Our Story
The Coalition for Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice in Bolivia (CIREJ, previously SIREJ), consists of students from the University of Oregon (UO), students from other US universities, Bolivian indigenous students, non-students and professors from the University of Oregon and Bolivian universities working in collaboration with Bolivian indigenous peoples, both in person and remotely, to support indigenous rights and environmental justice in Bolivia. In 2015, Derrick Hindery, Associate Professor of Global Studies at the University of Oregon (UO), invited two prominent Bolivian Indigenous leaders to UO, which resulted in a long-term research and teaching collaboration: https://international.uoregon.edu/Bolivia_leaders
One outcome was a unique service-learning study abroad program launched in the summer of 2019, in which students carried out projects prioritized by communities in Guarayo and Monkox/Chiquitano Indigenous territories in Bolivia: "Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice in Bolivia" . The program continued online during the pandemic years of 2020-2022 and successfully ran again in 2023. CIREJ's founding members participated in the 2019 program. The idea for the organization was first pitched while they were still in Bolivia, sitting around the table in Paradise Cafe located in Urubichá, Guarayos. Inspired by the community interactions they’d had so far and awed that their experience was almost over, they knew they wanted to continue the collaboration they had participated in and to educate others about what they had learned. From the beginning, they agreed on core values of accountability to indigenous partners and respect in our practices and communications; these morals are the heart of our organization and direct the ways in which we conduct our projects.
Over 200 students have volunteered for CIREJ on various projects: developing websites and YouTube channels; marketing Indigenous handicrafts and medicinal oils; raising funds for the Amazon fires, COVID19 relief and Indigenous initiatives (e.g. the Indigenous Parliament, Guarani museum and community tourism); and acquiring donations of electronic and musical equipment and tools to make handicrafts.
CIREJ welcomes anyone who wishes to participate. You don't have to be a student :) Click on the "Join CIREJ" tab to volunteer with us! You can also view these slides, which give an overview of what CIREJ does!
One outcome was a unique service-learning study abroad program launched in the summer of 2019, in which students carried out projects prioritized by communities in Guarayo and Monkox/Chiquitano Indigenous territories in Bolivia: "Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice in Bolivia" . The program continued online during the pandemic years of 2020-2022 and successfully ran again in 2023. CIREJ's founding members participated in the 2019 program. The idea for the organization was first pitched while they were still in Bolivia, sitting around the table in Paradise Cafe located in Urubichá, Guarayos. Inspired by the community interactions they’d had so far and awed that their experience was almost over, they knew they wanted to continue the collaboration they had participated in and to educate others about what they had learned. From the beginning, they agreed on core values of accountability to indigenous partners and respect in our practices and communications; these morals are the heart of our organization and direct the ways in which we conduct our projects.
Over 200 students have volunteered for CIREJ on various projects: developing websites and YouTube channels; marketing Indigenous handicrafts and medicinal oils; raising funds for the Amazon fires, COVID19 relief and Indigenous initiatives (e.g. the Indigenous Parliament, Guarani museum and community tourism); and acquiring donations of electronic and musical equipment and tools to make handicrafts.
CIREJ welcomes anyone who wishes to participate. You don't have to be a student :) Click on the "Join CIREJ" tab to volunteer with us! You can also view these slides, which give an overview of what CIREJ does!
