Hello friends,

 

For those of you who might be interested in this sort of work, follows the message below.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Joao Goncalves

 

From: "Pier Carlo Zingari" <zingari.oefm@...>

Reply-To: mfmod-global@...

To: "Mountain Forum" <mtn-forum@...>

Subject: [MF] Announcement: Vilcanota Spiritual Park - Cusco, Peru

Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 09:54:08 +0100

 

Dear Mountain Forum friends,

 

Please find a note on the Vilcanota Park, Peru,

received from our "biodiversity" friends.

Cheers to all

 

Pier Carlo Zingari

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Imdigenous Peoples' Biodiversity Network

Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 5:21 AM

Subject: [CMWG] Kechua Communities Launch the "Vilcanota

Spiritual Park" in Cusco, Peru.

 

Press Release (Please Distribute)

 

Kechua Communities Launch the

"Vilcanota Spiritual Park" in Cusco

VILCANOTA, CUSCO, Perú, 07/12/04 - Kechua

communities of Q'eros and Ausangate, from Vilcanota

(Cusco, Perú), will launch the Vilcanota Spiritual

Park on the 6th of December. This is the first Natural

Sacred Site in Peru, a model which recognizes and

promotes Kechua values and principles in the

conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

The Vilcanota region includes the second most important

glacier system in Peru. The mountain range is dominated

by the snow-capped peak of Ausangate (6,372m), which is

considered the main Apu of the Southern Andes. Each

year, in the continuation of a pre-hispanic event, more

than 50,000 people from the Peruvian Andes make a

pilgrimage to the sacred mountain to participate in the

festival of Q'olloyriti.

This site includes great ecological diversity due to

the different Andean altitudinal and climatic zones.

It is recognized as a hot-spot of biodiversity, a

critical ecosystem, and one of the main centres of

genetic diversity of important Andean crops.

The traditional peoples such as the Q'eros who live in

this area, demonstrate the vitality and continuity of

the ancient Kechua culture. The Q'eros are known as

holders and transmitters of principles and practices

of environmental sustainability which are being

proposed as the basis of a modern ethic of

conservation. For them, mountains or Apus are sacred

beings that represent the most important expression

of human aspirations.

"Because of restricted access to some areas with

voluntary protection measures exercised by the local

population, Natural Sacred Sites conserve local

ecosystems and their unique biodiversity in an

effective and efficient way, so they could serve as

repositories of critical biological resources for the

rehabilitation of depleted Andean landscapes", says

Alejandro Argumedo, (Director of the Asociación

Kechua Aymara para Comunidades Sustentables, ANDES).

Additionally, the area is a prime tourist destination

in high demand due to its beautiful mountain landscapes.

"Although local people have not benefited from tourism,

they do experience the biological and socioeconomic

impacts produced by this industry", according to Santos

Quispe Mayhua, Mayor of T'inki and President of the

Pro-Vilcanota Spiritual Park Committee.

The Vilcanota Spiritual Park is being implemented as a

Community-Conservation Area, a concept based on

community-based landscape management, integrating

traditional models with modern ones. Internationally,

it is considered a unique and innovative proposal

that could serve as a model for the establishment of

other special conservation areas in the Peruvian Andes.

This initiative is being implemented with technical

support from Peruvian governmental organizations such

as CONAM and INRENA, and international organizations

including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),

the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the

"Sustaining Local Food Systems, Agricultural

Biodiversity and Livelihoods Programme" of the

International Insititute for Environment and

Development (IIED) from England.

The launching ceremony for the Vilcanota Spiritual

Park will take place at INRENA (Julio Guerra Tovar

auditorium), Calle Diecisiete No. 355, Urb. El Palomar,

San Isidro, and will include the participation of a

delegation from the Park and traditional authorities

of Q'eros.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sol Cuellar

Environmental Law Coordinator

Asociación ANDES

andes@...

Tel: 51 84 245021

Fax 51 84 232603

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