What We Do
Intercultural Education
Improved access to higher education
We believe in intercultural education as a means of creating an inclusive, diverse, and equitable society that honors and celebrates its constituent cultures and identities. We presently support and empower the indigenous student organization OEPIAP, which represents more than 12 ethnicities.
Learn MorePermaculture
Developing regenerative land use alternatives
Fusing indigenous wisdom and modern knowledge, we investigate and promote sustainable access to plant medicine, healthy food, and economic opportunities for local communities by creating an integral agriculture model within our Amazon permaculture center.
Learn MoreHuman & Nature Rights
Supporting The Amazonian Indigenous Movement
We are active in the Nature Rights movement that advocates for the recognition of indigenous territorial rights as the best path to protect the most important wilderness on Earth. We help amplify voices of the jungle by providing multimedia tools and investigative work.
Learn MoreGet Involved
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Want to actively contribute to Chaikuni’s mission?
Translate a report, write an article, lead a fundraising event, or come to Iquitos for a field experience – there are many ways that you can support our work.
Work With UsLatest
- March 19, 2023
"I do not lose the desire to return to my community”
Roldán Tumi has come a long way. Since the day he decided to leave his community, a series of experiences have made him the person he is today: an indigenous anthropologist who understands the challenges facing his people and is willing to work in service of his community. In thi...
- February 3, 2023
Women united in defense of their river
Rivers are fundamental for all living beings. In different ecosystems they fulfill different functions, but all in all these can be summarized as: rivers are a source of life. By irrigating valleys, flooding portions of the forest, and being a source of food and income, rivers h...
- November 28, 2022
Rafael Chanchari: Reflections of a Shawi elder
“I carry agriculture as an inheritance. It’s in my blood, in my thoughts, because I grew up with it” Rafael Chanchari is the leader of Nuevo Chacatán, a Shawi community located between the cities of Iquitos and Nauta, that preserves its traditional way of life. Recently, we had ...
The Permaculture Design Course
In the second half of May, 2019, we held our first ever Permaculture Design Course (PDC) at our permaculture centre. A multicultural group of indigenous Shipibo herbalists, local farmers from neighbouring communities, indigenous students from the Achuar and Awajun peoples, Chaikuni staff and friends from the Temple of the Way of Light came together for 10 inspiring days to learn the basics of permaculture, share their own knowledge, and learn about "chacras integrales". The course was masterfully guided by Tierra Martinez and Beatriz Ramirez from the Na’Lu’um Permaculture Institute, both of them bringing a world of knowledge from a life dedicated to permaculture to the Chaikuni Institute and the participants.