The laureates
Description
Karin Ruth Anchelia Jesusi is a Peruvian human rights advocate who fights for the rights of Indigenous peoples. As an advisor to indigenous organizations, she primarily supports women and young people. Karin is one of the founders of the Warmis sin Fronteras collective and also volunteers with the Association of Peruvian Women Affected by Forced Sterilizations (AMPAEF). She also works for the National Confederation of Peruvian Communities Affected by Mining (CONACAMI Peru), the National Organization of Indigenous Andean and Amazonian Women of Peru (ONAMIAP), and the Andean Coordination of Indigenous Organizations (CAOI).
Karin Ruth ANCHELIA JESUSI interview - 07/15/23
Can you introduce yourself ?
My name is Karin Ruth Anchelia Jesusi, and I am a Peruvian human rights defender. I work with organizations advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples throughout the country, with a particular focus on the empowerment of Peruvian women and girls and their access to rights. I also advocate for the rights of “Pacha Mama/Madre Tierra” and the fight for environmental protection in Latin America.
Can you tell me more about your project and your association ?
I work to defend the rights of Indigenous peoples in Peru, where the government is tightening its domestic policies. We also work to protect the environment (La Pachamama, Madre Tierra). In Peru, economic interests—such as deforestation, hydrocarbon extraction, and mining—carried out in the name of the “national interest” run counter to the defense of these human rights (the rights of indigenous peoples and respect for the land).
Mining and extraction activities lead to population displacements that violate territorial rights, as well as environmental destruction. Furthermore, these activities cause harmful effects such as air and water pollution, which have a profound impact on indigenous communities.
How did the Marianne initiative help you bring your project to life? Which activities were most helpful to you during the program?
The Marianne Initiative has truly been a major source of collaboration with other stakeholders, as well as training in the use of new legal tools, which will be of great help to me going forward.
I also—and above all—had the opportunity to learn more about the reality in Europe and France regarding environmental protection: it was very interesting to observe and compare European perspectives with those of Peru’s indigenous peoples—specifically, the Western struggle to preserve the environment versus the struggle in Latin America for “land rights,” rooted in a sacred vision of Pacha Mama: I think these two perspectives have a lot in common; we need to work together because the ultimate goal is the same—to preserve our planet and its environment—since its degradation affects us all. Of course, this affects indigenous peoples—who rely on non-industrialized agriculture—the most: even the slightest change in the climate directly impacts our way of life. That is why it is so important to raise awareness about this issue on an international level.
Did you stay in touche with the other laureates ?
Of course! We’re still in touch. I’ve remained particularly close to the other Spanish-speaking laureates—the Latin American group. We plan to continue working together on projects to defend human rights in Latin America,on the topics of environmental protection, the right to land, and forced disappearances. I have also stayed in touch with award recipients who advocate for the same human rights as I do on other continents: for example, Lobe, who advocates for local communities’ right to access their land in Cameroon.
Overall, we’ve all formed lasting bonds of friendship and collaboration: Right now, as July has seen many of us return to our home countries, we’re talking a lot about our feelings and thoughts regarding the “return to reality” and the development of our projects.
Would you like to add anything else ?
Yes. I wanted to add that the Marianne Initiative, which has been a very valuable experience for me and for all the other awardees, must continue and not be tied solely to the term of a single president. I believe it is essential that it become a genuine government policy, as it provides real support for foreign activists and human rights defenders. Even though France is currently facing a difficult domestic political climate, this initiative is truly useful and valuable for defending human rights both abroad and in France.
