Protecting the Protectors: A New Roadmap for Collective Defence in Latin America
Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and environmental defenders are the front line of the fight for our planet. But today, they face the alarming reality of "macro-criminal networks" where political and economic interests team up with criminal groups to seize land and silence resistance.
In our latest report and fanzine, Peace Brigades International (PBI) and the ALLIED Network (Alliance for Land, Indigenous and Environmental Defenders) share the results of a deep-dive investigation into how communities in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Amazon are fighting back.
What is Collective Protection? It is more than just security—it is a way of life. True protection means:
Recovering Historical Memory: Remembering the roots of the struggle to stay united.
Self-Determination: Exercising autonomy over territories through groups like the Indigenous Guard.
Community Unity: Preventing the "divide and conquer" strategies used by aggressors.
How You Can Use This Research - We haven't just identified the problems; we’ve gathered knowledge that can help strengthen the protective measures already in place.
Read the Report: A deep dive into the legal and contextual challenges.
Explore the Fanzine: A visual, digestible guide to the strategies being used right now.
Use the Methodology: Four training modules designed to help communities analyse risk and build emergency strategies.
The reports and methodology are the result of months of research, interviews, and visits to communities on the front line of environmental defence across the Americas. They are therefore informed by the voices, stories, and strategies of a range of Indigenous leaders and other environmental defenders. Whilst the research was conducted in Latin America, the findings can be useful to land and environmental defenders worldwide.
Download the Executive Summary and the Fanzine here
This work was carried out by Peace Brigades International and the ALLIED Network (Alliance for Land, Indigenous and Environmental Defenders)
