Stories of Hope
Doing Hope... in Latin America

Words: 
Alexia Lizarraga Quintero

Photography: 
Diana Rey Melo
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Latin America
Reflections from the first Ecofeminist Camp in Latin America 

If you follow us on Instagram, you might have seen that from 28th to 31st January, I had the incredible opportunity to be in Medellín, Colombia, attending the first ecofeminist camp in Latin America. This gathering brought together 100 activists from across the region to share our perspectives and experiences in the defence of our lands. Alexia Lizarraga Quintero

Meeting Amos Climate fellows in Colombia

Milpamérica: Mitzy Cortes from Mexico, a participant in the first Amos Climate Fellowship, promotes Milpamérica — an autonomous social network created by Futuros Indígenas to connect land defenders with those fighting climate justice
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Whilst in Medellín, I had the chance to meet up with two fellows who are on the Amos Climate Fellowship this year and to see them in action: Mitzy Cortés (Mexico) and Melissa Cáceres (Honduras). 

With Melissa, it was the first time I had shared a face-to-face space. At the camp, she spoke on behalf of her organisation Latinas por el Clima about the role of young women and girls in building movements and intergenerational networks against false solutions for climate change. We discussed her participation in spaces like the COPs, which she started attending at a very young age, enabling her to strengthen and expand her activism. 

Currently, through the Amos Climate Fellowship, Mitzy is developing a podcast to highlight the ancestral knowledge of six indigenous organisations as living solutions to health impacts caused by climate change. 

Meanwhile, Mitzy was involved in several sessions at the gathering, such as the systemic transformation of oppressions and ecofeminism for land defenders, through organisations like Futuros Indígenas and Hackeo Cultural. At the camp, she shared about Milpamérica, an autonomous social network created by Futuros Indígenas to connect those defending land with those fighting for climate justice. 

Currently, through the Amos Climate Fellowship, Mitzy is developing a podcast to highlight the ancestral knowledge of six indigenous organisations as living solutions to health impacts caused by climate change. 

At the camp, I also had the opportunity to share more about the Amos Climate fellowship with other activists from the region and encouraged them to apply for the new cohort.

Ecofeminist Visions

Silhouette: A section of the collective silhouette we created during the ‘body-land’ activity
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The camp was a great opportunity to learn more about the land struggles faced by various women across Latin America.

Unlike many other climate change spaces, this gathering was based on an ecofeminist perspective, where we recognise our bodies as the first territory we inhabit. The same acts of violence that affect women’s bodies are present in our lands — what happens inside is reflected outside. 

To understand this more deeply, we took part in an activity called ‘body-land.’ We created human silhouettes using our own body parts — one person placed her arm, another her head, and others their legs until we had formed this collective silhouette. Then we identified which part of this body-land we felt most connected to.

For me, this was a complex experience because I found myself situated in two parts of the body: the womb and the heart. The womb represents the place I was born, not only symbolically but also because its shape reminds me of a cenote — those underground caves and rivers I’ve spoken about before, which are so emblematic of the region I come from in Mexico.

Unlike many other climate change spaces, this gathering was based on an ecofeminist perspective, where we recognise our bodies as the first territory we inhabit.

At the same time, I also found myself in the heart of the body. Here in the UK, I feel like this is the place where I can give more to nurture the body-land, much like the heart nurtures the body by pumping blood. Yet, even though I am currently located in the heart, I am always looking toward and feeling connected to the womb because it remains an essential part of me.

I see the water of the cenote being contaminated by the expansion of pig farms and the metal rods drilling into the caves to construct the massive Tren Maya (type of project) project in my region. This ongoing destruction weighs heavily on me, as the womb — my place of origin — suffers while I am far away. I also wrote a poem (which I have shared below) about this moving experience. 

Like me, other women also felt and identified their place in the body-land, along with the wounds and pain they experienced when parts of the body-land were affected by other extractivist projects. This methodology allowed us to heal, and ultimately, healing is a form of justice — not only for us but also for our ancestors, who have carried the same wounds from being silenced through generations. This healing is both spiritual and intergenerational.

Amos Climate Fellowship
Connecting body, land and justice

Deeper Understanding: A mural showcasing the individual ‘body-lands’ of all the participants in the ecofeminist camp
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For Amos, the Climate Fellowship has been an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the relationship between gender and climate justice, how activists and defenders from Mexico and Central America experience this, and how they are working creatively towards solutions to the challenges they face.

We recently closed our call for applications for the second cohort of the Amos Climate Fellowship in this region, receiving 188 submissions. Through this process, I’ve had conversations with several women, who have shared their visions for the projects they hope to carry out and the harsh realities their communities face.

The connection between body and land remains ever-present. Just yesterday, a defender told me about one of the communities she works with — a place heavily affected by monocultures and agro-industrial production — where glyphosate (a harmful pesticide) has been found in women’s breast milk.

Hearing this was deeply impactful. It made me reflect on how extractivist projects (like mining or intensive farming) don’t just destroy the land — they invade and violate women’s bodies in the most intimate ways.

For Amos, the Climate Fellowship has been an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the relationship between gender and climate justice, how activists and defenders from Mexico and Central America experience this, and how they are working creatively towards solutions to the challenges they face.

Another powerful example of this was shared with me by an activist speaking about communities impacted by mining: “Mining pollutes everything, as the waste from mining operations flows directly into the rivers. But beyond the environmental damage, there is also profound social violence, especially against women, in the way these companies establish themselves and operate in these territories. Trucks arrive, loaded with men; the women, who spend most of their day at home, are the ones who must confront their arrival. Armed men step out of these vehicles, using threats and intimidation to instill fear, effectively confining these women to their homes.”

However, the Climate Fellowship is not only allowing us to understand this violence, but also to support those women in their process of creating justice through healing. “Our practices are often invisibilized, such as cooking, which is a fundamental part of our life, our health, and our struggle for the defense of the land, giving back that pride and dignity to our spaces”.

Over the past few weeks, I have found so much hope through these women, who, with their knowledge and practices, are healing our land, healing our bodies, and creating justice. I’m moved and inspired by what we will all cultivate together in the coming months through the Climate Fellowship. I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

I Am The Blood
Alexia Lizarraga

I find myself in two parts of the body:
in the cenote that holds the Mother’s blood,
where life takes root,
and in the heart that nourishes the rivers.

Though I dwell in the heart,
my eyes remained in the cenote.

When I sleep,
my eyes awaken.
They watch the men
who blacken the blood
until it turns to tar,
who pierce the womb
with a spear of metal.

I carry a pain in my back,
and when I search for its source,
I find the spear of metal
piercing the heart,
emerging through my left shoulder.

Then I understand:
I am the blood,
the one that flows through the entire body.
That is why,
though I dwell in the heart,
my eyes remained in the cenote.

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