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The SPA Strengthens Intercultural Dialogue and Regional Collaboration at the XII Pan-Amazonian Social Forum

By Science Panel for the Amazon

From August 16 to 21, 2026, the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) participated in the XII Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA)in Puyo, Ecuador. FOSPA is a biennial regional platform that brings together Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, Afrodescendant Peoples, social movements, civil society organizations, and academia from across the Amazon Basin.

The SPA’s participation focused on intercultural dialogue, regional collaboration, and the role of different knowledge systems in shaping the future of the Amazon. Through two co-organized events on August 19 and 20, the Panel also advanced the implementation of its Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and Afrodescendant Peoples’ Engagement Strategy (IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy), strengthened relationships with Indigenous and Local organizations and networks, and identified new opportunities for engagement and communication across the region.

Regional Collaboration and Connectivity

On August 19, the SPA co-hosted the event “Red de Redes Amazónicas: arquitectura regional de colaboración para la protección de la Amazonía” (Amazon Network of Networks: A Regional Collaborative Framework for the Protection of the Amazon), together with the Instituto Panamazónico (IPA), the Amazon Network of Georeferenced Socio-Environmental Information (RAISG), and the North Amazon Alliance (ANA).

The event explored the role of Amazonian networks in connecting knowledge, territorial action and regional advocacy, with a particular focus on ecosystem and sociocultural connectivity. Representing the Panel were Gregorio Mirabal, Member of the SPA Strategic Committee and SPA Lead Author; Nadino Calapucha, SPA Author and Professor of the SPA’s The Living Amazon course; and Jaime Serrano, SPA IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy Advisor. They contributed to the discussion and shared perspectives on intercultural dialogue and the importance of bringing different knowledge systems into conversations about the future of the Amazon.

The SPA also presented progress on its IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy, and key findings from the Synthesis for Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Afrodescendant Peoples of the Amazon Assessment Report 2025.

A key takeaway from the panel was understanding the Amazon as an interconnected system that extends beyond national borders. Forests, rivers, territories, cultures, and communities are closely linked, making both ecological and sociocultural connectivity essential to maintaining the region’s integrity.

Two Sciences, One Shared Call for the Amazon

On August 20, SPA co-organized the international conference “Dos ciencias, un mismo llamado: Amazonía en Emergencia” (Two Sciences, One Call to Action: The Amazon in Crisis), together with Tu Amazonía, the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin (COICA), and the Amazon Indigenous Observatory on Climate Change and Biodiversity.

The event brought together Indigenous leaders, scientists, and partner organizations, including:

  • Susana Muhamad: Former Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia
  • Fany Kuiru: General Coordinator at COICA and SPA Author
  • Gregorio Mirabal: Climate and Biodiversity Coordinator at COICA, Member of the SPA Strategic Committee, and SPA Lead Author
  • Carmen Josse: Executive Director of Fundación EcoCiencia and SPA Lead Author
  • Mariana Gómez Soto: Executive Secretary of the NorAmazon Alliance (ANA), and Member of the SPA Science Steering Committee
  • Nadino Calapucha: Indigenous Kichwa Leader, President of the Tu Amazonía Foundation, and SPA Author
  • Jaime Serrano: SPA IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy Consultant
  • Caio Mattos: Area Coordinator, Water-Food-Energy Nexus, Instituto Relva
  • Noemí Gualinga: Kichwa Indigenous Leader from Sarayaku and President of the Sarayaku Women’s Association (Kuriñampi)

The conference focused on three main themes: the Amazon as an interconnected system facing growing environmental pressures; the role of water and “flying rivers” in connecting Amazonian forests with territories and societies across South America; and the need to move from knowledge to concrete action and cooperation.

At the center of the discussion was the relationship between academic science and Indigenous and local knowledge systems. Participants emphasized the complementarity of these forms of knowledge, recognizing Indigenous and local knowledge systems as sciences in their own right and as essential to developing more effective strategies for Amazon conservation.

For the SPA, these discussions are closely connected to the development of its IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy and to efforts to strengthen collaboration among the scientific community, Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and other territorial actors. “We need to work in alliance across Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds, with each of us contributing from our own expertise and knowledge toward a common purpose: caring for life,” said Jaime Serrano, SPA IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy Consultant.

Expanding Engagement Across the Amazon

Beyond the two events, FOSPA gave the SPA an opportunity to broaden its connections across the region. The Panel established initial contact with Amazonian leaders and organizations, as well as representatives of local communities and Afrodescendant Peoples from different Amazonian countries. These relationships can help extend and strengthen the Engagement Strategy beyond existing Indigenous networks and create new pathways for Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and Afrodescendant Peoples to participate in future SPA activities.

Participation in FOSPA also enabled the SPA to develop communication products tailored to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The Panel filmed a series of audiovisual materials with Indigenous and local community leaders from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Suriname, and Brazil, including content in Indigenous languages such as Kichwa, Waorani, Karipuna, and Shipibo. The team also connected with local media and communication networks linked to Indigenous organizations, providing a bridge to disseminate the SPA’s findings and materials to IPs, LCs, and APs and within their territories.

Together, these activities generated insights to support the continued development of the SPA’s IPs, LCs, and APs Engagement Strategy. The Puyo meetings reinforced the importance of bringing scientific evidence into dialogue with territorial experience and diverse knowledge systems, while creating space for greater participation in regional decision-making. For the SPA, this contributes to an ongoing effort to more closely interweave scientific, Indigenous, and local knowledge with the people, organizations, and territories at the center of the Amazon.