With the non-profit group Jiboiana, Audrey Paranque (BBA 07 & M08) is fighting to protect the environment and indigenous people of the Amazon. From the legacy of Bolsonaro to Lula’s electoral promises, she takes stock of the reality on the ground and offers leads to improve the situation. 

ESSEC Alumni: What prompted you to engage in the protection of the Amazon’s indigenous people? 

Audrey Paranque: I’ve been interested in indigenous peoples and their cosmovisions since my childhood, but it wasn’t until my university exchange in Mexico and my move to Brazil in 2010 that I finally got to encounter them. In the following years, I met with various local communities, in parallel to my numerous business trips throughout the continent as head of development for AccorHotels. These encounters changed me so deeply that in 2017 I decided to leave the city and my life as an expatriate and immerse myself in the life of the peoples of Argentina, Bolivia and the Amazon Forest, where I decided to settle definitively.

EA: Why did these encounters with indigenous populations have such a profound effect on you?

A. Paranque: The indigenous people showed me the beauty of biodiversity in living systems, as well as the countless threats to this paradise and their helplessness in the face of this disaster. I felt the need to act with and for them, to preserve not only nature, but their knowledge of it, their culture and wisdom.

EA: What is the current situation of these populations? 

A. Paranque: It’s difficult to generalise because there are around 305 different indigenous populations in Brazil. Some live close to major capitals, while others have never had any contact with our society. Nevertheless, the vast majority of them have to fight for their fundamental rights, their land and their way of life, under threat from predatory economic activities (mining, intensive livestock farming, soya plantations and timber export, etc.), and the proselytism of extremist evangelical churches.

EA: How do these pressures materialise?

A. Paranque: Firstly, through physical, sexual and psychological violence of an alarming frequency and intensity. Secondly, due to harsh survival conditions; access to medical care, education and even drinking water is a daily challenge. The situation has worsened in recent years.

EA: What has caused this worsening?

A. Paranque: Bolsonaro’s government dismantled the main environmental and indigenous protection institutions, such as the FUNAI, ICMBio and IBAMA; refused to punish numerous illegal practices and even pushed for various detrimental laws inciting industries to claim land belonging to the indigenous populations or authorising the use of highly toxic pesticides. Some people here readily describe the situation as a genocide.

EA: Will the election of Lula change the game? 

A. Paranque: Lula’s return to government is raising a lot of hope, because he is clearly in favour of solving the social and environmental problems that have a direct impact on indigenous populations. In particular, he has promised to create a Ministry for Indigenous Peoples, a promise reiterated during the COP; ‘the moral and ethical obligation to repair the damage caused to indigenous peoples’, to fight for ‘zero deforestation’ and organise the 2025 World Climate Conference in the Amazon.  

EA: Beyond the political intrigues, how can indigenous populations defend themselves?

A. Paranque: The younger generations are trying to enter university to become lawyers, doctors or any other profession which would give them the skills and legitimacy they need to defend and protect their people. In 2022, two indigenous women thus became parliamentary deputies! These populations also connect through social media and forge alliances, sometimes even between factions which were historical enemies.

EA: You are contributing to the fight via your organisation, Jiboiana. What actions do you lead?

A. Paranque: We intervene on two levels. On the ground, firstly, in particular in the Acre and Pará States in the Brazilian Amazon, to help local communities to remain on their lands with well-digging, reforestation and cultural preservation programmes, and intermediation with local authorities. Secondly, we lend a voice to indigenous peoples on the international scene, to give visibility and weight to their demands.

EA: You also bring indigenous leaders and activists to Europe...

A. Paranque: Yes. Last October, between the Brazilian election rounds, we invited 6 leaders and activists from the Munduruku, Huni Kuin, Iny-Karaja, Pataxó and Sateré-Mawé peoples to Europe. To begin with, we organised the first March for the Amazon in Paris, followed by several other events (debates at the GoodPlanet Foundation and the Climate Academy, a press conference and cultural meetings, etc.) and discussions with various UNESCO representatives. Then, in Belgium we spoke at the European and Belgian parliaments; held discussions with the Belgian Minister for Ecology and Amnesty International representatives, as well as entrepreneurs, students and artists; had several TV and press interviews; headed a 30,000-person demonstration for the climate under the Walk for your Future banner, and organised a studio recording of indigenous songs.

EA: What were the aims of this initiative? 

A. Paranque: The aim was to open spaces for dialogue which indigenous leaders do not normally have access to, such as European institutions, universities, the street, performance venues, the media, etc. Our hope was to raise awareness among Europeans of the identity, territorial and environmental threats these people face, to alert the Western world of its responsibility in this situation, to facilitate exchange and foster the emergence of solutions and alliances, and to raise funds for indigenous peoples’ projects and the Jiboiana organisation.

EA: What results have you obtained to date?

A. Paranque: This is the second time we have organised this type of operation. In 2021, in addition to travelling to Paris, we also took part in the COY16 and COP21 in Glasgow. On a human level, the results are highly positive, with a great deal of emotion and connections. Young people in particular demonstrate a clear interest, and the leaders feel valued and heard, in addition to acquiring a better understanding of our ways of life and our workings. There has been considerable media coverage, from traditional media to social networks, thanks in particular to the ongoing participation of artists and activists such as Camille Etienne, Adelaïde Charlier, Vinz Kanté, Inès Rau, Lucie Lucas, Alexia Giordano, and Carole Brana. Lastly, some promising alliances have been forged through these events with numerous organisations, including Greenpeace, Rise for Climate, UNESCO, Amnesty International, Envol Vert, Planète Amazone, StopEcovide and Sea Shepherd. 

EA: What upcoming actions are you planning? 

A. Paranque: Jiboiana is currently coordinating a vast participative reforestation programme in the Huni Kuin Igarapé do Caucho region, which is in the Acre State of the Brazilian Amazon. It has a dual environmental and social aim; agro-forestry should enable local communities to achieve food self-sufficiency and generate income through bioeconomy initiatives. Launched in 2021 with the creation of a large community nursery, the initiative is now steered on a daily basis by a team of Huni Kuin agents who work alongside the families of the 8 participant villages. In 2022, we thus built 10 new nurseries, produced more than 15,000 plants and organised more than thirty theoretical and practical training workshops. Apart from Jiboiana, I have a side project, AWA, with Laetitia Jeanpierre. We aim to organise immersive trips to the Amazon for French-speakers wishing to study forest plants and their medicinal use in collaboration with the indigenous population.

EA: You urge us to draw inspiration from the Amazon’s indigenous peoples, specifically with regard to climate change. What can we learn from them? 

A. Paranque: Indigenous populations have been living in harmony with nature for centuries. They represent less than 6% of the world’s population, but protect more than 80% of the planet’s biodiversity. We Westerners have a great deal to learn from this know-how and way of life. Beyond their practices, they provide us with another vision. ‘Nature’ in their eyes is really the ‘Mother’ who fulfils their needs, provides water, food and medicine, animals for hunting and fishing, and materials for their homes, tools and art. Indigenous people have a profound respect for nature and foster what could be considered as a sacred bond with it. Many of them continue to perform rituals and ceremonies to connect with the visible and invisible forces of the forest. I believe this relationship should inspire us, awaken our consciences and remind us that we are also ‘Nature’ and our survival depends on its protection.

EA: How can the ESSEC community support your actions?

A. Paranque: We are still sorely lacking in financial resources for our actions in the Amazon, to pay for local teams, materials, petrol and communication and land surveillance equipment (telephones, computers, drones, GPS, walkie-talkies etc.). For our actions in Europe, we need logistic support for our annual tours, such as accommodation in Paris and Brussels, conference rooms and performance venues, food and transport and so on. We regularly organise crowdfunding campaigns, which you can contribute to via our social networks, Instagram, Facebook, or Hello Asso.. But don’t hesitate to contact me directly with any query or advice which could help us to raise funds!

EA: More generally, how can the ESSEC community contribute to the protection of indigenous people?

A. Paranque: Read and share all the information available on the situation, but also avoid consuming products which may come from indigenous lands in conflict (beef, soya, timber, gold and other minerals), and seize every opportunity to promote their culture and arts. Amazonian biodiversity is not just natural, it’s also human and cultural.

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni.

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Image 1 : © Zé Vicente

Image 2 : © Nicolas Cortes