13/09/2024
Students from IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs travel to the Colombian Amazon, working with local communities to promote conservation and sustainable learning.
At IE University, we prioritize sustainability and encourage our students to enhance their education by traveling to various locations around the world to observe real sustainability challenges for themselves. They gain firsthand experience of the innovative ways in which these challenges are being approached—and have the chance to make their own positive contributions.
Students from IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs recently traveled to Colombia and journeyed into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to see the specific environmental challenges facing some of the local communities.
Through hands-on experiences, they saw how sustainability and conservation issues are being tackled, and gained new and invaluable insights that will stay with them through their studies and well into their future careers.
Journey into the Amazon
The group stayed in the municipality of Puerto Nariño, deep in the Amazon rainforest. The location would provide students with a truly unique and authentic experience, immersed in nature and in direct contact with the local community.
The trip was organized in collaboration with the Omacha Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of ecosystems and species in the Amazon and beyond. They work closely with local communities to educate, engage and promote sustainable practices. The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, home to about 10% of the world’s known species, and it contains an ecosystem that has been sustaining the environment for thousands of years.
Even though there is still so much to be learned about the Amazon, the vast region is fragile and susceptible to environmental degradation. Natural habitats and local indigenous communities are increasingly threatened by issues such as climate change, deforestation and pollution.
Trips like this one enhance students’ environmental education through a high-impact, immersive experience. As well as seeing the threats and challenges for themselves and understanding their impact on these communities, they also had the opportunity to participate in real sustainability initiatives and explore the positive contributions they can make as individuals.
A truly hands-on experience
Students were lucky enough to participate in a wide range of diverse activities that gave them different insights into different environmental challenges and sustainability initiatives. Going far beyond traditional classroom methods, they gained hands-on experience through direct involvement with real projects.
They helped to plant trees as part of a reforestation project, for example. And they joined a workshop on natural inks, visiting the area where they’re cultivated and getting their hands dirty through some creative activities with the inks.
Another highlight was the chance to swim with dolphins. Pink dolphins are native to the Amazon and are currently an endangered species due to habitat loss and pollution, among other issues. Students learned more about the challenges facing the species and the ways in which efforts are being made to protect it. It was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for all.
Tackling local development challenges
At a time when global environmental issues are more pressing than ever, local communities within the Amazon rainforest are facing their own, unique set of challenges. In such a diverse environment, the challenges are wide-ranging, from deforestation, resource exploitation, pollution and climate change to the threats indigenous communities and traditions face from external influences.
The Omacha Foundation is dedicated to conservation and sustainability within the Colombian Amazon and beyond. With a strong focus on environmental education, sustainable learning and research, their work addresses a range of biological, cultural and economic challenges. A crucial part of their work is the formation of strong ties with local communities in order to maintain valuable cultural and social traditions—as well as educating locals on the part they can play.
IE University’s collaboration with the Omacha Foundation provides a mutually beneficial partnership that allows students to play a role in addressing some of these critical challenges.
And for the Foundation, they welcome the input that comes from the diverse knowledge and perspectives of our students. Fernando Trujillo, the Foundation’s scientific director, commented that, “For me, it’s essential to work with students. That’s where passion, heart and the desire to do things are shaped.”
Professor Manuel Quiros, who played an instrumental part in the trip, agrees. “This represents an amazing opportunity for IE University students to reconnect with nature and also to apply some of their skills and knowledge to enhance the local economies.”
Participant Andrea Cáceres felt that the experiences they had during their time in the Amazon were a privilege, “From going to the rainforest at night, to understanding the sacred trees, to understanding the role of women in fisheries.”
An experience that will never leave them
The memories of students’ experiences on trips such as this one will stay with them long into the future, influencing both their personal and professional selves. The Amazon experience was both impactful and inspiring, providing insights that just aren’t possible inside the classroom. It was a truly unique journey that will help our future graduates stand out as they embark on their professional journeys.
For Andrea, the trip was “incredible.” She commented that she’ll “bring back all the knowledge and even more eagerness to continue to contribute to indigenous peoples and indigenous rights all around the world.”
Fellow participant Avaani Singh already sees how combining her in-class studies with experiences like these is essential to really understand sustainability. Her eyes were opened particularly to how developed a local community can be in the center of the Amazon rainforest. She was also impressed that sustainability is taught to local children from very early on. Avaani contemplated how the takeaways from the whole experience can be used in the most effective way. “It ties in perfectly for the future in looking at what’s really important in a bigger picture, and how we can bring that all together to start focusing on those little things that end up mattering in the end,” she tells us.
Antonio Barreiro really appreciated the firsthand experience that such an immersive experience gave him. “The interaction with local communities, and being in contact with nature, was incredible. I really recommend this experience for everyone,” he says.
This trip is just part of the huge range of extracurricular activities that IE University offers its students as part of a learning ecosystem that extends far beyond the classroom. Each of them promises to be impactful and transformative experiences, providing takeaways and practical knowledge that will stand every participant in excellent stead for years to come.
For innovative, experiential learning experiences that take you out of your comfort zone and a long way from the classroom, check out the programs at IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs.
