of economic development, at the grassroots level, the story can be quite different.
In early 2006, I had the opportunity to visit the southern regions of Chile and meet with several grassroots organizations that Global Greengrants has supported over the past few years. While I am officially a new fulltime employee at Greengrants in my position as Development Associate, I have been involved with the organization, first as an intern and later as a part-time assistant and consultant, since the beginning of 2004. After reading many grantee reports and getting to know how Greengrants impacts community conservation efforts around the world, I welcomed an opportunity to see the on-the-ground work for myself.
In total, I spent five months in southern Chilean Patagonia as a research assistant on a forest ecology project, and was able to match this work with meetings with five Greengrants grantees. While this was not my first time (nor last!) to Chile, it was an unforgettable trip in that I was able to witness firsthand the amazing passion and commitment to environmental conservation that is embodied by the leaders that Greengrants has supported. Throughout the area, I was warmly welcomed and my questions were eagerly answered. Chileans have a keen sense of the region’s physical isolation (between the Pacific to the west, the Atacama desert to the north, the Andes to the east, and Antarctica to the south); an outsider’s presence is often viewed as an opportunity to extend hospitality as well as information, with the hope that this information will somehow make it to the ears of those elsewhere. This is my attempt to do just that, and I hope that I do justice to the vitality and depth of the work that I saw in action.
Since 2001, Greengrants has collaborated with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) – our Global Advisors—to support grassroots organizations in Chile. In 2005, we initiated a regional Southern Cone Advisory Board in order to increase grantmaking in Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. As a result, we have significantly increased the number of grants we make in the region, adding to our capacity to support a growing network of activists. Our Southern Cone coordinator, Enrique Bostelmann, is working hard to ensure that our grants make a difference in this region.
To the end of the road
The Ayson (11th) region of Chile is a breathtaking mix of glaciers, turquoise rivers, lush temperate rainforest, and the snowy peaks of the Andes. My journey began here, and the ride was not a smooth one! While the Austral Highway is spectacular as it curves its way southward, it is also very bumpy, making for an exciting and sometimes life-threatening trip along precipices and rushing rivers. Every once in a while, a ‘gaucho’, or cowboy, would appear along the road on horseback, wearing a handmade woolen poncho and hide chaps – complemented occasionally by a baseball cap.
This is an area rich in natural resources – including millions of acres of native temperate rainforest – and natural beauty. And as such, is it not immune to the pressures of development. Endesa, a Spanish-owned hydroelectric company that was privatized by the Chilean government post-Pinochet, recently revealed plans for multiple dams on the Baker and Pascua Rivers—two of the most beautiful rivers in southern Chile, which snake through hundreds of miles of canyons, forests, and glacial-fed streams. During my time there it soon became apparent that this dam project is the most disturbing and pressing issue here and it is imperative to take action quickly.
Along the Pascua River, Endesa helicopters fly overhead all day long, ferrying supplies to scouts high upstream on the Pascua river, beyond where the road ends where nature has reigned as the ultimate force for thousands of years. The Pascua River, impervious to these activities, flows by with infinite strength, deep and wide. It is a true testament to the natural beauty of a wild river—a value that is difficult to put a price on.
While large-scale hydroelectric dams are well known for the ecological devastation they often cause, there are also social impacts that stretch far beyond the scope of dam construction itself. In the case of these newest Endesa dams (Endesa, under Chilean ownership, was also responsible for the dams that displaced indigenous Mapuche families on the Bio Bio River in the AraucanÃÂa region), the activity is focused in the area around Cochrane, a town of 4,000 with limited infrastructure and a small-town, close knit atmosphere. The dam construction would bring thousands of workers to the area, causing local residents’ concern about their security and health. In addition, Endesa will flood the properties of many rural “campesinos” who have lived off of the land for generations. There are also ecotourism businesses in the area that make a living off of the river’s fly fishing and rafting opportunities – impossible on a dammed river that will become a lake right at the shores of fishing lodges and rafting companies.
While Endesa promises sustainable development and progress for local residents, those with experience know that these phrases often ring hollow. There is a need to generate energy in Chile, especially for the Santiago area, some 1,000 miles to the north. However, it is necessary to weigh the true costs and benefits of mega-dam plans, not just on energy production levels, but also in term of environmental and social impacts. A key part of the local movement against the dams is a campaign to inform people in the area regarding all of the impacts that might occur. Rural residents have no access to newspapers or television, and are often unaware that their lands might indeed be flooded in the near future.
CODEFF, (Comite pro-Defensa de la Flora y Fauna – Committee in Defense of Flora and Fauna)a Greengrants- and Rainforest Action Network (RAN)-supported Chilean environmental group, has been acting to ensure adequate education and information reaches rural populations since Endesa announced the Baker and Pascua dam projects. CODEFF supports local residents in their campaign to halt the dams and force Endesa to comply with environmental and transparency laws.
On a trip with long-time Chilean activist Peter Hartmann, head of the Ayson branch of CODEFF, we stopped at the office of the Agrupación Defensores del Espirite de La Patagonia (Defenders of the Spirit of Patagonia) in Cochrane. Facing the tranquil plaza, the office was abuzz with activity, with people dropping by to plan trips to talk to rural residents, organize transport, plan community meetings, and find out more about the latest Endesa plans. There was more action at this office than anywhere else in town. With the help of a recent grant from our newly formed Southern Cone Advisory Board, the Agrupacion has become an important hub for people to come together to discuss strategies for confronting Endesa, a very powerful company with deep pockets and many political contacts. Enrique Bostelmann, coordinator of the board, noted that this grant was made as part of a continent-wide strategy being implemented by Greengrants advisors to challenge large-scale infrastructure projects that threaten environmental and social health. “This is an important ‘South American’ moment”, he reported.
Thanks to the work of these organizations, which we are proud to support, the Ayson region of Chile is building a framework through which to protect and value its natural resources. However, the challenges are on-going, and the pressures for development and natural resource exploitation continue to threaten the fragile temperate rainforest ecosystem. More support is necessary to ensure that projects such as Endesa’s comply with social and environmental needs. At press time of this article, the Environmental Impact Statement (privately contracted) is underway; immediate action is needed to prepare an adequate response when this document is released.
Moving north, back to pavement
After traveling as far south as possible, my group headed northwards, back towards pavement and promises of fresh fruit and vegetables! From the 8th to the 10th regions of Chile, I met with several Greengrants grantees involved in the indigenous rights movement – a movement inherently linked to environmental and land rights.
In southern Chile, the indigenous Mapuche have suffered more than a century of exploitation and repression. Today, the Chilean government still does not recognize their existence as a ‘pueblo’, or people, denying them their own history and right to self-determination. Chile is the only country in Latin America that refuses to recognize the existence of the original ‘pueblos’ that predate colonial settlement.
The first step for the Mapuche is always land acquisition, which is a slow and bureaucratic practice. On the island of Chilo, known for its culturally-vibrant island life – the Huilliche Federation(the Huilliche are a southern branch of the Mapuche) recently acquired a huge new tract of land for community members – over 7,000 hectares of old-growth temperate rainforest – after five years of negotiations and technical assessments. With the help of a Greengrants grant, as well as the cooperation of the United Nations Development Program, the Federation is in the process of outlining sustainable development plans and constructing a community center. Sergio Cuyul, director of the Federation, states,”Our mission is to create an indigenous institution oriented toward the defense of human rights as well as the promotion of sustainable community development, through participation and transparency along with social and environmental responsibility.” The Federation is currently working on projects including certified firewood, eco- and ethno-tourism, and theater productions. “This is not just another project – this is a project about life,” notes Cuyul, a dynamic man and an eloquent, powerful speaker.
Sergio took me to the piece of land that they now own, a beautiful, dense forest situated on rolling hills. By raft, we crossed a small river and picked our way through vines and towering tree trunks to a small clearing where they are initiating construction of the center. As we stood among the trees and Sergio pointed out native herbs used by the Huilliche, I began to understand the value of this forest for an indigenous community that faces a complicated future.
Other organizations are focused on demonstrating and mitigating the negative impacts of large-scale exotic species tree plantations (for paper pulp), common in the region since the 1970s. A key part of this involves bringing together indigenous communities and creating regional networks among indigenous leaders. The Comunidad IndÃÂgena Yepu Alfitra (Yepu Alfitra Indigenous Community), a Greengrants grantee based in the 10th region, is working to do just that. Yepu Alfitra is one of 36 communities that participates in the Consejo de Comunidades, the Community Council, a formal body that negotiates for the rights of indigenous communities affected by plantation practices. Javier Aguas Deumacon, head of Yepu Alfitra and elected member of the Council, notes that the main challenge in the area is raising people’s consciousness so that they are not so intimidated by the forestry companies – which wield economic and political power that can seem difficult to oppose. Part of the Council’s strategy is to put together a study that clearly outlines the specific plantation impacts that most affect the daily lives of the Mapuche people. These impacts include water contamination, road damage, noise and danger on the roads from high-volume truck traffic, air pollution, and either a lack of employment or sub-standard employment conditions.
Driving through this area, the state of the hillsides, once forested with coastal temperate rainforest, is shocking. Clear-cuts, sometimes all the way down to streams and rivers and on steep gradients – against state regulations – mar miles and miles of countryside. Huge trucks speed by, even as young children and women walk on the narrow shoulders. The poverty is striking, especially compared to the wealth you know is rushing by on those big semi trucks.
However, thanks to the work of organizations such as Greengrants grantee Asociacion Nankucheow, forestry companies are becoming more and more willing to negotiate with local communities. The Association spearheaded the movement against the forestry companies, using tactics including marches, land occupations, and political pressure, and continues to do so today, having recently organized a march to the capital of the 9th region, Temuco, to protest the lack of water in indigenous communities. Thanks to the framework that the Association, headed by well-known activist Galvarino Reiman, helped to create, today forestry companies are more likely to sit down with communities to discuss solutions. While I was unable to meet with Galvarino on this trip, I lived with his family for a few weeks in 2001 as part of a study abroad program; the progress they have made since that time is impressive, and Greengrants funding has played a key role in the work they’ve done.
Yepu Alfitra and the Community Council recently met with forestry giant Arauco to discuss ways to protect water sources and reduce danger on the roads. As a result, the company agreed to establish a schedule for logging trucks, so that local community members could safely travel on the roads during the day. Even five years ago, this type of negotiation would have been unimaginable.
Other organizations are working to expand the focus of the indigenous movement to issues such as environmental racism. Alfredo Seguel, leader of the Agrupacion Mapuche de Temuko Konapewman (Mapuche Association Konapewman of Temuco), gained nation-wide attention for his battle to relocate a huge landfill that was next to a poor community. A popular television program aired a piece on Seguel’s work, and as a result the mayor of Temuco promised to relocate the landfill. Konapewman forms part of a network of more than 25 Mapuche organizations. Additionally, Seguel manages the electronic Mapuche newspaper ‘MapuExpress’. Seguel, a young and enthusiastic community leader, volunteers his time, and he has benefited greatly from Greengrants support to buy a laptop computer.
All of these organizations – and their passionate, well-spoken leaders – are linked by their commitment to protect their people’s rights, which are inextricably linked to the environment. At the core of their struggle is the recognition that without a well-supported and active movement to support indigenous rights, and hence indigenous identity, the Mapuche culture will slowly fade into oblivion. The Chilean state continues to repress its indigenous population, and with
ut a unified and cohesive movement, it is difficult for them to fight back. I was impressed by the conviction with which these organization’s leaders spoke, and their belief that a brighter future is indeed possible. All of them told me that for them, this work is a lifelong endeavor, not only for themselves, but for their people and the places they call home.
Towards the future
Chile’s newly elected president Michelle Bachelet has promised to create a Ministry of the Environment, which hopefully will be able to further strengthen the framework for consistent environmental protection. The first step in this process was approved on January 18, 2007. In the meantime, grassroots groups such as those described here continue to work to bring attention to environmental abuses and the harm they incur for local residents. The pressure for natural resource development mounts as Chile cements its position as a stable political and economic base for foreign investment. However, as was clearly visible in the leaders and activists I met with on this trip, a growing grassroots environmental network means that mega-corporations will not necessarily be guaranteed smooth passage. Our Southern Cone Board is making it a priority to develop a stronger network where ideas and common experiences can be exchanged, both within countries like Chile as well as the region as a whole. Stay tuned for more updates on our growing group of grantees in these southern reaches of the world.