1000 VILLAGES - BOA FOUNDATION

The “Mil Aldeias” (One Thousand Villages) campaign aims to support sovereignty actions in communities committed to sustainability and the environment throughout Brazil.

The protection of the environment begins with the participation of the local community and its autonomy in the face of its present situation and its destiny.

The main objective of the initiative is to raise funds to finance various projects developed by these communities, in addition to a series of initiatives aimed at protecting their lands, cultures and environment.

The curatorship and consultancy of the campaign has the participation of Ailton Krenak, Angela Mendes, Benki Piyãko, Glicéria Tupinambá, Pietra Dolomita, Tsitsinã Xavante and other indigenous, quilombola and riverside leaders.

The campaign is being promoted by activists and artivists - musicians, photographers and filmmakers - who participated in the making of a music video about preserving the culture of indigenous peoples, quilombolas and riverine people in favor of Environment Day, with a soundtrack performed by more than 30 artists, such as Arnaldo Antunes, Margareth Menezes, Zélia Duncan, Nando Reis, Roberta Sá, among others.

8- Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve: installation of satellite Internet to strengthen a network to strengthen local cooperatives.

9- Quilombo de Samucangawa: installation of satellite Internet to publicize the community's claims to its territory.

10- Yawanawá (Amparo): installation of satellite Internet to start educational activities at the Nixiwaka School and University.

11- Kaiowá (village whose name will remain confidential): construction of the local prayer house with the support of the community.

12- Several villages: support for the creation of an application for selling indigenous, quilombola and riverine handicrafts without intermediaries

The BOA Foundation has been working with indigenous peoples and other environmental defenders since 2015, listening to their leaders and supporting grassroots projects and community autonomy. Several projects have already been implemented and currently eight are active to receive funds, including reforestation, protection of territories, health support, traditional food, construction of cultural and spiritual centers, library, schools. Since its foundation, 1,468 hectares have been directly impacted, more than 2 million dollars (approximately 10 million reais) have been donated, 73 cultural meetings and more than 40 alliances with indigenous elders have been promoted around the world.

Many communities have noticed drastic changes in their ecosystems due to climate change. Some springs are drying up and the land is losing its nutrients, making it difficult to grow food. Indigenous people already have within their traditional knowledge solutions for the recovery of these places through agroforestry practices, however, today they need financial support to put their projects and knowledge into practice, because the world is no longer the same.

In some villages, traditional food and local medicine practices were impacted by the imposition of Western practices. With dietary changes, many indigenous people had their immune systems weakened and also developed chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems, among others. The Covid-19 pandemic took many people to death or left sequels that persist to this day. It is known that comorbidities, diseases that migrated to the heart of these communities through contact with the surrounding population, brought even more vulnerability and dependence to their populations.

In addition, as a result of a precarious public health system, many people were left without proper care. Fortunately this is not the reality of all villages, as many of them already have their ways of treating Covid and other diseases and also still keep their traditional food knowledge.

Many projects were inaugurated by indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, riverside dwellers, forest peoples, etc. for their sovereignty, but these need support to be developed or continued.