LatinaLista —
Campaign: Indigenous Summit – Cumbre de las Americas
On April 10-11, 2015, the presidents and prime ministers of all 36 Nation States in the Americas will gather in Panama for the 7th Summit of the Americas, the most significant gathering of political leadership in this hemisphere.
This year Cuba will be attending the Summit of the Americas for the first time in the Summit’s history!
In all the past Summits of the Americas, the host nations have fully supported and funded the Indigenous Summit of the Americas as an integral part of the Summit of the Americas.
The newly elected President of Panama made the same commitment and promise to the National Coordinating Body of the Indigenous Peoples of Panama (COONAPIP), the hosts of the 5th Indigenous Summit of the Americas.
With Indigenous Peoples standing up across the Americas to protect and restore the Earth, this Indigenous Summit of the Americas represents one of the most inspiring, healing and unifying opportunities to address centuries of marginalization, colonization and assimilation and to launch a culturally and spiritually-based movement of unprecedented, unified action.
Unfortunately, the Office of the President, which is spending more than $15,000,000 to host the Summit of the Americas, has diminished its pledged financial support for the Indigenous Summit of the Americas to a level of $15,000 just one week before the Summit is to begin.
To add further insult to injury, the Indigenous leadership of Panama were also informed they were no longer recognized as an official part of the Summit of the Americas as they have been in all past Summits. This was because Indigenous Peoples, from the perspective of the new government of Panama, are now classified as simply part of civil society, just like any other citizens of Panama.
With the elimination of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas as an integral, official part of the Summit of the Americas, the only official voices to the Summit of the Americas are now business, youth and civil society, thus eliminating Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.
With only $15,000 in hand and with “promises” of another $73,000 toward a total modest budget of $137,000 to cover food, transportation and lodging for the Indigenous representatives coming from across the Americas and within Panama, the Indigenous of Panama are now scrambling to raise the additional $50,000.00.
These financial resources are also necessary for airport and other related transportation, the participation of young people, cultural sharing and sacred ceremonies, as well warm hospitality for each of the brothers and sisters from across the Americas, who will be arriving in just seven days!
These financial resources are needed to make the 5th Indigenous Summit of the Americas another major step forward in the fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Reunion of the Condor, Quetzal and Eagle!
Just when many felt like giving up, an Elder stood up and said, “We will have our Indigenous Summit in the streets, if necessary, but through our faith and prayers we will have our Summit, with or without the Government’s support. The future of our Mother Earth, our children, grandchildren and our future generations are too precious and sacred not to come together in unity and prayers with all the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas for the good of all life!”
The campaign is on a tight deadline with a financial goal of $50,000. It ends in 9 days.
