Marlodis Tamani Murayari, a member of the Kukama Kukamiria people, arrived at the 12th Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA) with one conviction: defending the Amazon requires organization, alliances, and concrete actions. The Peruvian leader and activist emphasized in Puyo the importance of uniting Indigenous voices, demanding safeguards for those who defend the territory, and turning commitments into policies that truly protect life.
“Being a leader isn’t just about having the title; it’s also about taking action and, above all, learning to weather the storms that come with being a leader.” With these words, Marlodis Tamani Murayari, a leader and activist of the Kukama Kukamiria people, sums up part of her experience during the 12th Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA), held in Puyo, Ecuador, from August 16 to 21, 2026.
Hailing from the Loreto region, in the province of Alto Amazonas, Peru, Tamani found in FOSPA a space to connect with other Indigenous peoples and defenders of the Amazon. For her, participating in this event meant recognizing that there are many people who share the same struggles and challenges.
“It has been a very beautiful and, at the same time, motivating experience,” she said. From the gathering, she takes away lessons learned, new challenges, and, above all, the opportunity to strengthen a network that unites the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.
Amplifying the Voices Emerging from the Territories
One of the main challenges the leader identifies is getting urban populations to understand that the Amazon is not an infinite resource.
Tamani questions the idea that the rainforest will never run out because it was created by God. For her, this perspective ignores the reality on the ground and the severity of the threats facing Amazonian peoples.
The challenge is even greater for those who serve as leaders within the indigenous communities themselves and must convey their demands to state capitals and the mainstream media.
“We’re like that little ant in the grass, and the outside world doesn’t see us,” she said.
This image sums up one of the central concerns of her testimony: indigenous voices need greater advocacy capacity and communication channels that allow their realities to reach society and decision-makers.
For this reason, one of the commitments she is taking away from FOSPA is to strengthen alliances with other peoples and organizations across the Pan-Amazon region, as well as to find new ways to connect the voices from the territories with the media and platforms that can help raise awareness of their struggles.
A Just and Sustainable Amazon
In the face of the threats affecting Amazonian territories, Tamani asserts the right of Indigenous peoples to a “just and sustainable” Amazon.
His call includes halting deforestation, preventing river pollution, and protecting the fish, animals, and ecosystems that sustain the communities’ livelihoods.
But defending the territory, she warns, also means protecting those who defend it.
Drawing on her experience in Peru, she notes with concern the loss of lives among indigenous leaders and demands an end to the criminalization of those who raise their voices in defense of the Amazon.
“We cannot continue to lose lives for this cause,” she stated, emphasizing the need for governments to guarantee safety and protection for indigenous leaders.
From Written Commitments to Concrete Actions
One of the most important lessons Tamani takes away from FOSPA concerns the need to turn declarations, agreements, and policies into real actions.
For the leader, it is not enough for documents recognizing rights and commitments to exist if they do not translate into concrete changes on the ground.
“It’s like saying: I have a piece of paper; it’s as if they’re going to take care of me, but that piece of paper is useless to me if there are no concrete actions,” she explained.
In this regard, she believes that FOSPA and its partner organizations have a fundamental task ahead of them: to coordinate efforts, monitor commitments, and ensure that governments comply with policies aimed at protecting indigenous peoples and their territories.
A Church That Stands With Communities on the Ground
Tamani also highlighted the role of the Catholic Church in supporting the processes of indigenous peoples in the Upper Amazon region.
In his experience, this support takes the form of legal counsel and assistance enabling leaders to travel to locations where they must participate in hearings and other advocacy forums.
She also particularly valued the presence of Church-affiliated organizations, such as REPAM, Caritas, and the Pastoral de Tierras, which she recognizes as close allies of the communities.
“They are truly the ones who are there, whereas the government is not,” she noted.
For her, these alliances are essential because indigenous peoples cannot face the challenges posed by the defense of their territories alone.
“We can’t do it alone—that’s a fact,” she affirmed. She added that the support of these institutions helps strengthen the foundation so that Indigenous voices can be heard.
“We are not alone”
Marlodis Tamani’s testimony at FOSPA conveys a message that transcends the boundaries of the Kukama Kukamiria people: the defense of the Amazon is a collective effort.
Her hope stems from the collaboration among peoples, social organizations, the Church, and other actors committed to justice and the care of our common home.
From Puyo, her call is to turn this gathering into organization and the agreements into concrete actions. To strengthen alliances so that the voices of those living in the territories do not remain invisible and so that those who defend the Amazon can do so without putting their lives at risk.
The experience shared by Tamani during the 12th FOSPA reaffirms one of the greatest urgencies facing the Amazon today: to listen to, protect, and stand with its peoples, recognizing that they are not merely defenders of the territory, but indispensable protagonists of their present and their future.
For the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), giving visibility to these voices also means recognizing the richness of the processes emerging from the communities and renewing the commitment to walk alongside the Amazonian peoples in the defense of life, dignity, and our common home.