Land is Life is an Indigenous Peoples’ coalition dedicated for over 33 years to advancing their rights and self-determination. Grounded in the principle that Indigenous Peoples must be free to protect and live in their ancestral territories. In 2024, the organization channeled 91% of its funding directly to Indigenous Peoples across more than 28 countries.
Our approach is uniquely effective because it’s truly led by Indigenous leaders and organizations, ensuring that priorities come from the communities themselves. Land is Life plays a vital role in protecting Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation (PIACI), supporting Indigenous Human Rights Defenders through rapid-response security funds, and strengthening self-determination through community-led FPIC protocols.
We also promote Indigenous women’s leadership and ensure Indigenous voices are heard in global policy spaces, from the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues UNPFII to climate negotiations. Ultimately, Land is Life connects Indigenous grassroots activism with international advocacy, reinforcing Indigenous Peoples’ central role in protecting their lands and shaping their futures. We ensure that global policy translates into real impact at the territorial level.
As the new Executive Director of Land is Life, I’m honored to continue our 33-year legacy of advancing the self-determination and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples across the globe. Founded during an Indigenous summit in Rio de Janeiro, Land is Life has grown into a powerful global coalition thanks to the dedication of many who came before us.
Over the past year, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of our work, supporting Indigenous-led initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and advocating for policies that uphold Indigenous Peoples’ rights. In 2024, we helped amplify Indigenous women’s leadership, improved participation in decision-making spaces, supported food sovereignty, and provided emergency support to defenders under threat.
As we enter 2025, I recognize the growing challenges and threats Indigenous Peoples face, especially in securing funding. Despite these obstacles, our commitment remains unwavering.
I invite all our partners, funders, and allies to join us in deepening our shared mission. Now more than ever, we must stand united, take bold action, and reaffirm our solidarity. Together, we can create lasting change for Indigenous Peoples and their territories. Thank you for your continued support.
Luisa Castaneda Quintana
Executive Director
In 2024, Land is Life supported Indigenous Peoples across Asia through advocacy, legal defense, and leadership building. Key actions included defending leaders in the Philippines, documenting rights violations in Northeast India, mapping land in West Papua, and training Indigenous women on rights and climate impacts.
Land is Life advanced food sovereignty, gender equality, and human rights in Africa. Through the Indigenous-Led Security Fund, over 60 communities and 30 defenders received emergency support. Programs in Kenya, Uganda, Mali, and Cameroon empowered Indigenous women and girls through education, advocacy, and renewable energy projects. Mayangna land protection.
In Mesoamerica, Land is Life supported food sovereignty, marine governance, and territorial defense. It backed agroecology in Mexico and Nicaragua, supported Bribri and Ngobe efforts in ocean conservation, and advocated for Miskito divers’ rights and Mayangna land protection.
Land is Life defended Indigenous Peoples’ rights across South America, focusing on PIACI protection, FPIC protocols, and women’s leadership. Highlights include regional advocacy, community patrols in Peru, and fellow-led initiatives on food, health, and territorial defense in Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia
Through our Indigenous-Led Security Funds (ILSF), we provided rapid-response support to Indigenous human rights defenders facing immediate threats. In Colombia alone, we issued 49 emergency grants, reaching over 94,000 Indigenous individuals across 25 Indigenous Peoples. Similar support was extended to communities in Africa, Asia, and Mesoamerica, offering legal aid, psychosocial services, relocation, and medical assistance.
In 2024, our Indigenous-Led Security Funds made tangible progress on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in several key areas:
Improved the capacity of Indigenous Peoples to take collective action in defense of their territories, rights, and ways of life.
Enabled Indigenous Peoples’ right defenders to participate in national and international advocacy spaces, amplifying calls for Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
Fostered stronger alliances and coordination among Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, while also opening dialogue with State actors to address security and rights concerns.
189 distinct Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI) in the Amazon Basin and the Gran Chaco.
11 Indigenous Peoples’ organizations as partners
_____________________________________________________________
Land is Life reinforced protections for the Indigenous Peoples confronting the world’s gravest challenge—those living in voluntary isolation. Through the GTI-PIACI Secretariat and partnerships in the Amazon Basin, we supported territorial patrols, legal frameworks, and international advocacy to prevent encroachment and forced contact.
20 grants were issued across Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador to bolster Indigenous-led territorial monitoring, deliver essential supplies, and support legal and political advocacy to defend PIACI lands. These interventions included equipping communities with GPS and satellite tools, establishing river checkpoints, and reinforcing Indigenous Guards like the Kakataibo in Peru.
As Secretariat of the International Working Group for the Protection of PIACI (GTI-PIACI), Land is Life facilitated regional coordination and global advocacy. In 2024, the annual GTI-PIACI Assembly in Bogotá gathered 48 representatives from 18 organizations across 8 countries, leading to the creation of a new Indigenous-led Political Council and the transition of the Secretariat to the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT).
Led global campaigns and active participation in high-level UN forums, raised visibility of the urgent threats facing PIACI, and advocated for stronger international policies to uphold their rights and ensure their survival.
We expanded our Indigenous Women’s Program across regions, strengthening Indigenous women-led organizations, supporting grassroots fellows, and advancing gender equality in advocacy and decision-making spaces. From Mali to the Philippines, Indigenous women defended land, revitalized ancestral knowledge, and led campaigns against gender-based violence.
in six countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, strengthening economic empowerment, leadership, and environmental defense through community-led initiatives.
_____________________________________________________________
The third cohort of the Indigenous Women’s Fellowship was launched, supporting 5 young Indigenous women leaders in developing projects on land rights, climate justice, and gender equality.
_____________________________________________________________
Helping to build stronger alliances and enhance advocacy capacity on key issues such as food sovereignty, women’s health, biodiversity, and Indigenous women’s rights under international frameworks.
In 2024, Land is Life advanced Indigenous-led agroecology and food sovereignty efforts across Sub-Saharan Africa and Mesoamerica. Key achievements included strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, supporting climate adaptation initiatives, and promoting sustainable practices such as climate-resilient agriculture, livestock restocking, post-harvest innovations, and regenerative farming—directly benefiting Indigenous Peoples and their territories.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
In Mesoamerica, support centered on the Miskito Peoples in Nicaragua and Honduras. Agroecological restoration with 4 Indigenous Peoples from Nicaragua included training, field rehabilitation, and participatory food mapping based on ancestral knowledge. An assessment on the conditions of Miskito divers with disabilities laid the groundwork for advocacy on their rights. In Honduras, Indigenous women advanced agroecology through family gardens and workshops focused on soil health and traditional crops, improving food security and reducing labor burdens. Across both regions, efforts emphasized intergenerational knowledge, climate adaptation, and Indigenous leadership.
In 2024, Land is Life supported Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador and Bolivia to develop and implement community-led FPIC protocols rooted in traditional governance and decision-making systems:
Land is Life facilitated the development of community-led FPIC protocols, reaffirming Indigenous Peoples’ right to determine their own development. In Ecuador and Bolivia, these protocols were presented before national courts and government institutions, influencing legal standards and supporting Indigenous self-governance.
We facilitated Indigenous Peoples’ efforts to present FPIC protocols to national courts and international bodies, advancing Indigenous Peoples’ rights and legal recognition of their self-determined processes.
We ensured that Indigenous voices were present and heard at critical decision-making tables:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Recommendations for Pledge: 2.0 of the Forest TenureFunders Group
We understand that the Forest Tenure Funders Group has begun discussing the framework for a second pledge (“Pledge 2.0”). Therefore, together with 45 Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, we offer five recommendations to inform the discussions related to a second pledge, that should learn from and build upon the successes and the gaps in implementing the first one.
_____________________________________________________________
2024 marked a leadership transition, as Luisa Castaneda-Quintana was appointed Executive Director, bringing years of dedicated advocacy with Indigenous Peoples and UN entities.
What sets Land is Life apart is its structure: Indigenous Peoples and their organizations lead at every level, from governance to programming. This ensures our work is community-driven, transparent, and adaptable to local realities. We don’t speak for Indigenous Peoples; we work with them, so they can speak for themselves, defend their rights, and determine their futures.
As we move into 2025, Land is Life remains steadfast in its mission. With your support, we will continue to protect life-giving lands, elevate Indigenous leadership, and build a more just and sustainable future, grounded in ancestral knowledge and collective strength.
