More than 150 people, including children, young people and adults participated in the 1st Knowledge Exchange Meeting at the Janokoida Shelter in Pacaraima, Roraima, held by the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation (FFHI), and was attended by the Roraima Indigenous Council (Conselho Indígena de Roraima – CIR), the Education and Culture Committee, and supported by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
According to the coordinator of the Art-Education Sector of the Fraternity – Humanitarian (FFHI) and nun of the Order of Grace Mercy, Sister Maria de Lourdes, the objective of the Meeting was to provide a place for the expression and sharing of knowledge, as well as strengthening and valuing the traditional culture of the Warao indigenous people.
“We sought to bring together representatives of all generations of the Warao people so that they could exchange knowledge, especially the elders, who are the greatest holders of ancestral knowledge,” said Sister Maria de Lourdes.
Seeds of Tomorrow
The activities involved elements of the Warao culture: conversation circle, in which women taught crafting techniques to the girls; through singing, dancing and short stories they recalled the ancient stories and cosmology of their ethnicity; and in the green space, which is a vegetable garden in the form of a mandala, they planted some species of medicinal herbs traditionally used by their people.
“These meetings are important to continue giving life and meaning to these people, and so that the children can have access to the wealth of knowledge produced by their culture,” highlights the nun.
