A workshop in San Felipe, in the Apostolic Vicariate of Inírida, brought together educators from Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela to promote Bilingual Intercultural Education as a path toward identity, equity, and a future for the Amazon.
From March 30 to April 1, the community of San Felipe, in the Apostolic Vicariate of Inírida (Colombia), hosted a significant training event that brought together teachers from the Amazonian triple border region between Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela. The purpose of this workshop was to reflect on, strengthen, and promote Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE) as a concrete response to the realities and challenges of the region.
This initiative is the result of a collaborative process launched last year between the Amazonian Intercultural Bilingual Education Network (REIBA), Fe y Alegría, and the Itinerant Team. This alliance arose from the need to join forces to support Amazonian communities more closely and effectively in their educational processes.
Over the past year, these organizations conducted visits to various communities, involving teachers and members of local communities. These meetings allowed them to hear directly about their needs, understand the conditions under which educational work takes place, and highlight the main challenges. Among these, the urgency of strengthening teacher training, providing pedagogical support, valuing the role of the educator, and improving infrastructure and materials stood out.
Based on this assessment, a report was prepared that led to the organization of the workshop in San Felipe, conceived as a concrete response to move toward relevant and context-specific educational proposals.
The meeting was jointly organized by the partner organizations, with the participation of Sabrina Burgos, representing Fe y Alegría Colombia; Sr. Lisette Escárate, Sandra Robilliard, and Alfonso Franco from REIBA; Fr. Edison Quintero, SJ, parish priest of Puerto Inírida; and Getulio Gómez along with Br. Joao de Castro, SJ, from the Itinerant Team. The event also benefited from the valuable contributions of Indigenous teachers such as Brenda Landaeta, of Ñengatu descent, and Ignacio Cardoso, from the Jivi people, both from the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela.
A key role in the planning and development of the workshop was played by Sandra Robilliard, REIBA’s EIB advisor, whose experience helped create a dynamic, participatory, and deeply contextualized space, fostering both the analysis of the educational reality and the planning of concrete improvements.
Participation was diverse and representative of the Amazonian cultural richness. Most teachers came from Venezuela, from primary, secondary, and agricultural levels, along with educators from nearby Colombian communities and a delegation from Brazil comprising a principal, two teachers, and a nun from the Cucuí community. This diversity fostered a genuine space for intercultural exchange, where knowledge, experiences, and challenges were shared from the perspective of each community.
B Intercultural Bilingual EducationB was reaffirmed as a fundamental pillar for the region. More than a pedagogical model, it is a commitment to recognizing cultural and linguistic diversity, promoting learning in indigenous languages, and strengthening the identity of children and youth.
In Amazonian contexts, IBL is an urgent necessity and a fundamental right that helps bridge historical gaps and build a more inclusive and equitable education system.
Likewise, its impact on new generations was highlighted, as it allows them to grow with a solid identity, proud of their roots and equipped with tools to interact in an increasingly interconnected world. Learning through the mother tongue not only improves comprehension but also strengthens the bond between school and community.
One of the central pillars addressed in the workshop was the preservation of Indigenous cultures: languages, traditions, knowledge, and worldviews. EIB promotes dialogue between ancestral wisdom and scientific knowledge, recognizing that learning is diverse and that each culture contributes a unique vision of the world. In a global context where many languages are at risk of disappearing, this educational approach becomes a key tool for their revitalization.
The San Felipe workshop thus represents a significant step in strengthening education in the Amazon, in line with the path promoted by the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), which advocates for a Church with an Amazonian face, committed to the life, culture, and rights of the peoples.
The challenge continues: to consolidate educational processes that emerge from the region, respond to its realities, and shape new generations with a sense of identity, knowledge, and commitment to their communities and to our Common Home.