Women Leaders Protecting People and Planet: Stories, Solutions and Solidarity
Join Indigenous and Afro-descendant women leaders and global advocates from across the Americas for a powerful conversation on climate justice, biodiversity, and the transformative leadership of women rooted in their territories.
At a time of accelerating environmental and social crises, this gathering creates space for ancestral knowledge, lived experience, and bold visions for the future. Through storytelling and dialogue, speakers will share how communities are protecting forests, rivers, cultures, and future generations while advancing solutions grounded in reciprocity, resilience, and collective care.
The event brings together voices from both the Global South and the Global North to explore how solidarity across movements and geographies can strengthen the defense of Indigenous rights and the protection of our shared planet. From community organizing and frontline advocacy to international policy and storytelling, participants will highlight the essential role of women in shaping a more just, regenerative, and interconnected future.
Panel 1: Voices from the Global South
Featuring frontline Indigenous and Afro-descendant women leaders who are advancing climate justice, defending territories, and strengthening community resilience through ancestral knowledge, storytelling, and collective action.
Speakers:
Yurshell Rodríguez (Raizal Afro-Caribbean | Colombia) – Lead, Training Department, If Not Us Then Who?
Lucia Ixchíu (Maya K’iche’ | Guatemala) – Journalist, Indigenous storyteller, and Impact Producer, If Not Us Then Who?
Puyr Tembé (Tembé | Brazil) – First Secretary of State for Indigenous Peoples of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon.
Nina Gualinga (Kichwa from Sarayaku | Ecuador) – Indigenous rights, gender equality, and climate justice advocate.
Moderator: To be announced.
Panel 2: Voices from the Global North
Bringing together Indigenous leaders and international advocates working to build solidarity, influence policy, and mobilize global action in support of Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity, and climate justice.
Speakers:
Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation | Turtle Island/USA) – Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member & Project Coordinator.
Leila Salazar-López (Turtle Island/USA) – Executive Director, Amazon Watch.
Osprey Orielle Lake (Turtle Island/USA) – Founder and Executive Director, Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).
Moderator:
Jessica Sweidan (United Kingdom) – Co-Founder and Trustee, Synchronicity Earth.