09 March 1999

Bonn, Germany: The Imbakucha-San Pablo Lake is an enclave of awe-inspiring natural beauty tucked in the Ecuadorian sierra north of Quito. The lake basin is home to four villages and no less than 38 different indigenous groups, a remarkable patchwork of peoples and civilisations whose co-existence in this remote setting has been historically complex. Today, in addition to on-going inter-ethnic strife, poverty and pollution are also serious obstacles to overcome.

To help address these challenges, a team of National UNVs is joining efforts with CEPCU, a local NGO which has sought for the last six years to establish a framework of co-operation between the local authorities, community-based and international organisations and the Lake's inhabitants. NUNVs assist the people of Imbakucha on three fronts: finding sustainable ways of generating an income, strengthen-ing their institutions and working to improve the Lake's environmen-tal condition. In their first year, the NUNVs believe they have succeeded first and foremost in enhancing communication and co-participation among the different partners. They say they have done so in the spirit of tinkuy rimay or "dialogue for unity", a ritual once practised by the indigenous elders who gathered together at the Lake´s most sacred venue to seek common grounds for the good of their communities. The NUNVs draw from such local wisdom and ancient traditions and also incorporate modern techniques (such as the radio broadcast Imbakucha kawsay or "day-to-day life on the lake") to make their work most effective. This formula has made it possible successfully to set in train initiatives in the areas of environmental education, the formulation and execution of micro-projects, training of local staff and development of strategic plans of community action.

The NUNVs are now looking forward to the next two years of the project, during which they will strive to bring more to the forefront the three dimensions they see as informing their work: a concern with culture, attention to gender and priority for communication.