August Work News

The Salta government has completed the environmental impact assessment of deforestation and lumber extraction that had been requested by the Supreme Court. We have yet to see it, but the province has already and controversially gone ahead and allowed lumber companies to resume operations (this was not the arrangement and the court has now been asked to fine the authorities!). There is now a lot of pressure from land owners for the government to do the same with deforestation permits. ASOCIANA continues to work closely with lawyers on the matter.

Salta has now produced a land use map, in which it has indicated that forests in indigenous areas may be used on a rational basis but not deforested for agriculture. Whilst this appears to be a major victory, especially for the Indians, it is still early days. It may be a ploy by the provincial authorities aimed at reducing pressure form the Supreme Court and buying time. Only time will tell, but for now it’s far better than one could have hoped for. There had been attempts by legislators to allow most of the Chaco region to be cleared.

Official map, showing which areas of Salta can be deforested (green), those that can
be used for forestry (yellow) and those areas that cannot be touched.

Part of June was dominated with data analysis and report writing for Compassion International, following an impact assessment study Andrew was involved with in Colombia. We also had a visit from staff sent by the United Nations to monitor the impact of a projects Andrew is involved with here with communities along the Bermejo river. Its all about impact these days!

A highlight for Andrew during this period was a quick trip back to where Ie was brought up as a kid, Misión Chaqueña and Ingeniero Juarez. He accompanied a pastor friend , Juan Carlos Sosa, from Bs As, who brought an American couple, Shawn and Melanie Munn, to visit various indigenous communities. It was good to see my old home and the town, now rather larger than when I lived there. Shawn and Melanie, who have a business making x-ray equipment for airport security, are interested in helping fund a project to provide a hostel for indigenous students who come to Universities in Salta. Juan Carlos, who used to work in the Chaco, now ministers to Argentina´s amateur and professional golfing community

Pastor Juan Carlos Sosa, indian leader Arturo Rey (Arthur King) and Andrew,
in Mision Chaqueña, where Andrew spent some of his childhood years.

Shawn and Melanie sharing a laugh with indinan children

Shawn (left), Juan Carlos (blue shirt) and Melanie (right) with Lucy (brown trousers), a nurse who studied under the
auspices of ASOCIANA with support from a UK Charity (Medical Servcies Minsitries)

July work is always subject to school holidays, and this year even more so, as holidays lasted twice as long as normal due to swine flue. This always tends to dampen our routine, but some work was done.

As part of our ongoing strategy to diversify funding sources we have helped ASOCIANA present a 30. 000 pound proposal to none less than the Coca Cola Company (Argentina). It seems they are seeking to compensate for all the water they use (and make money fom) by funding projects that will enable poor communities to gain better access to water and, as in our case, to protect wetlands. We shall know the results in October.

We have placed the book Andrew has written for ASOCIANA on the web (still under construction, but already accessible). Andrew has also presented the book in Tartagal, at a gathering of Universities, and more recently in Buenos Aires, at the head quarters of the National Institute for Indigenous Affairs (INAI). We are currently preparing to do a series of presentations with and for indigenous communities across the Chaco.

We have put together the statutes for the foundation we are setting up for acquiring land to set aside for conservation. For now we have called it PITES, which is the name the Indians gave to Andrew’s grandfather. Lawyers are now going through the statutes text prior to presenting the documentation to register the new charity here in Salta. We continue to develop new contacts for this initiative, and are now working on the website.

Though not directly linked our work, we are very pleased to report that the translation of the Bible into the Toba language has now been completed. Some technical details need checking then it becomes only a matter for the printers. Click here for more news.