Description

Fundación Pachamama was founded in 1997 in Ecuador with the objective of supporting the Achuar people of Ecuador to strengthen their social-organizational capacities and to exercise their territorial rights. After many years directly supporting the Achuar, Pachamama now fulfills a role as a local, national, and regional reference point on political and technical assistance and defense for the Achuar and other Amazonian indigenous peoples, specifically of the south-central Ecuadorian Amazon, and for the civil society of other Andean nations.

Fundación Pachamama works to promote an alternative and innovate development model based on well being and with an emphasis in the recognition of and respect for human rights and the rights of Nature, so that the necessary conditions are created for the nationalities and ancestral peoples of the Amazon as well as other social sectors of the Andean and Amazonian countries in order to strengthen their processes of self-determination, governance, territorial defense, and ways of life.

Projects include: processes of organizational strengthening; basic community health; autonomous determination; economic alternatives; complementary currency systems; natural resources and territorial management; monitoring of the IIRSA project, and especially the Manta-Manaus development axis; the cross-border network for the defense of the rights of ancestral and indigenous nationalities; support for the rights of nature; capacity building and monitoring on climate change and compensation mechanisms for its mitigation (REDD+); and the Amazonian regional legal network

* Why the project needs you

Fundación Pachamama looks for at least ten volunteers each year to fulfill various roles in its Quito office. The organization's twenty full time employees are in a constant need for support from volunteers in carrying out research and assisting in the development of workshops and meetings.

* Role of Volunteer

Volunteers are based in the Quito office and are supervised by the Volunteer Coordinator, a project coordinator, and the Executive Director. Volunteers would assist with research, logistics, library management, fundraising, budgeting, communication and organization of existing programs, along with the potential to promote new programs. All work is carried out in Spanish and therefore volunteers must posess an excellent understanding and ability to speak and write in Spanish.

* Project Location

Quito, Ecuador. Depending your project area assignment, there may be limited site visits to the Amazon community. However, the Fundacion's relationships with these indigenous communities are very carefully protected as years of trust-building has gone into forging these collaborative alliances.

Highlights

Ecuador is one of those rare destinations in the world that seems to have the unique combination of natural beauty, intriguing history, and vibrant culture. Nestled along the Equator in the northwest corner of the South American continent, much of the country still remains wild and uncharted. It is home to the highest active volcano in the world, pristine Pacific beaches, and virgin tropical rainforests as well as ancient Incan history now echoed through the lively Ecuadorian culture. Ecuador is marked by its diversity. Within a territory of 120,000 square miles, one can travel from sea level to 12,000 feet of altitude within a six-hour drive, visit a fishing town and see a highland village within the same day.

Qualifications

- Must be 18 years old and above
- Advanced Spanish
- Background in environmental law or justice, community organizing, administration, sustainable development, web design, community health, grant writing and public outreach all a plus.

Intern Types

Languages

• Spanish

Cost in US$:

2,450 for 3 months

Cost Includes:

• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction

Program Fees Include:

- Accommodation: Housing with homestay family in Quito
- Food: 2 meals per day Breakfast and Light Dinner
- Training: Pre-departure pack, on-site Orientation and project introduction included
- Language: 5 hours/week at local school
- Support: 24 hour support
- Excursion planning: Staff will help plan activities and excursions (some activities may cost extra)

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

18 years old and above

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

EcuaExplora's Mission Statement

To make it possible for international students, interns and volunteers to have meaningful experiences studying in Ecuadorian universities and institutions of higher education, interning in professional placements throughout Ecuador, and volunteering in collaborative projects focused on the sustainable social and economic development of Ecuador.

Year Founded

2010