He carries the water—and the weight of a story that remains unacknowledged. This image was taken by the Fundación Corocoras team during the filming of Weaving Immortality, a documentary about the life of the Wamoné people, who still live atop the former landfill of Arauca..
As leaders from over 110 countries gather in Hamburg to discuss the planet’s future, regions like Arauca continue to live a reality that rarely makes it into global conversations. The Hamburg Sustainability Conference, held on June 2 and 3, 2025, aimed to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with just five years left until 2030. There was talk of new alliances, digital transformation, investments in biodiversity, global financial reform, and even responsible AI for development. All of it sounds promising. But what about the territories that still lack the basic conditions to even begin building their future?
Arauca is one of them. Located in the heart of Colombia’s Orinoquía region, this land—rich in water, wildlife, and culture—remains largely invisible on the global stage. Armed conflict hasn’t disappeared. Communities still live under the constant threat of displacement, extortion, kidnappings, and unemployment. Decades of government neglect are reflected in meager public budgets, weak infrastructure, limited access to education, and poor connectivity. Agriculture remains precarious, cattle farming stagnant, and clean energy barely discussed. Climate change only worsens these conditions, with floods and droughts hitting the region harder every year.
And yet, this land quietly holds one of the most extraordinary natural treasures in the country. Because here, where few are willing to go, people have been protecting life with their own hands. At Fundación Corocoras, we don’t just document this natural wealth—we live it, defend it, and work to preserve it. Our approach to development communication is clear: we protect what we know. That’s why we show what others overlook. Not just to admire it, but to understand that this beauty is fragile. And that showing it is not entertainment—it is a call to protect it.
Our projects combine research, environmental education, cultural memory, and community participation. We work in rural schools to strengthen knowledge of local biodiversity. We support Indigenous communities to ensure their voices are heard in conservation processes. We produce documentaries, radio content, exhibitions, and stories that do more than inform—they move people. Because what we do is not simply awareness-raising—it’s an act of responsibility. In a territory that has done so much with so little, where people have preserved forests and wetlands without resources, and kept culture alive despite abandonment.
But what we seek is not only development in technical or economic terms. We also speak of well-being. Because well-being in Arauca cannot be measured solely through data—it must be felt in the peace of a child walking safely to school, in a mother’s ability to access timely healthcare, in the trust to plant without fear of dispossession, and in the joy of living one’s culture without it being an act of resistance. Well-being means being able to inhabit this land with dignity, with hope, and with the certainty that those who protect life also deserve to live it fully.
And yet, we are deeply concerned that such well-being remains out of reach for most people in Arauca. It is time that caring for life and land brings fair, tangible returns for those who live in it. The world must look here—not with promises, but with real partnerships. While global indicators show some progress—reduced extreme poverty, wider access to clean energy, improved school enrollment—there are still places in this world being left behind. Arauca is one of them. Here, children still struggle to access basic education. Indigenous peoples face ongoing vulnerabilities. Farmers lack technical support. And the region’s rich biodiversity is threatened by deforestation and unsustainable monocultures.
At Fundación Corocoras, we have proven that local solutions are possible—grounded in culture, backed by science, and led by communities. But we cannot do this alone. We need partners who understand that the planet’s future is also being decided in places like this—far from capital cities, but close to rivers, forests, and people who are still willing to care.
In Arauca, we’re not waiting with folded arms. We are resisting, nurturing, planting. But we can’t keep doing it alone. Time is running out, and the historic debt keeps growing. We need those in power to do more than listen. Arauca needs investment, technology, and opportunity—but above all, it needs to stop being ignored. If you’re reading this and have something to offer, don’t wait. There’s a place that needs you. And Fundación Corocoras is here, boots on the ground, ready to make it happen.
In Hamburg, they speak of tomorrow. In Arauca, we’ve been defending it for years. Help us keep it alive.
Weaving Immortality
From a land that was once the city of Arauca’s landfill—now closed but still layered with waste beneath the surface—the Wamoné people endure. They settled there after years of displacement, with no land and no guarantees, facing extreme hardship. And yet, they preserve their essence, their culture, and their way of life. They survive through their craftsmanship and the limited support of a few organizations. This documentary, produced by Fundación Corocoras, sheds light on their dignity, their quiet struggle, and their deep connection to the land. We share it not only to tell a story, but to invite action. Because no people should be condemned to oblivion.
While the World Debates the Future, Arauca Struggles Through the Present