A Basic Income for Peace with Nature in Colombia
Basic Income for Peace with Nature is an innovative effort to transform the relationship between communities and their environment. The project aims to recognise the historical role of Indigenous communities as guardians of the rainforest, while testing whether unconditional cash transfers can support sustainable livelihoods, reinforce social cohesion, and strengthen community-led conservation.
Working with local partners, we will provide a universal, individual, and unconditional cash payment for two years to communities living within Indigenous territories in the Colombian Amazon.
These payments acknowledge past harm and invest in the future, helping communities protect their land, reinforce cultural identity, and shape a more peaceful and sustainable future.
We’re working to deliver the world’s first unconditional cash transfer project of its kind, exploring the intersection of conflict and environmental protection in the Colombian Amazon.
Why Colombia?
The Colombian Amazon covers roughly 38.9 million hectares of natural forest. Historically, these ecosystems have been protected by Indigenous peoples, with 64 culturally distinct peoples living throughout the territory. This vast area sustains countless species and habitats vital to the planet’s environmental balance. However, between 2016 and 2023, it lost around 788,000 hectares of forest due to deforestation. The region has also faced armed conflict, with territorial disputes and battles between armed groups creating insecurity, especially for indigenous and campesino communities. Additional pressures include illicit economies and unsustainable land use activities.
At COP16 in Cali, Equal Right formed a steering committee to develop and deliver this project, with over 20 members representing international experts, Colombian political leaders, national NGOs and grassroots civic society organisations.
OUR PARTNERS
We are working in partnership with NGOs Cool Earth and The Nature Conservancy to deliver this project.
Find out more
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Cash for Conservation
We have an ambitious plan to transform communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Learn more about the Cash for Conservation movement below, and check out the Theory of Change for this project above.
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Basic Income Conversations
Watch recordings (with English and Spanish subtitles) of conservations with our key partners on the power of basic income and the importance of community engagement to achieve climate justice.
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Our Project Plan
Check out our project brief below for a more detailed summary of the Basic Income for Peace with Nature project. Available in Spanish here. And keep an eye out for our full project plan, coming in September!
How you can help
We are looking for partners to help us deliver this project and reach more communities on the frontline of the climate crisis across Colombia.
To find out more on how you can help, check out our case for support below (Spanish version here), or donate today.