The Future is Collective Case Studies of Collective Social Innovation 2025

Collective action activities Capability Activities Building movementsCreating a shared narrative: ASHA conducted a 3.5-year participatory process to build a shared long-term vision called the Bioregional Plan, which it describes as an “Amazon Green New Deal”. Identifying a common agenda: ASHA’s Bioregional Plan maps out nine pathways to achieve its collective vision, which serves as the common agenda for bringing together all members of the alliance. ASHA is also supporting the creation of “life plans” for each Indigenous Peoples’ territories, taking unique worldviews and living conditions into account. Expanding the stakeholder base: ASHA brings together Indigenous nations, governments, civil society organizations and like-minded private sector actors who have historically not collaborated in this manner. Centring lived experience: In all of its activities, ASHA centres Indigenous Peoples’ voices and their traditional role as territorial stewards of the Sacred Headwaters land. Organizing field-level convenings: ASHA convenes a general assembly of its members annually. They also participate in global fora at the United Nations and the multi-lateral development banks (MDBs). Designing and promoting multistakeholder processes: ASHA strongly holds that well- designed multistakeholder processes are needed to reach multiparty agreements for the ecological economic zoning of the bioregion. They actively engage key actors including NGOs, local governments, environment ministries and academia within the bioregion. In the past four years, there have been a series of national dialogues between Indigenous leadership in Ecuador and the executive branch of the Ecuador government. The national Indigenous movements of both Ecuador and Peru are also actively engaged in ongoing dialogues with local and national governments. Strengthening data systemsCreating shared definitions: ASHA promotes the Amazonian worldview of buen vivir as a comprehensive approach to well-being that centres people and nature rather than extractive economies in goals and decision-making. Developing shared metrics: ASHA is co-creating a set of biophysical and territorial governance indicators for buen vivir that will measure a country’s well-being beyond conventional economic measures, such as GDP (gross domestic product). Collecting, sharing and analysing data: ASHA is developing a comprehensive, online geographic information system (GIS) that monitors the state of the bioregion and helps build a strong case for Indigenous governance. Influencing institutionsConducting advocacy campaigns: ASHA participates in global meetings and advocacy campaigns to influence the global economic system, the activities of extractive industries, while promoting the cultural and historic rights of Indigenous Peoples and nature. Organizing legal action: ASHA conducts litigation and legal actions to advance legal recognition of Indigenous land claims and to address socio-environmental and territorial conflicts in the region. The ultimate aim is to strengthen the Indigenous governance and territorial rights to more than 22 million acres of Indigenous Peoples' territories that have not yet been legally recognized, mostly in the Peruvian Amazon. Working with government: ASHA works with local and national governments to develop regional planning agreements that prioritize Indigenous nations’ rights and life plans. The Future is Collective: Case Studies of Collective Social Innovation 10