During the first meeting of the Kallawaya traditional authorities, held on 16th November, the Charazani Municipal Government recognized the Wildlife Conservation Society for its support to families and their actions to maintain a balance with Mother Earth, within the framework of the project 'Strengthening Socio-Ecological Resilience against the Effects of Climate Change of the Charazani Life System'. Participants in this event included 32 traditional authorities, healers, members of the educational council and technicians of WCS, as well as representatives of the Swiss Cooperation project Bioculture and Climate Change.
The purpose of this meeting was to open a space for dialogue and exchange of knowledge on climate change from the perspective of the Kallawaya’s world view, both spiritual (ritual / energy) and earthly (air / water, territory / production systems). The Kallawayas are an ancient culture that settled in the puna and in the headwaters of the Apolobamba mountain range, in the north of the La Paz Department. They excelled in the practice of traditional medicine, in agricultural production through a system of terraces and in textile art, which are still carried out within the framework of rituals and special ceremonies. In 2010, the Kallawaya culture was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The first part of the meeting was aimed at analyzing the problem of climate change in Charazani, highlighting the following related issues: contamination by mining activity, increased consumption of products that come from other places at the expense of local production, loss of cultural traditions, absence of educational programs that integrate knowledge of the Kallawaya culture, and emigration of the Kallawayas to urban centers.
Some recommendations were raised as contributions of the Kallawaya culture to restore balance and harmonious relationship with Mother Earth, emphasizing the need to strengthen the Kallawaya culture as a model of life that is based on duality and complementarity: natural world / spiritual world, man / woman, left / right, day / night, wet/ dry.
Alipio Cuila, Kallawaya of the Ayllu Amarete and current Director of Culture and Tourism of the municipality of Charazani said: “Going back to manage time, space, harmony and balance, respect for Mother Earth; strengthen the Kallawaya culture because it can serve as a model of life, an alternative life system for humanity.”