by Monserratte Vásquez
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During July and August, in the Magdalena Alto community, located in the area surrounded the Los Cedros Protected Forest, a workshop series was developed to advance Human Rights and Rights of Nature. The course saw significant participation from the community’s youth, adults, and elderly alike.
The workshop series was proposed by Breana Sigchos-Bozques, a Master’s student from the University of California, San Diego, US; who, moved by the historic fight in defence of the Rights of Nature and of the communities, decided to volunteer at the Los Cedros Scientific Station and share her training in law with one of communities surrounding the Los Cedros Forest.
The workshops included three meetings that used a playful methodology to promote the fundamental rights guaranteed by Ecuador’s Constitution in order to later connect them with the Constitutional Court decision in favor of the Los Cedros Forest. That is, to increase the community members’ capacity to identify our Human and Nature Rights that the Constitutional Court guaranteed with its 2021 decision.
The workshop series were very enriching, so much so that topics of great importance for the community and the country could be discussed. Lastly, the still latent challenges were addressed regarding the execution of the updated Los Cedros Protected Forest Management Plan, which responds to a reparation measure that integrates both the Los Cedros Forest and the 10 communities of the Los Manduriacos Valley.
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