Problem

The Organization for the Defense and Development of the Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon (ODDPIAP) is a grassroots advocacy and development organization formed during a meeting of Shipibo leaders in June 2007. The leadership of ODDPIAP was democratically elected at this meeting and given the mandate to protect the region's forests, but also to act as a point of access to resources for community-based sustainable development projects. They are in need of office space in Pucallpa, Peru.

The Gift

This gift will provide one month's rent for ODDPIAP's office in Pucallpa, Peru. This office will be a regional service center where indigenous peoples can receive information and access to resources such as technical expertise, legal help for land titling issues, training opportunities, and a soon to be established indigenous bank. ODDPIAP is central to the Shipibo people's alternative development plan for the region. Instead of waiting for government and NGO interventions, ODDPIAP will actively be seeking strategic alliances and support on their own terms.