Knowledge Internship Program begins with a 15-day experience in Colombia for 4 young people from Brazil and Argentina

Janaina Ferraz (Centro Sabiá) and Ruth Pucheta (Semear Internacional)

In 2019, more than 50 young people from different semi-arid regions of Latin America gathered at the 4th edition of the “Exchanges of Knowledge among the Semi-Arids of Latin America” to discuss and learn about experiences on Agroecology and Youth , such as visits in the form of a Caravan through Paraíba and Pernambuco . Finally, and through a “Letter of Youth” , the group that met at that moment expressed its wishes and its demands to the organizations involved, whether governmental, international, financing or technical assistance: to have spaces and opportunities that contribute to the creation of a Latin American Semiarid Youth Network; to promote the continuous exchange of knowledge starting from the youth; to strengthen the capacities of young people to act in the guarantee of Public Policies directed to the Semi-Arid Territories; work on priority issues such as access to own land, regularization, titling and credit for young people, women and indigenous peoples; celebration and respect for differences in politics, creed, race, sexual orientation, ethnic and gender identity, in an agroecology perspective with diversity.

From the combination of these demands, and the group of organizations and youth that formed, the project was born “Stages of Knowledge in the Semiarid Region of Latin America” which proposes that young people selected from the countries involved can be welcomed in another country to experience successful activities and projects on topics of their interest and in realities similar to theirs, to later replicate the lessons learned in their own country, territory and community. And since July 2019, an International Commission of young people and partners has been working together in the collective construction of this proposal.

On March 1st, the Knowledge Internships will materialize the dream started in the 2019 Exchange. Four young women farmers, three from Brazil and one from Argentina, will travel to Colombia to spend 15 days living different experiences with other young women in the Tolima region. Living with families in the community, Ana Maria, Mônica, Izabel and Noelia will learn about different experiences linked to agroecology, associativism and cooperativism and social economy and production, led by the Coosaviunidos de Natagaima Multiactive Cooperative , which belongs to the Pijao indigenous community.

This cooperative develops activities to value organic seeds, implantation of crops, production and transformation of aloe vera , commercialization of beauty products on a small scale, cooperativism and social work based on training, as well as the development of sustainable energy, a project that has the support of of international cooperation.

The young women will get to know at least 8 communities in the region, with collective and family experiences. They will be welcomed into the families’ homes and will be involved in daily tasks, but at the same time alternating with reconnaissance visits to neighboring backyards or production spaces. Residents will explain and present various agroecological production techniques for plant foods, medicinal plants and the creation of small species. They will also have exchanges on issues of renewable energy and solidarity economy that are promoted by the Cooperative.

“The expectation of the exchange is of various feelings and desires, such as the exchange of agroecological practices, experience, multiple knowledge, experience with new cultures… CJMA, the collective I represent and with my family and community.”

[Mônica Silva, from the Jurema community, municipality of Cumaru, Pernambuco, Brazil]

“We are less than 15 days away from the exchange and I am very anxious and curious to know new experiences, the culture, the cuisine, the life stories of the people and especially the peasant youth of these territories. It will be a great challenge, but I am sure that we will return to our countries with a lot of knowledge acquired, and thus, be able to share it with the youth and our families, strengthening even more the actions of coexistence with the semiarid region.”

[Ana Maria Lopes do Nascimento, from the Cachoeirinha dos Torres community, municipality of Soledade, Paraíba, Brazil]

“I am really looking forward to this moment, where I am willing to take full advantage of what the communities we are going to visit have to share, their cultures, activities they develop, the experiences they have, their organizational form, a little bit of everything. learn, being able to apply these learnings in my community and in the association that I participate. I am very happy to have received this opportunity that the Internship organizations are providing to these young people from Latin American countries, in being able to know other different realities of their country, state, municipality and communities, all this baggage of knowledge will be very rich. All these experiences and knowledge I want to share, develop and apply in my community in order to strengthen and support other communities in the region.”

[Izabel Silva, from the Tigre community, municipality of Caém, Bahia, Brazil]

This is the first stage of the Knowledge Internship Program . The young women are part of a group of 10 selected in a competitive process that ended in October last year. The second part of the Internships will take place between June and September 2022, with trips to Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia , for experiences on topics related to Access to land, social economy and production, native peoples and youth and agroecology.

The Program has the support and participation of several organizations of different natures, including international organizations, programs, networks and grassroots organizations. Are they: