Author Archives: Kimberley Brown

Signs of lasting trauma in people evicted to make way for giant mine in Ecuador (The Guardian)

TSUNTSUIM, ECUADOR – Months after they were evicted from their homes to make way for a mine, almost half the population of an Ecuadorian village is suffering from psychological damage, experts have said. Psychiatrists found 42% of the indigenous Shuar people of Tsuntsuim village suffering from mental health problems and trauma. Many of the villagersContinueContinue reading “Signs of lasting trauma in people evicted to make way for giant mine in Ecuador (The Guardian)”

Bamboo Houses: Rebuilding a Sustainable Community (Zoomin TV)

RAMBUCHE, ECUADOR – A new step in sustainable architecture – After the major earthquake hit Ecuador in 2016, many people on the coast are still living in tents or makeshift homes out of scraps of wood and metal sheets. But some organizations are helping rebuild homes out of bamboo – a flexible material that´s resistant toContinueContinue reading “Bamboo Houses: Rebuilding a Sustainable Community (Zoomin TV)”

Earthquake In Ecuador: Women In Crisis Band Together (Argot Magazine)

BAHIA DE CARAQUEZ, ECUADOR – Andrea Quijije Garcia lost her home in the earthquake that hit Ecuador’s coast last year, and spent almost two weeks sleeping on the floor of a local church. She shared the small space with at least 40 other families. Most of them had to stay long after Garcia left, sinceContinueContinue reading “Earthquake In Ecuador: Women In Crisis Band Together (Argot Magazine)”

Abortion Escorts in Ecuador are Breaking the Silence (Ms. Magazine Blog)

QUITO, ECUADOR – Las Comadres—which loosely translates as The Godmothers, or “a very close friend”—is a feminist group fighting back against the nation’s restrictive abortion laws. Members accompany women through their abortion procedures and provide them with medical and legal information. Last weekend, they ran their first national workshop walking women through the process. TheContinueContinue reading “Abortion Escorts in Ecuador are Breaking the Silence (Ms. Magazine Blog)”

What would you do if you had “nature’s pharmacy” in your backyard? (Mongabay)

TAMIA YURA, ECUADOR – Benjamin Mamallacta Alvarado and his wife Dalia Tapuy were both recently sick, but instead of going to a pharmacy to pick up medication, they went into their backyard, which just happens to be in the Amazon rainforest. Born and raised in the Amazon, Alvarado has been using medicinal plants all hisContinueContinue reading “What would you do if you had “nature’s pharmacy” in your backyard? (Mongabay)”

Amnesty: A Win for Colombia’s Peace Process? (The New Internationalist)

QUITO, ECUADOR – Liliany Obiando is finally free – after nine years. For almost a decade, Colombian sociologist, human rights worker and former political prisoner Liliany Obando has been engaged in a long and complex battle with the Colombian state and judicial system. She was charged with ‘rebellion’ in 2008, but this March the state officiallyContinueContinue reading “Amnesty: A Win for Colombia’s Peace Process? (The New Internationalist)”

Ecuadorians say Lenin Moreno’s Victory is a Win for Poor and Working People (The Real News)

QUITO, ECUADOR – Ecuadorians elected a new President Sunday, voting to keep the current left-wing party of President Rafael Correa in power. Correa’s former Vice-President Lenin Moreno won the election with 51% of the vote over his opponent, Guillermo Lasso of the right-wing CREO Party, who finished with 49%. Hundreds of supporters gathered at theContinueContinue reading “Ecuadorians say Lenin Moreno’s Victory is a Win for Poor and Working People (The Real News)”

Colombia’s Cane Industry Efficient but Potentially Damaging (Mongabay)

CALI, COLOMBIA – Colombia’s Pacific coast state of Valle del Cauca, home to at least 80 percent of the country’s booming sugar cane industry, continues to rebound after excessive and damaging rains in 2011-2012. In fact, recent USDA Foreign Agricultural Services report found that the country’s cane industry continues to reach “historical averages.” The rebound isn’tContinueContinue reading “Colombia’s Cane Industry Efficient but Potentially Damaging (Mongabay)”

Indigenous Leaders Denounce Ecuadorian Government Over Mining Conflicts (Mongabay)

QUITO, ECUADOR – Indigenous leaders and activists gathered in Quito, Ecuador, last Thursday, March 9, to denounce the Ecuadorian government for its complicity in allowing international mining companies to take over indigenous territory. The biggest topic on everyone’s minds was the current conflict in Ecuador’s southern Amazon region. In recent months the indigenous Shuar community thereContinueContinue reading “Indigenous Leaders Denounce Ecuadorian Government Over Mining Conflicts (Mongabay)”