Photo credit: Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development/Facebook
The voices of the Indigenous Peoples of the Iwokrama Forest, one of the last pristine rainforests in the world, echoed through the hallways of COP29 in Azerbaijan today, more than 6,500 miles from their native Guyana.
The official COP29 side event, Indigenous and local knowledge systems for Climate Action: Delivering Together a Resilient future for All, was co-hosted by Namibia, Seychelles, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Attendees witnessed the wisdom of the Iwokrama through a stunning short film, which showcased the power of indigenous knowledge, especially when combined with Western science, to support sustainable livelihoods and economies.
Titled Take only what you need: The success story of the Iwokrama Forest, the film was produced by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (IIC). The film’s main character, Michael Williams, the Toshao or chief of Guyana’s Annai Central region, inspired the film’s core message.
In the film, he says:
“Take what you need and leave the rest for future generations.”