BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, July 28, 2025 — Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) and the Glocal Grassroots Movement of Movements Foundation (GGMM) are pleased to announce the delivery of the inaugural Energía Renovable Originaria (ERO) capacity-building program. This Indigenous-led initiative is grounded in active co-design processes and aims to support global Indigenous Nations and Original Peoples in advancing community-led energy visions.
The ERO program brings together 30 participants from five original communities across four regions of Colombia. These include three First Nations, one community working to revitalize its grassroots heritage and traditions, and a Palenque community representing the African diaspora. After months of virtual training and collaboration, the participants will come together in person to deepen their knowledge, share experiences, and strengthen grassroots and community leadership in the clean energy space.
“The energy sector, and everyone who does work within it, holds a responsibility for the impacts the work has on Mother Earth and Indigenous Nations around the world. Indigenous-led and community-centred capacity-building programs such as ERO are essential to ensuring Indigenous Nations globally have the support and space to assert sovereignty through the clean energy transition.” ~ Freddie Huppé Campbell, Director of Energy & Climate
During this in-person program, ERO participants will engage in hands-on training sessions, designed to expand their clean energy knowledge, exchange experiences, and support the development of their Nations’ energy futures. This program will be supported by culturally grounded experts and mentors who will guide the sessions and share their knowledge of Indigenized systems, community energy planning and project development, revitalization and intersectional design.
After the training sessions, participants will present their energy visions and perspectives to public and private allies during a conference at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia’s Aula Viva para la Paz in Bogotá. This event will create space for deeper engagement, foster potential partnerships and collaboration, and strengthen solidarity between the national team and participating communities.
“At GGMM, we believe in the power of grassroots communities to reimagine the future and lead the restoration of our Mother Earth—her natural resources and the devastating footprint of colonialism on First Nations, the 6th Region (African diaspora), and other oppressed communities and territories around the world. Programs like ERO represent the perfect example about how to build these reparations from the solidarity, knowledge and experience exchanges between original nations in a critical topic like the mining and energetic sector/Just Energy Transition which has caused a bigger impact in the life and territories of our communities.” ~ Aura Balanta, GGMM President & Strategy Director
Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) is a nonprofit organization that promotes Indigenous leadership in Canada’s clean energy transition. Through its Global Hub, ICE focuses on supporting Indigenous Peoples worldwide using a decolonial approach, fostering global solidarity, and creating community-led energy systems.
For GGMM, supporting this journey is an act of coherence and commitment to life. Energy is also spiritual. ERO is a space where collective dreams are woven from the roots of communities. It is a path that recognizes that solutions don’t come from outside, but are born from the memory, the land, and the voices of those who inhabit it. The energy transition must also be a transition of power. ERO opens a path for communities to decide, lead, and transform from based on their own realities. We believe that without energy sovereignty, social justice, decoloniality and reparations, there won’t be a true just energy transition.
This project is funded by Global Affairs Canada and aims to deliver specialized renewable energy capacity building to Indigenous communities in Colombia and Ecuador to empower them to address their needs, drive sustainable change and participate in the clean energy transition. The project seeks to support community-led approaches for adopting clean energy and energy-efficient solutions for Indigenous Peoples to actualize climate change mitigation in Colombia and Ecuador.
The ERO program will take place from July 28 to August 6 in Bogotá and Boyacá, Colombia.
Indigenous Clean Energy and the Glocal Grassroots Movement of Movements Foundation have also been engaging with the following entities to advance collaborative and supportive alliances for the ongoing work by, for and with the Original Peoples across Colombia:
- Embassy of Colombia in Canada
- Canadian Embassy in Colombia
- Ministry of Energy & Mines, Colombia
- IPSE (Instituto de Planificación y Promoción de Soluciones Energéticas para Zonas No Interconectadas)
- SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje)
*Puede leer el comunicado de prensa en español aquí.