Indigenous Peoples as an agent of change
- Oct 30, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 6
Wednesday, 30th October 2024
By Paula Perrelli dos Anjos
A few highlights from the panel our company participated in SOCAP Global yesterday in San Francisco.
With the theme, "Investor Readiness for Indigenous Innovation - Disrupting the Green Finance Status Quo", the discussion was led by Sara Jolena Wolcott, Founding Director of Sequoia Samanvaya LLC. She explored the essential contributions of indigenous-led enterprises to sustainable development.
The four panellists brought unique insights into how Indigenous innovation can reshape green finance. They were Ramasubramanian Oruganti (Samanvaya Social Enterprises, India), Aldo Soto (Amazonia Impact Ventures, Peru), Juan Carlos Jintiach (Executive Secretary of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, Ecuador), and Alexis Bunten (Co-Director of the Bioneers Indigeneity Program, Alaska).
Aldo Soto highlighted that Indigenous enterprises are fundamental not only for the economic well-being of their communities but also as protectors of biodiversity and stewards of natural capital.
He portrayed these enterprises as agents of change, addressing exclusion, inequality, and racism by leveraging traditional knowledge and natural resources for community benefit.
Aldo called on investors to adopt a "patient, flexible, and respectful approach", offering both financial and non-financial support grounded in trust and collaboration.
Despite these strengths, he also pointed to challenges, noting that much-needed capital often fails to reach local communities. Too frequently, interventions prioritize short-term outputs over sustainable, meaningful outcomes.
Our board advisor, Juan Carlos Jintiach, spoke passionately about the urgent need for investment in protecting Indigenous territories, which are increasingly threatened by illegal mining and logging.
He emphasized that Indigenous social enterprises can connect communities with markets and provide economic opportunities that improve livelihoods. Juan Carlos called for social finance to flow directly to these enterprises, coupled with efforts to build local capacity.
He advocated for Indigenous inclusion in impact investing discussions, stressing that Indigenous people must be "at the table" to share their perspectives, which are deeply rooted in respect for the Earth, community, and future generations.
Along with other innovative leaders, our co-founder Pajani Singah attended the event and mentioned that SOCAP Global continues to deliver powerful networking exchanges, accelerating the development of meaningful relationships.
Share with us your experience at SOCAP Global 2024 San Francisco!
#IndigenousPeople #networking #NatureBasedSolutions #SustainableOutcomes #Environment #FinanceForLivelihood
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