Ocirlene Batista de Araújo, a woman from the Manchineri people and an indigenous health worker in the state of Acre, participated for the first time in the Pan-Amazonian Social Forum and brought back to her community a commitment to continue defending their territories, waters, and life.
“The Amazon is life; we are the Amazon.” With this statement, Ocirlene Batista de Araújo, a woman from the Manchineri people, summarized during the 12th Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA) her understanding of the territory and the responsibility of Amazonian peoples in the face of challenges that threaten life.
A native of the Mulateiro community in Assis, in the state of Acre, Brazil, Ocirlene participated for the first time in the FOSPA, held in Puyo, Ecuador, from August 16 to 21, 2026. Her participation in this Pan-Amazonian gathering was made possible by an invitation from the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI), a Catholic Church organization that supports the efforts of indigenous peoples in Brazil.
An Indigenous woman, community worker, and Indigenous Health Agent (AIS), Ocirlene shared her insights, concerns, and hopes with the communications team of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) upon her return to her territory.
A First Encounter with the Pan-Amazon Region
For Ocirlene, attending FOSPA meant encountering, for the first time, a diversity of peoples, organizations, and experiences from different Amazonian territories.
“It gives me great satisfaction to be participating in FOSPA for the first time. I’m very happy,” she said.
The experience was also a learning process. She even acknowledged, with humility, that the gathering allowed her to become more familiar with other languages and cultures.
“I even learned enough to almost speak Spanish,” she remarked with a laugh, explaining that, although she understands the language, she still has difficulty expressing herself in it.
Beyond linguistic and cultural differences, she found a common thread among those who participated in the Forum: the defense of life and of their territories.
“We see that it is a single struggle, a struggle for all of us: free from carbon, free from mining, our lands protected,” she affirmed.
This awareness of being part of a common cause was one of the main lessons Ocirlene hopes to bring back to her community.
Protect the land, protect the water
Drawing on her experience as an Indigenous woman and health worker, she clearly identifies the urgent challenges currently facing Amazonian peoples.
“The most urgent need right now is the protection of our lands and our waters,” she noted.
Added to this concern is the impact of the climate crisis and the need to strengthen the legal protection of Indigenous territories.
Ocirlene noted that her own community is still awaiting the completion of the process to demarcate its territory.
“Our Indigenous lands must also be protected and demarcated. Mine, for example, has not yet been demarcated; it is in the process of being demarcated,” she explained.
For indigenous peoples, territorial protection is not merely about defending a physical space. It is directly linked to the continuity of their communities, their cultures, their knowledge, their ways of life, and their spiritual relationship with nature.
“The Amazon is life”
When asked what the Amazon means to her, her answer was brief but deeply meaningful:
“The Amazon is life. The Amazon is us.”
This phrase expresses an understanding of the territory that goes beyond any exclusively geographical or economic perspective. The Amazon is not simply a space that must be conserved: it is the place where peoples live, build their community relationships, develop their cultures, and shape their future.
Therefore, threats to the forests, waters, and territories are also threats to the very lives of the communities.
From this perspective, Ocirlene believes it is essential that communities be able to actively participate in decisions affecting their territories and that society recognize the value of their knowledge and experiences.
Bringing FOSPA Back to the Community
Participation in the Forum does not end with returning home. For Ocirlene, the real challenge begins now: sharing what she has learned and motivating her community to strengthen its commitment to defending the territory.
“I want to inform my community—the people there—about what I heard and try to get them to join us in protecting the land,” she explained.
Her goal is for the lessons learned in Puyo to translate into concrete actions within the territory, especially regarding environmental protection and the defense of indigenous peoples against activities that threaten their living spaces.
In this way, FOSPA becomes a space for exchange that extends beyond the days of the event itself: the experiences, proposals, and commitments return with each participant to their communities and continue their journey there.
A Church That Stands with Indigenous Peoples
Ocirlene also highlighted her connection to the Catholic Church and, in particular, the support provided by the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI).
From her community, which is ecclesially linked to the Diocese of Rio Branco, she acknowledges the work carried out by CIMI alongside indigenous peoples.
“CIMI works with indigenous peoples and helps a great deal. It is a major coordinator for indigenous peoples,” she stated.
In her experience, this support translates into closeness with the communities, assistance with their organizational processes, and the defense of their rights.
“CIMI helps indigenous communities a great deal,” she reiterated.
For her, the Church’s presence in the Amazon takes on meaning when it manifests itself in the support of communities and the defense of the dignity of the peoples.
A Call to Young People: Defend Life
At the end of the interview, Ocirlene wanted to direct a message especially to the younger generations of the Amazon and the world.
Her call is not to abandon the defense of their territories and to stay away from situations that threaten the lives of their communities.
“May they continue to fight for our lands, may they continue to seek to help and protect,” she said.
She also urged young people to stay away from drugs and addiction, as well as from activities that cause environmental and social destruction.
Her message stems from a conviction: the defense of the Amazon requires new generations committed to their territories—generations capable of taking on the responsibility of caring for what they have received from their peoples and what they must pass on to future generations.
A Voice Returning to the Territory
Ocirlene Batista de Araújo’s participation in the 12th FOSPA represents one of the many voices that made the Puyo gathering a space for listening, coordination, and collective action.
Speaking from a Manchineri community, her experience reminds us that the Amazon’s greatest challenges are lived out in specific territories: in the communities awaiting the demarcation of their lands, in the waters that need protection, in the peoples defending their ways of life, and in the young people seeking reasons to stay and care for their territories.
Her commitment now is to return and share what she has learned.
Because, for Ocirlene, protecting the Amazon is not about defending something that is far away from us.
“The Amazon is life. We are the Amazon.”